121GW Multimeter REVIEW [2023]

Рет қаралды 9,685

Күн бұрын

I take a detailed look at the 121GW from Dave Jones of EEVBlog and compare with the Fluke 116, Fluke 8845A, DE-5000 and M-830B.
👉 See my follow-up Review of Probe Master leads here: • Probe Master 8043SK Re...
🔎 INDEX
0:00 - Intro
2:20 - Unboxing
3:17 - Manuals & Add-ons
4:01 - Power ON & Firmware
5:49 - Battery Life
6:27 - Changing Batteries & SD Card Slot
8:20 - Auto Power Off (APO)
11:29 - LCD Contrast
13:33 - LCD Cover Issues
16:33 - Kick Stand, Probe Holders & Wobble Woes
19:08 - Included Probes
21:35 - Typical Uses for DMMs
21:57 - Continuity Checking
27:19 - 50,000 Count Display & Resistivity Measuring
35:09 - AC Voltage Measurements
35:59 - DC Voltage Measurements
36:34 - DC Current Measurements
43:33 - Capacitance Measurements
51:20 - Data Logging
1:00:23 - Secondary Display, Mode Memory, Dual Temp. Sensing
1:03:59 - 15V Diode Test (Zeners)
1:05:20 - Volt Amp (Watts DC) Measurements
1:06:17 - Frequency Measurements
1:06:53 - Closing Thoughts
🛒 STUFF TO BUY
• EEVBlog 121GW: eevblog.store/products/121gw-...
• Fuse Pack: eevblog.store/products/multim...
• Soft Case: eevblog.store/products/bm235-...
• UEi Aligator Clips (2 types): amzn.to/3kDcy3I (121GW includes UEi ATL57 probes without alligator clips)
BETTER PROBES & ALLIGATOR CLIPS
• Probe Master 8043S: bit.ly/3y8P6i3
• Probe Master 8043SK: bit.ly/41MDJK0
• Brymen BM235 Probes: ebay.to/3ERSQrJ
• Brymen Aligator Clips: ebay.to/3ZCXqlR
OTHER METERS
• Brymen BM786: bit.ly/3KX9KcC
(Cheaper and good alternative to 121GW if you don't need Data Logging.)
BM786 VIDEO Review by ‪@KissAnalog‬ : • EEVblog BM786 vs Fluke...
• 830B (cheap!): amzn.to/3ZEw0vL
• DE-5000 (LCR): amzn.to/3KWrMM4
• Fluke 116: amzn.to/3IMJNJT
• Fluke 8845A: ebay.to/3msP6Xm
FOR SUPER LOW BURDEN CURRENT MEASUREMENTS
• CurrentRanger (replaces discontinued µCurrent): bit.ly/3IcOkoT
📱 APP (for 121GW Data Logging)
• Meteor: apple.co/3F00ErB
• Official iOS app info: bit.ly/3SVcBVq
• Android & Windows apps are downloadable from the 121GW product page.
📚 REFERENCE
• 121GW Manual & Schematic: click "Documentation" at left on product web page.
(FIRMWARE updates also found on the same page.)
• HACKED Firmware to Disable MODE MEMORY: bit.ly/3mLDi2Q
• Meter Comparison Chart (Excel file): bit.ly/3xPBVCd
(Source: bit.ly/3Solyq4 )
• 121GW REVIEW (older model w/Brymen BM235 probes): bit.ly/2ZBZ8pl
• 121GW Development History VIDEO: • 121GW Development History
• 830B Meter USAGE: jbryant.eu/pages/DMM.htm
• Check TRANSISTORS with any meter: • How to Test Transistor...
• µCurrent Manual, for a good explanation of Burden Voltage: bit.ly/3ZFxQfV
• 121GW Data Logging limited to 600,000 entries: bit.ly/3mqKHo1
• METER Counts, Resolution & Accuracy: bit.ly/3yhrMi9
• Counts vs. Digits: bit.ly/3FdiVSx
• Dave Jones' ‪@EEVblog‬ VIDEO on Gold Plated Probes: • eevBLAB #33 - Why Gold...
🙏 HUMBLE THANKS to these generous Paypal supporters (Feb. 2022 - Mar. 2023):
• Philippe Astier 🇫🇷 (monthly supporter)
• Gavin Maxwell 🇦🇺 (monthly supporter)
• Christian Rueckert 🇨🇭
• Frank Conforti 🇺🇸 (significant supporter)
• Eugene Gillott 🇨🇦
• Mauro Acciaccaferri 🇮🇹 (monthly supporter)
🙏 SPECIAL THANKS to Mr. Fahrenheit who advised me during the editing of this video about the similarity of "121GW" to "1.21 Jigawatts"!
💰HOW TO SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL
www.paypal.me/supportJDW
📺 Please SUBSCRIBE:
kzfaq.info?sub_c...
🎬 MY VIDEOS
/ jdw26
#121GW #Multimeter #EEVBlog #JDW1

Пікірлер: 78

@mikewaters6980 Жыл бұрын

This is an awesome review. So detailed and clear. Thank you for posting it.

@pocketscience911 Жыл бұрын

Another detailed review James! Thank you for the time and effort you put into these.

@janeklof2769 8 ай бұрын

Many thousand thanks for an honest and highly informative review of the DMM 121GW. Mr JDW is a very pedagogic, calm and enthusiastic informant - absolutely the best reviewer on KZfaq. I am looking forward to enjoy your other videos. Greetings from Stockholm ( Sweden ) and Jan Eklöf

@santospoland Жыл бұрын

Thank you James. I really appreciate videos like this one because tools are a pretty important part of the hobby. The probe master video was also very good! Stay well my friend!

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, Alex! Glad you liked the Probe Master video too!

@Stryder_The_Nite_Owl Жыл бұрын

Love your videos!

@insanelydigitalvids Жыл бұрын

Very helpful, JDW. I’ve been looking at purchasing this too.

@philippeastier7657 Жыл бұрын

Incredible amount of testing and work ! Impressive.

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Philippe!

@VicTheVicar Жыл бұрын

Damn! I hope that Dave retweets this! Such a quality review

@UnusualAudio Жыл бұрын

I got the Brymen BM869s mainly because it offers direct conversion to dBm with selectable impedance; I set it to 600 Ohm to directly read dBu - brilliant! I wish more meters had this. I also really like the accuracy and resolution. Only negatives I found so far is that the beeper is too loud (clearly more of a me-problem) and that unfortunately there is no way to disable the backlight timer for ultimate battery drainage. Also the Brymen silicone test leads (BL21S2-T4SC) are amazing and can be had for 10€ over here.

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your experience with that meter. I can only add that my ProbeMaster kit arrived today, and it is quite impressive. The leads are smooth to the touch, versus the rubbery feel of the UTi leads that come with the 121GW, yet both pair of leads are silicone and just as soft. But the differentiating factor is the ProbeMaster gold plated tips. I get a Continuity beep on every single touch, however slight that may be - perfect. I'll do a short video on that kit in the near future, as it comes with some very nice accessories. It cost more than 10€, but the accessories and hard case make the higher cost justifiable.

@kf4hzu 10 ай бұрын

The little slots in the probe holders on the back of the 121GW are for the finger guard on the probes to fit in. You just sorta roll the probes in to the holders. This keeps the ends of the probes mostly protected inside the rubber. Of course you can slide them in the top like you did, but they will be much more secure if you fit them in properly.

@JDW- 10 ай бұрын

True, but I no longer use the included probes for reasons I mention in the video, and for reasons I further mention in my ProbeMaster review here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f9yEpZRhrdSzhmQ.html The ProbeMaster probes won't fit into the little probe-holder slots at the back of the 121GW.

@kf4hzu 10 ай бұрын

@@JDW- I can understand that. Mine came with the better probes since I got it a while back before the change was made that you mentioned in that other review. They work well and also fit in the holders. I'm guessing they are available to buy separately. I did watch your entire review of the other probes. I like the accessories for those probes but the large size is a turn-off. I may buy the accessories for my probes. I wish ProbeMaster also made more standard-shaped probes for folks that have meters like this with built-in holders.

@JDW- 10 ай бұрын

@@kf4hzu Agreed. I asked ProbeMaster why they designed the shape that way, but they didn't gave me an satisfying answer. They obviously just want to be different, which is fine. But bigger isn't always better. But for people who don't care about putting the probes in the silicone 121GW cover, it's a non-issue. I don't find the shape or size of the ProbeMaster probes to be an issue, and I'm glorying on their gold-plated goodness. You could get the same with the probes included long ago with the 121GW, and that's why I put a link to those in the text description too. Thanks again for your comments today!

@ilikehiking Жыл бұрын

Excellent review! Does this meter have the option to enable an acoustic signal on diode test mode? i.e. a continuous beep for a short and a lone beep for a good PN junction. Most Fluke meters do this, and I've grown very fond of this functionality.

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and for your kind words. I am home for the weekend and both my Fluke and 121GW meters are at the office, so I cannot confirm anything. Sadly, the documentation is extremely simple and doesn't dive into detail about beeps as they pertain to diode testing. I can only say for now from memory that the meter beeps when testing a diode in one direction and in the other direction it doesn't beep. But as to the length of the beep and whether it is continuous or not, I cannot remember. I would need to test that on the actual meter, but I cannot do that for a few days. If you require a fast reply, please post your question to this 121GW thread: www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/eevblog-121gw-discussion-thread/1975/

@marcodebortoli 11 ай бұрын

Accordingly to another review I saw on here yes it does, but strangely enough in that review it beeped only when there was on diode but bit when there were two in series, not sure why.

@JDW- 11 ай бұрын

Well, drat! I get so busy I often forget to come back to things, and I see I made a promise but never fulfilled it. Sadly, I am at home for the weekend and my 121GW is at the office. Hopefully, I can remember to do the test on Monday and report back.

@JDW- 11 ай бұрын

Okay. Sorry, for the delay, friends. I finally REMEMBERED and MADE TIME to test my 121GW this morning at the office. The 3 scenarios were all done with the 121GW in Diode check mode, using the standard 3V. (Output current limited by 2.2 kΩ total PTC + Resistor pro- tection devices.) 1. When the BLK probe connects to the diode Cathode and RED to the Anode, there is no sound. The LCD merely displays the diode's Forward Voltage silently. 2. When probes are connected to the same diode in the inverse, the LCD silently displays ".OFL" (overflow/open-circuit) as it does when the probes are totally disconnected. 3. When both probes are attached to each other, then and other then does the 121GW give a continuous BEEP as long as that connection continues, and the LCD displays 0.0001.

@watchmakerful 9 ай бұрын

The 10$ meter has this incredible contrast due to two factors. 1. It has a fully (not partially) reflecting layer under the back polarizer. 2. As any 7106-o-meters, it uses a static (1 common line) drive method, not 4x (or even 8x) MUX'd. Excellent viewing angles are also due to the static drive method. PS, is this meter a mid-2000s Mastech? Thу display font is similar to those Mastechs and differs both from UNI-T and modern cheap 830-style meters.

@JDW- 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for the technical details. Even so, I think the average person still would very much appreciate greater clarity on the LCD displays of more expensive meters like the 121 GW, regardless of the technical limitations. There is no Mastech branding on my $10 meter that I can see. There are also many Chinese knock offs that have little to no branding at all. They look almost exactly the same as mine.

@2dfx Жыл бұрын

I bought the 121GW in the original Kickstarter and it came with the aforementioned gold probes. Honestly for a hobbyist grade DMM it's a great jack of all trades! Certainly some small areas to improve as you mentioned but for the price, it has tremendous value.

@DrFrank-xj9bc Жыл бұрын

Same with mine, from kickstarter. The B.T.C. probes had been of much better quality, sharp and low resistance.

@graxxor 6 ай бұрын

Hi. I’m also living in Japan… central Tokyo in my case, but cannot seem to order the 121GW. It says shipping not available on the checkout screen when I order from their shop and try to pay. Their site seems to still be able to accept payment which is odd if it can’t be delivered. How did you get yours?

@JDW- 6 ай бұрын

After reading your message and confirming the problem, I informed Dave Jones about the problem in a post on the EEVBlog Forum here: www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/eevblog-121gw-discussion-thread/msg5219067/#msg5219067

@graxxor 6 ай бұрын

@@JDW- wow. Thanks!!! Looking to pick one up at $204.

@JDW- 6 ай бұрын

@@graxxor Seems we should continue the dialog in the EEVBlog forum, and I do see your post there now. I've not heard any mention of discontinuation of there 121GW, despite that one post in the forum speculating about such. Perhaps our dialog in the forum thread will get Dave Jones to chime in soon.

@JDW- 6 ай бұрын

@graxxor Dave Jones replied in that EEVBlog thread and provided links to his new store. I've updated the text description under my video accordingly. And as you can see, he answered my question about availability for the Soft Case and Fuse Pack as well. Best wishes!

@graxxor 6 ай бұрын

⁠😊@@JDW-thanks for your help. He sorted out the Shopify issue and I have ordered a 121gw and he even post actively gave me. 10% discount. What an absolute champ!!

@mrpetit2 Жыл бұрын

I think the Brymen BM869S is a better alternative than the BM786. It's about the same price as the 121GW if you buy the BM869S with the PC interface. It has true dual temperature measurement, so it can handle 2 thermocouples and also subtract values (the dual temp feature on the 121GW I don't call real dual temperature). The low burden voltage, the VA measurement and the 15V diode test are nice features on this meter, but I would annoy myself to death with the slow autorange, and it looks like that at least in resistance measurement, the meter keeps hunting for a fixed value. That would really annoy me too, because that defeats the purpose of a high count multimeter. It was difficult to see if it does that continious hunting in other modes too. Nice that you showed the csv file with the recorded values in 200ms mode, as the display itself doesn't update itself that fast, but the csv file showed unique values so the adc seems to sample that fast and in 50k count mode (so no low resolution adc is used in that fast reading mode). Can't you get the csv file off the meter by bluetooth? Getting the card in and out seems a bit elaborate. Regarding to the probes, you say the tips are stainless steel. Are you sure? One would think it would be nickel plated beryllium copper or something like that (stainless steel is a very bad conductor) There is an argument to be made for nickel plated beryllium copper as that is a more durable coating than gold plating, but as this meter has things like low burden voltage and a 15V diode test, this meter for sure is more oriented towards electronics than towards (rugged) industrial/electrician use, so in that case a quality gold plated set of probes would have been a much better choice to ship with, like it was with the earlier models (those brymen probe leads are excellent for the price, silicone leads and they even come with screw on 4mm tips). Having to buy gold plated quality probes sepeartely only adds (imho unnecessarily) to the cost.

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts! If someone could tell me exactly how the CSV file could be copied over Bluetooth, it would save me time, but I can't see a way to do that. BlueTooth requires an app, and I don't see a way through that app to access the CSV file. As to find proof of what the 121GW's probe tips are made of, the manufacturer sadly doesn't seem to mention that: www.ueitest.com/ECommerce/product/atl57/atl57

@santospoland Жыл бұрын

Excellent observation on the LCD Cover Issue. It may not be obvious in that the user may be annoyed and not know why, Fluke I have to say really handled the interface issue very well. In fact the neutral grey bezel also plays a role in focusing. The Fluke's grey frame around the LCD also does a good job of focusing attention on reading measurements. Although it might not be a show stopper, these subtleties are signs of attention to detail which ultimately improve the user's experience with the device. Again, not a show stopper but thank you for highlighting this detail. Gosh, you made so many great observations circa design and ergonomics when comparing the two multimeters. I have to say, Fluke really put some rather obvious design choices.

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Alex. I will give Dave Jones of EEVblog the benefit of the doubt because I believe that was the first multi meter that he designed alongside a manufacturer. With that said, I have a little doubt that if he had it all to do again, he probably would rectify most all of the things I mentioned in my video. And to be honest, it would be great if he could do that with the manufacturer. But the existing 121GW is still great, in my opinion, and is a worthy purchase for anyone who has about US$200 to budget for a quality handheld multi meter.

@watchmakerful 9 ай бұрын

On that cheap meter, check (and set up correctly) the generator frequency. Judging by the update speed, it's 25..30 kHz, but it must be 48 kHz. To set up the frequency, find the RC circuit on pins 38, 39 and 40 of the 7106 (typically 100..150 kOhm and 82..150 pF) and install 91 kOhm and 100 pF. Too low generator frequency can lead to a specific problem: systematically (or even randomly) low readings in 200 Ohm and diode modes at the top of the range.

@neiliewheeliebin 7 ай бұрын

This is a great meter but it was a tad rough around the edges when it was released so i've given it a miss until now

@JDW- 7 ай бұрын

Despite the caveats, I still use it as my primary handheld meter to this day. The ProbeMaster probes I added (click the link I put in the text description for my review of that), make it so much better. If you take resistance measurements a lot or do a lot of continuity checking like I do, the gold-plated ProbeMaster probes make a huge difference.

@Luci_S 10 ай бұрын

"No BS packaging" but BS probes?! Way to go, Bryman!

@JDW- 10 ай бұрын

"Way to go!" can mean good or bad (in the case of sarcasm) in the English language, so I will clarify the issue with probes... Dave Jones started out using great, gold-plated Bremen BM235 probes, but tragically, he later switched to the inferior UEi ATL57 probes (without alligator clips). I show the issue from 21:57 in my video. People who want better probes will have to shell out more money, which is unfortunate. I put links in the text description to superior Bryman probes and ProbeMaster probes, which are gold plated.

@Gengh13 4 ай бұрын

It's not bad, I got it in the original pre-order and was really disappointed in the auto-ranging speed, unfortunately as far as I know there isn't an alternate FW, I don't think the OEM FW guys were the most competent at the time. Of course I'm spoiled by my Keithley bench DMM and the less accurate but insanely fast BK 2709B, but having to wait that long to get a reading is really inefficient.

@JDW- 4 ай бұрын

I assume your "FW" means "Firmware." But you said "it's not bad" but then explained why it is bad. 🙂 There have been firmware updates for the 121GW: www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/eevblog-121gw-multimeter-firmware-details/275/

@Gengh13 4 ай бұрын

@@JDW- in general it's OK and has some good features, but too slow for normal use, I already have the last FW version, in the beginning it was a lot slower and it had multiple bugs, but it is still pretty slow.

@JDW- 4 ай бұрын

@@Gengh13 I assume you are talking about Auto-Ranging. Even on my other meters, I tend to set the range myself because I am one of those people who demand lightning speed. I've never liked auto-ranging on any of my meters because it takes too much time. With that said, it would have been nice to see an update to the 121GW that improves all its weak points which cannot be made better in firmware. Sadly, that probably will never happen, as Dave is focused on selling the BM786 & BM235. Then again, I see as of today, the BM786 is marked "SOLD OUT": eevblog.store/collections/test-equipment

@Gengh13 4 ай бұрын

@@JDW- the meters I mentioned above have really fast auto-ranging, and from what I've seen in a couple of videos the ones from Brymen or at least the BM786 looks pretty fast. It is a shame because the 121GW could have been a great product.

@vortexan9804 9 ай бұрын

IMO, all those batteries lead to contact issues, and chance of leakage goes up, compared to a simple 9V battery. Best is soldered in usb-c chargable propably.

@menadue Жыл бұрын

Does anyone else have a problem with battery life with this meter? I have had a Fluke for over 30 years now and i think it's had one battery every 10 years. That's not an exaggeration. The 121, even though I'd be fine with a battery every 5 years, or even 2 seems to need a set of batteries every month or so. That's with light use, not use every day for an hour. I've gone through several sets of Alkaline, and tried rechargeable which didn't work well, and have ended up buying 4 very cheap meters to have around so that when I need to measure something the meter actually turns on. Thinking of selling mine. Anyone else out there seen this? Is it normal?

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

I discuss 121GW battery life at 5:50. One hour every day translates into 1.37 years of battery life. As such, a monthly battery change indicates either a problem with the meter, or you are using the backlight too much, or you are using BlueTooth logging too much. If you never use the BlueTooth feature or Backlight, I would suggest you contact Dave Jones about it, regardless of whether the warranty is still valid or not. He's a technical guy who loves to ponder technical problems, and since it is his meter, perhaps he could at least tell you why it is happening.

@menadue Жыл бұрын

@@JDW- I have the backlight off and haven't used BT at all, so that's not the problem. I finally did a bit more investigation as up until now I thought that maybe this was the battery life. When on the meter takes about 10mA, and when off with the switch it takes 0mA. After auto power down, it takes about 10mA, so on my meter auto power down seems to just turn the display off. This explains the dire battery life I've been having, I think. Is that what auto power off should do? It doesn't seem right to me.

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

@@menadue First, you need to be running the latest v2.05 firmware to ensure all is well with your meter. Next, I believe there may have been minor hardware revisions over time. Not sure. Mine was purchased new in 2023, so I have the latest hardware. If you have one from the KickStarter era, I suppose it could be a hardware issue. However, I have read reports that some µSD cards trigger higher current draw. I suggest you test the current consumption with the SD card and without to see if there is a difference. I never use Auto Power Off because I always switch my to OFF when I am done. I only tested Auto Power Off briefly for my video to confirm it does in fact work, but I didn't measure current consumption. So I am unsure if Auto Power Off consumption is an issue even on my meter. I am at home now and only have a Fluke 116 with max 600µA current measuring capability, and when I switch my 121GW to OFF, pull out one of the end batteries but keeping the negative end touching the spring and putting my Fluke 116 in between battery (+) and the (+) connector, I get nothing at all on the Fluke 116, which indicates that switching to OFF breaks the battery connection entirely. Because my 116 can't measure beyond 600µA, I cannot switch on the meter and test Auto Power Off consumption. And since this is a holiday week in Japan, I won't be back in the office until next week, where I have access to my Fluke 8845A. But from what I have Googled online... • Average Current Consumption when switched ON (not sleeping): 5mA (17mA with backlight, add another 5mA for BlueTooth ON) • Auto-Power OFF State should be less than 600µA. Because I cannot offer you further help for now, I suggest you visit the following video, scroll down and check out the comments below, especially the replies from Dave Jones (EEVblog): kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f7hnoJt939W6hY0.html Next, you can get feedback from other 121GW users by posting your case in the 121GW issues topic on the EEVBlog forum here: www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/eevblog-121gw-multimeter-issues/1375/

@menadue Жыл бұрын

@@JDW- Yes, I am running v2.05. I'll check the SD card and see if that changes anything. I've poste don the eevblog forum as well. Thanks for your help.

@Amir-kz6yq Жыл бұрын

Dave Jones wants to know where you live

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Not sure why, but Dave should know because I've replied in the EEVBlog forum recently, and I doubt there are many non-Japanese names he ships to in Japan. 🙂 Besides, he can always just click my KZfaq channel name, click the About tab, and then email me.

@EEVblog Жыл бұрын

Expect men in black suits and dark sunglasses to show up shortly.

@gamiwv 4 ай бұрын

As a technical engineer in the field and on the bench I find your review more of less bloated with useless criticism. All over my more than 50 years carrier in electronics I was oriented to the accuracy of the multi-meters I was and I steel using (some FLUKES between them as well) FIRSTLY , and secondly to the LONG TERM RELIABILITY of the instrument.

@JDW- 4 ай бұрын

Criticism accepted. But you make no mention whatsoever about your having used a 121GW, which is the subject of my review, nor did you say if you were considering one. Nor did you attempt to compare the 121GW to another meter you already have. As a result, I am rather unsure what you are trying to say, other than you simply didn't find my review useful. Even so, I read and reply to pretty much every comment, so I know what the vast majority say, and largely they have been positive, even if they don't own a 121GW or even if they have no plans to buy one.

@gamiwv 4 ай бұрын

@@JDW- No I don't have any 121GW and now I'm in retirement so I don't plan to buy one except if I will gain the lottery. That "low burden voltage" in all the years of my experience MATTERS A LOT ! By the way, there are plenty of anti-glare transparent films if glare is a problem or if the prism effect at the egdes of the transparent window bothers someone

@JDW- 4 ай бұрын

@@gamiwv Should a meter costing $200 really require the end user to pay extra to purchase anti-glare transparent films? Indeed, since the meter also originally came with gold plated probes, it also raises the question about buying the ProbeMaster kit, which I do feel is necessary now, but wouldn't have been when the original "good" probes were included. So for these reasons I stand by my review. I covered all the bases and left the viewer to form their own conclusions while at the same time expressing mine. And yet, I still use the meter and enjoy using it. In other words, it's not a perfect product, but it satisfies my requirements.

@theAwesomeShop 8 ай бұрын

comparing it to the fluke bc its in the same price range is absurd. that's like comparing a SUV against a sports car and complaining that the SUV doesn't handle as well. yeah, no shit, that's not why you got the SUV though. you know what annoys me? you trying to pretend like you are giving the 121GW a fair review. i mean listen to yourself talking about the "sparkle" in the screen edge. how about the fact that the viewing angle is so bad on the fluke that if it's on its stand on a bench and you're standing up looking down at it you can't see the freaking numbers! the 121GW was made to provide as many features as possible, in a compact size, with above average build quality AND while costing under $300. @eevblog probably isn't making anything on these. i would not be upset one bit if the meter came with no leads at all! if it were me, you wouldn't be getting batteries or a micro sd card in the thing either haha. the only issue worth a damn is the stability (or lack thereof). easy solution though. take a hot plate, press the meter down on it at the lean-to angle and voila! you now have a flat spot like the fluke. should be worth another $100 now, right? my only complaint about the build of the 121GW is the case material. it is too soft and not tight up against the meter like the fluke. i bet boiling it would shrink it though, hmm....

@JDW- 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for your feedback. While it is true there is a price difference between the Fluke 116 and the 121GW, comparing meters that I already own (which is what I did) isn't absurd. My channel is mostly about repair of vintage computers. It is not a dedicated channel that exclusively focuses on meters, nor do I have enough support to purchase every meter out there to do a comparison with meters of the same price category. Again, I did comparisons based on the equipment I have on hand. Most people who have commented thus far have appreciated the information. In terms of whether my review of the 121GW is "fair," I would challenge you to find another KZfaq video that goes into the same level of detail that I did. I decided to do the video because I checked all other videos and found them lacking. Besides, I wish to give my own feelings too. I think we all know that before we buy anything these days, we perform our due diligence. That means we watch as many videos as possible about a given thing to gather a variety of perspectives on the thing, then we decide if we wish to buy it. I merely offer one perspective, and it's vital to keep that in mind when watching me speak about the meter. My video is not meant to be "the final word" on the 121GW. I disagree about the viewing angle of the Fluke being bad, primarily because I can sit the meter in a way that always satisfies me. This explains what I just said about perspective. If you are the type of person who demands a meter's display to be perfectly visible all the time, at any angle, and under any lighting, then of course you would have a different perspective than me. I also think most people would fundamentally disagree with your value assessment of the 121GW when you say, "I would not be upset if the meter came with no leads at all!" I myself disagree with that profoundly. Might as well buy a car with nor tires, if one feels that way. No, a meter of any price range ought to come with leads. And when the meter is in the price of $300 AND when it did come with gold plated tip leads in the past, it is logical and reasonable for me to mention that, which I did. When it doesn't come the same good leads it did in the past, it then becomes an added cost for people who care about good leads. And when the meter is already $300, some people may not want an added cost. That holds true no matter how much profit Dave Jones makes or doesn't make. Besides, it is not the fault of you or I if Dave Jones makes a lot of money, little money or no money on a product he sells, as he sets the pricing. Not sure why you suggest "stability" should be worth another $100. I find it rather interesting you yourself took a jab at the meter for its case material. I didn't find case material to be an issue at all for me. And again, that strikes at the heart of what I am writing to you. Each one of us is different. We each have a different perspective. You and I disagree on a variety of points, but that's okay. The world would be worse off if we all thought the same. I have given one perspective in my video. So now it's your turn. Please make a video on the 121GW using your own perspective. I would be happy to watch it. Until then, best wishes!

@theAwesomeShop 8 ай бұрын

@@JDW- yes but would you buy the car with no tires if it was $5k less? knowing that you could have tires put on it for $1k? the idea is to put the money into the product itself bc you can always add accessories. but you're probably the type of individual who buys the n/a motor over the turbo model and then tries to turbo his motor so i doubt you are going to understand the point. my comments on the case are to mock how you pointed out the stupidest flaws with the meter. instead of whining about the leads why not think of a solution to the problem for your viewers? did you not think that maybe it was just some film on the tips of the leads left over from manufacturing? bc if you take some fine sandpaper to the tips real quick then they perform spot on. you use the 116 for computer repair? in your video you said it was an office meter? my comments are not to go against your perspective and its not what you said its how you said it. like "oh wow the 121gw doesnt do this and my $10 meter does." those little snide remarks only a dickhead makes. thats why i commented.

@neiliewheeliebin 7 ай бұрын

You must admit the screen does look a little crap around the edges. If we didn't criticize nothing would get any better theres no need to go to pieces emotionally over it

@XtianApi 8 ай бұрын

Both these screens' contrast are dismal. Unreal. Otherwise 121gw is a grail meter for me

@JDW- 8 ай бұрын

"Both" meaning what, exactly? I showed more than two meters with LCDs in my video.

@XtianApi 8 ай бұрын

@@JDW- the fluke and 121gw have way poorer contrast compared to that 10 dollar meter. Great meters otherwise. I just think that is terrible. If you made that meter, wouldn't you be embarrassed?

@JDW- 8 ай бұрын

@@XtianApi Well, in day-to-day use, what I notice the most (in a negative way) about the meter isn't actually the LCD. It's the probes. Those really are terrible. That's why I had to spend extra money on ProbeMaster probes to get good resistivity and continuity measurements. The truly sad part is, the meter originally shipped with good, gold-plated probes. But Dave Jones told me he had logistics issues that dictated a change in probes. I can understand that, but the probes included with the 121GW are not adequate at all, in my opinion, UNLESS you optionally buy screw-on alligator clips and make contacts with those clips exclusively. But those clips aren't even included! All that is far more negative, in my mind, than the LCD. But yes, there are issues with it, other than the probes. And here's the thing... The meter is overall great, but I've not seen a hardware update in years, and I doubt there ever will be one.

@XtianApi 8 ай бұрын

@@JDW- jeez. Yeah I almost always add a set of probemaster 8000's to any device I can. Just got some straight bananas with no safety sheath for my bench top. Ugh, no updates. I was excited for this meter, as I need a better handheld, but now I'm getting pretty much pushed to the brymen 789. Eevblog one is 786, but to me, it's worth the few extra bucks. Actually it's the same price sometimes. Plus, I like the red :). The extech's have good lcd's. With these high-end meters the contrast on the liquid crystals should be absolutely through the roof. I just found your channel and I love it. Keep it coming! Thank you

@graxxor 5 ай бұрын

@XtianApi My unit with contrast turned up to about 7 IIRC, is actually crisp af. and can be seen from a pretty decently wide angle, and the evenly lit backlight really works well in the evenings. Are there clearer panels out there? Probably but I've had zero issues in the clarity department. Just tweak the contrast to your liking and you're golden.

@neiliewheeliebin 7 ай бұрын

I'm not going to lie i don't particularly like this meter, the EEVBlog Brymen meter is much better quality IMO without the annoying bugs

@JDW- 7 ай бұрын

I seriously considered the EEVBLOG BM786 before purchasing the 121GW, but I wanted the Data Logging feature of the 121GW. You don't get that with the Brymen. For those who don't need that feature, you are right, the BM786 is a good choice. With that said, there aren't too many bugs in the 121GW these days. Most of the bugs you read about were fixed since the release of the 121GW. The only "bugs" that bother me today pertain to hardware choices like the inferior probes, and the screen which sparkles around the edges, and the fact it wobbles a bit more than I like due to bad choices when the blue silicon sleeve was designed. All said, I enjoy using the meter and don't regret my purchase.

@neiliewheeliebin 7 ай бұрын

@@JDW- I'll probably end up getting one it has some great features, the slow continuity latching speed may be due to the way the 15v diode test circuit is designed in it which is a reasonable trade off IMO

@Onkel.Moetrik Жыл бұрын

Hi Why on earth do you guys keep doing that stupid "parkinson" continuity test with tapping the probes rapidly? It is so phreaking dumb!😂 No real technician test continuity like that in a real world test situation....

@JDW- Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for watching, and please know that I appreciate all comments, including criticism. In answer to your question, tapping test is quite effective at demonstrating how good or bad the SURFACE CONDUCTIVITY of the probe tips is. And yes, that does sometimes matter, which is why the test, however silly it appears to be on the surface (ha ha), is sound. One prime example is when you take resistance measurements. If you don't press hard enough, your measurement won't be as accurate as it could be. And without gold plated tips, you tend to need a very firm press indeed. Of course, if you use alligator clips on your probe tips, especially the screw-on type, then you can eliminate the need to press hard when making resistivity measurements. And in such a case, I would agree that surface conductivity matters little to nothing, and therefore the tapping test has no great significance. But because a large number of measurements use bare naked probe tips and human hand pressure, Dave Jones of EEVBlog preached the merits of gold plated tips in one of his videos -- it was all about surface conductivity! That's why using the "parkinson" continuity test of probe tips to show good or bad surface conductivity really does have meaning at times.

@emmettturner9452 Жыл бұрын

I disagree. You want that kind of response when dragging one probe across 100+ pins to look for continuity. If it misses when you tap rapidly then it will miss as you drag across pins even more quickly.

@vortexan9804 9 ай бұрын

Faster reaction is better than slow....