One important point about the rotary switches: quick visual confirmation of the selected measurement when troubleshooting things.

Knobs on multimeters just work. You never have to wonder what mode you're in and it's a big solid mechanical device that rarely fails. These are two qualities I appreciate when working with something that can kill me if I touch it wrong during high voltage tests. You're putting a lot of trust in a fraction of a millimeter of doped silicone when the switching is all done by IC from buttons.

I know this display probably doesn't look as good in person, but it's actually spectacular onscreen /on camera. Great for indoor viewing, shit for outdoors.

The “VA” display likely refers to the type of LCD technology used, “VA” stands for “vertical alignment” and it is somewhere between IPS and TN in specs, still a crap meter though especially when compared to the AN8008.

It’s massive improvement of video quality, very clear speech

I got one, and LOVE IT. Love the inverted display, love the battery standard.

Best video on this topic on KZfaq. Thanks for publishing.

The VA display at 15:35 probably refers that it's using a VA panel for the lcd.

1 year same batteries. I use it almost every day. Love the display!! Also never ever go outside to do electrical. My 3rd meter and this is by far my fav!

I personally don't mind the 50 hour battery life at all, batteries now a days are dirt cheap. Given its impressive features, it appears to be a very good meter. and with rotary switch gone, you can switch functions with your thumb while holding it, very handy in certain situations

Is the raw video recorded at 25 or 30 FPS? Video seems a little choppy to me, at any resolution.

How are you in voltage mode when plug in mA if the LDC is showing mA?

Great review Dave. I was choosing a cheap DMM just for low voltage testing and as a second or third meter. The DMM's I was thinking of buying was an AN8008, AN8009 or a Q1. After watching this review the Q1 has to go. The decision was an AN8008 as I prefer the square wave output over the NCV ( I have never seen this feature on a pocket sized DMM ). I already have the AN870 which has NCV and is extremely accurate on all ranges comparing to the more expensive alternatives. In summary, if your doing low voltage / low amp tests with good accuracy, these cheap arse pocket sized meters are definitely worth their bang for buck.

It's definitely sharper picture with 4k when using a 1080p monitor.

Thanks for another down to earth review. I bet Aneng are gonna be sorry they didn't listen to the last review. Perhaps if they listen to both they might produce the ultimate home electronics meter.

Watched in 1080p. Sharper image quality and colours. Though not hugely different than the old camera. I give it a thumbs up. The Mailbag will probably look even nicer now :D

A useful test is accuracy vs. power supply voltage. Put in your 10k calibrated resistance, and then see if the reading changes as you vary the meter's supply voltage. I've found that my cheap meters' readings vary with power supply.

i like negative displays.

This is my main multimeter these days, except it's branded as a RichMeters 409B (also bought off of Aliexpress), the idea of a backlit inverted display was the main selling point for me as I keep it in the dark corner of my work surface (not under the desk lamp), and to be honest, I haven't had any issues with it personally, then again I mainly use it for checking voltages and continuity, resistance and capacitance as a secondary measure, and amperage if all else fails, you know the stuff you need when you need to find out what's broken and how it came to be in such a state.

is this good enough for checking for fried caps and voltage regulators on pc motherboards and gpu-s? Thanks

Good timing on this. Was looking for a new DMM to replace my Tenma 72-7720 and ended up getting your BM235 😀 just waiting for delivery

Video looks very sharp in a 4k 40" TV here (what I use as monitor ;) BTW is there any cheap multimeter with a faster bar graph that you recommend?

Proud to be watching this video in 480p at KZfaq's discretion. It's entirely sufficient. :)

i have this on my to get list 'coz i'm tired of the ol' lcd colours. anyhow, is there a multimeter that logs readings?

I use this multimeter for everything and it works great after replacing the probes. The two pairs included from factory are a joke. I love the display, redeable from really far away, specially at night. Never had a multimeter with always on backlight before, but I couldn't live without it again. The only thing I hate about it is the auto poweroff function, that you have to disable every time you power it up by holding Range and Power On. When repairing logic boards it's bad that it shuts down every few minutes if you don't remember to do that. It's true it drains batteries really fast tho, I added a DC jack on the back to plug it on the wall while on the bench. I don't know if they changed something in the firmware, but mine does beep like crazy when you have probes connected in the Amps plug and you're not on the Amps mode to warn you

I got one in the mail on Tuesday, perfectly usable with rechargeable AA's and the display is super readable from a distance. Certainly has its uses. Didn't buy as a main meter, just like collecting them.

Will it run on 4.2v? I modded my 8008 with a Lithium cell. Works great.

VA = Vertical Alignement, It's the lcd panel type, like IPS or TN lcd panels.

Loved your video! Trying to see if this was a good brand, you gave a very genuine and refreshing opinion. Cheers.

i have this multimeter and i can't switch to functions like diode or resistance and makes a beep every 5 seconds. Does anyone know how to fix this? any help will be appreciated.

I think that display looks really slick! Very futuristic, and much better contrast on camera. The display on my an8008 is not as good & contrasty compared to the one in your video anyway, so I think it'd be a big improvement. Unfortunately the battery drain combined with the need for relay switching makes this meter much less practical! Thx for the review.

I have the Q1 as an extra meter, does anyone know if it has the voltage MIN and MAX reached type memory feature ? Much appreciated

Watched it on 1080p. Really nice and sharp picture.

Well. Working on concerts so in dark environment I prefer this screen by far. Just depend for what you use it.

this multimeter looks perfect for use with the batteriser with that 1,2v low per cell display light drop :))) ; guess no rechargable batteries :)

The screen looks great at first look for me. Could you leave it turned on to test the screen resolution vs battery power ?? In real time?

I like the reverse displays. I used a Milwaukee meter with a reverse display for a few years in my repair business, and appreciated the fact that it was easier to see in low light, plus it also look cooler than the standard LCD screen that you’ve seen on every cheap watch since the 80s. I had no issues with battery life as I never really had to leave the meter running for extended periods of time, and I never really had any reason to use the meter in direct sunlight. It was slow to light up when cold though, I don’t know if that is inherent to the display. I always had a back up meter either way, but that was its only flaw for me.

Weird, I kinda like the look of the inverted LCD.. I must be some kind of heathen I'd like that on a bench meter or something, where sunlight and battery life aren't an issue

The measurement will be correct if the battery voltage is reduced ?

Why when you switch range to mV values are changing on a 8008?

Is ANENG Q1 have small fuse 3X10 mm or normal 5X20 mm like in Uni-t ?

I have a Fluke 189 for many years. I love everything but except one thing. The rotary switch finally broke and I had to make my own. I wish Fluke would have built an option to turn it on and off the meter by just pushing a soft switch, so the rotary switch would be kept where it was left. Why wouldn't they think of that?

Oh man Dave beat me to it once again. Those who watch my channel regularly know I have a very slow postal service here in Romania. I even ordered from the Aneng aliexpress official shop hoping I would get it faster than ordering from Banggood, but nope, my Q1 is still not here. Awesome review!

Sir can you help me I want a fast processing millimeter. When we major a resistance meter reading comes fast.

What are some good leads to buy if you have a sub $50 multimeter? Is it worth it to buy good leads? If so, whats a good under $20 set?

What would you recommend as a primary meter for a hobbyist that mostly deals with small electronics and vary occasionally 120/240vac US mains?

No more 50/60fps option now that you do 4k? I liked the fluidness of the high fps video

Footage looks good, thanks Dave

if the chipset is pretty much the same, can you swap the display from the 8008 to this thing?

I bought this meter about a year ago. Can anyone tell me if this is an high impedance ohm meter? I need to probe around a truck ECM and don't want to blow it up.

Hi, do you have any reviews on Digital Panel Meters? I would like to know if you have made a review or if you can make one. Thank you!!

Looks great on the 4k man!

Looks great on my 5" phone screen. And according to the TV-ad I just got here, with a split-screen demo in it, it turns out my old phone screen can show HDR 😂

If you take it apart and turn the polarizing filter over would it become a black on white display ??? I did that with a cheap calculator when I was a kid ... it turned into a white on black display ... Just curious

Superbe video quality Dave. We can now replicate your fingerprints.

This thing must be from the developers of the Batteriser. Because it’s one of those rare products where using a pop on voltage booster makes sense. You would be able to read the display all the time and when it cuts of it won’t do any wrong readings. You just don’t have a low batt warning but equipped with normal AAs you can’t read it either so.....

Thanks for reviewing this meter. I was looking to get a cheap one but I hate when I'm stuck because the battery is dead. In my county Chauvin Arnoux is also a very good brand.

So what you recommend for a main Mustimeter that is not expensive?

It does look better even in 1080p, the colors are nice it's quite crisp. Love it.

I tried 4K a few months ago before switching from desktop amd64 to Raspberry Pi; only saw a difference on a 24" HiDPI monitor from a few inches away. It's an option on my Le Potato, but I couldn't be bothered.

Now we know why that auto power-off time was so short...

Plus, if your meter lives in a toolbox with other tools, it is easy for a tool to press down on the power button, and be constantly turning the meter on and of during transport. That happens far less with the rotary switches, like fluke has.

I've got the AN 8009, Love it :)

They should have used an OLED. Any drop-in replacements? I like black screens inside on the bench

My AN8008 came with leads that lose connection at the meter half the time. Other leads work fine. Other than that, it's got great quick update, is nice and compact, and looks good.

Can it do 4K at 60 FPS?

Hi Dave, can you do a test on this multi-meter MUSTOOL MT8206, I would like to buy one

Did you try the small mA currents on the μA input? Maybe their μA range goes all the way to 9.999mA. Same for the old model.

Thanks a lot, just what I needed to know

So powering this with Ni-MH will be a lot of fun.

Great review! Very informative.

Are there any cheap meters with a wall wart socket?

I got a keysight U1232A, current ranges are also limited: 60uA, 600uA, 6A and 10A. Love the serial port, though.

I have one problem with the Aneng AN8008. When I switch the range switch to continuity mode, and/or turn on the backlight, it will switch itself off. And as I'm writing this, it has suddenly fixed itself. What the...

I still think the 8009(the fixed-up 8008 for the same price) is the best budget meter ive ever seen (so far), it does everything *so* 'well enough', that the only trouble you start having with it, is when you get to situations that genuinly require much more specialised gear that you absolutly accept should cost significantly more. also a really cool thing is that there is a header inside that you can use to mod in a serial interface, and use that for things like microcontroller/ computer/ etc: logging and display of data and also for like production work where you dont have a massive expensive test machine to go over all test points, to check resistances and continuity etc as a first qc step after pcb assembly or refurb/ maint, where instead you can have a programmed list that you can have a worker(yourself) manualy run down the points while the data is being logged. the point being that this is somethign that exists on that dog cheap meter that really shouldnt for the price being asked for it, and the design of it and cost of manufacture really is way more generous and offers so much, that things like the header for communication or even potentially firmware updates/ additions(customization), can only be there on purpose as a deliberate offering, sort of thing..(ie even more greater for hobbyists/ students, freelancers/ small proffessionals etc, since things like that are something that the kind of people more likely to buy that meter, are also more likely to be the kind of people to find and make use of features and design choices like that, which is beneficial in multiple ways imo) still, i have to say that apart from any obvious general criticism and desire for improved specs on everything, the really big fail is that it uses 2xAAA batteries, instead of anything larger or rechargeable despite the massive space in the back. and the expense they went to with brass inserts for the battery cavity (despite it being so small), shows they wernt focused on purely cheaping out. so they could have made the case able to take AAs, and if they filled that enourmous space with even just a charge module for the option to use your own lipo packs/cells (you know to keep sale costs down by not including rechargable batteries/ lipo pack etc, but have the option there to add it in later). though it makes a good chance to start a mod project for adding your own charge circuitry/ module and lipo cells etc and etc, since there really is so much space in there, and the plastic is good quality and molded well, so its much more easy and fun to add clean sockets and features without ruining it.

soo what one would you say is a good beginner meter?

Btw, AN8009 has the NCV feature as well (minus the square output feature though), but it's about the same otherwise as the 8008 (as far as I can tell ... I haven't checked out too much).

I picked up a Extech 410 multimeter about a year ago for around $40 I woul be interested in seeing a review on this particular model. It seems all around solid to me.

Hello! The video was great! 4k made it even better! Do you think this multimeter would work with a 3.7V battery?

Thank you again for video. The video quality is very good even in 1080 mode what I usually use.

How is use rechardable aa battery with 1.2 volt? It could be very weak brightness.

EBTN Display on the UNI-T 139S is definitely superior. I did a short follow-up video to my initial review and was quite pleased with final outcome. No dimming or blackouts on the UT139S!

Well I was thinking maybe running it on NiMH batteries would be a good idea considering the current draw of that display. But given their lower voltage would make them very unpractical with that display brightness at reduced voltage.

I really like the inverse displays, as a mechanic I'm usually under a truck, or a hood when using them, also good when outside. The only down side is it chews batteries

With a little step up/down converter 1,8-5V to 3,3V for a few cents it works perfect and uses every battery efficient. I love this Q1 multimeter, best design i ever saw 🥰

When it comes to input protection fluke does it okay, telling you to check the leads, but metrahit does it best, they block the input so you cant plug it into the wrong jack

For people considering the Q1 just for the push buttons, also look at the Aneng AN113B, which has a normal screen instead of that power-hungry inverse display. It has a lesser 6000 counts, possibly other differences.

8 just bought the old one a month ago and when I saw you post this was like ‘damn it, I should have waited!’. But after that display show, wow, nope, quite content.

If its a normal LCD, could they have a "mode" so that you inverted back to the normal?

Which is the difference between aneng a10 and aneng sz18?

The reason people will buy this is to make use of thier batterisers! :D

The colors seem slightly more saturated and the image might be a bit sharper when watching at 1080p. This observation was made on a fairly new laptop with a 1440p IPS LCD with poor contrast but about 95% sRGB coverage.

Dave there is a 20,000 count multimeter on Amazon that I want you to review. it's $40. RMS. Do you buy them , or do they send them to you?

At this point it can be said I collect cheap multimeters, I got the AN8008 and was thinking about getting the Aneng Q1.. well, not anymore.

So when you finally upgraded the video quality to 4K, I'm only able to watch it in 144P. On a small island in the Baltic Sea with expensive wifi. But it looks fantastic in pixelvision! :)

Did dave do a video like this on his own EEVBLOG BM786? I'd like too tests of its accuracy.

hi... is there any tester for ujt/put?

...yes, but where can you buy the 121GW in Europe (and what size of bank do you need to rob before that)?

you should try 4k 60fps if your camera can do it, i love the new quality anyway though.

Short power off is probably because the backlight is always on. I get that they are trying to cash in on the oled look but there are nothing but disadvantages to that display setup.