Clamp meter

[Theo]

Is this likely to be good enough for amateur use on a NB?

 

Clicky

 

What am I missing by not spending about £70?

 

 

Nick

[alan_fincher]

Well on the face of it the product itself looks cheap for something that can measure both AC and DC current. The DC volts accuracy is not good enough for state of charge, but then you have a SmartGauge.

 

What I'm unsure about is if there are any pitfalls with these "ship direct from Hong Kong" products.

 

Obviously you get a lower price, to some degree offset by higher carriage.

 

(I was considering one or two items like this, but the carriage costs were actually higher than the product being sold).

 

It would be interesting if others have gone this "buy direct" route on e-Bay, how long to receive the goods, and whether the transactions were trouble free.

 

I look forward to a user test report if you do go for it!

[NB Alnwick]

Well on the face of it the product itself looks cheap for something that can measure both AC and DC current. The DC volts accuracy is not good enough for state of charge, but then you have a SmartGauge.

 

What I'm unsure about is if there are any pitfalls with these "ship direct from Hong Kong" products.

 

Obviously you get a lower price, to some degree offset by higher carriage.

 

(I was considering one or two items like this, but the carriage costs were actually higher than the product being sold).

 

It would be interesting if others have gone this "buy direct" route on e-Bay, how long to receive the goods, and whether the transactions were trouble free.

 

I look forward to a user test report if you do go for it!

 

I have often bought items from China (Hong Kong) on eBay - mostly computer parts and accessories and can only say that my experience has been all good. Delivery of smallish items is often little more than I have experienced from within the UK - the fastest was three days. On the one occasion that I did have a complaint, it was dealt with promptly and courteously with a no-quibble refund.

 

Sadly, the only times that I have experienced rudeness and sharp practice on eBay has been with UK residents and I understand that, as a nation, we are getting a poor reputation for this - especially in the USA.

[NB Willawaw]

I'm not sure what you plan to use this for, but the make is well known - Maplins sell a lot of their products.

 

I have one of their multimeters and a Precision Gold DC Clamp Meter.

 

The zeroing button is necessary on the clamp meter and mine also has a hold feature.

 

I don't use it as a DC voltmeter due to it's resolution but its very useful for measuring DC current through battery leads etc, where

I can measure in an awkward corner, hold the setting and then unclip it for reading the readout.

Edited July 15, 2009 by NB Willawaw

[Heffalump]

My motorbike came straight from Hong Kong brand new.. in a box.. I had to put it together.

 

It still works.. a few parts later.

[alan_fincher]

I'm not sure what you plan to use this for, but the make is well known - Maplins sell a lot of their products.

 

Ah! I failed to spot it was a Uni-Trend, despite the give-away looks. As you say their products much sold in Maplin, but not it seems this model, (the one they do does not do DC Amps). I have one of their non-clamp multimeters - it's fine.

 

One small point having done a quick Google. People have brought these products direct from the Far East, and some only come with instructions in the local language - no English translation. Probably not an issue with a clamp meter, but something to be aware of. You could probably find the English version on the web anyway, I guess ?

[twocvbloke]

It would be interesting if others have gone this "buy direct" route on e-Bay, how long to receive the goods, and whether the transactions were trouble free.

 

I've bought direct from China, but, it takes ages (up to about 3 weeks postal, months if it goes by container!!!), but the costs of the shipping really do take the biscuit!!! One item, for example, I bought from China, it was a small white-box aquarium pump, it took about 2 and a half weeks to arrive, I had to cut off the plug supplied (French 2-pin) and fit a British one and bin the universal adaptor which was just 5h1t3, and when I went to the local petshop a week later, I found the exact same pump, retail boxed, for £1 more than I paid...

 

But as I'm being greener, I avoid all ebay items from China, for one, it costs too much, but the main part is the amount of fuel the aeroplanes use just for some small item, it really does add up...

 

Better to buy stuff already in the uk, unless you're buying in bulk (not just tens, but hundreds or thousands of the item in question), cos when you add up the costs, it's usually about the same....

 

Though I do have to admit to buying things from the US, but that's usually a lot of items in one go (and often cheaper in bulk too)...

[carlt]

But as I'm being greener, I avoid all ebay items from China, for one, it costs too much, but the main part is the amount of fuel the aeroplanes use just for some small item, it really does add up...

I think, if they are providing a plane for every small item ordered, you can hardly complain about postage costs.

[Graham_Robinson]

Reading the technical spec. the two dc scales are 0/40A and 0/400A which is almost unheard of, most dc clamp meters read 0/600A or 0/400A which is not a lot of good on a low current, low voltage set up. Seems too good to be true, how can you fail at that price?

[Gibbo]

Test equipment has plummeted in price since ebay opened up the market to buy direct from the far East. Some of the dealers are sweating profusely. It's only a matter of time before the market for the middle man dissappears completely. Everyone will buy direct from the manufacturer. Prices will be lower and middle men will be a thing of the past.

 

But what do I know?

 

I've bought huge amounts of equipment direct from China etc and never once had a problem. Sometimes things can take a few weeks to turn up, but if you're that impatient that you can't wait and you really must have it now you'll just have to pay more. Longer delivery time is part and parcel of cheaper prices. Can't have it both ways.

 

Gibbo

[Graham_Robinson]

Reading the technical spec. the two dc scales are 0/40A and 0/400A which is almost unheard of, most dc clamp meters read 0/600A or 0/400A which is not a lot of good on a low current, low voltage set up. Seems too good to be true, how can you fail at that price?

I've just found a Tecpel clamp meter which just has to be the UniT 203 under a different label click here and I've bought one so I'll do a road test when I receive it and let you know how I get on. Still can't believe it'll do all it says on the tin but I needed a new multimeter so what the hell.

Edited July 16, 2009 by sparky2

[twocvbloke]

I think, if they are providing a plane for every small item ordered, you can hardly complain about postage costs.

 

But if you think about it, you're maybe buying 1 item, the plane would be filled with mostly bulk cargo, so uses a lot of fuel, so all that burnt aviation fuel floating round in the atmosphere all for the sake of something you could buy for the same price here in the UK, it doesn't make much sense...

 

Still, when the oil runs out, there'll be no more imports (especially as all the petrochemical co's are far from interested in alternative and greener fuels), so international shipping would become a thing of the past and we'd have to buy, of all things, locally!!!

Edited July 16, 2009 by twocvbloke

[Gibbo]

But if you think about it, you're maybe buying 1 item, the plane would be filled with mostly bulk cargo, so uses a lot of fuel, so all that burnt aviation fuel floating round in the atmosphere all for the sake of something you could buy for the same price here in the UK, it doesn't make much sense...

 

I'm having a very seriously hard time trying to understand the logic behind your argument. It was probably made "over there" wherever you buy it from. It's still got to get here. And the plane is coming whether you buy it or not.

 

Gibbo

[Timleech]

Reading the technical spec. the two dc scales are 0/40A and 0/400A which is almost unheard of, most dc clamp meters read 0/600A or 0/400A which is not a lot of good on a low current, low voltage set up. Seems too good to be true, how can you fail at that price?

 

I've got a Fluke 316 clamp meter, bought off ebay from China about 18 months ago, it seems to be a Chinese made model for the Chinese market, for all I know it could be a 'pirate' product, but it works just fine. That has 40, 400 & 1000A ac/dc ranges and some basic autoranging multimeter functions, also has a min/max function which can be handy, it was a bit dearer than the one shown but wasn't megabucks (as in UK Fluke prices). It turned up within a few days.

 

Tim

[carlt]

so international shipping would become a thing of the past and we'd have to buy, of all things, locally!!!

And the local clamp meter manufacturer is.............?

[Graham_Robinson]

And the local clamp meter manufacturer is.............?

 

whoflungdung

[carlt]

whoflungdung

I was going to post a picture of my old "Tong Test" clamp meter (0 - 100 Amps), thinking it was made in the U.K. but I've just Googled it and discovered it's a Yank!

[Graham_Robinson]

I've got a Fluke 316 clamp meter, bought off ebay from China about 18 months ago, it seems to be a Chinese made model for the Chinese market, for all I know it could be a 'pirate' product, but it works just fine. That has 40, 400 & 1000A ac/dc ranges and some basic autoranging multimeter functions, also has a min/max function which can be handy, it was a bit dearer than the one shown but wasn't megabucks (as in UK Fluke prices). It turned up within a few days.

 

Tim

 

So how accurate is the 0/40A dc range? Fluke don't list such a beast only 0/600A so you may well have a fluke fluke. I wouldn't be to keen on putting high currents through any test equipment without some seriously official paperwork accompanying the said meter. All our test gear comes in from the far east nowadays seems they are intent on undercutting each other that's maybe good for financial reasons but quality is right out the window.

So how good is your meter have you got good quality fused test leads and have you put 415v through it yet?........................................Are you still there?

[ChrisPy]

I'm having a very seriously hard time trying to understand the logic behind your argument. It was probably made "over there" wherever you buy it from. It's still got to get here. And the plane is coming whether you buy it or not.

 

Gibbo

I think the point is that normal trade arrangements are for containers to be shipped round the world at relatively low fuel costs, whereas an individual item will be sent by mail or parcels service using air freight.

 

My Kipoint inverter was air freighted from Taiwan at huge cost (but the total cost still undercut Mr Sterling's prices).

[carlt]

I think the point is that normal trade arrangements are for containers to be shipped round the world at relatively low fuel costs, whereas an individual item will be sent by mail or parcels service using air freight.

They still fill a plane full of parcels. Your inverter didn't get a 747 to itself.

[WotEver]

I wouldn't be to keen on putting high currents through any test equipment without some seriously official paperwork accompanying the said meter.

 

But we're talking about CLAMP meters. Nobody's talking about putting any current through any test equipment. What's the worst that could happen with a clamp meter other than finding out it's innaccurate?

 

T.

[carlt]

But we're talking about CLAMP meters. Nobody's talking about putting any current through any test equipment. What's the worst that could happen with a clamp meter other than finding out it's innaccurate?

 

T.

The jaws could give you a nasty nip.

[Timleech]

So how accurate is the 0/40A dc range? Fluke don't list such a beast only 0/600A so you may well have a fluke fluke. I wouldn't be to keen on putting high currents through any test equipment without some seriously official paperwork accompanying the said meter. All our test gear comes in from the far east nowadays seems they are intent on undercutting each other that's maybe good for financial reasons but quality is right out the window.

So how good is your meter have you got good quality fused test leads and have you put 415v through it yet?........................................Are you still there?

 

..... but with a clamp meter the high current doesn't pass through the meter, there is no 'direct' (rather than clamped) current facility, I should imagine the current passing through the meter itself is quite small.

The book says 2.5% +- 10 digits for all 3 DC current ranges, a bit better for the lower AC ranges. Good enough for the sort of thing I'm likely to use it for.

The leads are almost identical to those on my (100% authentic western) Fluke 87 multimeter. It does seem to be a decent, well made bit of kit and I did say that I was quite prepared that it could be some sort of 'pirate' manufacture, though I think it's probably genuine. The book is in Chinese first, English second so it's clearly aimed at the Chinese market first and foremost. If you can read Chinese, this will tell you all about it

 

http://www.shjhyq.cn/shjhyq_Product_2573540.html

 

I haven't used it for anything over 240V as far as I remember, but I have no reason to suspect it would be any less safe than the meter which is the subject of the original post, I didn't see you raise any concerns over that

 

Tim

Edited July 16, 2009 by Timleech

[Chris Pink]

was it this one?

 

ebay link

 

which doesn't look emormously Fluke-like despite the name

[Timleech]

was it this one?

 

ebay link

 

which doesn't look emormously Fluke-like despite the name

 

Nah, wrong colour

Anyway, that one doesn't do DC current.

another link pinched for a pic

 

http://www.cewenyi.cn/pic/digi/0194.jpg

 

Tim