Electrical test and measurement equipment reviews.

ITTSB Blog

Industrial Test Tools Scoreboard
Reviews of ONLY THE BEST !!   Tools for truly experienced and productive human brains.
    Written by: Kiriakos A. Triantafillou, Industrial maintenance electrician, Hellas. (2012 -> 2023 -> 2025)
Digital Multimeter, Clamp on meter, Oscilloscope, Electronic component testing tools.

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 Note: Front page includes recent Blog activities  (past two years)… For older Reviews use navigation buttons
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Last update 15 February 2024
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Massive test of high quality multimeter regarding ammeter burden voltage
Burden Voltage this is most essential and frequently overlooked enemy of a perfect measurement.
An ammeter shunt allows the measurement of current but such a resistor will introduce losses which we should calculate manually.

Since January 2019, ITTSB blog toolbox this now includes a benchtop 6 ½ DMM with basic V DC accuracy of 0.0024 % , this is lots of precision and one of best applications’ using it, this is exploration of Burden Voltage at handheld DMM.
Kiriakos Project !!   High precision resistors + Made in Greece creativity!
First project
Resistors box for insulation resistance testers calibration inspection up to 4000 V POWERTRON GST4020
Second project
Seven dial decade resistance box for multimeter calibration inspection.
Hermetically sealed Vishay Foil Resistors
Third project
Ultra-High precision resistance box exclusively made for bench top multimeter calibration inspection.
Hermetically sealed Vishay Foil Resistors
Calibration standard class.
POWERTRON GST4020 ITTSB project 2017 Ultra High Precision resistors Box High Precision Decade resistors Box
7 April 2020:  Data Logging Software Development Project     Japan & Greece
"Gentlemen, START your engines"
Get ready to discover the Freeware data logging software, benchtop support added beginning of 2020, today this is a Priceless companion for our “digitally measuring investments”.
Software for FLUKE: 8846A, 8845A, FLK45, DMM4050, DMM4040  (Digital multimeter)
I was had to get challenged with SCPI commands syntax for two months, but We Made it !!!
Link to: TsDMMViewer Multimeter Data logger Software - Review
Link to: TsDMMViewer & FLUKE 8846A Precision multimeter, RS232C Connectivity, Help and Tips.
New Forum section at 2019  .. Used Bench top multimeter under the microscope..
In contrast with the market of handheld multimeter which this demonstrated since 2010 and later a significant quantity of modernized instruments, market segment of benchtop multimeter did not follow a similar progressive path.
A few brands just modernised product exterior design of their 6 ½ digit DMM, by setting their expectations at price tag of 3000 Euro which this is extremely high for the working class of electrical or electronics freelancer trouble-shooter.

Expected self adjusting move, when benchtop DMM market this facing such pricing anomalies this is consumer’s attention to steer at used equipments.
I did my best at exploring past champions of the year 2000 and after, and now at ITTSB Blog forum you may read tips which will help you regarding buyer expectations relative to software support, spare parts availability and product support (if there is any of those still offered by the manufacturer).
July 2020:  Exploring contact resistance of Molex connectors and pins

Bad connection of a single Molex pin this caused damage at 750W PC power supply.


They say that the Devil he gets hidding behind the details.

This occasion reminds attack from the back in to a dark alley.


No warning, no time to respond, and now I am investigating the crime scene for clues by the use of best electrical test and measurement equipment.

February 2021: Four Wires resistance measurement under Asian sabotage.
Four wires resistance measurement this is under sabotage at our times, mostly because modern manufacturing methods at China mainland, these now delivering to us unworthy in quality test leads and Kelvin clips, these be made due recycled scrap metals.

By the use of conventional but qualifying benchtop multimeter, the ones using Law of Ohm and DC current with stable polarity. At very low resistance measurements the quality of test wires and clips this is highly important, because any unjustified high EMF this will destroy the measurement.

Modern technology this found at dedicated high precision resistance meters, this is the use of reversal polarity of pulses instead. Due this new method the expected thermal EMF influence this is minimised, the measurement now becomes stable and more accurate. But if even under this method there is still instability? this is good indication to alert us, that there is severe EMF this caused due severely dissimilar metals.   

This is of how I did get alerted and started to further investigate, now I am aware that low-cost test wires and clips along banana plugs and even BNC connectors, these are not worth buying and neither gold paint used at toys making, this does not make them any better (fake Gold-Plated goods).

Best defence against the Asian sabotage, this is you stop paying money for such products.


May 2021 CANARE L-4E6S Best cable for DMM Kelvin clips (DIY project).

Here is my latest Blog post in favour of an excellent product made by Canare Electric Co., Ltd. In Japan.  

It is unfortunate that most known named as A Brand, at electrical test and measurement they now focusing making money from newest industry application and they overlook to modernise the R&D of  fundamental accessories which serving benchtop multimeter.

The L-4E6S cable this a product solution in full compliance even to strict Best practices that Electrical metrology imposes to us, for retaining of quality at precision electrical measurements.

This is my eighth year of Blogging, my work bench this is now full of precision equipment for all sorts of electrical measurements, along of very expensive calibration standards.  Even so I was missing of a KELVIN clips harness this capable to offer noiseless measurements at all times.

My attempt for DIY solution ended to complete success, and now I can brag that an electrician were saved by one industry that their brand name ends to Electric Co., Ltd.

CANARE L-4E6S Cable Review

Copyright Notice:

The content of this web site is copyright protected. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organization. Apart from any use as permitted under Hellenic Copyright law, all other rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: Kiriakos Triantafillou, 55 Gatsou, TK38333, Volos, Greece, E-mail: info@ittsb(dot)eu

You are not permitted to commercialize the information or material without seeking prior written approval from Kiriakos A.  Triantafillou.  You are not permitted to use the ITTSB.EU web site to sell a product or to increase traffic to your web site.

Kiriakos Triantafillou © 2012 - 2025

Name space registered to  EURid  May 8, 2012

 The return of VARIAC …  Inverters & ups testing , ITTSB Project
Ups and inverters testing after repair, this is a necessary action for any Industrial Maintenance Electrician or Electronics troubleshooter whom respects his reputation.
VARIAC adjustable transformer this is still most inexpensive and effective way having an adjustable ACV power source in your hands.  

Instead getting a cheap poor quality VARIAC assembled in China or India (unreliable toys for hobbyists), I did follow route of DIY just for product design and case selection.

Most essential parts at this VARIAC project are the finest ones still available in our decade.
The outcome this is now a professionally grade adjustable ACV source for 0~270 Volts (VARIAC adjustable transformer among with Single Phase Voltage and Current Breakout Box, and a basic ACA 2x150W loads.

Regarding bill of materials and cost estimates, I did follow cost effective path but even so by using exclusively highest quality of parts, them complying to most recent IEC directives’.

I like to thanks DER EE ELECTRICAL METER CO. LTD. in Taiwan for their sponsoring of all necessary  analogue meters for those two ITTSB Blog projects’ !!  
Relative WEB Links

June 2021 & ITTSB Blog Celebrates nine years of activity

Along the offering of DMM repair services within EU

My new problem, this is that now I am in love, at getting involved with that non popular science, this loaded with so much complexity, this be combination of academia with electrical measurements and relative products and everything comes down to electrical and electronic applications.

Nine years ago I was 43 years old and now I am 52,  and as you get older and wiser, the art of content creation this transform to a bigger challenge for your own brain and your eyes and your body.

This is why I made the choice in the past three years  of me to get involved only with worthwhile product review projects, when and if they appear.

The NEW Blog post bellow this is a window for you to enter to my off-line world and at my very own electronics repairs lab but not in the form of showroom. So far my technical skills at repairing benchtop multimeter since 2009, these were known to a very few people along specific private industries these serving national defence in Greece.

Now its time for new actions and deployment of fresh future plans,  therefore if you need help about having serviced / repaired an benchtop multimeter at 6 ½ digits resolution and this is made by FLUKE / Tektronix, them feel free to contact me due email.  To clarify I am freelancer and your last hope, when you need an of the chart solution with a friendlier repair bill.

While this is a festive day for ITTSB Blog as Internet project, I did select this day too, so to announce and or advertise this new available offering, of multimeter repair services, available exclusively within European union.

Note: FLUKE brand T-shirt this is an old gift,

and this still going strong after be washed over and over in the past eight years.

 I have also one from HIOKI brand and two of Agilent technologies DMM division, along of one from Agilent technologies oscilloscope division and the specific one this is my winter time dress code.  

FLUKE 8846A Calibration test 2021


New since 2021

Benchtop DMM repair services

Greece and EU

Use ITTSB Blog email address, for more information's.

July 31 2023

Seasonic PRIME TX 750, 80Plus Titanium PSU Review completed.

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ITTSB Mini Articles

My personal viewpoints, comments, News.

28 May 2014

Safe 220V & 380V measurements with a bench top Oscilloscope by using one differential probe.

The Bottom line is that you can not avoid paying the price for a true differential probe if what you have in mind is work instead play.

Intro:

I am now an 45 years old electrician, and today I am able to see the Mains voltage and measure its and every parameter.

Never thought that my first class oscilloscope with the differential probe hooked up, that has so much to offer.  

#

My first FLUKE 87V meter mini adventure (8-2010)

FLUKE 87V GSM issue

Burn in of OLED's is a known problem (8-2012)

#

2012

2013

Four Industrial handheld multimeter's tested above the 1000 ACV mark.

1 February 2016

ITTSB Blog up to date this performed many individual reviews of handheld multimeter, this latest benchmark has to do with the performance of four full size multimeter's when them get tested out of their measuring specifications’ that is above the 1000 ACV range.


Few months back I started thinking to build for my lab one amplifier which this in combination with a function generator, it will work as adjustable ACV source …….

Mini articles archives
Multimeter them getting constantly improved because ITTSB Blog it does record engineering innovations and even past made mistakes.   
ITTSB Blog forum this is extension of ITTSB Blog and blogging activity this is far more frequent and topics they do cover far more wide spectrum.
Click over the image so to discover it too !      
News corner (past 12 months Blog life Log)..

Latest announcement:

7 June 2023, we now measure eleven years On-line

July 14 2023

I could never see that coming, ITTSB the only electrical test and measurement Blog this aiming to inform professional’s, this controlled by another professional electrician, this is now walking alone.


Brands that I helped them, about marketing, so these to gain worldwide visibility along good publicity for 11 long years nowadays they are cutting me off and shown ungrateful.


I have no regrets about exploring with my activities this totally unpopular products sector, but anything this damaging my mental health and enthusiasm it must be terminated too.

My electrical review article this is now available, I mostly did verification of Seasonic’s latest development or claim about +/_ 0,5 % 12V Rail MTLR (DC voltage stability when input AC voltage this fluctuates)  

Along of 12V rail voltage stability with load testing.


This power supply did not disappointed me in any way, but the 3.3V rail did not follow the strict 0,5% of tolerance.

  

In order both tests to be performed, I had to use most of electrical test and measurement equipment of my lab along power sources and loads.

a) Stabilized AC source 2KVA

b) Professionally grade adjustable ACV source for 0~270 Volts (VARIAC adjustable transformer).

c) Triple DC rail dummy load (resistive load) total of 320VA.

d) Electronic adjustable DC load of 110 VA.

e) Three of best in class HH handheld DMM, along my FLUKE 8846A (all recently inspected regarding calibration).


I also thought to perform power analysis and measurements by the use of my oscilloscope GDS-2102A, this research lasted several months, but I  did hit a wall there due the 8bit resolution.  Lesson learned with out a serious 12bit scope, along voltage and special current probe, an sum of 30000 EUR of minimum investment, you cannot do much either even if accuracy this is not better than 2.0%  for VA plus phase shift calculation.  

Dedicated and recognised power meter (analyser) this is also a tough market, there is high costs at equipment purchase along of a contract for frequent calibration = frequent shipping costs, a yearly total cost that small labs cannot afford.

Seasonic TX-750 this is still a modern electronic design of a power supply, and it does not hide any electrical disappointments.

Seasonic Prime TX750 Titanium scheduled review


New since 2021

Benchtop DMM repair services

Greece and EU

Use ITTSB Blog email address, for more information's.


New since 2021

Benchtop DMM repair services

Greece and EU

Use ITTSB Blog email address, for more information's.


New since 2021

Benchtop DMM repair services

Greece and EU

Use ITTSB Blog email address, for more information's.


New since 2021

Benchtop DMM repair services

Greece and EU

Use ITTSB Blog email address, for more information's.

December 1 2023

I wish to inform all loyal ITTSB blog readers that specific product reviews which completed a life cycle of eight years or more they are no longer hosted from us.

Agilent/Keysight: U1272A, U1273A ... DER EE: DE208A, DE-5000 .... BRYMEN: BM869, BM257, BM189 ...

HIOKI E. E. : DT4282 ... TWINTEX: TFG-3620E ... MEGGER UK: AVO410 ... GW Instek: GDS2102A   

A message to all marketing managers, if you ever need a professional voice to review your products, we will do it if you accept paying the price for technical content creation.   Blog founder: Kiriakos Triantafillou certified industrial electrician.  

January 14 2024

I did buy for my self a gift for the new year, Western Digital Gold series, one pair of 2.0 TB, 128Mb cache, enterprise class hard drive.  

As upgrade for my workstation with RAID-1 Array, and I am now amazed from the pack of features and performance that latest technology of high-end Hard drives this has to offer.

I wrote lots of details about this project at ITTSB Forum.  New Year 2024 this started with a sweet smile at me !!

February 15 2024

My latest troublesome situation, this is related with ATTEN soldering tools, and company policy.

Approximately one decade ago I did invested my own cash at getting one AT90DH soldering station, and now I am forced to trash the tool, because of a tiny metal pipe which holds the soldering tip in place, as this is now damaged.

ATTEN never sell or export this zero cost spare part, their headquarters they do not answer emails, and neither the few European’s whom sell ATTEN goods are in position to assist.

ATTEN simply replaced AT90DH with ST-100 (100% identical model) and doubled the price of all accessories about it. Actually neither this has spare parts, all that you may find this is an complete soldering iron for this station and or an extremely overpriced heater for this soldering iron.

Active since 2024, WE DO NOT Recommend ATTEN soldering tools as solution for professional use.

This brand proved it self as unprofessional and it cannot be trusted.