AstroAI Digital Multimeter and Analyzer TRMS 6000 Counts Volt Meter Ohmmeter Auto-Ranging Tester; Accurately Measures Voltage Current Resistance Diodes Continuity Duty-Cycle Capacitance Temperature

Many measurements available. I don't have a calibrated source to verify the accuracy but it's good enough for my purposes.

Works great! Lots of features and easy to use. Make sure you store it without the leads attached. I made the mistake of always leaving them in it and it messed it up. But that was my own fault.

I sometimes buy inexpensive test equipment, perform a quick review and then post the results on my w3afc.com web page. I do this for the benefit of the HAM Radio operators who want to repair their own equipment, but who are on a fixed income. I'll post a full review with photos there in a couple weeks. This review is for the typical homeowner or DIY hobbyist who wants an inexpensive but full-featured meter. For comparison, I tested this meter against a much more expensive Amprobe AM-570.PROS:- The dual, plastic coated magnet on the back is very useful. I can stick it to the face of one of my vintage HAM radios while I'm doing some testing and it will stay there.- It has a large, easy-to-read display.- DC and AC RMS readings are well within the claimed specifications. Spot-on, in fact.- Resistance, DC current, and Diode forward voltage readings are accurate. I haven't tested the Duty Cycle or Temperature functions.- The build quality is above average for a meter in this price point.- According to AstroAI, this meter can read voltages as high as 1,000VDC (CAT II) and 750VAC, but they don't emphasize that. I have yet to use it to measure the 900VDC plate voltage on one of my Swan 700CX tube transceivers, because I want to get some use out of the meter first before I risk blowing it up. Plus, I plan to use this primarily for testing circuits in cars, and solid-state HAM radios. I had a UEI 384 that claimed a max DC voltage rating of 1000 volts, but when I tested the Swan plate voltage (at rest, no modulation) the UEI blew up - literally. I found another one online for 20 bucks used, and tried it again. THAT meter also blew up. So I tend to take the voltage ratings on these cheap meters with several grains of salt.- The manufacturer claims that this meter will read capacitance up to 600 micro-farads (uF). But the one I'm testing has measured up to 2200uF with good accuracy. Perhaps they meant 600uF within the stated accuracy.NOTE: I'VE CORRECTED MY RATING based on the fact that this meter is rated at 60,000 uF. The largest value I have right now if 20,000, and this meter reads it with the same approximate accuracy as my much more expensive Amprobe AM-570, and my CEM DT-9935 LCR.CONS:- That magnet that I mentioned above can pick up nuts, staples, pins, and other stuff, so it's a bit of a double-edge sword.- The claimed frequency counter upper limit of 60MHz is actually 16MHz. Apparently, when engineering told marketing that it would read to 16MHz, marketing thought they said 60. And, the voltage required to obtain a reading is fairly high, almost 5V P-P. The Amprobe AM-570 on the other hand reads accurately up to 43MHz, and it only needs a little over 1V P-P for a good reading. Of course, it costs about $110, or almost 4 times as much as this AstroAI WH5000A. Note: I just checked my Amprobe manual, and it claims to read to 60 MHz also. I have a feeling that this is just a theoretical figure, based on the fact that these are 6000-count (5999, really) meters.- The transistor hFE (current gain) test function is at only 1 volts, and at a very low current of around 1mA, so it reads about half of the gain of a device under typical conditions. And for some reason, the multi-function test adapter is arranged C-B-E instead of B-C-E, making testing TO-220 devices a hassle. So, DON'T buy this as a transistor tester.As I said, I'll post a complete review on my web page eventually. For a hobbyist, or DIY'er, this is good, and the price can't be beat. For HAM Radio work I would spend a little more. BTW, I don't find the beeping to be THAT annoying.NOTE: The DC voltages were supplied by a Tektronix Calibration Fixture. The AC voltage was from a regulated AC supply, set at 115.00 VAC. I tested the AC separately instead of alongside the Amprobe meter because the AC supply doesn't have BNC connectors like my Tek DC supply. With the probes detached, the AstroAI picked up a small amount of AC, most likely from my fluorescent lighting.NOTE 2: In the photo of the meter testing something on the underside of a radio, the meter is measuring the frequency 14.175MHz from the signal unit of a Kenwood TS-930S HAM transceiver. The meter is connected to the board near the output terminal. It reads the signal, but the gain from the board (carrier level) has to be set at 10 to obtain a reading. By comparison, the Amprobe can read the signal at a carrier level of 4, and a very old Beckman Industrial DM27XT can get a reading with the carrier control set at 2.In the two new photos of the meters measuring the value of a capacitor, the AstroAI and the Amprobe are measuring the same 2200uF, 35V electrolytic capacitor.The manufacturer contacted me regarding my 3-star rating. Compared to other meters in the $30-$50 range, this would be 4 stars, perhaps even 5. However, I would only give the Amprobe AM-570 4 stars, so for the sake of consistency, I give this 3 stars.By the way, I have the thermocouple connected right now, measuring the ambient temperature right here in my HAM shack. It's fluctuating between 71 and 73 degrees as the heat cycles on and off, which is about right. I put the end under my tongue for a few minutes, and it leveled off at 95F. So it's not lab grade, but it's not bad.

Is there better on the market? Yes. Do you likely need it if you are reading this review? Prob not.Great price and so far has been accurate and stable. The magnet isn't super strong, I wouldn't trust it though.

Wonderful tool for the price. Durable, reliable and relatively easy to use

Great product, just what I needed. I appreciate the wide variety of measurements it can do, all for a bargain price.

Great multimeter for the price and has many functions

I ordered this for one reason only. To trace what appeared to be a parasitic drain in my Jeep. I felt pretty stupid when I was done.The meter worked to perfection. I set it to DC voltage (Capital V with a line next to it with three dots under that) so I could measure millivolts (mV). Prior to testing I made sure I had not started the Jeep, opened doors or in any way done anything that might cause even a temporary power drain. I opened the fuse box in the engine compartment and started touching the meter probes to the tiny metal spots exposed on top of each fuse. Some showed 0.0 mV. Some showed a value around 0.3 mV and then went down to 0.0 mV. Normal so far. Woah! This one is sticking at 10.5 mV. Not good. What is that fuse for? Power outlet. Uh oh. My Jeep has two power outlets. One switched and the other unswitched or on all the time even if the key is off. It’s winter. I have a heated pad on the drivers seat. I thought I had it in the switched outlet. Had it in the unswitched. Unplugged the heat pad. Test the fuse again. 0.0 mV. Stupid is is stupid does.This meter has some good weight to it so it doesn’t feel cheap. I’m not sure about the magnets. They are two disk shaped magnets woven inside the short strap that hangs from the top of the meter. There is an indentation in the back of the meter made specifically for the magnets to stick to, but they still tend to slide around. If you use them to hang the meter from something metal they will do the job, but if you should bump the meter or yank the leads then the meter is coming off and going to the ground. Being unsteady on my feet and too often losing my balance I’m a prime candidate for this scenario. The magnetic strap is a nice thought, but I find it to kind of be in the way and it tends to interfere with the weak grip of my hands making it more likely that I will drop the unit. I don’t need it. I’ll probably just remove the strap with the magnets.I didn’t try the kick stand as I was outside working on the Jeep. Not good in that scenario. It might be good if your working at a table or workbench. I would probably reach for it with my unsteady hands and knock it over.The leads seem to be good quality and are plenty flexible. They are three feet long not counting the banana plugs or the probes. I would like to have seen a pair of alligator clips included in the package.I tried the thermocouple by touching it to the electric stove for a couple of seconds and the temperature shot straight up. I did it quick so as not to damage it but then read that it can go up to two thousand degrees. I’m not sure what I might use this feature for. Maybe check my soldering iron to see if it’s really as hot as it says it is.I like that it takes – and comes with – a standard nine volt lithium battery. No hunting for some strange battery you have to order online. I avoid anything that uses alkaline button batteries.Some say there is storage in back for the probes. The only storage I found was for the battery and fuses for which the cover is screwed closed. Matters not as I’m ordering a case.The back light for the screen is very bright, but it only stays on for ten seconds and there is no way to increase that or make it stay on permanently. If you’re working in a dimly lit area it could be a problem. I was outside at dusk when I was testing my fuses and I had to keep pressing the light button so I could clearly see the screen. I’m sure this is to keep it from sucking up the battery, but it can be inconvenient. At least the screen is huge with huge digits.It would be nice if this came with a case. I would have paid a little more to get that and the above mentioned alligator clips. I’m ordering some clips and a case separately.I’m older and my eyesight is not what it once was so I would like the instructions – which are very basic – to have been printed with larger text. I downloaded the online manual.https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812ObWAnIxL.pdf It’s got the exact same information, but it is readable.A couple of times during my testing the meter blurted out a series of quick beeps. I didn’t have the leads touching anything at that moment but I was testing fuse after fuse touching them with the probes so what was up? I pressed the light button and the screen didn’t show anything unusual. Nothing in the manual mentions these beeps. However, per the manual the meter automatically shuts off in fifteen minutes if it detects no activity. Perhaps the beeps were a warning telling me the meter is about to power down. I turned the meter on and started a stop watch. At fourteen minutes I got the beeps. A minute later it powered down. Theory proven. Unfortunately, touching the leads to things apparently does not count as activity. Activity is apparently defined by pressing a button or turning the dial. So, if you hear those beeps you need to reach over and tap the ‘light’ button or else the meter will shut down and you will have to turn it back on. No doubt this is another battery saving feature, but if you’re doing a lot of the same type of testing without having to change anything on the meter then you are required to keep letting the meter know you are still working. I understand the purpose, but I don’t like the feature. It should recognize that the leads are being used.I understand they use to come in yellow. Mine is red. I like red.I would like to have the option of keeping the LCD screen back light on or at least on longer and I would like to have the option of disabling the fifteen minute auto off feature. For the low price it sure feels high quality. Overall I am very satisfied with this multimeter.Small update:I removed that strap with the magnets. I found that every time I set it down on a metal surface it was sticking. The first time it happened I nearly lost my grip on the meter. I got tired of picking the meter up and having to give it an extra little yank to pull the magnets free. Although they stick to the back of the meter, when I set the meter down on the hood or the bumper they got a better grip on those or what ever other metal surface I had set the meter down on. Better to remove them completely than to risk getting the meter yanked out of my weak feeble old hands. No doubt the magnets in the strap is a useful feature for some people, but for me it turned out to be more of a handicap and introduced the risk of me picking up the meter and dropping it. I don't think I would ever stick those magnets to something and let the meter dangle precariously by the strap anyway. The magnets were a nice thought, but they don't work for me.Update: I've had it nearly a year. I've found more use for this meter than I ever thought I would. It has functioned flawlessly except that it has developed some kind of loose connection for the LCD screen. I have to push down on the top center of the screen for the information on the screen to show up. To fix this I had to wedge a little sliver of something under the edge of the casing at the top of the screen. Other than that I am very happy with this meter. I don't know why it developed this issue as it has never been dropped or banged on anything. I'm still happy enough that I still rate four stars.