TOOLTOP ET13S IR Thermal Camera Multimeter! Test, Review and DISCOUNT CODES This is interesting!

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

*Looks like the sale started* the link in the video description now gives a price of €131.86 with 21% Spanish VAT (IVA), and the price down here in the Canary Islands, my adopted home, is €108.97. Both with free shipping. WOW! 😃 ET13S es.aliexpress.com/item/1005006500904983.html?af=ler2002&gatewayAdapt=glo2esp Add on Macro Lens €20.40 with 21% IVA, €16.86 without es.aliexpress.com/item/1005006685103304.html?af=ler2022&gatewayAdapt=glo2esp

[@KB1UIF]

My understanding is you can configure the meter to boot into either camera mode or meter mode. Check the setup screen.

[@DelticEngine]

Thanks for the review. The screen resolution and four physical buttons suggest it's basically an android device of some sort. Also, I think the display behaviour when you connect a diode to test and it is in continuity mode is by design to inform the user that there is some sort of active device present rather than a pure resistance.

[@harrilumme1875]

I believe that the current mode is omitted for a reason. In current mode the shunt resistor heats up, which is bad for IR camera. For best performance the IR imaging array should always be in constant (low) temperature. This must be a deliberate trade-off. Thanks for the video as always.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Yes that makes some sense. It doesnt' make it a bad multimeter, in fact I think the combination of the Mr Bleep style diode test mode and the thermal imaging makes it a good fault finding tool - and very good value at the speicial offer price 🙂

[@Lightrunner.]

Nice tool and the ir cam has good refresh rates in this price class. 13:40 Mr. Bleep is in da house 😱🤣🤣🤣

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

YeahI was really surprised to find that - as you saw in the video. That was my genuine reaction. Price wise with the special offer 1st-5th May, it comes in at around €140 and that's really good value for the specs IMHO

[@watchmakerful]

[13:00] It switches back and forth between two different ranges with different test voltages (e. g. 0.3 V and 3 V). The diode is open at high voltage, but closed at low one.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

That sounds like a reasonable explanation, though I've not seen any other multimeter display this behaviour.

[@alanbenson1505]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair I just went to pick one up on your link, Rich, and got "Sorry, the page you requested can not be found:( " EDIT: It's now back up and running fine. Maybe AliExpress were updating something.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

@@alanbenson1505 Yeah the sale started, grab a bargain

[@alanbenson1505]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair It has... I did! (using your link) Thanks, Rich.

[@andymouse]

If something had to go to keep the price down then current is the obvious one as no extra connectors no fuses no firmware, thanks for the review I shall take a closer look t this purely from a FLIR point of view as its less than 200 quid ....cheers.

[@alanrichardson1672]

Current measurement would also probably be the least used range / feature for most average users.

[@andymouse]

@@alanrichardson1672 Yep, and thats certainly true for me :)

[@alanrichardson1672]

Nice review Richard. I like yourself, don't like how it enters IR camera on power up I'm sure it would drive me nuts in no time. Question - Is it possible to export saved images i.e. is there any connectivity?

[@abdurrahmanyahaya1]

Yeah, you can export the picture

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

@alanrichardson1672 It turns out you can set this in the setup menu to boot into whichever mode you prefer at startup, I missed that and apologise as it was misleading. This just makes it better IMHO

[@awesomeelectricalengineer3487]

CAT II so not really suitable for mains voltage use. Looks ok for a cheaper meter, maybe a bit flimsy? The thermal camera function is definitely unique.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

You know, back in the day I don't think we had CAT ratings on our multimeters but it seems we were still able to use them safely on mains voltages and even higher as there was a lot of vacuumn tube equipment around then too... Yeah it's the IR camera function that makes this stand out. It's not perfect as I found in the review but for the price range it's very good IMHO. It didn't feel flimsy in use to be honest though I didn't try to throw it around which may happen when it is chucked in the toolbag in real life site use.

[@alanbenson1505]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair I picked this up to add to my 17yr old son's bench. High voltage is not a necessity for him as I have him work on lowish voltage devices.. not like my father in the relatively unregulated 70s, or my grandad in the 40s... They did stuff that could/would make your hair stand on end! - Thanks again for the link, Rich.

[@sharymens8187]

You mentioned a dedicated capacitance meter, do you have suggestions?

[@sharymens8187]

I'm thinking of buying a standalone thermal camera (so no phone connectors), would this one be good, or do you have other suggestions too?

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, that is a very nice tool and IR camera I don't have jet. and it has Mr Bleep what do you want more, maybe amp's oke I read in the comment someone said the shunt is influencing the IR it is a heat censor so that make censes. richard how long you can work on a full battery?

[@paulstaf]

The link to purchase says: Sorry, the page you requested can not be found:(

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Agreed. It worked for me when I published the video, this my be something to do with the special offer starting tomorrow, May 1st. I will check again in the morning and update it if necessary.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

It's back - I now have a price of €131.86 with Spanish IVA (21%) and this is available in the Canary Islands (my adopted home) at €108.97 with free shipping!!! Absolute bargain

[@shaunmorrissey7313]

Rich. I have the older ET12 (90x120 IR resolution) and I can confirm it also passes the diode bleep test.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Thanks for the info

[@angelisone]

Ho does the model ET13S Pro compares to ET13S?

[@sharymens8187]

Did you figure? I'm curious too

[@weerobot]

Imagine if Added a Scope too.. Would be Amazing..

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Absolutey!!!!!!

[@infinitelo_op]

Also, Tooltop ET692C 256x192 drops to 189.25 €

[@Handlebar-MustDash]

Very good device, I bought one weeks after getting this ET13S and it was on offer at £148.

[@ChristopheDebot]

Hi all, Is there a real difference between with or without the micro lens ?

[@3D_Printing]

I think i seen a similar one with a scope as well

[@sharymens8187]

Will this be usable for micro soldering? With small resistors?

[@sharymens8187]

and capacitors

[@bartoszkosicki2767]

Did you tried to check in monitor mode if it sense the bios chip working/communicate?

[@davidvb3754]

In the settings, you can change in which mode it starts: IR cam or DMM

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Thanks for the info, it solves one of my main niggles with this.

[@watchmakerful]

@LearnElectronicsRepair [9:04] The "Auto" label in the thermal camera mode briefly displayed "42.78 MΩ"! What does this mean? Does the device allow electric measurements while using the thermal camera???

[@Manticore1960]

Well spotted. It didn't do it at any other point in the video though. Strange.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

@@Manticore1960 Let's see if we can replicate this on the livestream, Sunday @theelectronicschannel

[@watchmakerful]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair While in the thermal camera mode, connect the test leads and short them. Will it buzz?

[@screen-protector]

Ok, so it's became cheaper now, worth considering. But, these guys would consider few more features like Ampers even up to 10A, miliohms, and PC connection for live feed.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Pretty much my summing up - with the price this is a very good choice, it works well but with a few tweaks and addition of current mode it could have been a killer product. It has been suggested that the lack of current mode is because the last thing you want in a thermal camera is shunt resistors getting hot.

[@screen-protector]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair I bought this one and we're using kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHWud2aafsRgbJY, but the problem is that after months of using it, it developed a fault. It has to be calibrated. The thermal and video are not together anymore and it was fine for the first several months. It came in the November 2023, we use it several times per week minimum. We have 60-80 repairs of all household electronics repairs. So, the question is, can we calibrate these on our own? China is refusing to help without sending it back. So, it's a no go. If I have to buy the next one, I think I'll go for something from UK rather than abroad ;). I'd rather pay £300 and have warranty, than pay another £150 and have no warranty ;). Different strokes for different folks :D. But, if their support could explain if it's OK to calibrate, or/and how to do it, I'd love my one ;).

[@jonathanrose456]

❤

[@Foobar_The_Fat_Penguin]

I'm always a little wary of DMMs that don't use standard batteries. It's probably fine if you use them regularly. But if not, by the time you need them the internal battery will likely have fallen victim to the high self-discharge rate of rechargeable cells. On the other hand, when was the last time you had to replace the batteries in your Fluke or Aneng? And in a pinch (like an emergency on-site repair job), it's much easier to get hold of a couple of AAs or AAAs. They're sold at every petrol station, even on Sundays. Then again, maybe I'm overthinking this. 🤷

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

It does seem to be the new standard that all portable test equipment uses lithium batteries and USB-C. I don't know if this is due to some ecological requirement or just the way everyone seems to think is best.

[@perkulant4629]

Yes you probably are. Li-ion cells shouldn’t loose charge when powered down if the circuit is designed correctly. I do agree though, I like AA batteries best.

[@mikepanchaud1]

Until they leak and ruin your meter! ​@@perkulant4629

[@Foobar_The_Fat_Penguin]

@@perkulant4629 Wikipedia claims (with sources) that Li-ion cells lose 2-4% of their charge per month. That's on top of any quiescent current drawn by the device itself (e.g. to monitor the power button, retain settings in NVRAM, etc). And it fits with what I experience with the power bank I bought "just in case". Every time I actually need it, it's already half flat. A friend of mine had bought one of those fancy pants power banks that could even help start a car (at least that was the claim, I didn't test it). When he wanted to take it with him on vacation, it was completely dead. The cells had self-discharged so much that the charging circuit wouldn't recognise them anymore and refused to charge. I had to crack open the case and inject voltage directly into the cells to bring them back to life. Told him he should keep an eye on the charge every couple of months. @LearnElectronicsRepair It might be an interesting test to see if the charge in such rechargeable meters can get you over a full 8 hour work day if you use them heavily as your daily driver in a professional setting (like a repair shop).

[@davidhollfelder9940]

The soft start on-off button is universally popular now, but there is a drawback, as there’s a very small drain on the battery, similar to standby voltage. However, old school equipment with a traditional on-off switch will disconnect the battery.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Agreed

[@sharymens8187]

Why do you think the old school setup is declining in popularity?

[@Dutch-linux]

can't you go in the settings and set it to boot in multimeter mode ?? wish you went deeper in the settings of that thing... and I hope they are watching for one current mode is a must... so why that have no current reading mode is the question .... it is just missing the mark.. love the bleep on the diode's tho

[@shaunmorrissey7313]

Yes you can and also what mode the meter boots into

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Yes you can, I missed that option. Again this is a qick review and we can play with this more on the next livestream 5th May - though that is also the last day of the special offer

[@watchmakerful]

What does "Auto" mean in the thermal camera mode?

[@gorjy9610]

Color will change according to what you're looking at, if hottest spot is 40 degrees than that will be bright and other things in darker colors. Setting it manually is probably better when hunting for shorts.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Turns out you can measure voltage/resistance/continuity while in thermal camera mode 😀

[@einerleninbenitesvillanuev8068]

Esa porquería tienes q ponerlo bastante cerca para poder analizar componentes bien pequeños 😂 en conclusión no me agrada para electrónica mucho ,para otro uso de piezas de mayor dimensión esta mejor 😅

[@gorjy9610]

€146 from tomorrow and that's with 25% VAT so even cheaper for most of you, it's a fair price even just for a decent thermal cam. I'll probably order one.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Yes that is my take on it, the price, especially with the May discount, makes this a great value bit of kit I can thoroughly recommend even with a few quirks I found with the Multimeter. If the price you state includes 25% VAT then this is going to cost around €116 down here in the Canary Islands. And it does have the Mr Bleep function which I've been asking manufacturers to implement for what seems like ages now! If you are thinking of buying one, especially if you don't have a thermal camera, now is the time 🙂 The special offer is from May 1st to May 5th

[@andrew_koala2974]

AUD $215 TO $258 with Macro lens Depending on seller FREE SHIPPING

[@zummerzetwoodsman1067]

G.R.F.M Go read the

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Yeah I know, and can't really argue with that logic - but I bet there are plenty like me who like to pick something up just to see how intuitive something is to use 🙂 For example you don't get a user manual with a mobile phone it's supposed to be obvious how to work it

[@andymouse]

Its RTFM, if you gonna try to be funny get it right. All of us engineers switch stuff on and try to suss it out but depends what mood your in but of course the manual is always a last resort ! :)

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

@@andymouse Yeah I knew it wasn't just me who did that 😉

[@3D_Printing]

Cheap Flair

[@sharymens8187]

What would you suggest?