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Post by trickydicky on Jun 15, 2020 0:41:37 GMT 1
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remmington
Apprentice
Owns Spark Eroder
Posts: 4,972
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Post by remmington on Jun 15, 2020 6:30:06 GMT 1
  I have been using a Facom 711 meter for years - the earlier model. Plus I have two - Chauvin Arnoux 5220 models. The early Facom 711 meters were "Facom badged up" - Chauvin Arnoux - real quality meters from France. Same meter - Facom red expensive - Chauvin yellow and were cheap. I paid about £130 for the Facom 711 about ten years plus ago. Chauvin models were about £50 at the same time - all of these were old models and old stock at the time. I really like this early 711 model - and I have had loads of Fluke meters - and endless other makes of meters. If I buy anymore multimeters - Speedglas welding helmets - or don't calm down my afternoon drinking on lockdown - I should go for counciling  The early 711 has ranges for - HZ - Diode - duty cycle - DC AC volts - OHM with bleep >40 - amps up to 10amps - two internal fuses. But what the early 711 has is volts ranges on two levels of Volt reading impendance - high and low - which takes away ghost readings from grouped cables. It has a bump case with hanger/built in stand - back light - lead storage - takes two AA bats (not nine volt) - plus internal battery voltage metering function. Lower operating voltage is a real key for automotive OHM testing. As OHM readings are taken by volt drop. You send the battery voltage out thru the leads - and the meter reads the voltage coming back - then makes a calcualation by OHMS law to give you an OHMS reading. Sending 3volts into car is better than sending 9volts with logic circuits and capacitors everywhere. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But if you want a cheap meter for working on cars - this is the "kiddy" for £20 or less - I got one and it so good - I can't sing its praises enuf.  I paid £16.94 for mine from China (via Hong Kong).  www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNI-T-UT118B-Portable-Digital-Pen-Type-Multimeter-Ef-Function-Auto-Range-Tester/192928363191?epid=7027475697&hash=item2ceb6d32b7:g:~38AAOSwjQVcJdhfThe UT118B takes standard automotive key/plip batteries. Cheap multimeters are very good these days - I can see no point in paying top money for a Fluke type meter. Another thing is - the big manufacturers are always bringing out new Multimeter models and the old stock gets discounted. New all singing meters - really don't do a lot more than the older models. |
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Post by trickydicky on Jun 15, 2020 12:51:23 GMT 1
Well, I took a punt for £50
This meter does take AAA batteries as well so it might not be all bad
The amp clamp setting is intriguing me to be honest, I use amp clamps quite a lot and it has a backlight which might help my tired old eyes when I'm on lates 😂
I like min/max for volt dropping as I dont have any reliable assistance out on the road
No more blown meter fuses for me 👍
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remmington
Apprentice
Owns Spark Eroder
Posts: 4,972
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Post by remmington on Jun 15, 2020 23:16:15 GMT 1
Well, I took a punt for £50 This meter does take AAA batteries as well so it might not be all bad The amp clamp setting is intriguing me to be honest, I use amp clamps quite a lot and it has a backlight which might help my tired old eyes when I'm on lates 😂 I like min/max for volt dropping as I dont have any reliable assistance out on the road No more blown meter fuses for me 👍 Own up? How many multimeters do you already have? One thing I can never get my head round is the "power probe thing". I do have one - cheap sealey thing - I leave mine connected to a car battery for powering up and testing things off cars. I tend to use a 21w light bulb for load testing wires a lot of late - I have made up a bulb holder with long leads and crocodile clips on the ends. Soft cables and all heatshrink. |
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Post by trickydicky on Jun 16, 2020 1:13:25 GMT 1
Well, I took a punt for £50 This meter does take AAA batteries as well so it might not be all bad The amp clamp setting is intriguing me to be honest, I use amp clamps quite a lot and it has a backlight which might help my tired old eyes when I'm on lates 😂 I like min/max for volt dropping as I dont have any reliable assistance out on the road No more blown meter fuses for me 👍 Own up? How many multimeters do you already have? One thing I can never get my head round is the "power probe thing". I do have one - cheap sealey thing - I leave mine connected to a car battery for powering up and testing things off cars. I tend to use a 21w light bulb for load testing wires a lot of late - I have made up a bulb holder with long leads and crocodile clips on the ends. Soft cables and all heatshrink. Fluke 78 for Sunday best Uei clamp meter (RAC) Generic Chinese multimeter (RAC) UEi scopemeter (mine, used off ebay) 2 Tecpel current clamps (for the scope and multimeters) Midtronics wireless battery/charging system tester (which is awesome as a remote volt/amp meter) Original Powerprobe 1 (basic, for opening dead locked cars and powering up components etc.) Loads of homemade test leads with plugs nicked of old wiring looms etc Loadpro test leads 2 incandescent testlights Really nice set of 4 fuse loops including the maxi/j case style Relay breakout kit (cheap off ebay) Variable resistor H4 bulb/501 bulb made into load testers I buy 4mm banana plugs and fit them to all my gear so its all interchangable 😂😂 The Facom I intend to use specifically set up with the Loadpro/amp clamps as it has no provision for connecting in series like a regular meter, if it doesnt work out, I will probably resell it |
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Post by valhalla on Jun 19, 2020 22:01:46 GMT 1
Right, I've a bone to pick with you lot!!!
There I was, happy in my little world of Fluke 87's and Picoscopes, and a cheap little RS Pro meter for mobile work....... Then I followed the link above, decided that I didn't need another cheap meter to complement my RS Pro unit, then the wretched listing had the UNI-T all-in-one clamp meter at the bottom.
I have thrown all sense of reason or commercial wit out of the window, and gone and bought one of these UNI-T meters;
I have to say, out of the box tonight, it is a fantastic bit of kit for going out on jobs where I don't want to drag my really nice current clamps. More's the point, being non-contact on the current, I don't have to carry a box of fast-blow fuses with me, which is just as well with the Fluke's, because they are ridiculously expensive. I like this little meter - mostly because I haven't read the instructions at all, yet have gone through most if not all of its functions on the desk this evening, so it's an absolute doddle to use very fast in the heat of the diagnosis.
I'm going to compare the readings for my "pukka kit" with the readings on this little unit, just to see how far out it is, but I don't think that the pukka stuff is going to see as much use now.......
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Post by Dragon on Jun 19, 2020 22:22:56 GMT 1
Be intresting to know the results, I had a similar one and a went to use a couple of months ago and found the battery had leaked and turned the contacts to dust, was going to replace once funds allow.
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Post by trickydicky on Jun 19, 2020 23:44:02 GMT 1
Right, I've a bone to pick with you lot!!! There I was, happy in my little world of Fluke 87's and Picoscopes, and a cheap little RS Pro meter for mobile work....... Then I followed the link above, decided that I didn't need another cheap meter to complement my RS Pro unit, then the wretched listing had the UNI-T all-in-one clamp meter at the bottom. I have thrown all sense of reason or commercial wit out of the window, and gone and bought one of these UNI-T meters; I have to say, out of the box tonight, it is a fantastic bit of kit for going out on jobs where I don't want to drag my really nice current clamps. More's the point, being non-contact on the current, I don't have to carry a box of fast-blow fuses with me, which is just as well with the Fluke's, because they are ridiculously expensive. I like this little meter - mostly because I haven't read the instructions at all, yet have gone through most if not all of its functions on the desk this evening, so it's an absolute doddle to use very fast in the heat of the diagnosis.
I'm going to compare the readings for my "pukka kit" with the readings on this little unit, just to see how far out it is, but I don't think that the pukka stuff is going to see as much use now.......
Nice little current clamp for the money I would be lost without mine, use it every shift for all kinds of tasks diagnosing cars Sometimes if I can't get at a fuel pump I will remove the relay and send 12v down from the relay block with a power probe and hook the probe around the tip and see how much current it pulls I have found loads of empty tanks with dodgy fuel gauges and blocked filters doing this little test Hook it around the negative battery cable a watch dead batteries accepting a charge or not (if they are dead) Open circuit Glow plugs/worn starters/seized up alternators Its a real time saver |
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