OVERVIEW: Vichy VC99 Multimeter - February 23rd Gift for a Jack of All Trades

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

On the pages of Lifehacker, they wrote about a wide variety of devices. But today we will consider a gadget that is unlike anything from the previously reviewed by us and can be the best gift for February 23rd.

Men love gadgets. Men love to do things with their own hands. And in the modern world of electronics, one cannot do without measuring instruments. Instead of buying a bunch of separate devices, it is better to get a multimeter - a device that combines an ammeter, voltmeter and ohmmeter. Such a thing is needed both when poking around in electronic devices, and when making your own devices. Sometimes it can come in handy in repairs and in troubleshooting a car's wiring. A multimeter is a great gift. Even if a person already has a similar gadget, a new one will not be superfluous, and the one that will be discussed in our review is definitely not for everyone.

Not so long ago I was concerned about the question of which multimeter to buy. There are many gadgets on the market ranging from $ 5 to $ 800 with a wide variety of functionality. Since the multimeter was purchased for a very wide range of work, I wanted to get the maximum of functions for the least money. And convenience, accuracy of readings and speed of measurements are never superfluous.

Based on all these requirements, a multimeter was purchased, which really turned out to be the best budget measuring device on the market. It is supplied with good quality probes and thermocouple and is ready to use right away. The case of the multimeter is protected by a convenient silicone case with grooves for probes - there will be no mess on the table.

The main advantage of Vichy VC99 can be called a variety of functions: this is the measurement of current and voltage, AC and DC currents, resistance, capacitance, temperature, frequency (and this is rarely combined with the ability to measure temperature). Also, the gadget is able to check transistors, there is a dialing mode. Basically, this multi-tester is able to measure everything that may be required in the home-field conditions. You can get in with it both into a smartphone or a player, and into a home network for 220-380 V or into household appliances powered by a network. There is protection, so it will not burn (checked once, but I do not advise you often to provoke).

All information is displayed on a convenient display, and in two forms: digital and analog. The readings can be fixed, and when measuring variable quantities, you can use the Max / Min buttons and see the minimum and maximum values in the measurements. There is no backlight, but if you wish, you can modify the device in a few minutes (and save money, since the closest counterparts with backlight are much more expensive).

Additional functions	Comments (1)
Diode test	Yes
Checking transistors	Yes
Checking the absence of openings in the electrical circuit	Less than 30 Ω ± 10 Ω
Low battery indication	When the voltage drops to 2.4 V
Freezing readings on the display	Yes
Auto power off	After about 15 minutes
Analogue reading line	Yes
Protection	Yes
Input impedance	10 MOhm
Measurement frequency	Three times a second
Supported frequency of AC test current	40-400 Hz
Display capacity	6 000
Display size	65 × 41 mm
Battery	3V, AAA × 2

The readings on the display are not displayed immediately, the device needs about 3-5 seconds for the final registration (you can open, solder a couple of parts, and the thoughtfulness will pass). But the measurement errors correspond to the declared ones.

Main functions	Measuring range	Accuracy of measurements
Constant current, voltage	600 mV / 6 V / 60 V / 600 V / 1000 V	± (0, 5% + 4)
Alternating current, voltage	6V / 60V / 600V / 1000V	± (0, 8% + 6)
Constant current, amperage	600 μA / 6000 μA / 60 mA / 600 mA / 6 A / 20 A	± (0, 8% + 3)
Alternating current, current	600 μA / 6000 mA / 60 mA / 600 mA / 6 A / 20 A	± (1, 5% + 10)
Resistance	600 Ohm / 6 kOhm / 60 kOhm / 600 kOhm / 6 MOhm / 60 MOhm	± (0, 8% + 5)
Capacity	40 pF / 400 pF / 4 μF / 40 μF / 400 μF / 2000 μF	± (3, 5% + 8)
Frequency	100 Hz / 1 kHz / 10 kHz / 100 kHz / 1 MHz / 60 MHz	± (0, 5% + 4)
Temperature	−40 ° C ~ 1,000 ° C	± (0, 75% + 3)
	0 ° F ~ 1,832 ° F	± (1, 2% + 3)

The multiplier of the readings on the display (multiplicity) is six. Switching of measurement ranges is automatic, there is protection, so the device will not burn out if the range is mistakenly selected.

Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the not entirely convenient implementation of measuring the current strength: there is a 200 mA mode and then immediately 200 A, which is why the range of 10–99 A is displayed after the decimal point. In addition, the device has a high error when measuring frequencies above 40 MHz. However, this is not critical, especially with a similar price tag. Judging by the reviews on the Internet, there are practically no cases of selling uncalibrated multimeters of this type and there is a possibility of adjustment.

The closest analogs of the Vichy VC99 are several devices from Mastech. However, the transistor cannot ring, it does not have an analog bar, it cannot measure oscillations. It could be an option, but this device is $ 20-30 more expensive, while it has backlighting "out of the box", and is also equipped with a sound level meter and a luxmeter (for measuring illumination). Thus, the Vichy VC99 is the most balanced and "stuffed" tester under $ 50.