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Multimeter | Clamp meter | Insulation Resistance Tester | Panel Meter | Oscilloscopes | Test leads & Accessories | Software Updates => Handheld multimeter => Topic started by: giorgos on August 25, 2013, 12:39:07 PM
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I would like to share my thoughts with you, about this category of meters.
In my job sometimes I am working out of my bench. I have to repair alarm control panels or TV amplifiers etc. which as usual are mounted in inaccessible areas. Also I have almost always, to work on a ladder. All of theese make difficult the usage of a handheld multimeter, because there is not any place to stand the meters.
Some manufacturers supplies them with hooks, magnetic clips etc to solve the problem.
Another approach is the pen type meters, which is ideal for quick mesuraments where accuracy doesnt required.
Thesse meters is very handy, but the majority of them is made by cheap manufacturers and this is an important objection about their safety standards. Althought in the market you can find pen type meters by quality manufacturers like Hioki (in higer prices) like this http://www.hioki.com/product/324660/index.html
My question is that, is worth to buy a pen type meter like this? Not for basic but as a secondary to use in specific cases.
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I have actually use this multimeter for several months until the time that it was stolen from the soft pouch of my team of electricians.
I did turned the factory upside down for days so to retrieve it back but with out much of luck.
I will never forget this story .. ever.. nor the shape of this meter which actually belonged to a friend electrician which he got it from eBay, because this national defense factory was having other top priorities in their shopping list than getting decent new multimeter s for eight electricians.
This meter it is a Japanese design but a shared one, Hioki offer this too. :)
For basic voltage measurements and as continuity tester ( testing fuses ) it is useful.
The compact size somehow made this meter to always have an significant price tag.
The most irritating moment with it is the battery replace process, it uses round batteries ( wrist watch type ), which is hard to find in a factory compared to AA & AAA alkaline.
I did like it, but never fall in love with it. ;D
(https://www.ittsb.eu/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi292.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm13%2Fbluefordream%2FTester_CA%2FSTINF-TS-0118%2FHioki_3246_2.jpg&hash=a10277078e6bb59ef24bfdc890464fd5f98eaa61)