David,

This is a wonderful resource for those of us looking to add a newer analog
meter to our tools.  My old Craftsman analog broke and I had to borrow an
analog to check my AFM but do need to purchase a new analog.

Thanks so much for taking the time to put this double posting together.  I
feel bad that my question regarding AFM testing caused you to spend so much
time working on this but this ended up being a great resource.

Harold

Harold Teer
1991 Westy -- VANGAUX
Harrisonburg, VA

On Fri, Jul 4, 2014 at 9:09 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> [Post rejected for length, so splitting it in half]
>
> Part 2 [works better if you read part 1 first]:
>
>
> ==================================================
> ==================================================
>
> Ok, back to specific meters, starting with some $60-and-up ones:
>
> UEI (Importer is Universal Enterprises Inc of Beaverton) M110A, $60
> from Transcat in Portland OR (according to the Simpson website for
> Oregon Simpson distributors.  Their website is showing an address in
> Rochester NY); $50 from Amazon - 30 kohms/V DC, 60 mV DC lowest
> range, +/-3%FS DC, no high amps, ohms range is five ohms center-scale
> which is unusually low; 2 AA and a 9V battery for the high ohms
> scale.  Ohms ranges are x1, x10, x100 and x10K.  Interesting
> combination that should give good readability/accuracy on low ohms
> and still have a scale that's useful up to a couple hundred
> kohms.****  Plain but clear markings, all voltage/current ranges are
> some factor of ten of 30/60/120 meter scales.  Supposed to be aimed
> toward HVAC service.  I'd ask Transcat what they think of it as it
> seems to be their cheapest analog meter other than one or two of the
> little $20 pocket ones I described at the beginning, but it looks
> like a good bet.
> http://www.transcat.com/catalog/productdetail.aspx?itemnum=M110A
> http://www.transcat.com/PDF/M110A.pdf
> http://www.amazon.com/UEi-Test-Instruments-M110A-Multimeter/dp/B000S94IBU
>
> ****Analog meter ohms scales are calibrated on a log scale with
> resolution best at the low end of the scale, and a change at the high
> end corresponding to the entire first half of the scale being a mere
> twitch of the pointer.  This one quotes two megohms for the high-ohms
> scale but the difference between one megohm and two megohms is
> possibly an eighth of an inch while the range between 0 and 50
> kilohms on the same scale is half the pointer swing.
>
> Hioki 3030-10, $110 from Transcat and same price from Amazon - 20
> kohm/VDC, +/-2.5%FS DC, three volt resistance, no high-amps).  Comes
> with hard case.  Clear markings, all voltage and current ranges are
> some factor of ten of the 6/12/30 scales.
> I bought a little Hioki digital volt-ohmmeter pen in Singapore in
> 1985 and it served me well for years until the calibration started
> going nuts in humid weather.  So they've been around for a while, and
> they still make a somewhat similar but much fancier pen which
> Transcat are willing to do calibration services on it for more money
> than it costs to start with.  So I'm betting that they're not too
> bad.  Back in '85 they were made in Japan, dunno now.
> http://www.transcat.com/catalog/productdetail.aspx?itemnum=3030.10
> http://www.transcat.com/catalog/productdetail.aspx?itemnum=3246
> They're quoting a month delivery on both of those, so they must order
> them in as needed.  Amazon has the 3030-10 in stock.
>
> You could still get a brand new Simpson 260, or better a 160 which is
> their hand-held meter (taut-band, 20 kilohm per volt DC, 5k AC, same
> as the 260 but smaller and fewer ranges, no high-amp range).  It's
> got a x10K resistance range though, so in  Simpson tradition it uses
> both an AA cell and a 22.5 volt Eveready 505 battery that costs ten
> bucks.  It's included with the meter, which it should be for
> $300-plus from Transcat.  Various flavors of 260 run from $265 to over
> $500.
> http://www.simpsonelectric.com/images/File/datasheets/160.pdf
> http://www.simpsonelectric.com/images/File/datasheets/2608.pdf
> http://www.transcat.com/Catalog/ProductSearch.aspx?
> SearchType=Combo&Mfg=Simpson+Electric&Cat=MM&SubCat=M4
> - click on sort by price for most coherent view.
>
> Ok, those are all the analog meters Transcat carry.  I used them  as
> a source because they have their own calibration service and are
> authorized distributors for Simpson which is a US brand with a
> reputation to maintain that goes back to before WWII.  Here are a few
> more possibilities:
>
>
> Triplett 310 (or 310C with polarity switch).  Amazon lists one for
> around $120.  20 kohm/volt but the approaching the size of the
> cheapie 2k/V meters (Triplett calls it "hand-sized").  3 VDC
> scale.  This meter has been around forever, Triplett and Simpson are
> the big US meter builders from way back. It's currently in version
> 8.   However:
> The midscale reading on low ohms is 200 ohms.  This lets them give
> you a nominal 20 megohms on x1k scale, but is a lousy choice for low
> resistances you may encounter around the van.
> The new versions (8 and maybe 7) have complaints against them from
> old-timers that they've been cheapened and lightened and the ohms
> adjust doesn't work properly, hard to zero.  But they use a cheapish
> and available 12v battery for the high ohms scale, the same one
> that's used in car key fobs, garage door openers and such.
> The old versions are held in reverence by all who use them, but they
> use an expensive and maybe hard to find 15v battery.  You pays yer
> money and you takes yer choice.
> http://www.amazon.com/Triplett-Analog-Volt-Ohm-
> Ranges-Functions/dp/B0002E1JRW
> http://www.triplett.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/310%
> 20T8%20Manual%2084-870.pdf
>
> Sanwa meters - Sanwa claim to be the leading Japanese maker of meters
> of all sorts.  I expect their quality is excellent, no idea of
> price.  I've seen reports of counterfeit versions of Sanwa meters
> coming from China so you may want to buy directly from their US agent:
> TECHNOMETERS LLC
> 1449 WRIGHSTOWN RD.
> NEWTOWN PA 18940
> Mr. Luis Margules
> Tel : +1 215 968 3689
> Mail : ventas@radiosurtidora.com
>
> Canadian agent is:
> Bhumika International Inc.
> 1408 Alboro Crescent,
> Ottawa, Ontario, K1J 8B7,
> Canada
> Tel: +1 613 619 0894
> Fax: +1 416 930 2931
> Mail: info@bhumika.ca
> Website : http://www.bhumika.ca/
>
> Here's info direct from Sanwa about the counterfeiting
> http://overseas.sanwa-meter.co.jp/technology/imitationwarning.php and
> a pdf in .zip form with more specifics here:
> http://overseas.sanwa-meter.co.jp/technology/imitation.zip .  Between
> the two of them you'll be able to tell right away if you've been screwed.
>
> Sanwa TA55 - Aimed at automotive market, has .5 and 3 amp DC and a
> special 30 amp DC range (unfused, five seconds with two-minute
> cooldown) and 10 ohm continuity buzzer, special sixteen VDC range
> with its own scale, 300 amp clamp-on available as
> accessory.  Taut-band meter movement (shock-resistant, no bearings to
> crack or stick), labeled "drop proof" on the meter face. Has a tilt
> stand.  20k/V, 0.3 VDC lowest scale.  Slightly larger than most of
> above meters, about six inches tall.  Markings are extremely clear
> and coded red/blue/green/white to match the red/blue/green/black
> meter scales.  The ranges marked in white have their own special
> scales and all the rest are powers of ten of their matching-colored
> 12/60/300 scales.  The control switch is simple because the highest
> DC range is 60 volts and AC volts only have 30/120/300.  It's still
> usable around the house but it's strongly aimed at automotive
> use.  Ohms uses two AA cells.  I think this would be a great meter
> for van use if you can stand the price.
> http://overseas.sanwa-meter.co.jp/items/detail.php?id=52 .  I saw it
> for $85 on ebay shipping from China so I assume that's a counterfeit;
> so I expect the proper price is higher.  Manual
> http://www.sanwa-meter.co.jp/prg_data/goods/img/PH41341909961.pdf
> I finally found a decent image of this meter, at
> http://blog-imgs-23-origin.fc2.com/6/6/t/66tool/ta55-45.jpg .  I
> suspect that Sanwa are deliberately only publishing crummy images to
> make it a bit harder for counterfeiters but I don't know, maybe
> they're just humble.
>
> Sanwa YX360TRF - Hard front cover and internal lead
> storage.  Taut-band meter movement, advertised drop proof.  20k/V,
> 0.1 VDC.  Has +/- 5 and /- 25V zero-center scales. General-purpose
> meter with some very nice touches, and the zero-center scales are
> downright unusual (and don't forget to turn the meter away from those
> ranges when you aren't using them, or you'll run down the
> battery).  Ohms ranges are marked with the maximum current the
> properly zeroed meter will deliver on each range (150 mA on x1 range,
> going down proportionally on higher ranges).  Markings are very clear
> except AC volt ranges are marked in red and may have low contrast
> against the dark gray case.  Meter face is very clear and readable
> with 10/50/250 scales and a special scale marked for both zero-center
> ranges.  However the 750 VAC range has to use the your pick of the
> three scales multiplied by your chosen factor (3/15/75).  I hate that
> but it's not a range you'll use much and the meter face would get
> crowded if it was there so it was probably the right choice.  The
> other thing I don't like is that the leads appear to be built
> in.  That's not all bad but on a meter this far from its home it
> might or might not be trivial to replace them if damaged (it can't be
> too terrible, presumably they're soldered in or have screw terminals
> and other leads can be adapted if necessary).  Ebay price for
> ?counterfeit?
> $50-60.  http://overseas.sanwa-meter.co.jp/items/detail.php?id=308#
> Face: http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7875/sanwa360trf1.jpg
> Overall:
> http://img01.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploaded/i1/T1rLOgXgddXXaUzjw8_101207.jpg
>
>
> Going well down the food chain: Amico MF47A, $18 and free ship
> through Amazon.  Very capable meter for the price and liked by
> reviewers except for range markings.  20k/V DC, 0.25 VDC, unfused 10A
> DC scale with ten second limit. Can measure capacitors using ohms
> ranges and separate scale. 2xAA plus 9V battery for high ohms.  Main
> meter scales are uncrowded and clear, all ranges some factor of ten
> of 10/50/250 scales.  Control face is sensibly laid out but crowded
> because of many ranges, and ranges are marked in black, blue, and
> red-brown (?) on dull blue background.  I wouldn't want to read it in
> the dark.  Still, this is by far the most meter for the least money
> that I've seen so far, it has a high-amp range which is unusual for
> such a meter, and the meter itself is supremely readable.  The DC
> voltage and current ranges are marked with the actual internal
> resistance for each range, which is a very nice touch that I've never
> seen before.  At least two knowledgeable users like it and had no
> complaints about build quality.  Somebody who cared thought about the
> layout of the meter face and the meter's capabilities, and it boasts
> about the city it comes from (Nanjing).  I suspect someone put his
> heart into this.  At the price it seems hard to lose, so I just
> bought one and will advise further when it arrives.
>
> For twice the price there's the MF47C with a continuity buzzer and a
> couple of LEDs for some sort of pulse testing feature; and black
> range markings on what might be brushed aluminum.  Comes with a hard
> case
> http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Voltage-Current-Testing-
> Multimeter/dp/B00975UH4I
> (different seller).  And the MF47F which has the buzzer and
> mysterious pulse function but lacks battery check and may or may not
> have a five-amp range instead of ten amp.  There seem to be a number
> of minor variations of these things available from Amazon seller
> uxcell based in Hong Kong.
>
>
> Mastech YX-360TRe-b, $15 from Amazon, claims list price of $150
> <snerk>.  This meter wants to pretend it's a Sanwa YX360TRF, but it's
> not even close, though a resemblance is clearly intended and there
> are counterfeit Sanwa markings on the meter face..  The so-called
> list price is a, er, lie.  But for $15 the users seem to like it.  20
> kohm/V DC, claims +/- 3% on DC, .25 VDC lowest scale, D'arsonval
> movement instead of the Sanwa's taut-band.  No zero-center
> scales.  Readable markings, meter face easy to read with main scales
> 10/50/250.  All ranges a power of ten of one of them.  No idea what
> it takes for batteries.  One reviewer said the leads were flimsy but
> the meter not bad.  Claims fuse and diode protection but see what
> Sanwa thinks of that in the pdf zipped at
> http://overseas.sanwa-meter.co.jp/technology/imitation.zip .  Worth
> considering in the price
> range.
> http://www.amazon.com/Mastech-Analogue-multimeter-
> continuity-YX-360TRe-b/dp/B005UTGO6U/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_4
>
> Dawson DAN120, $28 at Amazon.  Liked by reviewers, reasonable build
> quality according to them.  20 kohm/V DC, 2.5 VDC lowest scale.  Has
> ten-amp scale and continuity buzzer.  Nicely readable markings and
> meter face, ranges coincide with 10/50/250 meter scales.  Fifty ohms
> midscale which is a bit high but certainly usable, most of these
> meters run in the 20-30 region.
> http://www.amazon.com/Dawson-DAN120-Analog-Multimeter/dp/
> B0089DXOLW/ref=pd_sbs_indust_5
>
> Sinometer 7030 hybrid analog/digital meter, $30 at Amazon.  Most
> reviewers liked it.  However!  It's not really a hybrid, it's a
> regular digital meter with a driver that pushes the digital value out
> to the pointer every second or so.  Interesting but completely
> useless for our
> purposes.
> http://www.amazon.com/Sinometer-8-Function-20-Range-Digital-Multimeter/dp/
> B000JJMIX4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_8
>
> Ok, I could go on doing this forever but I've had enough.
>
> The End
>