Vici VC8145 Bench Multimeter - A Look Inside - Pt 3

[@bain5872]

I've owned this multi-meter which is labeled as a vichy for well over 10 years. I've used it daily all this time. This meter is one hell of a meter for the price I paid which I think was like $140.00 USD. Even after all these years it's accuracy is still rock solid and it's back light is still bright and this thing stays on 8 to 12 hours a day. I use it for repeated high voltage measurements in the 600 volt range along with current measurements exceeding 1 amp and as low as a couple milliamp. It sill works great. All it's functions including it's diode check still work great. Capacitor function is still functional and is accurate enough for the work I do. What more could a tech ask for. I love this meter!

[@JahanZeb1976]

*Wonderful disassembly and teardown.*

[@davidv1289]

Very well done video, thank you for taking the time to produce this review and provide so much information. Regarding your battery operation idea, it looks as if the power switch has a set of un-used contacts that are brought out to the back of the power supply/switch circuit board. If so, adding a battery pack would be much easier! It would be interesting to power up the main circuit board using a bench supply then lower the voltage slowly from 9 volts to see if the battery monitoring hardware/firmware is already implemented.

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

No, there are no unused contacts on the DPST mains switch. The mains input goes to two pins on top that go right through the switch body and onto those two unused tracks. Look at 11:17 as the board turns to see the alignment of the pins on top and coming through the PCB. And even so, why would you add a battery pack on the mains side?

[@nikmilosevic1696]

interesting little multimeter chip, thanks for the internal look around.

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

At 24:22 when looking at C5 and C6 you keep referring to them as 'trimpots'. These are capacitors not resistors, surely? Perhaps terms like 'trimmer cap' or 'trimcap' would be more accurate (i.e. not wrong)?

[@valkost7541]

All the pros and one big minus! At 12:56 the video shows that the control is done via a keyboard with graphite contact surfaces, not with mechanical micro switchs! This is a huge problem! After about 1 year of intensive work it will have to be reworked! Thank you for the video ! Greetings from Bulgaria !

[@kgsalvage6306]

After 2 years, How is it holding up for you? I love your series on it.

[@GaborGubicza]

Thanks for the teardown. I was wondering how are the COM input and the PCB GND are connected. What happens if the HV COM and Vin are reversed?

[@SeanBZA]

D flip flop is driving the backlight, toggling it on and off. connected only to the backlight switch on the front panel, and nothing else, aside from the 5V power supply.

[@BJcanal270]

Super Kool info in this video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@paulbaker9277]

I was wondering, if the RS cable could be changed to a USB, just a thought for convenience.

[@R2AUK]

So they basically added an AC/DC converter to a handheld multimeter and put in in a huge empty box. Fascinating.

[@ales_xy]

3:30 and this pisses me off. This cheap multimeters are just "air in the box". There are reasons for this format. Open some HP3478 or Keithley 2000 and you will see it is packed with electronics. But these modern cheap multimeters could have - and should have - much smaller footprint on my bench. This is the reason why I am considering OWON XDM1041 as alternative to VC8145. Actually, if the OWON had not connected cables from the back, it could be hanged on the wall :-)

[@randalgaskin7525]

How come the front of the meter says it is fused for 20 amps, but only has a 13 amp fuse in it.

[@Bodragon]

(7:14) - Haha ! They've used a regular British Standard BS 1362 13A mains-plug fuse in there. >

[@electronic7979]

Nice review video. I like it

[@JOHNWICK-hn3ng]

Good morning, thank you professor

[@antonemilit2178]

VICI VC8145 Digital Bench Top or ET3240 ? Please advise...

[@JOHNWICK-hn3ng]

Is it possible to attach the translation to the video?

[@giorgiovasta7128]

Very good sooo professional teardown

[@Bodragon]

(0:46) - I would pronounce both *_Vichy_* and *_Vici_* *_"VEE-CHEE"_* And to make the distinction between the two I would refer to *_Vichy_* as: *_"the one with the aitch"_* It could very well be that those in charge decided that they could change the name from *_Vichy_* to *_Vici_* without any change in pronunciation. Interestingly though, in Italian, *_Vichy_* and *_Vici_*__would be pronounced, respectively: __*_"VEE-KEE"_* and *_VEE-CHEE,_* the exact opposite as you do here. >

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

And while we're learning to pronounce things, maybe we could learn to say "Ee Ee Prom" for an EEPROM and "Ee Prom" for EPROM. These are different devices and they have different acronyms for a reason.

[@froeze]

Tu dois avoir une vie très passionnante !!!

[@repro7780]

So, its basically a handheld multimeter put in a large case, and powered by line voltage instead of batteries. Ok, why??

[@Bodragon]

(21:46) - I'll bet anyone a dollar to a penny that that "Busmann" fuse is counterfeit. These 13A Bussmann fakes are awash here in the UK. >

[@0dium.]

with a 80% smaller case you could sell it cheaper :)

[@Bodragon]

Exactly. Not only that but it would then be a much more "honest" meter. >

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

@@Bodragon and @odium I suspect that you're missing the point. Bench meters need to have that sort of form factor to make them stable and to fit in with other bench equipment. Making it as short as possible would make it much less usable and probably affect sales because people wouldn't find it to be in the 'bench' style. While there was a time when instruments of this class were 'full' of electronics, no-one nowadays epects that to be the case any more. (Or if they do they are deluding themselves.)

[@Bodragon]

I hate the dishonesty of all that empty space. >