V&A Auto/Manual Ranging Digital Multimeter with USB Interface, VA18B

Had to return it. Think the problem is with the software. Could not get it to recognize the port the computer assigned to it. The meter seemed ok. Also on tech support found. Tough manual.

I bought this meter to log voltage measurements over a long period of time and it worked great. Using the Windows interface, the logging rate can be set between 120 measurements per second down to 1 measurement per minute. It looks like the fastest rate which I was able to capture on the voltage measurement was around 1 measurement per 0.5 sec ( 2 measurements per second) not the 120 measurement per seconds settable in software (or 0.0083 sec per measurement).The user's interface was rudimentary. It displayed the captured value, captured time, measurement unit (i.e. DCV) and a graph. The logged output can be saved to a text file in columns, which can then be used by another application such as Excel to analyze the data.As far as I can tell, the USB interface is not used to control the meter just a way to capture the measurement from the meter. So if you are looking to control the meter such as change the mode, this is probably not the right equipment. The communication may be just one direction, from the meter to the PC. It seems that the Windows application logs the streaming data at the rate which you set but the meter operates independently.I bought this meter because I was unable to find a meter with a computer to interface at this price so for me it was a great value.

Easy to use. Two sets of leads give a set of probes or set of clip-ons. I like the all the functions and the battery saver. Replaces my 35 year old Beckman 310 mulimeter very nicely.

This meter seems to be reasonably solid and accurate, but it fails to meet my needs. I already have several DMM, I didn't need another one. I DID however need a good multimeter with a USB interface and I bought this one solely for that reason. Actually, my meter is a Sinometer VA18B, but it appears to be identical to this one.The problem is more with the limited software than with any hardware issues. The optical USB connection works fine WHEN it can be connected. However, using several bench and laptop computers (all running XP), I find it can take 5-10 min to make a connection, and sometimes it never succeeds. The included CD provides a driver and a simple interface program with very limited options although it does allow one to save the data to an Excel file. The meter provides a dropdown list of virtual com ports for connection, but the list is often corrupted and you cannot enter a port directly. It usually takes a lot of playing around with the computer port settings and the meter selection to connect. Ultimately, I find it frustrating.If this meter provided a solid means of computer interface and provided a DLL or other means to allow connecting to a custom program it could be a winner. As it is, however, I find it has limited utility.

The amount of information on the output format is minimal.The manual is very cryptic and poorly written. But the thing works. By trial and error I found a way to defeat the 30 minute timeout. Turn the meter OFF. Press and hold BOTH the "select" and "Hz/Duty" keys. Now turn the meter ON. Release the Hz/Duty key after 2 seconds. Then release the "select" key after another 2 seconds. This will allow the meter to connect to the PC and also by-pass the 30 minute automatic timeout.

It is great that instrument makers are supplying I/O ports on their equipment. However; beware that this does not make them "programmable".I attempted to contact the manufacturer for info on the output format of this device with no luck.I'd give it a 4 star rating if that kind of information were made available.The Software does have limited capability as well. You can't save theCOM default settings or setups. It might be nice to have a "toolkit" ofsoftware available for those of us that need extra features (for a price).You also have to defeat the 30 minute timeout which is frustrating too.

Its a great DVM for the money. BUT, you should note that just because you have a USB link, that does not mean you can get instant access to data.I purchased this meter to monitor the voltage from a solar panel system. You must run their software to capture the readings and then manually save the readings to a text file. It does not automatically write the data to a file. I had hoped I could grab the measurements in real time and send off alerts etc. So this means you cannot use the meter as part of a real time system measurements. Tech support in nonexistant.The other issue is it will time out and turn off.

It is OK for me.