Best Component Testers
The Amprobe CO2-100 Handheld Carbon Dioxide Meter offers instant feedback with CO2 levels, with additional temperature and humidity measurement. Handheld digital meter measures ambient level of carbon dioxide (CO2) to monitor indoor air quality and performance of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great product, but 1 issue I do have with it is that there is no lanyard or even a attachment point for a lanyard on it so you could hang it from the ceiling, etc."
"Well built."
"Seems to do what's it's suppose to do, been using it for a couple of months now."
"Seems to work very well."
"Easy to use meter for recording CO2."
Amprobe products range from an extensive line of clamp meters and digital multimeters to industry-specific tools for residential/commercial electricians, HVAC/R technicians, utilities and industrial maintenance professionals. Test standard and rechargeable batteries: 9V, AA, AAA, C, D, 1.5V Button Type.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Tried out on new batteries and they read at the top of the green range, then tested what I assumed were bad batteries and they read in the red (replace) or yellow range."
"The blah-blah…. ===========. Do you really need a Battery Tester? After new batteries are installed and the device still does not power up, usually one removes and saves the new batteries, but never goes back to the trash to pick the ones he just threw out. Therefore, do you think you need a Battery Tester now? I’m pretty sure that if you’re managing fleets of battery powered equipment and replacing dozens and hundreds of batteries on a daily basis, you know what you are doing and you’re using higher-end professional gear. So before you want to purchase a particular model of battery tester over another, here are a couple of decisions you might have to make: analog vs. digital; new vs. vintage; multi-mode vs. single mode; hand held or desktop; simple or more complex; small vs. large; cheap vs expensive. This review is for Battery Testers for generic 1.5V Alkaline, 3V, 6V, 12V photo, button cells, coin cells and primary Lithium batteries, not for 6V and 12V automotive (lead-acid), dedicated watch battery testers or dedicated Lithium pack analyzers. Also, I focused more on the AAA-AA-C-D-9V-Li batteries than on button or coin cells but I did specify in Pros or Cons if each tester does or does not accept such cells. Although I used the variable power supply to gauge the accuracy of the indication (whether analog or digital), I also tested hundreds of batteries of all states of charge with each tester to see their behavior and get a more true-to-real-world result. The batteries…. ===========. Among the couple hundred batteries I went through in one shot, I found the following: As new (as in…1.6V new): - 10pcs AAA. - 19pcs AA. - 5pcs C. - 1pc 9V. With 80% or better charge: - 8pcs AAA. - 18pcs AA. - 4pcs C. - 1pc D. Total: 66 pcs of perfectly usable batteries. The Battery Testers…. ================. Analog: ======. A1: Gemoro Watch Battery Tester ($10 to $13). A2: Gardner Bender GBT-500A ($8 - $12). A3: Minwa MW-222 Battery Tester ($6 to $10). A4: Gardner Bender GBT-3502 ($6 - $7). A5: Square Battery Tester ($2 to $8). A6: Amprobe BAT-250 (caliper) (around $8). A7: PT W2987 (caliper) ($1.49 to $7). A8: Generic Analog Multi-Meter with Battery Test ($10 to $15). A9: (Vintage) Maxell Battery Checker ($15 on eBay). Digital: =====. D1: ZTS-Mini MBT ($42). D2: (Vintage) Radio Shack Digital 22-091: (Original $17.99; $15 on eBay). D3: HDE BT-168D: ($5 to $8). D4: Harbor Freight Digital ($5) = Micro Center Performance Tools Digital Battery Tester ($7.99). D5: Tenergy Digital Tester T-333 ($12). The Ranking…. ===========. The most versatile analog tester: A2: Gardner Bender GBT-500, any analog tan colored meter that looks like the GBT-500 or any Vintage RadioShack or Micronta 22-03x series; Too bad it doesn’t have a separate scale (and proper loads) for C and D batteries. The second most versatile analog tester: A1: Gemoro Watch Battery Tester and any of its tan colored clones (or the other way around). The good-enough tester: A5: Square Battery Tester. If I were Amprobe, I’d start working on a BAT-300 model with the same form factor but add variable load for different 1.5V batteries and especially for coin cells, may be even for 3VLi, or better-off for the new and modern 3.6V Li, increase the accuracy of the meter (make the needle go to Full when reading a full battery, not just anywhere in green) but KEEP the price. Also, it turns out that all (read: ALL) analog testers have very poor accuracy when gauging multiple batteries (not to mention lack of any kind of % or numbers above the colored scale). After a certain point a battery loses charge at a much higher rate, therefore, it may indicate almost 60-70-80% on an analog tester but in fact fail on any digital tester. The batteries that show, let’s say 60% on the analog tester and show also 60% on the digital tester, then you can believe that those batteries are indeed at 60% capacity. The good thing in the case of the Amprobe tester and the like is that with such high loads, a battery that’s not really healthy (at any level) will really show as such. On to the subjects: ANALOG BATTERY TESTERS. =======================. A1: Gemoro Watch Battery Tester. Tech Notes. 45mA @1.5V (30 Ohm for AA, C). 8mA @1.5V (150 Ohm for AAA). 95mA @1.5V (15 Ohm for C). 230mA @1.5V (6.5 Ohm for D). 1mA @1.5V (1.5 kOhm for button cell). 8mA @9V (900 Ohm for 9V). Pros. Tests under variable load for various batteries. No less than 14 different settings (not necessarily different loads). No battery req. to operate. Dampened needle, like a true meter. Beautiful, legible scale, with white font on red and green. Offset can be adjusted. Can use either the Positive or the negative of the battery during test. Cute, nostalgic. Cons. All three scales indicate roughly the same thing and are virtually redundant. No diode protection against reversed testing. Need to pick/check the appropriate battery type before measuring. Loads are a little bit too conservative. A2: Gardner Bender GBT-500A. Tech Notes. 145mA @1.5V (10 Ohm for AA, C, D). 48mA @1.5V (30 Ohm for AAA and Ni-Cd). 1mA @1.5V (1.5 kOhm for button cell). 10mA @9V (900 Ohm for 9V). Pros. Tests under variable load for various batteries. No battery req. A3: Minwa MW-222 Battery Tester. Tech Notes. Minwa made battery chargers and multi-meters forever, so I was happy to see they also have a battery tester. 170mA @1.5V (8.7 Ohm load for AA & C). 75mA @1.5V (19 Ohm load for AAA). 290mA @1.5V (5 Ohm load for D). 16mA @9V (500 Ohm load for 9V). I can (and probably will) remove the scale, draw and print another one that will show 100% at full deflection and add percentages and more info in the process. Pros. Tests under variable load for various batteries. Good choice of loads. Diode protected for reversed batteries (the only unit). Two scales that are properly shifted. Tests 1.5V button cells. No battery req. One would have to guess that button cell or rechargeable would apply to the lower scale. A4: Gardner Bender GBT-3502. Tech Notes. 45mA @1.5V (31 Ohms for AA, AAA, C, D). 10mA @9V (900 Ohms for 9V ). 1mA @1.5V (1.4 kOhm for Button Cell). @1.2V needle is right between yellow and green. Pros. Tests under load (although fixed between 1.5V types). Has room for separate 1.5V button cell test. Clever design, small form factor. Self-contained. No battery required to operate. Cons. No variable load between 1.5V battery types. Current too small for AA, C, D. No 3V Li coin, or primary Li cells. Not as ergonomic as one might expect (spring is a little too strong). Bouncy-bouncy-bouncy needle. Almost centered scale between Low and Good – very poor accuracy between batteries worn differently and even showing bad batteries as good. Pros. Tests under load (although fixed between 1.5V types). No battery required to operate. Light, small, portable form factor. Much better scale than Gardner Bender GBT-3502. Self-contained. Good for non-techies. Cons. No variable load between 1.5V battery types (other than 9V). Load ok for AAA, but too large for button cell and too small for AA, C, D. No separate test point for button cells. No 3V for coin cells or primary Li batteries. Pros. Tests under load (although fixed between 1.5V types). No battery required to operate. Cradle for battery helps a lot while testing. Built and assembled nicely (for an inexpensive tool, that is). Separate scales for primary and button cells. Self-contained unit. Good for non-techies. Cons. No variable load between 1.5V battery types (other than 9V). No separate test point for 1.5V button cells. No 3V for coin cells or primary Li batteries. Higher load than typical…good for AA, C, D but not good for AAA and button cells. Not full scale when reading a new battery. Bouncy-bouncy-bouncy needle. A7: PT W2987. Tech Notes. 330mA @1.5V (4.5 Ohms for AA, AAA, C, D). 41mA @9V (208 Ohms for 9V ). Pros. Tests under load (although fixed between 1.5V types). Higher load than typical…good for AA, C, D but not good for AAA and button cells. No battery required to operate. Separate scales for primary and button cells. Self-contained unit. Good for non-techies. Cons. No variable load between 1.5V battery types (other than 9V). No separate test point for 1.5V button cells. No 3V for coin cells or primary Li batteries. Higher load than typical…good for AA, C, D but not good for AAA and button cells. Not full scale when reading a new battery. Bouncy-bouncy-bouncy needle. Built cheaper than the Amprobe BAT-250. A8: Generic Analog Multi-Meter with Battery Test. Tech Notes. 95mA @1.5V (13.5 Ohm load) (manual states 115mA). 7mA @9V (1.2 kOhm load) (manual states 7.5mA). Pros. Hundreds of variations, cheap, small and can be used as a real meter not just a battery meter. Dampened mechanism (unlike the bouncy GBT-500A). 110% Full on the batt scale = 1.6V for a brand new battery (although that’s not the case for a brand new 9V batt). Cons. If you think it’s cheaply made on the outside, wait until you look inside… But hey, it works... A9: (Vintage) Maxell Battery Checker. Tech Notes. 130mA mA @1.5V (13 Ohms for AA, C, D). 66mA @1.5V (21 Ohm for AAA and AAAA). 130mA @9V (600 Ohms for 9V ); (4.2kOhm for 1.5V button cell). Pros. Tests under load. No battery required to operate. Full scale at 1.5V; Needle is in yellow at 1.1V. Full scale at 9V; needle is in yellow at 6.1V. Separate scales for primary and button cells. Though bulkier than necessary, it is nicely designed with bright white silk screen text, good quality contacts, lays flat on the desk, bright, easy to read scale. Made in Japan :). Cons. No 3V Li coin cell or 3V Li primary. Bulky for no good reason (it’s mostly empty on the inside). 9V readings tend to be a little too optimistic. DIGITAL BATTERY TESTERS. ======================. D1: ZTS Mini-MBT. Tech Notes. “Microprocessor based patented, high accuracy Pulse Load Test” (from their website). I don’t have a scope to measure the real “pulsing” load being applied to the battery but here are some static measurements, however accurate they are: (DCA and Ohms): 155mA @1.5V (9.5 Ohms for AA, C, D, N). 321mA @1.3V (4 Ohms for 1.2V NiMH). 770mA @3V (4 Ohms for 3V Lithium). 717mA @3.6V (5.1 Ohms for 3.6V Li-Ion). 40mA @9V (217 Ohms for 9V ). Pros. Sophisticated design with Pulsing load vs. continuous load. Digital Bar Graph readout. Compatible with AAA, AA, C, D, 9V, N and 3V primary Lithium CR123A, CR2 and modern Li-Ion rechargeable (18650 and the like). Easy to use - no switches or settings (other than On button). Auto shut-off. Not forgiving at all with weak batteries (also a Con.). Reversed polarity protection. Test probe nests alongside the tester. Beautifully constructed on the inside. Nicely designed and built with clear markings on the outside. Has custom Neoprene case (not included with the tester). Made in USA. Cons. Expensive. Not as easy to use as others due to the fact that one has to align the positive tip of the battery to the little button contact on the tester. @0.50V – Fail; @0.49V – ‘Ready’ (=0V). Pros. Tests under variable load. Tests both 1.5V button cells and 3V coin cells. Pass/Fail indicator along the digital bar graph. Very well calibrated bar graph (on the high end). Clear, easy to read LCD. No less than 11 separate scales (and loads) for accurate measuring (also a Con). Separate scale for 1.5V Alkalines and 1.2V rechargeables. Nicely designed, very well made. Long, retractable and very flexible silicone leads. Auto shut-off and auto power on. D4: Harbor Freight Digital = Micro Center Performance Tools Digital Battery Tester. Tech Notes. 18 lines total. Pros. Small, fast and easy as a Voltmeter. Nice looking, sophisticated PCB design, could’ve been the ultimate Digital Battery Tester. Pros. Nicely designed. Digital Bar Graph readout. Compatible with AAA, AA, C, D, 9V, Lady N, CR123A, CR2, CR-V3, 2CR5, CR-P2, and coin cell batteries. Cons. No load testing. - Ansmann – There are three version of this one: analog (Model # 4000001 Pocket Size Battery Tester - about $15 but can be found on eBay for $5); a 2nd one is a ‘digital’ with LEDs (Model # 4000042 Energy Check - $17) and a true digital one (model # 4000392 called “Check LCD - Batterietester” on Amazon, priced crazy at $62.78 + $30 shipping). - La Crosse Technology 911-114 Portable Battery Tester: They make wonderful battery chargers and lots of good weather stations, but in this case 6 people reported it does not test under load. - Paylak WT-2500 Battery Tester Electronics Watches Button Cell Alkaline Lithium Silver Oxide Photo: similar, identical (other than color) to Gardner Bender GBT-500A. - Digital Battery Checker, Dx-900: similar to the $5 Harbor Freight digital one. Enercell is a RadioShack brand, and all of RadioShack’s vintage meters test batteries under load. Vintage: (on eBay). - Micronta 22-030A: early model; two jewel movement; lacking 3V Li coin cell option. - Micronta 22-031: more rare on ebay, similar to 22-030 but has the 3V coin cell option. - Micronta 22-032A. - Micronta 22-098: some vintage looking toy for 1.5V and 9V with a poor, small and symmetrical scale. - Micronta 22-100A: 1.5V and 9V only (white/gray, battery charger style). - Vintage W.C. Fields Red Nose. - Vintage Mallory BT-20 Professional. - Vintage Eveready Photo Battery Tester PF-1085. - Vintage RCA WT-537A Battery Tester. - Vintage Leviton Miniature, AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V Battery Tester. - Vintage Compact Battery Checker GRAYMARK 804. - Vintage Olson te-237 battery checker. - Vintage Chicago Instrument Co. Model 4710 Battery Tester. …And many other vintage units that are either very bulky or too expensive and I don’t think they’re worth it other than their collectible value."
"A aa rechargeable though, fully charged, might be somewhere around 1.3 volts."
"I think it probably could be made easier, but this is still a big time saver vs using a multimeter."
"I've used it on many batteries already that I thought were dead, and over 2/3 of them were actually still good, which proved to be correct once I plugged the batteries in somewhere just to verify."
"We go through a lot of batteries at work and I needed a way of ensuring we weren't throwing away good batteries."
"Batteries that won't work in certain devices still show in the green zone, although they are slightly lower on the scale than a new battery."
"This tester I have found not to be accurate when tested against my two other battery testers a Brookstone digital tester and an MW222 analog tester."
(The default alarm threshold protection can be amended according to your specified requirements). Range of High Voltage Protection Threshold:＞1.0-13.8V; By default, there would be sort of protection if the voltage is greater than 13.8V. 6 IN 1 MULTI TESTER: DROK DMM USB monitor is a practical USB tool for measuring voltage, current, temperature, capacitance, energy, and time simultaneously. UNIQUE SAFETY DESIGN: The multiple meter is equipped with sensitive auto alarm system (high/low voltage protection threshold and over-current protection threshold), and three alarm mode (buzzer alarm +double warning prompts +timing shutdown), hence safe for use.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"USB cables and chargers vary tremendously in quality and this can make a huge difference in charge time."
"The fact that they plug in via a cable is a big plus, because otherwise (as with another USB meter I have) you can end up with. the display pointing down, away from you."
"So to find the total capacity of a USB battery/power pack, you must have it connected for the life of the battery while powering a device, and at the very end you'll have a proper mAh reading at that particular amperage. Granted, my lack of knowledge about measuring capacitance played a part in my misunderstanding, but it still really helps to have good documentation included with technical products like this.~."
"If I connect my ASUS keyboard / tablet (Transformer TF700) with the DROK inline, it WILL NOT charge... Other than that it works fine."
"I originally bought this to troubleshoot a raspberry Pi with power problems, but I've found it to be exceptionally useful in checking if chargers are delivering the fastest rate of charging to Tablets and Phones, and finding out if chargers are maintaining their rated voltage even under high load."
"This is a great little product that performs a number of measurements for a surprisingly low price. The DROK confirmed my suspicions and the defective product was subsequently returned."
"It helped me figure out a charger I bought off Amazon was in fact good when initially I thought it was not up to specs."
"Using this to test the wall charger I found that the wall charger was defective and sent it back to the manufacturer along with the test results."
Best Current Testers
The 117 multimeter measures AC and DC voltage as well as AC and DC amps.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Whether you need to check the juice in a car battery or balance the load on a 250K generator to a MDP these two meters will help you make that happen."
"Love these meters."
"Great quality.great price.gift to very special person.he loved it."
"This is an excellent tool pack that Fluke is offering."
"A must have for home do-it-yourselfers."
"This Fluke combo kit is the way to go."
"Yes, you can get more complete kits with more functionality, but this kit is missing nothing that you need and has a really good fit and finish at an appropriate price."
"A great set of pieces and feel."
Best Voltage Testers
600V Electrical Testers let you check voltage, continuity and current with one compact tool. With the T5, all you have to do is select volts, ohms, or current and the tester does the rest. The test leads accept optional accessories such as clips and specialty probes. The Fluke T5-600 600V Voltage Continuity and Current Tester lets you check voltage, continuity and current with one compact tool. With the T5, all you have to do is select volts, ohms, or current and the tester does the rest. The test leads accept optional accessories such as clips and specialty probes. The T5-600 automatically measures volts ac and volts dc with precise digital resolution and displays resistance to 1000Ω. The test leads accept Fluke accessory test clips. Automatically measures volts ac and volts dc with precise digital resolution.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The little AC tester is a quick way to verify if something is hot -- I've given out dozens of these things to customers who end up carrying them in their pockets because they are so useful."
"Got this for the husband."
"I'm very happy with this product."
"I have taken the voltage tester the amprobe and the multimeter out of my tool bag and replaced them with this one tool."
"Brilliant, can't understand why I waited so long and kept buying those garbage multi meters from the big box."
"This is the perfect meter for me."
"Good tester a true alternative to using a Duspol which is a great two handed tester ,this has many more functions great meter ,the handiest I have ever owned."
"Product came as described."
Best Multi Testers
Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"(Note: as of 2015 there are two cheaper lines made by Fluke but I know little about them aside from the fact that they are stripped down a bit.). Basically, you can work on most panel boards / switch gear and anything down stream of them (i.e. - feeders, outlets, hard wired equipment, and anything plugged into them.). CATIV is the only rating higher and it adds service drops to the list as well as underground installations. So basically CATIII is the MINIMUM rating you want on your meter and you can't probe the main drop from the power company. I love the sturdiness of this meter, it a Fluke, so it's the brick crap house of DMMs. The rubber holster offers excellent 5 side protection and it feels good in the hand. Most people fail to realize just how much force 10A can carry; this meter uses a single high quality ceramic HRC fuse and all of the standard additional suppression devices to give the user maximum protection. The case is designed with a deep lip / blast shield as well to protect against debris being blown out the sides in the event of truly catastrophic failure. This is a low impedance voltage test that operates on something close to a 3,ooo Ohm resistance. Flipping to the low impedance mode allows this ghost voltage to “dissipate” and read what's really on the line (which should be less than half a volt on a circuit that’s de-energized.). The resistance on a PCB in electronics circuit can often be much higher than 3,000 Ohms...you could short out that segment of your board by allowing current to flow through the meter as apposed in parallel to it. This is why traditional meters use mega ohm class resistors to test voltage, and most of the time that's fine. So always start out in "normal" volts AC or DC then if ghost voltages are suspect, then switch to the LoZ range. It's a latched system which means you get a positive tone every time a circuit is completed. The "Volt Alert" is a non-contact voltage detector that functions the same as those pen style testers that have been on the market for years. It's nice to test walls for live electrical lines prior to drilling or nailing into them. It features high and low sensitivity modes for different wall thicknesses. However in my opinion the amperage range is quite useful for a general purpose meter and perfectly geared for electricians or homeowners. It's written in 9 languages but it's still simple and easy to understand while at the same time giving the user all the information and data that they could possibly need about this meter. So it drops a digit every factor of 10 up to 600.0 (i.e - 6.000, 60.00, 600.0) Now having said all of that, the accuracy isn't reflected in the screen's numeric resolution. Basically, you look at the reading on the display (we'll imagine measuring against a precision voltage reference of 1.000V) The first step is to add AND subtract half of a percent to get a range (in our example 0.995V & 1.005V) then you add and subtract 2 counts. Honestly for precision testing that could be quite a bit, which is why high accuracy bench top meters costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars, however for general purpose measurments, this is actually is really good accuracy. This would leave my other hand free to hold the meter and push the button. Just mark the price up another 2 bucks and give us a pouch for our meters here Fluke! A set of alligator clips would've been nice, but alas nope... Sold separately. Honestly, I have a few Fluke products and a disappointing lack of accessories is actually a common problem. If you find a Fluke Kit for the meter you're interested in at a reasonable price...GET IT! Sure Fluke has a "market" and therefore a "price" in mind, but they build their units to a "standard" first. At the end of the day, they know that these units have been tested rigorously and "proven" so that when they need quality and survivability, as well as maximum personal protection these meters will perform."
"Best meter I have!"
"It does what it is meant to do."
"Awesome Voltage meter at a really good price."
"I especially like the Lo-Z setting, which pays no attention to the ghost voltage one otherwise sees in mains power (120V 60Hz) because of voltage induced from other lines in the vicinity of those in the circuit your measuring."
"You can't go wrong with Fluke."
"The NCV checker is a great little extra just to quickly check if a panel is really dead."
"I use it to trouble shoot access control and alarm security systems."
Best Ohmmeters
An inexpensive alternative to expensive taut band (swing needle) megohmmeters, the M500 provides fast and accurate measurements to verify the condition of insulation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's a good indicator, but not necessarily the silver bullet of confirmation you might want from a megger."
"Much easier that my old "crank" model."
"Product is just as described."
"Works good had change leads because they were cheap but device is good."
"works as described and shipped fast thanks."
"works well, use very often, as expected."
Best EMF Meters
Therefore, the Trifield Meter can be scanned rapidly across an area without having to stop at each point to search for the orientation that gives a maximum reading. Can locate wiring in walls (using the 100XE version) and major RF/microwave sources such as leakage from microwave ovens, or the field near cell towers. The TriField Meter will accurately measure EMF pollution from these "hot spots" in your home, office, or work environment so you can take steps for "prudent avoidance": poorly grounded wiring, microwave oven doors, dimmer switches, strong analog RF transmitters, automobiles, TV's & computers, and other electronic equipment. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The service and integrity of both companies are superb, and so are the products. And I have determined where in our Dodge van the magnetic fields are the lowest so she can sit in relative safety. Some of the cardio machines emit almost no fields, some produce medium magnetic fields, and one an astoundingly strong magnetic field (the Fit Stride 95xi by Life Fitness). The earlier versions of this elliptical cross trainer are fine (the 9500 HR) for her to use, but she dares not get on the newer version. The magnetic field in the rear is astoundingly strong, especially when you are actually on the machine. She thought the hit was from the TVs or the elliptical machine, and so did I; but measurements yesterday determined that the TVs and the elliptical trainer were fine and that the problem was a set of three dimmer switches on the back side of the wall where she was leaning to stretch. So far, the dimmer switches have been the most dangerous thing we have yet encountered. One thing I have learned in measuring various fields is that, even for an engineer (biomedical engineering with a bunch of EE courses), much of this field strength measurement and detection is somewhat counter-intuitive. First, as the description of this product mentions, it is capable of measuring magnetic fields in any plane because it has three separate antennae inside. Thus, it is much simpler to use than one requiring a particular orientation to be effective."
"I've been told this meter has issues with accuracy for certain frequency."
"Of course, the kitchen was the worst for EMFs with micro wave oven, electric oven and refrigerator but not much I could do to fix those expensive."
"The two main problems: (1) in most places in my house, it reads twice as high for EMF versus a higher-end digital EMF meter owned by my power company, thus making it look like my house's EMF problem is much worse than it is and (2) it doesn't seem to discriminate between different frequencies of EMF so it registers high EMF both for 60 Hz hum and for higher frequency electrical hash that doesn't seem to bother me. I suppose if I were take this meter's readings at face value, I could rewire my house, install EMF shields, apply EMF paint, and install plug-in EMF filters in an effort to resolve an EMF problem that really isn't a problem, so I'm glad I had the chance to see another EMF meter in action as a sanity check. (The meter does read high EMF in those areas, but it also reads high EMF most everywhere else too.). Just this: the meter's poor accuracy for detecting EMF fields prevented it from showing a stronger EMF field in the vicinity of the miswired light fixture versus other areas of the house. Some time ago, when I had a rep from my electrical utility do an EMF scan using a higher-end meter, he DID detect a higher EMF reading in the vicinity of the light fixture, whereas the Trifield meter showed no difference in reading whether it was near the light fixture or in an entirely different room. UPDATE # 2: I've learned that the Trifield EMF meter sold at this page reads high for EMF because of a feature called "frequency weighting." Since writing the original review and update #1, I've obtained a flat EMF meter (EMI Magnetic field gauss Meter detector MG-2000T Triple Axis Professional use Magnetic Interference from MRI Machines Industrial and Medical Equipment Power Lines Appliances EMF inspections) so I've been comparing it with the Trifield in many areas of my house. Even in the evening, when I get somewhat higher EMF readings than in the daytime, the flat meter reads 1.5 - 2.0 mG which looks a lot better than the 3-4 mG presented by the Trifield. My advice: if you're going to get an EMF meter, steer clear of the frequency-weighted Trifield and invest in a flat EMF meter instead."
Best Test Probes & Leads
Two modular 4 inch heavy duty test probe handles with 0.16 inch banana plug tip.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Main Lead wires: The main leads are nice, each end includes a nice cap to keep them clean and free of debris. They fit into my DMM perfectly and the attachments clip on easily as well except the alligator clips (details below). Test Probes: The test probes are nice, but larger than I expected from the product images. Mini Hooks: The mini hook attachments are very nice they have a perfectly tensioned spring for smaller electronics work. Overall these are very good attachments and work well with smaller electronics. Alligator clips: These are where my major complaint is, and the largest reason for the lower rating. They are hard to attach to the lead wires and are too large and strong to work with many smaller electronics products. Again please see the customer image gallery for details. Conclusions: Overall this is a good kit, and contains some good parts for small electronics but the test probes are larger that depicted and the alligator clips are miles away from what was expected to be with this kit."
"Thanks to the reply on my review, I was made aware that there are covers over the tips that can be removed. Even others at work I had shown them too did not realize they had covers and suggested I trim them off with a knife."
"OK, let's answer a blindingly obvious question that the mfgr hasn't seen fit to answer and none of the other reviewers have answered so far (unless I missed it) - which is: Do ALL of the different pieces fit together so that one set of test leads can have 3 different ends?"
"Being as modular as they are, there are a lot of connections that can (and do) come undone making for some annoyance while troubleshooting the measuring system rather than the circuit I'm working on."
"In all honesty, I think that one or both of the wires has a break inside them. There are 3 types of tips which hooks onto the same lead wires, which means the entire kit is unusable."
"The probes are two pieces and the back half is a insulated banana plug which makes the one on the tip redundant."
"In addition, the lead's pin is shorter which makes it more difficult to get into locations."
Best Capacitance & Resistance Meters
EASE OF USE: data hold and backlit LCD with large digits for visibility in dimly lit areas.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've used several high dollar multimeters throughout the years, and although this one doesn't quite have the precision that some of the more expensive ones do, it is good enough for at home projects, diagnostics, and repairs if that's what you want it for."
"This multimeter doesn't feel cheap at all."
"I've bought other Multimeters in the past at this price or a bit more and they have never come close to the quality of this mulitmeter."
"Like it for that - no need for higher cost precision measurements."
"The multimeter is decent for the price."
"This, is a really nice Multimeter."
"As advertised."
"It completely destroys the Amazon rating system, and I can't trust the reviews of any product that is sold by one of these companies."
Best Industrial Power Meters
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm pleased with my purchase, very quiet."
"A few comments: 1) if the product photo shows 32.000 volts, it is incorrect -- the SPD3303X-E has 10 mV accuracy, so the display only reads 32.00 volts, not 32.000."
"I wanted accuracy and a graphical display to see the operation over time but the display is not adjustable so after a certain time the old information just vanishes into the ether and even the software is doing the same that is stupid."
"But only 4/5 stars because the update rate of the display (realtime voltage and current values) is slow, maybe once per second. Additionally the software is not ideal, for instance if you reach 0 or the maximum value for either current or voltage, the whole unit freezes for a few seconds alerting you that you've exceeded allowed range - but in this time you cannot turn channels on/off or do anything else, just wait."
"I have no complaints at all about this power supply."
"The display is very bright and comfortable to read from a good distance on the bench, and the colors highlighting calls your attention to changing (or variable) values."
"Misleading picture."
Best Circuit Tracers & Analyzers
Style: Test Kit |. Size: Manual Sensitivity. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The description makes it sound like a Stud Sensor, that senses when you are getting closer to the edge of a stud and intensifies until you are on the edge."
"Sender stores by plugging into the back of the receiver so you don't have to search through your toolbag for the smaller sender."
"For years I thought there were two 20 amp circuits to the waste disposal."
"I foudn it kinda "tricky" because it beeps on many circuits making hard to find the right one."
"The GFCI tester and LEDs all seem to function fine now, so this isn't useless but the entire reason I justified the purchase was to be able to map our breaker box for the entire house (which I haven't yet done) and that functionality no longer works. Instead, I only have the functionality of a ~$8 device instead of this much more expensive pair of devices."
"I tried a related product from Lowes and it was so "sloppy" in isolation that I could read tones everyplace on multiple breakers."
"I found it very easy to use and with proper adjustment of the sensitivity dial, you can find exactly which circuit breaker corresponds to the plugin where the sender is attached."
"This is a really good electronics tool to find the exact breaker in your breaker box in relation to the specific outlet in your building."
Best Function Generators
Size: 25MHz Max output frequency. Abundant modulation function, sweep-frequency output, pulse train output.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Once I learned how to use it, it's great."
"This is a great function generator for price."
"I ended up choosing the SDG1025 as my waveform generator after seeing how affordable it was and how many types of waveforms and modulation techniques it could demonstrate. Saving arbitrary waveform CSVs to a flash drive is easy, and is one of the best ways to be able to quickly add a waveform to your generator without needing a computer to do the handshaking. It seems that their variable "x" is 2*pi*f*t where the repeating frequency f is set by the new waveform file that you are working on and the time axis t is automatically scaled to fit one period of the arbitrary waveform. If you ever need to use other coding methods like Python or MATLAB to create more advanced arbitrary waveforms, at least you can do a quick output from EasyWave to get the right CSV formatting for one full period of the wave. This internal 50 ohm output impedance is important when you have a load attached because of the voltage divider rule, and you must be sure the load setting is correct on the generator or the expected load and output voltage will not be correct. What is displayed on the Siglent screen is the result of the voltage divider rule solving for the load voltage using a 50 ohm source and the load determined by the user setting (Hi-Z high impedance such as a scope probe or Ohm Value Load). This displayed voltage is calculated for the "expected" load voltage (assuming you set the load setting correctly). Therefore the load setting in the generator should be one of your first checks if the voltage isn't what you think it should be on a digital function generator. In reality I think the "output voltage" was 10V but I had the load setting incorrect so the display was calculating something below 10V for the expected "load voltage". The waveform preview even works for the arbitrary waveforms which is very helpful for determining what they may look like before going to the oscilloscope. You'll be happy with a decent number of arbitrary waveforms built in, but you might be disappointed because you can only store 10 of your own waveforms on the internal memory. The built in waveforms are stored under sections called: Common, Math, Project, and Winfun\Trigon and you'll find a few you are familiar with as well as some new ones if you've studied electronics, math, and different waveforms. It's pretty crazy to see this thing modulate arbitrary waveforms right before your eyes when I've watched an IC have problems modulating sine waves! What really sets this function generator apart from analog generators is the Modulation, Sweeping, and Burst modes which are so versatile. With this generator I have had no problems getting amplitude modulation on various complicated waveforms and can change the modulation index with ease. You can even change the shape of the modulating waveform to a sine, square, triangle, stair, or even make it an arbitrary wave in itself. 5*(1-e^(-x/(2*pi*1000*.0002)))*sin(3*x) was used in the screenshot of EasyWave to create a 1 kHz arbitrary waveform that charges exponentially from 0V to 5V with a time constant of .2ms and a sinusoidal component with 3x the frequency to create 3 full cycles in the one arbitrary period."
"Overall this is a very nice unit."
"This is a fantastic oscilloscope for me."
"nice unit fpr the price , does a ton of things well , many waveforms available ."
"cool device, no issues."
"Works very well and I'm glad to have purchased it!"
Best Logic Analyzers
General applications around 10M, enough to cope with a variety ofoccasions; 8-channel; Voltage range: Input voltage range: -0.5V to 5.25V. Input Low Voltage: -0.5V to 0.8V. Input High Voltage: 2.0V to 5.25V. Works with 5V, 3.3V, 2.5V, 2.0V systems.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Salaea clone."
"It yave good quality, too."
"Ultimately, after connecting all of the channels to the ground except the two I was able to record a meaningful trace."
"If you need to reconnect it, Connect Device > Driver: fx2lawfw > Interface: USB > Scan for devices > Select device > OK. Pulseview can decode PWM, I2C, SPI (24MHz sample rate of this device will limit SPI decoding to ~6MHz or slower), uart, 1-wire, and some others."
"I also used the Sigrok standard decoder on a basic SPI interface."
"Totally worth it!"
"Worked like a charm."
Best Spectrum Analyzers
High precision amplitude readings: this technology almost eliminates the errors generated by filter switching, reference level uncertainty, scale distortion, as well as errors produced in the process of switching between logarithmic and linear display of amplitude when using a traditional analog IF design.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Of course how this affects you is dependent on your background, experience with Spectrum Analyzers and application. Having experience with a number of scopes under $10k, this is surely a good deal, but the major 'beef' is the slow "update rate"of the display of the sweep. While discussing the problem with both of these scopes, I was told the "update rate" is only 5Hz with the 815 & the 1030. Two related problems which are not limited to just this model or brand; reported sweep speeds: 1. Dropping below 100ms will rarely display a faster updated trace. In other words, while the actually sweep is faster, you won't visually see it. At least you are able to change the sweep speed up or down, Instek's scopes you can only increase the time.. Pros; 1. Decent US support in English, unlike Instek which seems rare these days (but see below), 5. Conventional menu structure unlike R&S, Agilent & Anritsu, 8. Repair and alignment will probably have to be done in China with a 4-6 week turnaround time though hopefully this will change, 5. You can only save screen shots to a USB stick, not to internal memory like Instek's, 6. You are forced to name the screen saves with a confusing text entry setup that requires jumping past the Chinese symbols entry every time you switch from numbers to letters. The 'feet' that fold out to tilt the unit up have a tendency to collapse when you lift the scope from the bench."
"Extended resolution bandwidth, Enhanced measurement, SWR capability are all modules that must be unlocked (ransomware) by purchasing them."
"As usual Rigol has produced an affordable product with performance and capability costing tens of thousands of dollars elsewhere."
"needs a lot more documentation, but is a pretty good product for the price."
"For the first hour I sat with it on my lap getting acquaintd with the controls, and watching FM broadcast radio stations, then moved it to my ham station and immediately found the problem with my linear power amplifier!"
"If you need a spectrum analyzer, this one is a very good choice if you don't have an unlimited budget."
"Not the fastest or most capable Spectrum analyzer I've used, but for the money this is an excellent buy and more than adequate for most peoples uses."
Best Frequency Counters & Pulse Generators
Parameters：. Range: 10-199.9Hz（can only test frequency voltage）. Voltage Range: AC 80V - 300V. Measurement accuracy: 0.5% +/- 2 words. Accuracy : 0.1Hz. Backlight colors: Blue. Cutting Size: 76x39 mm. Thickness: 40mm. Dimensions: 79x43x25 mm. Power : Two wires access, Doesn't Require a Power Supply. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The only caveat is the calibration settings are a little sensitive CCW raises the process variable, CW lowers it. I added an inexpensive enclosure & 3 prong plug cable (1.50 on Az) so I can check the power anywhere along the system."
"The maximum it went up to over an hour or two was 1.4Hz higher than when it started measurements and which when compared to a known meter source showed the Hz of the source had not changed."
"I connected an old lamp cord and mounted it under my computer monitor to see at a glance my line voltage (Hz was just a bonus)."
"I read all of the reviews about it being inaccurate, but it IS accurate as long as you calibrate it."
"The reading will change 2 Hz with a tiny adjustment of the screw."
"Like the other reviews frequency slowly creeps up over time and I did have to calibrate it."
"Voltage measurements were found to be within +/-0.5V but frequency measurements drifted off by up to +/-1.5Hz after initial calibration."
"Yes, just what I needed at a minimum price ."
Best Oscilloscopes & Accessories
DS1054Z Features 50 MHz Analog Bandwidth Total of 4 Analog Channels Maximum Waveform Capture Rate of up to 30,000 wfms/s Includes 4 RP2200 150 MHz Passive HighZ Probes Low noise floor USB Host for Thumb Drive Large 7 Display 12 Mpts of Memory - upgradeable to 24 Customer Feedback I have used the scope for basic measurements so far, mostly audio signals and comparisons of such signals. Highly recommended for tight budgets and high expectations Customer Submitted Image UltraVision Rigol's innovative UltraVision technology provides a deeper memory depth of 12Mpts standard and is upgradeable to 24 Mpts (with purchase of MEM-DS1000Z).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Given how incredibly popular this model (and its older siblings) has been with hobbyists, Rigol might do well to write a manual geared towards beginner, a general digital oscilloscope primer in essence. (The manual reminds me of a typical SLR camera manual, which is great if you understand photography well, and useless if you don't!). [Edit 1: I've since heard conflicting reports on this point; the manual says it does have a hardware counter, and indeed it does provide higher resolution frequency measurement. Unlike more expensive models, this oscilloscope does not have a hardware frequency counter, so all frequency measurements are calculated from the waveform captured by the DACs. [/edit]. Rigol offers software for Windows only, but the scope's USB and Ethernet interfaces are totally industry-standard, so there is third-party software for both Mac and Linux to connect to it. The scope includes 4 probes with removable hooks, ground wires, ground springs, yellow tip insulators, and a tool for adjusting probe compensation. The manuals for the probes list the parts, but don't tell you how to use them. (Newbie tip: the ground wires pull off, then you can wiggle the ground spring onto the probe tip, essentially giving the probe a ground tip parallel to the signal tip, for measuring chips and stuff, or for plugging into headers.)."
"Seems like this user interface quirk could be fixed with a software update, but hasn't been fixed so far."
"Wow, scope technology has come a long way since my Silicon Valley days back in the Dark Ages!"
"We run a low-margin repair shop and have been stuck using an antique analog oscilloscope."
"I haven't had to dive into any of the more niche features, so I can't speak about them, but the standard features all work as expected (measurements are accurate, triggering works, user interface is intuitive most of the time)."
"Good product."
"2weeks and working fine, mainly used for auntomotive ignition troubleshooting, analog circuit and low frequency (~4 Mhz clocks) electronics design and works great, very solid feeling btw."
"I have been pleasantly surprised with this Oscilloscope."