ITTSB.EU Blog Forum
Multimeter | Clamp meter | Insulation Resistance Tester | Panel Meter | Oscilloscopes | Test leads & Accessories | Software Updates => Handheld multimeter => Topic started by: giorgos on March 09, 2014, 06:16:08 PM
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With this topic I will atempt to mention some quality brands which has dissapeared now from markets.
First of all I would like to clarify that these old meters , can not compare with modern ones, because they are not combatible with new safety standards.
Although there are still quality instruments.
I will start with two brands ,that I have personal experience by using their instruments.
SOAR: A Japanese company which have an important presence in market at 80s and 90s.
I am owner of a SOAR 3250 multimeter since 1995, and Im very satisfied from it all of these years. As you can see is an autoranging meter covers the basic functions.Also It has good protections (eg. connecting to mains with ohms selection)
Other SOAR models (eg 4040) had much more functions, also they was more expensive.
A disadvantage of that meters was that they were exclusively for indoor use (they have not rubber protective case) Even so, this doesnt cancels the fact that they are great instruments.
SOAR corporation doesnt exists anymore. I have not any information for this.
BECKMAN INDUSTRIAL: A well know brand, with a wide range of models.
I had used a BECKMAN 225 multimeter in a company I was working from1999 until 2004.
It was a fast(for these years) autoranging multimeter ,with basic functions ,true rms ,with a very durable construction.
It was giving the sense of a reliable instrument.
After searching on internet and ebay I found some photos to post of theese models. Also I post a photo of my SOAR 3250.
I hope you found this topic interesting.
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Most American old brands of meters, when their corporate profile come close to death, were actually bought by Danaher Corporation.
By this move Danaher Corporation managed for some time to own and even use this patented technology by their other subsidiary, as for example FLUKE.
In Japan probably there is a different mindset, and I am not aware of similar cases.
Possibly because most such companies had close ties with politics and army, and their intellectual property it was not easy to be sold.
Nowadays the most active Japanese company is HIOKI, and there is other two with somewhat interesting range of products but with terrible in communication marketing teams.
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As I was searching on internet about SOAR multimeters , I found some similar models from Yokogawa http://mrmodemhead.com/blog/yokogawa-7534-03-multimeter/
and HP http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-E2377A-Multimeter-/200794759636.
Was any relation between these brands?
Also I found an interesting relative topic with teardown photos
http://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/soar-4020-teardown-from-mid-80's/
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After almost four years of personal engagement in discovering multimeter models and brands, today I am aware of all of them.
But I am not recording corporate history.
BRYMEN, DEREE, Agilent, FLUKE, MEGGER, HIOKI are alive brand names of our times.
And there is another two from Europe and another two from Japan, which does not engage with bloggers.
Therefore I can proudly say that ITTSB have cooperate all ready with most worthy makers of our times of products aimed for the large majority of electricians / electronics repair man.