Proster Multimeter 6000 Counts TRUE RMS Autoranging Multi Meter AC DC Current Voltage Tester Amp Ohm Volt Meter Capacitance Test Temperature Measurement Continuity Multimeter Tester with Storage Bag

I purchased this meter as a replacement for my aging Beckman which is now 31 years old and is still working ok but has less features on it. It arrived well packed in the usual Amazon outer box inside of which was another stout cardboard box and inside that was the colourful presentation box in English. The meter itself is packed in a black zip up soft case with the leads alongside. The meter uses 2 AAA batteries not 9V as marked on the back cover and is surrounded by a soft rubbery protective holster to guard against knocks. There are two slots moulded into the back of it to store the probes when not being used, a flip out support is provided to prop the meter up when in use. A quick perusal inside revealed a good quality glass fibre double sided printed circuit board with metalised screening card inside the back cover which was grounded by a spring.The meter itself measures 7.5 inches x 3.5 inches and is 1.75 inches thick. The main switch has a positive feel about it and is easy to turn and locates well at each position. Being auto ranging you don't have to worry about selecting the correct range, it does that automatically and you can switch from AC to DC just by pressing the blue AC/DC button. This button also disables the default auto time off after 15 mins, if pressed at the same time as switching the meter on. The display characters are just short of an inch high and very clear. The probes and leads supplied were of good quality and are rated cat III @ 1000V. 20A. They fit firmly into the 4mm sockets with no slack and are of low resistance.I did some basic tests on DC voltage using my lab power supply which has an accurate digital read out to two decimal places, the meter stabilizes quite quickly and the readings were within 0.01 (10 millivolts) of the set voltage on the power supply, repeatability was excellent each time. This test was carried out over the range of 1V to 29.99V (the max output of the Power supply)AC voltage compared well with with my old Beckman meter, but generally this is less critical.Next test was the capacitor test for this I used a close tolerance 2mfd motor capacitor, the reading obtained was 2.00mfd, spot on. Note, if testing large capacity electrolytics allow time for the cap to charge up fully for an accurate reading.The frequency test confirmed the mains frequency as being exactly 50hz.The ohms test, checking a high stability close tolerance 300 ohm resistor gave a reading of 301 ohms. An excellent result.Temperature readings using the supplied probe in the steam from boiling water in a kettle gave a figure of 103deg C. within the published spec.This meter can also check the duty cycle of pulse width modulation of square waves, has hold facility to lock the display on a reading, max min button, a range button so that you can select a particular range manually, and has wide current ranges both DC and AC up to 20amps. (Note, the meter is internally fused at 10 Amps on the 20Amp range and 0.5 Amps on the lower ranges, quick blow type.)A transistor test is built in to check the hfe of both pnp & npn transistors, the wires just plug into the sockets provided. A bar graph is provided at the bottom of the scale, this gives a linear readout of the measurement akin to the old analogue meters with a pointer and is useful if you just want to know if a voltage is present without waiting for an exact figure to stabilise on the display.I was quite surprised at the quality and accuracy of this meter given the price, and it has enough features to suit the requirements of virtually everybody who has the need for a test meter in their life.....Pictures show actual readings obtained from my lab power supply, no 5 is capacitance range checking a 2 mfd capacitor, no 6 is on the ohms range testing a 300 ohm resistor of known accuracy (orange, black, brown) the results speak for themselves.Update: There seems to be some misunderstanding and confusion among some users of digital multimeters as to what to expect and how they typically operate. This is compounded by the fact that many of these are of the auto ranging type which means that the meter automatically sets the range sensitivity for you and will always start at the most sensitive range which is the millivolt one. This is the reason why there are some complaints about the numbers continuously changing when switched on.Digital meters have a high input impedance and very high sensitivity; this renders them susceptible to static voltage pickup from the test leads which act like aerials. These voltages are of a few millivlots only but sufficient to make the display continuously change, however this has no bearing on the final reading accuracy PROVIDING a good clean contact is made between the probe point and the test item, any dirt or tarnish on the test surface will result in varying readings. Make sure that the probe points penetrate through any such contamination to the clean metal underneath. It is not necessary for the display to be at zero before taking a reading with a digital meter (unlike an analogue meter which must be zeroed first) it simply reads what is there, it does not add the initial display reading to the actual voltage reading. Shorting the probes together will eliminate the static problem momentarily, and you will see the display count down to zero, but it is not necessary to wait for this before taking a reading. More expensive meters will count down more quickly to zero but in real life situations this is of no consequence and adds to the initial cost of the meter.Latest update, 03-2024, I have now had this for 9 years (2015) and still working well, no regrets.

This is a fantastic multimeter for the price. Besides the usual volt/current/resistance, it can also measure frequency, duty cycle, capacitance and the hFE of transistors, which as an electronics design engineer is very useful to me. It can also measure temperature, which will be the ambient temperature of the meter if no probe is connected, while plugging in the supplied wire-ended thermocouple probe allows you to measure the spot temperature of equipment, components or even your cup of tea! It has other useful features such as reading hold, so you can freeze the reading at times when it is difficult to probe and read the meter at the same time, and it has a max/min function to show the highest or lowest reading during the measurement time, and a beeper for easy continuity testing. It is possible to zero the meter to take relative readings or to correct for lead resistance or capacitance. Checking the meter reading against a calibrated supply and a variety of fixed resistors and capacitors show it to be plenty accurate enough for anything you are likely to be using a multimeter to measure. Mechanically it seems robust, and the supplied leads are as good as any other multimeter I have used.

Autoranging, capacitance measurement and frequency/duty cycle all essential to me as well as normal VIR features. Temp measurement was a bonus. Works well and probes are comfortable to use. Display is clear to read but turning on backlight requires fiddly long press on the hold button.Niggles:autoranging is slow on resistance&capacitance measurement but livable.continuity test has to be activated on resistance range - as a frequently used function would have liked single press.auto switch off is annoying 3 beep reminder then shutdown - even if meter is measuring? - seems like a bug to me.has a (bipolar) transistor tester but its inscrutable to me at the moment-not intuitive.Would be wary of using meter at high currents (> a few amps)Good value home use meter but not pro level. Does what is says so no serious complaints.good for general DIY use but not pro use

I bought this because it was value for money easy to use

I am a retired engineer and have been involved with electronics for approximately 50 years so test equipment is something I'm used to, I've used some of the best and some of the worst test equipment available. I purchased the Digital Multimeter 3999 VC97 LCD Auto Ranging Multi Meter as my existing multi meter after 19 years is giving false reading on capacitance. The display on the Digital Multimeter 3999 VC97 is nice and clear and the auto ranging is reasonably fast, my previous multi meter was not auto ranging and I must admit I find the auto ranging to be a nice feature. I've done some basic accuracy tests on Voltage, Resistance, Capacitance and HFE and found all readings to be reasonably accurate – I noticed a more accurate capacitance reading occurred when the REL button had been pressed as this allowed the multi meter to Zero before taking a reading. The rubberised protective sleeve is comfortable to hold, the multi meter feels reasonably robust and the rotary switch feels positive, the stand does not feel so robust but it has not broken so only time will tell regarding the stand. At £19.95 this multi meter is an excellent purchase, costing about a third of my previous multi meter – which at £60 in a sale would have been considered a budget multi meter 19 years ago, I would happily recommend the Digital Multimeter 3999 VC97.

I have used this model for about 2 years now. It is plenty accurate for 99% of what is needed of a multi-meter, even on an electronics bench.One thing I learned about mine is that the pair of AA should be replaced before the battery indicator on the meter face says so. Mine starting behaving a little erratically a couple months back and it would not let me select any of the functions of the buttons like range...instead it would appear to do a reset and come up in auto. Still seemed to be accurate though. I checked the batteries (the originals) and they were down to 2.5V total so I swapped in a fresh set. Problem solved.

This was not my first digital multimeter. I have been in the business of electronic repair ( now retired), and I used every function on the previous meter. This new meter has even more functions that the previous one by a wide margin. I have not yet had the opportunity to test all the functions but the ones that I have used provided excellent results. Previously I needed separate equipment to test frequency and transistor functionality. The unit comes in a nice outer case for storage and a shock resistant case for the meter itself. I appreciate the built in easel like stand. viewing a meter while taking measurements has always been a problem for me. I also like the place on the back of the case for storage of the probes.

For the money this is excellent value. A wide range of functions and it appears to meet published specs or better.(except temp probe) Great value for a machine that does so much and is so accurate. Claimed 0.5% on DCV and 0.8% on AC. Ohms typically 0.8%. I measured a 390ohm resistor (5% tolerance) and read 387.9ohms. Not a standard, but it does give confidence in the reading. I compared DC voltage measurements to another multimeter I have and they read within 0.025% of each other. Again no standards, but gives me confidence in the meter. I measured frequency from 20Hz to 2 Mhz(max on my function generator) and read 9.99Khz on the VC99 while showing 10khz on my function generator. Since they read within 0.1% of each other I have some confidence that the VC99 meets its claimed accuracy. Input sensitivity on freq. was much better than the claimed 2.8Vpp(0.7rms). I got a solid lock at 0.2mvpp at 10khz. Duty cycle on square wave test was accurate, confirmed identical to function gen readout and also observed wave form on scope.Cap test. Caps in the 400uf range take about 5 secs to read(charge) while smaller caps are much faster. Read one cap at 90picofarad which shows as 0.09nf on the screen. This is at its lowest scale of 40nf. Stated accuracy ranges from 2.5% to 5% depending on range.Temperature probe was quite off at room temp. Showed 23C against 19.6 actual(17% error?) I also held the probe against my soldering iron reading 333C and 300C on hi and low settings, showing that it works at these temperatures, but I could not confirm accuracy of reading, however it is certainly in the right range..I have not checked the current functions but have every reason to expect it will meet stated accuracy of 1.2% for AC below 6amp, 2% for 20amp scale. DC current claims 1% to 600ma and 2% for the 6A and 20 amp scale. Also have not checked the transistor hFE function but I assume it will work as stated. The probes that come with it work fine and are comfortable to hold. The flip stand on the back is a little flimsy and only locks in one position which I think is too low of an angle but that is a small thing. All and all, a great meter with good accuracy and a wealth of extra worthwhile functions!

Multimètre commandé le 26/11/2016, reçu bien emballé et en parfait état... le 30/11/2016 (je ne m'attendais pas à l'avoir si rapidement, tant mieux !).Je ne vais pas ré-écrire la notice ici mais juste aborder les points principaux, ce qui m'a plu et ce qui m'a moins plu à propos de cet article.Bon point, le multimètre est vraiment grand (presque 190 x 90 mm avec des chiffres de 23 mm de haut !) et l'affichage est très lisible, bien que dépourvu de rétro-éclairage (ceci dit, il m'arrive rarement de faire des mesures électriques dans le noir complet...).La pochette fournie (légèrement rembourrée et équipée d'une dragonne), bien qu'en plastique, est d'assez bonne qualité et permet de protéger le multimètre ainsi que ses accessoires.Le multimètre est protégé par une véritable coque en caoutchouc amovible, destinée à absorber les chocs en cas de chute (pas en vulgaire plastique dur et inutile comme sur certains multimètres bas de gamme).Les câbles fournis sont très corrects, avec une prise coudée côté multimètre et une longueur totale d'un mètre. Les sondes ne sont pas trop fines (comme souvent dans cette gamme de prix) et peuvent même se "clipser" à l'arrière du multimètre.Une sonde de température d'environ 1 mètre de long est également fournie.Il est vrai que le support arrière (une simple pièce en plastique) n'a pas l'air d'être d'une grande solidité mais elle permet toutefois de maintenir le multimètre incliné d'environ 30 ° sur un support horizontal (placer le support arrière le plus verticalement possible pour éviter les contraintes au niveau de la charnière).Les mesures sont très précises (largement assez pour toute utilisation domestique voire professionnelle) et "l'autorange" est super pratique (sélection automatique du calibre approprié).Liste des grandeurs "mesurables" :- voltages DC & AC,- intensités DC & AC,- résistance,- continuité (et test de diodes),- capacité,- fréquence / rapport cyclique,- température (avec la sonde fournie),- mesure de gain de transistors (HFE).Fonctions supplémentaires :- "RST" : réinitialisation (évite de devoir ramener le bouton rotatif en position "OFF"),- "Hz/DUTY" : affichage de la fréquence / rapport cyclique lors de la mesure de tensions et intensités alternatives,- "REL" : "calibrage" de l'affichage (soustrait la valeur affichée avant mesure à la valeur mesurée pour prendre en compte la capacité / résistance des cordons),- "HOLD" : permet de figer l'affichage de la valeur mesurée (pour relecture à postériori),- "RANGE" : sélection entre "autorange" et "manuel" + sélection du calibre séquentiellement.Quelques restrictions :Le multimètre se met automatiquement sur "DC" (continu) lorsqu'on passe de "OFF" à "V" ou "A" (mesure de voltages et d'intensités).Pour mesurer une tension ou intensité alternative, il faut donc sélectionner "V" (ou "A") avec le bouton rotatif, appuyer sur la touche bleue "DC/AC" afin de choisir "AC" (alternatif) puis en dernier brancher les sondes sur la source alternative à mesurer.Ceci dit, il m'est déjà arrivé par mégarde de brancher les sondes en premier sur une prise secteur 230 V (le multimètre étant sur "OFF") puis d'allumer le multimètre en plaçant le bouton rotatif sur "V". La mesure affichée ne correspondant pas du tout à ce que j'attendais (normal puisqu'il était sur "DC"), je suis vite passé sur "AC" grâce au bouton bleu "DC/AC" et il ne s'est rien produit de particulier, j'ai bien eu ma mesure de 230 V.Je n'ai pas la preuve que ce genre de manipulation soit néfaste mais dans le doute, j'évite (la bonne procédure est d'ailleurs bien décrite dans le manuel)...Lors de mesures de capacités, j'ai obtenu des résultats très précis mais il faut savoir que plus la capacité est grande, plus il faudra de temps avant d'obtenir sa valeur (le temps que le condensateur soit saturé, sans doute). On rencontre un phénomène comparable sur des multimètres plus chers mais à un moindre degré.Dès qu'on sélectionne la mesure de capacité, Le multimètre affiche une valeur de quelques nF (due notamment aux cordons et sondes) : appuyer sur "REL" pour ramener l'affichage à "0000" puis mesurer continuellement jusqu'à ce que la capacité correcte apparaisse d'un coup.La notice évoque un temps de 15 secondes pour mesurer un condensateur de 200 µF (capacité maximum mesurable). J'ai pour ma part observé un délai d'environ vingt secondes pour 100 µF mais il est vrai qu'avec de telles valeurs, on arrive aux limites techniques de l'appareil (la mesure de petits condensateurs étant quasi instantanée). Avec l'habitude, on devine à peu près le temps que va nécessiter une mesure de capacité en fonction du condensateur...Bien que les deux piles AAA soient faciles à remplacer (il suffit juste d'ôter la coque en caoutchouc jaune puis de retirer l'unique vis qui retient le petit couvercle du compartiment à piles), le remplacement des fusibles relève de la mission impossible... En effet, en plus de ce qui vient d'être dit, il faut retirer le fond du multimètre (retenu par trois vis) pour accéder au circuit imprimé principal mais sa face visible ne comporte aucun composant (juste des pistes conductrices)... Les fusibles étant situés de l'autre côté du circuit imprimé (ainsi que tous les composants), il faut pour y accéder le désolidariser complètement de l'avant du multimètre (dix vis de plus à retirer). Sachant que selon le modèle de bouton rotatif utilisé, il n'est pas impossible que la bille de "crantage" soit éjectée avec son ressort lors du démontage et que le tout soit assez difficile à remonter ensuite (à confirmer car pas encore fait...). Prudence, donc...Personnellement, ce type d'intervention ne me rebute pas spécialement car je suis électromécanicien de formation mais ce n'est peut-être pas le cas pour tout le monde. De plus, vu qu'il faut démonter intégralement le multimètre pour remplacer l'un ou l'autre des fusibles, je me demande si cela ne fait pas sauter la garantie...Le manuel livré est bien plus explicite en anglais qu'en français (dont la traduction faite n'importe comment ne veut pratiquement rien dire...).En conclusion, mis à part ces quelques détails, je suis très satisfait de mon investissement qui, je l'espère, me servira longtemps.A noter qu'il existe aussi le PROSTER VC99 (pour environ 7 € de plus) dont les différences avec le VC97 sont notamment :- présence d'un "bargraph" sous les chiffres en bas de l'affichage LCD (pour visualiser plus facilement les variations de la grandeur mesurée),- mesure des températures en Fahrenheit en plus des degrés Celsius,- mémorisation des valeurs "MAX" et "MIN" lors d'une mesure (bouton "MAX/MIN" en lieu et place du bouton "RST" du VC97),- deux positions distinctes "Volts DC" et "Volts AC" sur le bouton rotatif,- la 4ème position du bouton rotatif regroupe 3 fonctions accessibles séquentiellement via le bouton bleu "DC/AC" : Ohms / test diodes / test continuité.J'espère que ce commentaire, objectif et sans concessions, aura pu vous aiguiller dans votre choix...

A mandatory piece of equipment for any electronics work and this one is great. Has all the features you need and the autosensing works well if only a little slow, however, this won't affect most users.