Yes, probe and instrument has its own protection limit. Some high end probe will even has fuse built-in in order to meet latest safety standard.
So check both ya

haha u all corrects. outside ppl call 415v as LV only

Sanwa , Uni-T , Flukes
As I check , Flukes too expensive.Between Sanwa and Uni-T.
Flukes only for pro. their main model usually cost more than rm1k. the basic fluke 101 (not true rms) can get around rm150
Sanwa as fluke alternative with cheaper price for pro. dmm basic (not true rms) around Rm100+
Uni-T for hobbyist. basic dmm model less than rm50
*my Uni-T UT33C (not true rms) still going strong after 18 years of use.

Learning for basic testing AC & DC for
-AA recharge Battery (eneloop)
-Phone / Laptop battery ( capacity drop)
U need a spesific charger with battery analizer function such as OPUS BT-C3100 (rm150). expensive wall charger (rm60-150) designed for AAA AA & 18650 mostly but by principal, u can connect a wire from each battery end to the charger. it should detect & analize the capacity since most phone using li-ion battery. as for laptop battery, u need to pry open the battery case & remove each of the 18650 cell & then can check using the charger.

-Check for spoil circuit board location on motherboard or handphone.Finding whether it's capacitor problem or chip transistor .
-Maybe check for spoil board on LED monitor , adapter and find a replacement.
mostly purpose is to check for circuit board error issue when it's not working.
u need to remove capacitor & discharge it 1st before can use capacitor tester or dmm with capacitor tester. u wont get true reading because sometimes those capacitor solder in parallel. on board capasitor testing would need an LCR or ESR meter. can get those around rm60-150. while its not 100% accurate but it will give a big hint for u to remove that spesific capasitor & later test the capacitance using dmm/capacitor tester.
*check capacitor without 1st fully discharge it will kill ur meter instantly.

as for chip test function, the device is expensive & i dont bother to check. usually people just swap a new chip. as i have no experience in changing chip so cant comment further.

Since a beginner , i am not sure which one to choose.
Leaning some basic DIY fixing.

Also , do I need different multimeter to test for car battery or alternator ?
for voltage test u can use normal dmm on battery or alternator. off engine, a good battery should have around 12.8 - 13.5v (give or take). with engine on, u are testing the alternator voltage around 13.8-14.1v. u can use dc clamp meter to check its current.

as for to check battery health & crank power reading, u need a spesific battery charger with analizer function. i dont have one but lotsa variety to choose now. if wana buy, please check if have desulfate function which can recondition ur car battery to factory state as long inside plate not damaged.

#MY RECOMENDATION
for all purpose function, i would recommend Uni-T UT240+ (true rms) @ rm150 on shopee (ship from china). its a clamp meter which can read AC & DC current. most clamp meter only can test AC current & usually cheaper. this clamp meter also act as dmm with capacitor & temp reading. clamp meter with DC current test is good to have if u want to do car wiring repair.

Uni-T UT210E also nice, small clamp meter but AC/DC current max is 100A only while 204+ up to 600A.

for capacitor esr test, u can get MESR-100 (rm180) or LCR meter like M-Tester. got few model priced from rm50-100. eg: LCR-TC1,LCR-T7,TC-T7-H

i myself bought TC-T7-H but im sure its a clone since not showing M-Tester on the lcd display. My mistake la finding the cheapest price on shopee with no rating & picture of actual item. However its functioning well. Wish to get the MESR-100 but its too expensive considering can only check capacitor esr.

*dmm = digital multimeter


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get Aneng brand as you do not the the precision for normal use.
cheap and good and if its dies just throw away and buy a new one.

for precision requirement, a bench multimeter is the way to go.

im using a cheap rm20 multimeter now for >5 years and still working good.
maybe im just lucky.....

This post has been edited by COOLPINK: May 12 2021, 05:04 PM

car battery use CCA value. forget the long name

Cold Cranking Amps

Any recommendations for cheap DC clamp multimeter?

UT210E. RM150+, i ordered one today at shopiiii.

Can I ask why measure AC amps at DB box? Is it a normal test for troubleshooting? Curious to learn

The other thing is, I notice the regular residential DB is really crammed with wires, especially at the E & N bars; I'm curious how the clamps can be used. Perhaps only on the big wires in & out of the ELCB & main breaker?

LOL iinm I understand the clamp is really to measure current by inductance (also non-contact safety iinm). But I see many youtubers (some probably working electricians) use the clamp to hang up and free the hands (good idea ). On the other hand, I notice Fluke DMMs have a magnetic strap accessory to do the same thing.

Can I have your opinion on the Fluke 101 for basic troubleshooting residential wiring - light switches, power sockets, aircon/water heater switches? Is it sufficient? Not going to use for troubleshooting appliances that have capacitors ... just wiring (with the mains OFF)

Thanks in advance

PS: I guess key criteria would be reliability & safety which everyone would expect from Fluke. Not so much features. Suggestions for other affordable brands/models most appreciated

This post has been edited by okuribito: Oct 14 2021, 07:17 PM

https://www.uni-trend.com/meters/html/produ...s/UT210_Series/

UT210C Mini Clamp Meter
all rounder from digital multimeter to AC clamp. sufficient for home electrical troubleshooting. got NCV function, can detect live current without touching the copper directly. the small size make it easier to clamp wire inside db box.

UT210D Mini Clamp Meter
like above spec plus DC current clamp ability. DC current check useful for home electronic projects or in car wiring troubleshooting.

last year the price of UT210D around rm150 (shopee) but i end up with UT204+ (same price range). the reason being 204+ can check DC current up to 600A while 210D only up to 200A. the downside of 204+ is the full size clamp make it a bit hard to clamp wire inside db box.

thanks... would you know what test it is that need to check current Amps in the DB? I read that to prove DB is dead, NCV and Voltage is sufficient (haha dangerous to DIY work on live db)

This post has been edited by okuribito: Oct 14 2021, 09:53 PM

Do NOT work on the live DB if you don't have any idea what you are doing in there.

Current Measurement
You can carefully position the clamp not to disturb the wires in the DB and be 100% mindful don't simply poke here poke there.

It is used in residential to troubleshoot AC that die off.. WH load amps.. getting a feel of 3 phase balanced or totally imba circuit assignment.
Usually I used them for commercial work/inverter load monitoring upon commissioning

NCV sufficient, follow with a 2nd test on voltage just to be sure.
You need to understand the concept of LDL (live dead live), prove the equipment works to measure, prove the dead circuit is truly dead reading, prove the measurement is repeatable on live again.

https://www.fluke.com/en-my/learn/blog/elec...voltage-testing

Clamps are for measuring AC amps under load safely. It is NOT a test by itself. It is a measurement.

Why usually at DB? Because its easy to access all the live wire.
There is no better spot (logically) as:
1. concealed wiring = need to tear down the whole wall
2. device on the other end is fixed in nicely = meaning there won't be enough space to slip in a clamp.
3. flexicord L and N cancel each other out = meaning forever 0A reading
4. Fundamental of Clamps = can only work for AC amps measurement when you can isolate only one leg.

Theoretically, you can use a clamp to check full load amps before the compressor motor jams up or sth along those lines.
Other than that, the fluke 101 is kinda like an overpriced A-class.. you get to check voltage and continuity with it. Cannot read current.

If you want to poke around AC.. I'd recommend the Kyoritsu clamp (KEW 2117) over it. Autoranging so lesser chance to blow up.
There you can see.. ahh WH take up 16A..
got voltage checks
got continuity test to see whether fuse blow

Coz voltage will be 230V all over the house unless something is wrong.

Magnetic straps are accessories but not needed.
The CAT III or better rating is the one to be concerned about. Just in case butterfingers.

This post has been edited by ceo684: Oct 14 2021, 11:21 PM

clamp meter can only measure current on single wire either live or neutral wire, cannot both alltogether since it will cancel each other out become 0amp result. this mean if u clamp on regular home appliances 3 core wire, the result is 0amp. thus electrician would clamp on single wire inside db box to measure ongoing current value. however this purpose only to measure how much CURRENT that spesific wiring from a certain fuse. this process need to be done on LIVE DB BOX. so if u need to ask this, i would advice u to dont open the db box. very dangerous u know especially if alone. ask friend who knows or any electrician.

even before NCV invention, electrician use the trusted philips test pen to test any live current from sockets to db box. test pen is a must while NCV for convinience to any electrician.

if u only wish to check how much ur appliances using current/power. u can use this device. i havent bought any but i bet much safer for u than touching live db box.

https://shopee.com.my/%E2%9A%A1-Energy-Mete...00-ab70c1989485

anyway, what is ur intention with DIY WORK ON LIVE DB?

hahaha go to sleep for now & when u wake up refreshed, read my post again... I an inclined towards getting the fluke 101 BUT 2 of the pros are telling me to get a clampmeter which I know I DON'T need

Goodnight bro

TQ for your reply. Much appreciated

IMHO normal householders would not be concerned with the things you described. I dunno if by AC, you mean aircon or alternating current. And by WH you mean watthours or some appliance. Either way, I'm not interested in measuring amps

I can only think of ppl who are wondering why their TNB bill is high & hence wanna "measure" how many amps is running thru which circuit at the DB. Rest assured, I'm not one of them - I'd rather just read the owner's manual or the sticker on the appliance. That's why I don't see the need for a clamp meter; but that's only me LOL



Oh yes! LDL - always prove against a known live. And always zero out the leads & check if the Hold button's been accidentally activated previously


The question then is why would I wanna measure current? My end objective is safety. Will knowing how much current runs thru that wire on circuit xyz add to my safety? If not, I'll pass

TQ for explaining. Helps me decide


I thought the 101 is auto-ranging & cannot fool around selecting specific ranges. And on the contrary, someone said that without an amp socket in the 101, there was less chance for a noob to stick the probe in the wrong socket & blow a fuse

hehe what's this WH? sounds more like an appliance in this context

Edit: LOL water heater hahaha now I can go to sleep

It was just a comparison with using the clamp of a clampmeter for hanging the meter up LOL ummm like using a fridge as a cabinet for stuff??



Couldn't agree more!!!

This post has been edited by okuribito: Oct 15 2021, 12:36 AM

AC = aircond.
WH = water heater.

For troubleshooting it could come in useful to see whether the AC (aircon) motor able to run or it tripped off (condition failed to start, reached Imax, and the AC circuitry cut off) kinda thing. Also it might come in useful to determine if you should shuffle heavy appliances if you're maxing out one circuit (case in point: ideally kitchen sockets should be of sufficient ampacity rating to support all the heavy appliances and not running close to redline 19.9A on a 20A rated MCB on looping circuit)

Mostly any meter will work for continuity test.. basically to ensure from appliance metal body it has good body-to-E, and no continuity from body-L and body-N (just to verify the appliance is not leaking).

Uh yes the 101 is auto-ranging. My thought was distracted by the mention of other Uni-T's (some of which are still manual ranging) earlier in the thread -- and therein lies the legacy problem of the user need to remember to start with the largest range and move down to smaller more appropriate range.

The direct competitor for the 101 will be the Kyoritsu 1009 (CAT III 300V basic model w/o LED backlight) or Kyoritsu 1021R ( CAT IV 300V / CAT III 600V, more sensitive model w/ backlight). Sanwa CD800A (ori not fake Sunwa) also OK- CAT III 600V.
Personally no harm in getting either one of them in this paragraph.. if you like fluke, go for it.

There's a difference in the leads..Fluke, Kyoritsu, Sanwa ones like "wearing baju kurung" only the feet (lead tips) are exposed minimally for 3mm.
Many others especially those generic no name ones.. technically are like "wearing tube top" only (whole probe contact is exposed for a good 12mm) and therein lies the danger.

This post has been edited by ceo684: Oct 15 2021, 01:09 AM


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if u want the fluke 101, then go for it. eventhough it really a basic dmm, it should suffice ur needs. as for me, within the price range of rm150-200, i would rather get uni-t 139 series dmm or uni-t 210 series clamp meter. both series are true rms (depend on model) with all the bell & whistle but china brand lah.

my basic dmm uni-t UT33C still working fine until now. i paid less than rm50 almost 20 years ago.

good luck on ur purchase bro.

you're a champ, maam!!!

No, not that I "like" the Fluke ... just that it's simple & got reputation for quality. Yeah I know it's made in PRC but even Sanwa has mfg in Shenzen

Shopee price ~150 ... Looks like it's the 1021R for me ... it's got backlight which the F101 does not haha. Kyoritsu also a serious brand, right?

Both the K & the F can diy a strap to hang up but the K wins with the probe holder (though dunno if easy to hold the meter with the probe attached & ***stick into power/switch sockets)

As for the test lead design, I only wish the distance between the finger guard & the testing end is longer & the insulation narrower - so that it's easy to find&contact the fixing screws in tight quarters (switches and power sockets). Unfortunately, I think none of the brands have this

Thanks again... you been super helpful & generous with your knowledge

some links:
https://www.kew-ltd.co.jp/files/en/manual/1..._92-2238B_E.pdf
https://www.kew-ltd.co.jp/en/products/detail/00015/
ps: i noticed the upgrade path LOL ...
PPS: *** I mean after opening the faceplate & probing at the terminals at the back



This post has been edited by okuribito: Oct 15 2021, 03:34 PM

Most welcome Yes Kyoritsu is well-regarded brand in the meter industry.
The 1021R is made in Thailand.
Comes w/ batteries in the box.

Typically it will beep on every button you press..or every click of the main dial. Its good practice to double check the meter settings and mode is correct before you begin to use it.

Test leads options are there if you dabble in finer electronics and stuff, but generally the ones that come in the box are already pretty good.

Typically, switches and sockets should have just enough slack and clearance for sticking test leads, its wired with stiff wire so it will hold position once you massaged out the wires.. no worries on that. Usually they won't give drooping lengths because "too much wire" is hard to get in the backbox.

This post has been edited by ceo684: Oct 16 2021, 01:34 AM

Thanks ceo684

Yeah I appreciate the need for some extra length of wire in there as well as not too much; else cannot close the box LOL Still, i think a longer section with narrow insulation between the barrier/finger guard & the tip will speed up work

Btw, I was learning about RCDs and I think I found a use case for current measurement. Since they work on residual current, one might want to find out how much that residual current is.

My friend had a RCCB that just wouldn't reset after a thunderstorm. The electrician said RCCB damaged by surge & recommended to instal a new one. So my friend did that himself; turned off the Main circuit breaker after the meter & took out the old RCCB & put in a new one, ensuring the Line & Neutral were inserted correctly and tightly

Before he turned the main circuit breaker back on, he pushed the RCCB's switch back on; but it wouldn't engage He also had a good look at the old one (not connected at all) and tried to push the switch back on AND he could! So he took out the new one and connected the old one back in the DB. LOL the switch wouldn't engage in the ON position hahaha

He then reconfirmed that the main CB was OFF & removed one of the Neutral wire from the RCCB; tried to push the switch up again - it engaged & stayed up!

We think there's current in the Neutral but none in the Line - that's why the RCCB wouldn't allow the switch to stay up. I'm waiting for my new Kyoritsu to arrive & I plan to go over to measure the amps across the In & Out Neutral poles on the RCCB (mains off) to test our suspicion. What do you think?

This post has been edited by okuribito: Oct 16 2021, 09:06 PM