Phoenix multi-meters

[Joe Harper]

Has anyone had problems with the Phoenix series meters from UEI ?
I like the meter, especially with the light on it and the magnet in the back.
The problem I have is that they only seem to last just a little over a year. I bought my first one in 2006. My third one started dying last week. They have all had the same problem. The continuity function stays beeping when you turn it on and the capatiance readings are not anywhere near correct, dc voltage doesnt work at all. This has happend on all three meters...Anyone else have the same experience?

[beachtech]

one would think that after that many failures to stop buying that brand

i have never used one, and have had great service out of my fieldpiece meters that have the magnet on the back the HS36 that is. the SC77 has been a good one as well.

soon the fluke parade will arrive since you asked about a meter

[ryand]

sounds like the battery

I have never owned one but my buddy has had a few and not been to thrilled about them. I asked him why he doesn't buy fluke and he said they are to pricey, so i told him to add up the price on all the cheap sh!t he buys and of course it comes out more than just buying the best or good one the first time

I bought an ideal meter about 6 years ago and it didn't last a summer ever since than I have had fluke and never had a problem with any of them and i have several

[Tie Strap]

everyone I work with uses UEi mainly becuase thats all thats carried in the local supply houses. Ive owned one in 3 years and have never had a problem neither have the others..It wasnt until I came on these forums that I found that everyone has had a bunch of problems with them. I also have the c125 combustion analyzer and that works great too. Maybe I got lucky

[MechAcc]

everyone I work with uses UEi mainly becuase thats all thats carried in the local supply houses. Ive owned one in 3 years and have never had a problem neither have the others..It wasnt until I came on these forums that I found that everyone has had a bunch of problems with them. I also have the c125 combustion analyzer and that works great too. Maybe I got lucky

If your supply house doesn't carry what you want tell them to order what you want not what they want to sell, or order or buy elsewhere.

[Tie Strap]

I've been buying online because of the selections and prices. Places around here want your money and first born.

[Cagey57]

I carried a DM383 for over 8 years, a 16' drop onto concrete hosed the display (I wonder why ?). Nobody carried the UEI's in town so I bought a TPI that looked identical. Used it for 6 years until the day it read 597 VAC on a 480 contactor. It became trash that day. I had great luck with the UEI.

The new DM383whatever with the goodies has a 5 year warranty. If anyone had handled them where I trade I might not have bought my Fluke 115.

Buy what you like, you're the one that has to use it !

I like my fluke though. But it cost double what a UEI's would, maybe the jokes on me !

[Pascone10]

ok ill start that fluke parade as beachy stated....

i had the first gen. pheonix and liked it a lot. Then again, i still have it, however, it sits in the truck.

so i bought one of the second generations and had problems (389) then got another over the counter and had problems again. So after talking to the good guys at Johnstone i got a full refund for the price (they had to get approval from UEI) My buddy also had issues with his 389.

I will say cust. support is great out of UEI. Called them a couple times and the were very helpful.

so then i bought a Fluke and the quality when you hold it in your hand is great.
i own the 902 and 179 and have had very good luck with them.

Good luck with you purchase.

on another note. not saying anything bad but i was never a fan of the fieldpiece. I have purchased an Extech Megohmeter. For the price it works well but im still not crazy over it like i am the Fluke. However, It does get the job done.

[y7turbo]

I have the uei dl389. Its my first uei meter and I like it a lot. I have owned the fluke 902 in the past and returned it due to the temperature readings being off and the microamp has a slow response time, and the ohm rating only goes to 9999.Neither of them have the milliamp function, so I still have to use my other meters for that range..

For the price, the uei 389 is a great all around meter.. If there is something i dont trust about it, i have multiple more expensive higher quality meters I can use for backup, but so far I havnt had to do that.. The UEI just took a 15-17 foot fall a month back, still works like a champ...

The only thing I dont like about the UEI is the cheap test leads and temperature probe they send with the meter.. For the money, I guess i cant complain too much, since the meter is good...

[Joe Harper]

I had just terrible luck with fieldpiece meters. Two came back across the counter in within the first month that I purchased them. Took the store credit and took the dl279. I seem to have a certian knack for buying defective equipment (circuit city cut me off years ago). I thought about this today while digging through the tool bag. I use this meter on most, if not all of my calls. If I run 1200-1400 calls a year, the meter costs .01 cents per call. So now im going to pick up a penny in every parking lot and get a free meter.

[BALLIN J 23]

I have had bad luck with the phoenix meter, so i went out an bought a fluke 902. I also noticed that the temp readings are a little off, but other than that its a good meter. The best part about the phoenix is the magnet.

[marter]

used one for awhile, HORRIBLE

fluke or bust

i have the 902 and love it, it dont read capicatence to save your life (always 40mfd or more off) but who needs that anyway :P

[Joe Harper]

So this great fluke meter doesnt read temps or capaicatence accurately ???
Why am i paying money for this??

[Cagey57]

The next float in the fluke parade:

As I said I liked my UEI !
If you want to measure temperature Accurately use an electroinc thermometer,(like my Fluke 52). I am sold on the right tool/right job idea. I measure volts/ohms etc with a DMM (like my Fluke 115 or 87), I measure amps with an amp clamp (my Fluke 32).

If you want to measure temps with a dmm use an adapter. UEI used to make one for a K-Thermocouple (I still use mine once in a while, can't remember the model number).

The more functions/features you get on a meter the more likely you are to get errors with those functions. JMO !


I have to qualify the above, I had to dust off my old Simpson 260 last week to find a couple of problems and I still have my Amprobe RS-3 Ultra in the truck and use it about once a month because the Digital Amp Clamps can't pick up (display) fast spikes like an old analog. I am not "Sold Out" on Flukes it just ended up that I have more of them than any other brand right now

[marter]

So this great fluke meter doesnt read temps or capaicatence accurately ???
Why am i paying money for this??

mine reads temp perfectly but no caps