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Components and Circuits For discussions about component types, alternatives and availability, circuit configurations and modifications etc. Discussions here should be of a general nature and not about specific sets.

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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 10:00 pm   #41
ajgriff
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

How does the use of bulk shipping and a wharehouse eliminate the legal obligation to pay import charges?

Genuinely interested.

Alan
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Old 24th Jan 2019, 3:42 am   #42
Martin G7MRV
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

er, because I havent imported anything? My contract was with a seller who supplied my item from stock within the UK. Therefore as a consumer it is reasonable to presume that VAT was already included in the price (as this was not quoted ex-VAT), and as the supplier, or their agent, was the importer, any import duty is their responsibility.

Its no different from if you buy something from Amazon for example (not a site reseller) - Amazon are simply a bulk importer and drop shipper, do you then go and pay import duty on that item?

But this thread is a discussion on meters and their capabilities - not the HMRC red channel
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Old 24th Jan 2019, 10:35 am   #43
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

My apologies for wrongly assuming that you were purchasing direct from a supplier based in a far away land. I was fooled by the 'slow boat'.

As you say, this thread is about meters and so I hope you will be pleased with your new Aneng. Unfortunately my experience with a different make of inexpensive DMM was not good. On the plus side I now have a second-hand Fluke which I love.

Alan
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Old 16th Mar 2019, 9:34 pm   #44
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

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Originally Posted by 1100 man View Post
Well, I don't think I've ever put so much thought & research into spending 20 odd quid before!!
It's been very revealing though but I have decided to go for the ZT301 or maybe the Aneng AN860B. Both have similar delivery times from China so I need to work out where I'll be when delivery is likely to occur!
Because both of these meters were only available from China with long delivery times, I never actually got round to ordering either. My Maplin meter was still just about working so the issue receded into the background.

Last week it finally died:- it's demise was hastened by repeatedly measuring 1500V whilst fault finding my 'scope. It measured the voltage fine but now none of the resistance ranges work!

So now in need of a meter in a hurry, I found myself clicking 'buy it now' on a Fluke 15B+! I did it quickly before I talked myself out of it! It should be here on Monday.

Alright, so it's a poor man's Fluke made in and for the Chinese market but still, having looked at several revues, it fulfils most of my criteria- budget being the main exception!

I'll have a play with it next week and will even do some 'demented probe clacking' just for Mark's benefit

Once I've got a feel for it and decided what I either like or dislike about it, I'll report back.

All the best
Nick
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 10:52 am   #45
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

The Chinese market flukes are pretty decent. We bought a couple of 17B+ units for the office and they’re really quite good. I got a crazy good deal on a new 87V recently and quality wise there’s not a lot between them.
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 5:12 pm   #46
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

I have just seen basic meters in Aldi for £10.
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 5:19 pm   #47
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

Quote:
Last week it finally died:- it's demise was hastened by repeatedly measuring 1500V whilst fault finding my 'scope. It measured the voltage fine but now none of the resistance ranges work!
To avoid damaging my meters like this I have always used a quick and dirty div/100 potential divider network using resistors to make a high(ish) voltage probe. It worked well up to maybe 1kV but was limited by the voltage rating of the resistors. However, I recently upgraded it using these 10Meg HV resistors from Farnell.

https://uk.farnell.com/vishay/hvr370...ngdom%2Fsearch

They are 10Meg 1% 0.5W rated at several kV each and I use 9 of them in series followed by a shunt 1M ohm 1% resistor. When a 10Meg DMM is placed across the 1M shunt I think the divide ratio is 100:1. Anyway, I think that is how I made it and it does divide by 100 on my DMM to 3.5 digits. I hand selected the 1Meg resistor to be as close to 1Meg as possible and this does work well with a 10Meg DVM.

I'm sure there are better/safer alternatives but I put the above network inside a long thin plastic tube and I reckon it is OK to use a to few kV on low power circuits. I'm not sure I'd trust it beyond a few kV but I think it is safer to use this approach than to use a DMM directly. I always wear rubber gloves whilst using it but I generally hate (and try to avoid) working on anything with high voltage. Above 1kV I try and rig it to operate hands free if possible. I haven't used the latest version on anything above 100V yet but according to the datasheet the voltage rating of the resistors is much higher than the rating of the resistors I had in the probe originally.
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 9:14 pm   #48
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

Quote:
Originally Posted by G0HZU_JMR View Post

To avoid damaging my meters like this I have always used a quick and dirty div/100 potential divider network using resistors to make a high(ish) voltage probe. It worked well up to maybe 1kV but was limited by the voltage rating of the resistors. However, I recently upgraded it using these 10Meg HV resistors from Farnell.
An excellent idea of course but it never occurred to me that it might not like 1500V shoved up it! After all it doesn't qualify as EHT as it's too low for my EHT meter to read! I suppose it was a bit high for the 1000V range though!

Mind you, the mains transformer in the 'scope didn't like it either as that's suffered insulation breakdown!

How rugged this new Fluke proves to be remains to be seen, although I suppose I ought to try not to abuse it too much.

Cheers
Nick
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 9:33 pm   #49
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

Having agreed with your aversion to AUTO POWER OFF Nick, i can only think of one design where it might be OK- linked to an LDR which allows the APO to function if the meter is sitting in darkness for more than half an hour... and perhaps even switches it back on when and if the light level increases.

Dave
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 10:16 pm   #50
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Default Re: New multimeter required- specific criteria

Meant to say, I'm finding these good. I get a free one every time I buy something from Telonic. Think I've got three now. Can't kill them whatever I do! At 5Kv they make some interesting noises and just carry on once you disconnect the HV supply. Fully working. Also handy to chuck in your pocket for radio rallies to test air variables for shorts etc

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As you can see in the background, I didn't want to put the 87V through this just in case
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