Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes
Reviews Home

Reviews For: VoltageStandard.com DMMCheck

Category: Tools & Test Equipment for the amateur radio work bench

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : VoltageStandard.com DMMCheck
Reviews: 3MSRP: 35.50
Description:
The DMMCheck is a battery powered device that provides and accurate calibration reference for three important functions on a multimeter - DC Volts, Resistance and DC current.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.voltagestandard.com/DMMCheck.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0035
NX0E Rating: 2018-05-24
Excellent Stability Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought a DMMCheck in May of 2103. I just got it sent back after re-calibration, 5 years to the day from it's original callibration. In 5 years, it drifted 1/4 milliVolt. Doug (of VoltageStandard.com) reset it to 5.0000 mV. All the other readings (current and resistance) were spot on! The service was very fast too. All in all a great product from a company with great service.
NT0Z Rating: 2014-08-02
High Quality, Great Price! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It's easy to assume that your digital multimeter is accurate simply because it's, well, DIGITAL!

That's not the case, of course, but until you NEED to know your meter's accuracy (to align a transceiver in my case), you just assume it's calibrated because its digital display is sufficiently convincing.

This handy unit is very well built, comes with a dedicated calibration chart, is calibrated with commercial-grade test gear, is reasonably priced, well packaged for shipment, etc.

I had to chuckle because my "FREE" Harbor Freight DMM was spot on, while my fancy auto-ranging DMM was a titch less so (still close enough for government work).

The popular auction site is awash with similar units that cost a few bucks less, but Doug, the seller, is a ham with long electronics industry experience. Even as an admitted "cheap SOB," it was worth spending a few bucks more to get a calibration unit with "known roots."

Now, to calibrate my 40-year-old frequency counter...

--NT0Z

W3VVV Rating: 2014-03-28
A superb calibration tool Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
An inaccurate multimeter (DMM or analog) is just as bad as no multimeter at all. This device enables you to verify that several key multimeter measurement functions are accurate. With the proliferation of inexpensive multimeters from Asia, having an accurate calibration standard on hand is more crucial than ever.

The DMMCheck arrived in the mail about five days after I ordered it. The owner of VoltageStandard.com, Doug Malone, emailed me with the tracking number when the unit was shipped and wrote that I should contact him with any questions about the unit.

I ordered the optional enclosure ($13 additional), which I think is essential if you aren't going to mount the unit in your own enclosure.

A calibration data sheet is included so you know the exact values for your unit.

My Fluke 179 was recently calibrated by Fluke, so I checked it against the DMMCheck. Voltage was right on. Resistance was right on. The DMMCheck showed that the current reading was 1/1000 of a milliamp high (1/1,000,000 of an amp high), which is easily close enough for anything that I do and easily within spec.

Now when I tweak a pot to adjust a rig setting that has to be within 1/10 of a volt according to manufacturer specifications, I have reliable assurance that what I'm doing is going to be right.

The circuit board is very cleanly laid out, soldered perfectly, and has only very high quality components. I would put it on par with circuit boards made by Agilent and Tektronix.

Re-calibration is available for two years after purchase for just the cost of postage (about $4.00 each way). After two years, there is a nominal charge for re-calibration in addition to the cost of postage.

The only thing that is "missing" is a case. An anti-static bag is included with the DMMCheck, but I'd be willing to pay a bit extra for a custom-fitted case.

This device doesn't have any knobs, buttons, or fancy displays and you'll probably use it only occasionally, but it's probably one of the most crucial pieces of test equipment for someone who works on their own rigs.

One other point: I considered buying a voltage standard from one of the many Chinese sellers on Ebay for a lower price, but decided to go with the unit from VoltageStandard.com because its accuracy was traceable to NIST and because the company provides re-calibration service at nominal cost. After all, a calibration standard is only as good as its traceability to a trusted authority!