Two suppliers' handheld DMMs offer differing features
By Dan Strassberg, Contributing Technical Editor -- EDN, October 18, 2006
Vendors have crowded the handheld-DMM (digital-multimeter) market for almost as long as it has existed. To many in the industry, Fluke is synonymous with handheld DMMs. Industry watchers, however, have never regarded T&M-product-leader Agilent Technologies as a key player in handheld DMMs, even though its annual revenues are several times Fluke's. In the DMM arena, Agilent is best known for its benchtop units. Now, though, only about a month apart, both Agilent and Fluke have introduced handheld-DMM lines. The Agilent units offer higher resolution at prices higher than those of Fluke's units. Time will tell whether the new entry noticeably affects Fluke's DMM revenues or whether Agilent will prove to be just another of the many competitors that Fluke has learned are a fact of life.
Fluke has taken an unusual approach to the array of capabilities it offers in each if its four new true-rms-reading (for ac measurements) ±6000-count full-scale DMMs: the $129.95 114 for electrical troubleshooting, the $149.95 115 for field service, the $169.95 116 for HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning), and the $179.95 117 for electricians. Instead of the "good-better-best" approach the DMM industry has long used, the new units offer capabilities tuned to the needs of different user groups. Aside from the meters' basic functions, several of those capabilities depart significantly from those of Agilent's new units.
All four Fluke models are Category III 600V safety-rated and feature large, white-LED-backlit displays and compact design for one-handed operation. The 116 and 117 are also available as parts of easy-to-carry kits that provide additional instruments and accessories. In addition, the 117 includes VoltAlert noncontact voltage detection, which quickly senses the presence of ac voltage; Auto-V automatic voltage detection, which automatically determines a voltage's range and whether it is ac or dc; and a new low-impedance input function, which helps prevent false readings resulting from "ghost" voltages.
Agilent claims that its U1250A-series of true-rms-reading handheld DMMs, whose US prices start at $399, emphasize the company's commitment to offering affordable solutions to test-and-measurement problems. Electronics engineers and technicians increasingly need high-performance portable instruments for service and maintenance. Agilent says that its new products address these needs, enabling users to perform tests in plant and offsite without compromising measurement integrity.
Benefits of the of the U1251A and U1252A include precise measurements. The models provide 4½-digit resolution with ±50,000 counts full-scale on a dual display and basic error limits as low as 0.025%, enabling simultaneous, accurate measurements and allowing either quick validation or tolerance checks and marginal-failure troubleshooting. The models also provide versatility: Besides the basic measurement functions, the devices offer automated data logging through an optional PC-interface cable, a 20-MHz frequency counter, a programmable square-wave generator, and temperature measurement. The devices also tout durability and safety: Both of the Category III 1000V-rated models come in a robust package with a shock-absorbing over-mold. Rated specifications apply from –20 to +55°C.
