Autoranging Digital Multimeter
4.3
5
21
22
Good Meter for the price
I use this meter on a daiy basis to check average jobs. I bought this on sale 3 years ago oly to save my very expensive meter for more presice tasks. You might want to consider a better set of test leads. I found these ones to be short and awkward for most of the stuff i do and the banana plugs tend to get sloppy with time. If this meter quit on me i would be sure to buy another when it comes up on sale.
January 3, 2013
Looks good on paper BUT.....
I looked at the features and accuracy for this product, read the reviews, and wondered why this was discounted 60% off. I found out shortly after purchasing the 52-0052-2 multimeter AND the optional temperature sensor 52-0037-0.
1. The capacitance needs to be zeroed using hold feature before any measurement is made (I guess it is not calibrated too well at the factory).
2. Frequency function works for a on-off frequency but does not capture voltage rises in a high/low voltage pulse.
3. Temperature looks like it is accurate in a warm house reading 68F but once the probe is removed, the reading stays the same. It does go up and down the temperature scale when exposed to temperature changes HOWEVER not even close to being accurate at all. Today is 2C outside and it shows me 11C. I think that is a little more than the 1% rdg + 6dgts. stated in the spec sheet. Using this multimeter and temperature probe would prove water freezes at 42F.
4. Ohm meter would not zero due to test probe being bad. Used my old probes to see how good this meter really is.
In short, it will be returned tomorrow. I'm not impressed at all with this product.
December 20, 2012
More Than Enough For Most Of Us
I'm not an electrician, and this isn't for work. I'm not a pro, so I can't give you a breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of the subtle nuances of this unit. I use this unit around the house for testing and fixing electrical appliances, etc., and also for hobby projects like building guitar cables, powered guitar effects pedal boards, and things of that nature. It has all the functions I use, all the ones I know of, and then a few more. 95% of the time I am just checking that a circuit exists, and just listen for tone, and don't actually use many of the meters often. It does way more than I need it to do, as a hobbyist.
It seems durable enough - I bet it can be dropped more than once. The batteries seem to last forever, I haven't changed them since I got it like 5 years ago. Seems trustworthy - I've never had any reason to believe I've been getting inaccurate readings.
All those positives being said, I think for most of us, this unit is overkill and perhaps too expensive at regular price - while probably not good enough for the elitists. I got mine a lot cheaper (about $30). So in my opinion, if you can wait for it to go on sale, then it's a good deal.
September 4, 2012
Decent for $25
This thing is HUGE, biggest multimeter I've used.
General build quality is mediocre, test leads are total garbage. The banana connectors didn't make proper contact with the socket making intermittent contact, had to get some pliers and fix them myself, this was the case on both the units I bought.
The actual capabilities of this unit are not bad however, and it performs all functions adequately.
You get what you pay for, Don't consider paying more than $25 for it, that what its actually worth.
August 2, 2012
Great for the Sale Price. Also measures AC Current
This meter can measure AC Current, (as well as DC Current). This is not listed in the features on the CTC website, but is printed on the package liner. I find it does have +/- 1% accuracy, which is great. I needed a spare AC Current meter as a backup for my OLD Beckman 3020 and this meter fits the bill. I ran out and bought a second one at the sale price.
July 28, 2012
Good value, great for old eyes, ALMOST everything
Great value, as the manager sold it to me at the last sale price. (I had a rain-cheque for the inferior 052-0055 meter that sells for only $5 less at regular price).
Even at regular price this meter would be competitive. I use a meter daily at work (medical devices service tech), and this stands up favourably to my UNI-T ut39a.
Backlight is excellent, but not sure how it will affect battery life, as it does seem quite bright.
Test leads are adequate, nice that they have threaded tips to accept alligator clips. I'd have preferred silicon leads, but hey, at the price I paid...
Wish it included the temp. probe.
Wish the capacitance checker could test power supply caps (10 uF and higher).
This will be a keeper, and will see lots of use at my home for my hobby of restoring antique tube-type radios/amps.
July 7, 2012
More than enough for home use
You can get this one for under $20 and that's a bargain.
As a professional in the electrical field I think this is a decent, easy to use and sturdy instrument.
You can't compare this one with a Fluke that cost 20 times more, but for every day use I highly recommend it. A lot better the old Radio Shack it replaced.
For your own safety, get familiar with the functions and operation before attempting to use it if you are not familiar with electrical instruments.
If properly used, you can expect many years of service.
July 25, 2011
Great Meter!!.
I use this autoranging meter all the time. Never lets me down. Good battery life and the cover sure has saved this meter many times. Do yourself a favour and throw out the cheap test leads and buy good ones. The meter does not have a auto zero feature, but the backlight and ohm buzzer feature are very handy. Well worth the money.
December 6, 2010
Decent household meter
If you get this meter on sale you'll be very hard-pressed to match its value anywhere else.
Pros:
- very good range of measurement capabilities beyond just the usual volts/ohms/milliamps
- relative reading and data hold features eliminate writing & calculating
- audible beeps on key commands and tone on continuity function for convenient eyes-off operation
- great high-contrast display with remarkably good backlighting (bright white)
Cons:
- almost clownishly oversized (removing the blue vinyl sheath/glove makes its dimensions appear a bit more reasonable)
- the foldaway plastic stand is a complete joke (does not have click stops so it tends to flop around)
- the included probes are cheap/flimsy and don't last long
July 18, 2010
Good tester
Does it all, Backlight feature and hold feature are great to have
May 19, 2010
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