That DMM is even cheaper than the cheapest offerings from China, lol :D!
Just received my Tmart multimeter and it seems decent for the price. Plastic housing (rubber cover removed) feels cheap, but the cover should provide decent protection. Leads seem thin and cheap, although there is no writing on them to check what gauge wire they are. Haven't used it yet, so I can't comment on accuracies at all. Battery came uninstalled and there is no battery installed inside. Battery is a GP Supercell "Super Heavy Duty". Oh, and this thing is much smaller than I expected!
-Garry
Photo:
(Note: I didn't really stage anything in this pic, though I added the pen and screwdriver for size reference. By the way, that's my favorite pen - the Pilot G-2.)
-Garry
My favorite pen is the Pilot “Better” retractable blue fine point. They are not made anymore so they are hard to come by. They were made in Japan and were of very good quality. Here is a pic.
Also staged in the pic is my “Consolation DMM” as per this thread (so as not to go too far off topic) and for good measure a flashlight I picked up at IKEA (this is a light forum after all)
BTW, IKEA is one of the only stores where I go and pick something up off the display and have no idea what it is!
Get a load of that LED, a C6060
Ah yes, I think those Pilot Pens were the only ones my dad ever used years ago. Nice staged pic too :) .
Back on topic, I do intend to take comparative measurements with this meter & leads and post them. However, this night isn't shaping up to be a good one for free time (and as I typed this my baby girl just puked on me, so it's REALLY not shaping up to be a good night!).
-Garry
Ok, so I did get a chance to check out this meter with various leads and compare it to my "good" and "accurate" meter (my rebranded Mastech MS-8229). I took tailcap current readings using my Convoy S2 with a 6xAMC7135 Nanjg driver (2.1A on high, 40% Medium = 840mA, & 5% Low = 105mA). I used an unprotected LG 18650 with a starting voltage of 4.15v (laptop pull). I used my custom made short 12ga leads and the stock leads from the Excel.
First my readings on the Mastech with 12ga wires:
Hi-2.051A
Med-0.847A
Low-0.109A
Now readings using the Excel leads on the Mastech meter:
Hi-0.855A
Med-0.381A
Low-0.056A
Now the Excel meter with 12ga leads:
Hi-2.05A
Med-0.83A
Low-0.11A
Now the Excel with the stock leads:
Hi-0.84A
Med-0.38A
Low-0.05A
Voltage reading of the LG cell was only 0.01v lower reading on the Excel versus the Mastech (leads didn't matter). As you can see the stock leads that come with the Excel are JUNK (at least for current measurements) but the meter will read pretty accurately with good thick leads (I was impressed).
NOTE: I had issues with the banana jacks in the Excel meter and the COM (negative) one actually pushed down inside which made it difficult for the lead to make good contact with it (I'll have to pull it apart and fix/reinforce it later on). I would get some bouncing readings until I would get a good connection. The jacks are the weakest part of the meter (this seems common on cheap meters I've used, even my Mastech has lousy jacks).
Overall impression - meh! Out of the box expect issues with the jacks (though some units may hold up fine) and the need to make thicker leads. Jacks & leads aside it seems very nice. Would I buy it again? Not at more than about $8. I'd move on and hope to buy something a bit better, especially if you'll use it frequently.
Photo showing stock leads (shroud at banana plug trimmed off), my 12ga leads, and backlight lit on the meter.
By the way, I am seeing this meter in a lot of places with other brand names. I noticed it on MCM this morning and selling for $10.49 (sale price down from $19.99 MSRP).
-Garry
So, any recommendations for good, yet budget leads for DMM’s?
Those that ship worldwide that is.
I'd say make your own. Order banana plugs (FastTech sells), order some 14ga or thicker wire, but I'm not sure on probes (haven't found a source for those yet).
-Garry
If any of you buy anything from Hobbyking next time, throw in some of their silicone wires, they’re cheap, very flexible and quite good. Much better than normal ebay ones.
20/22AWG should suffice to give you a good lead for your multimeter. For the tip, just put some solder on the end, and snip at angle to sharpen if needed.
Anyhow, Tmart has another offer, $10.14 for a different multimeter (9205A). Offer good for 4 more days, and I don’t think this one has qty limit.
IMO this is a better DMM than the 830. Can measure bot AC/DC current and has auto off, which is important for forgetful people like me 
. And for current price, $10.14 against $9.52, it’s not a contest. (Fasttech price is $14 for the 9205A BTW)
http://www.tmart.com/DT9205A-Digital-LCD-Display-Multimeter_p109542.html
I really should stop loitering around here in BLF. Although I already have an original Japanese Sanwa DMM, seeing these ‘special offer’ made me want to try one, so ordered two!
I saw that too and ordered one a couple of days ago. It also has a 20 Amp scale, has to be better. What initiated my purchased was a 20% off code because I hadn’t ordered from them for a while. Also ordered a couple more HD2010’s while I was at it - 20% off.
It seems they “missed me” :bigsmile:
20!!!? I only got 5… same as normal coupon. Seems they miss you a lot more! How long did you NOT purchase anything before you get that?
I had not ordered from them since August 23, 2012. So just over a year.
BTW, I was thinking, because this other meter has a 20 Amp scale maybe the test leads are of heavier gauge.
My XL830L is still not here! 
My order is still "being processed". 
As for my order this morning, they have already given me a tracking number just a while ago. Same day shipping!
You have sort of confirmed this meter is pretty accurate on Amps. I remember when I still had mine, that when I had the back cover off to change the battery, I could see a heavy gauge wire soldiered across the 10a jack and common. That was the shunt to pass the current. If you look at that wire you will see notches squeezed into the wire from a pair of diagonal cutters, probably with a stop so that they wouldn’t cut through. They were put there presumably during the calibration process that each of these meters go through. The notches increase the resistance ever so slightly of that shunt wire because it decreases the cross sectional area of thie wire at that point. This meter after all is measuring the very slight voltage drop across the very low resistance of the shunt wire. Good electronics are easy and cheap to make, the switches, jacks and leads are the difference between expensive meters and cheap ones. Of course the calibration process is important on any meter, and at least this meter has been calibrated on the 10a scale, as evidenced by those notches
Received mine today.
Compared it during voltage reading on NiMh and it showed 1.38V while UT33C showed 1.39V, swapped their stock leads, still the same values remained on both.
Is there a way to calibrate these things or you simply have to take some error margin into account when dealin with non-pro meters?
For most modding that ill do, I was about to pull them trigger but I did that on cheap harbor freight one that won't work for checking tail current so I'd like to make sure before I pay the 9.44 $ usd thanks