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Fluke 189 Data Logging Multimeter

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fluke-189-digital-multimeterFor years I have used a Radioshack 22-812 Multimeter. And while it worked just fine, I decided to treat myself to a “real” multimeter. Interestingly, I was at the beach at the time when I purchased the Radioshack multimeter before, and I was also at the beach when I bought this Fluke 189 over eBay for $200 (yes, they show up cheaper sometimes, but I’m still pretty happy with this price).

Unit arrived in good shape, packed very well, and overall very clean (couple spots were it was engraved by the previous owner, but nothing that some Dremel or labeling couldn’t cover), and the calibration sticker was still intact. Dropped some Eneloop rechargeables in it, and it powered right up.

First, some people hate the 189 series multimeters because they take AA batteries, and have terrible battery life relative to the classic 87 series that use 9V batteries and can run for weeks weeks on a single battery. Right now, I’m on my original batteries, with several hours of use, and had no problems at all. Plus, I can always carry extra eneloops. Rechargeable 9V’s, by and large, suck.

Anyway, the meter is a 50,000 count, 4.5 digit, True RMS meter with all the features you’d expect from the formerly top end Fluke handheld meter. Accuracy seems to be dead-on with everything else I’ve tested it against, and usability is top notch. The only complaint, really, is the power on/off being the selector switch. They resolved this with the newer version 2 of the meter where there is an actual power on/off button.

I have not, unfortunately, tested the logging or PC interface, since I don’t have the cable, but I hope to do this at some point. For it’s use as both an Electrical meter (mains), and Electronics meter (smaller projects), it has been perfect. The display is easy and fast to read, the battery life is just fine, and it really works just great. Fluke really are the de-facto handheld standard for good reason.

[xrr rating=5/5]

Radioshack 22-820 Pocket Multimeter

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Radioshack 22-820As a quick review, I picked up a Radio Shack 22-820 based on a review of it (and other pocket meters) here, knowing it was no longer in production. I already have a couple of other meters (including a Fluke 189 that I bought days before this one). But I really wanted a meter for either my bag, or my car. So I found one at a Radio Shack and picked it up. All and all, it’s a great little meter. It’s small, rugged, and tests just about everything needed in a meter. Voltage, Resistance (with continuity), and amperage up to 200mA (which is a bit low if you wanted to use it for this, but heck, it’s only got so much space. Hard to have true current handling at this size… plus, try putting a 10A fuse in this space).

For $30, it’s a great little secondary meter, or a primary if all you ever do is check resistance/continuity and/or voltage. My only suggestion would be to pick up some basic aligator clip attachments (easier to test continuity on circuits that way).

[xrr rating=5/5]

Radio Shack 22-812 Multimeter

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While at the coast a few months ago, I stopped by a Radio Shack and picked up a 22-812 Multimeter for the incredible price of $50 (the RS website doesn’t even list the unit anymore, and the local RS’s have it for $69-79 depending on the display). The unit appears to be out of production (may not be the case), which is a shame since finding a Multimeter with these features, plus a computer interface is nearly impossible for under $150 anywhere else. I’ve had the meter for a few months now, and it seems fairly solid, with a few complaints.

  • It’s “twitchy”. When you have it reading a voltage, for example, the last few digits move around a lot. Maybe the voltage actually fluctuates like this, but it seems like it’s noise in the circuitry of the meter. It’s not a major problem, but…
  • It blows fuses easily. In my case, it was my fault by trying to measure amperage without a load, but others have complained about this. After I blew the one, I found it came with two extras (one 12A, one 500mA). After blowing the one, and replacing it, I just purchased 10 of each from Jameco, and put them in my supplies for later (I’m sure I’ll blow more).
  • It’s not a Fluke (as evident from above)

Now, when I say it’s not a Fluke, that seems obvious from the price. An equivalent Fluke would probably be $400. Would it be worth it? Yes. Can I afford that, or would I use it? No. $50 for what you get, with this meter, is a great price, and I’d buy one again if I had the chance. If I had a few hundred, I’d buy a Fluke and be 100% happy. But for $50, I can be 80% happy, and have saved the money.

[xrr rating=4/5]