Good review Darren. I pretty much agree on all counts good and bad, I definitely applaud BSIDE for the unique and innovative use of both auto and manual range in the same meter, it shows out of the box thinking and a genuine new idea in a sea of same old same old. As always I love an added visual indicator for continuity and even the NCV range if possible. My own nitpicks are as you said the case look and feel. To me the X-wing button pattern and case shape look like something from a kids transformer toy, yet its combined with a modern EBTN display which I like the look of, but Ive heard talk these displays eat batteries for lunch and thats somewhat confirmed as I own a certain meter with this display and though I love the display, the meter beeps at me constantly and far more often than my regular meters that its going to turn off, leading me to believe they have geared the warning toward battery life, but im talking about a different meter with this display so thats for what its worth. Far as functionality it really seems to shine especially with the manual/auto range feature, but for the price they need to put this in a better quality more serious looking case along the lines of what UniT is doing lately. This case design with all its good functionality just doesnt have the look or feel of quality befitting its price nor does it look professional, it looks in a word - hokey - and reminds me of old kids robot movies on TV-lol. As always these are just my own western views and opinions, others may see it differently and are entitled to their own views of course. I do hate to see innovative ideas wrapped up in such a weak looking package.
Indeed, It's a shame the chassis was not on par with the rest of the units functionality..it just feels like its slapped together without any attention to fit and finish ..not good at this price point. UNI-T has shown that you can still fabricate a decent professional dmm chassis that doesn't break the bank. All in all it's a break from the typical dmm mould but it just doesn't "wow" me like I was hoping. Brownie points for the dual selection switch, very innovative!
I would love to see a review or the Aneng V7, the "other half" of this pair of meters. I'm pretty sure that they have the same case plastics, but the electronics internally are quite different, as the V7 has this "Smart Test" mode that is supposed to make the correct measurement type (voltage, current, resistance, etc.) automatically. I would like to see how well that works in the real world (i.e. how does it determine if it is a low resistance test or a continuity test, or if you are testing a battery, whether it should be testing for voltage or current). It doesn't have the sexy display of the V8, but it may have other features and capabilities that are more important, may use even less current, and is somewhat cheaper.
@@KeepOnTesting battery life is an important detail most other reviewer passed. Usable at 2.7v, so 0.9v per battery (very nice). Unlike the Aneng Q1 2 battery setting that's died at 2.5v (1.25v per battery, USELESS!)
RE: BSIDE ZT-M1: The NCV sensor wire was quite minimal, the reason for poor sensing. Could the user fairly easily add anything to that "wire" to enhance the sensing sensitivity? Would that mess anything up? That, to me, is the biggest performance downside on this model.
The NCV is embedded into the pcb. So , although not impossible it would be a bit of a chore to enhance the signal. Personally, I wouldn't bother as there's no guarantees that it would greatly enhance the sensitivity.
@@KeepOnTesting love your review. If i could get the Aneng V8 for US$32 shipped, would you recommend to get it as the first multimeter for computer hobbyish? Thank you.
Aurthor Thing Whether you agree with the transient testing that Joe Smith does, or whether you have seen meters destroyed by transients, the fact is is that there IS an ISO standard for transient testing of meters. ISO 61010 (or 61020 I forget exactly which, and I'm too lazy to look it up) and is more severe than Joe Smith's tests. You can argue whether or not it is truly reflective of real world situations or not, but ISO standards are not created without reason, or by ignorant people. If you read the ISO standard, they will probably have an extremely good explanation for the standard, why it was created, and how they came up with the voltage, current, duration, and repetition rate of the transients used. As for the second question, I have not had a toaster taken out by a transient, but I have had 2 alarm clock radios, 1 short wave receiver, and a CRT television destroyed by line transients caused by suspected lightning strike created transients (not direct hits into the equipment). I do think that anybody who works with higher power (i.e. 2HP and up) motors, arc welding equipment, and generators/alternators of various types can possibly see transients that could potentially damage multimeters, even Fluke meters. I have seen transformers blowing up right on the power poles due to surges/transients, as the linemen doing the repairs said that is what caused the transformers to blow up.
![Bside ZT-M1 Tester [RichMeters RM405B] (Review and Test) / Digital Multimeter Test](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SCedaMLwJOk/mqdefault.jpg)
![Bside ZT-M1 Tester [RichMeters RM405B] (Review and Test) / Digital Multimeter Test](/img/tr.png)
Good review Darren. I pretty much agree on all counts good and bad, I definitely applaud BSIDE for the unique and innovative use of both auto and manual range in the same meter, it shows out of the box thinking and a genuine new idea in a sea of same old same old. As always I love an added visual indicator for continuity and even the NCV range if possible. My own nitpicks are as you said the case look and feel. To me the X-wing button pattern and case shape look like something from a kids transformer toy, yet its combined with a modern EBTN display which I like the look of, but Ive heard talk these displays eat batteries for lunch and thats somewhat confirmed as I own a certain meter with this display and though I love the display, the meter beeps at me constantly and far more often than my regular meters that its going to turn off, leading me to believe they have geared the warning toward battery life, but im talking about a different meter with this display so thats for what its worth. Far as functionality it really seems to shine especially with the manual/auto range feature, but for the price they need to put this in a better quality more serious looking case along the lines of what UniT is doing lately. This case design with all its good functionality just doesnt have the look or feel of quality befitting its price nor does it look professional, it looks in a word - hokey - and reminds me of old kids robot movies on TV-lol. As always these are just my own western views and opinions, others may see it differently and are entitled to their own views of course. I do hate to see innovative ideas wrapped up in such a weak looking package.
Indeed, It's a shame the chassis was not on par with the rest of the units functionality..it just feels like its slapped together without any attention to fit and finish ..not good at this price point. UNI-T has shown that you can still fabricate a decent professional dmm chassis that doesn't break the bank. All in all it's a break from the typical dmm mould but it just doesn't "wow" me like I was hoping. Brownie points for the dual selection switch, very innovative!
I would love to see a review or the Aneng V7, the "other half" of this pair of meters. I'm pretty sure that they have the same case plastics, but the electronics internally are quite different, as the V7 has this "Smart Test" mode that is supposed to make the correct measurement type (voltage, current, resistance, etc.) automatically. I would like to see how well that works in the real world (i.e. how does it determine if it is a low resistance test or a continuity test, or if you are testing a battery, whether it should be testing for voltage or current). It doesn't have the sexy display of the V8, but it may have other features and capabilities that are more important, may use even less current, and is somewhat cheaper.
Thats a great idea, ok Its on the review list!! Thanks for watching
i just got this meter its really not bad for the money
Congrats! It's a nice dmm with some truly unique features! Keep On Testing!
Really dig the 3 battery test settings.
Of course, the only feature I negated from the review , sorry 😎😅 I promise to make amends in the next one!
@@KeepOnTesting battery life is an important detail most other reviewer passed. Usable at 2.7v, so 0.9v per battery (very nice). Unlike the Aneng Q1 2 battery setting that's died at 2.5v (1.25v per battery, USELESS!)
RE: BSIDE ZT-M1: The NCV sensor wire was quite minimal, the reason for poor sensing. Could the user fairly easily add anything to that "wire" to enhance the sensing sensitivity? Would that mess anything up? That, to me, is the biggest performance downside on this model.
The NCV is embedded into the pcb. So , although not impossible it would be a bit of a chore to enhance the signal. Personally, I wouldn't bother as there's no guarantees that it would greatly enhance the sensitivity.
Cool, you already have this :-) Should I cancel my ZT-M1 and get your favorite the Zotek ZT-980?
Thank you. God bless, Rev. 21:4
I prefer the ZT-980 but the ZT-M1 is another great choice. 👍
Does it test live in ncv mode? Any audible or visual feedback if the probe put to the live wire?
Hi Darren
Thanks you a lot for the multimeter
I contacted you via email, sorry for the delay
Congratulations!...No worry, I sent you an email...
good review
Thx Cesar!
Another Zotek tools meter which i think are pretty decent
In Ali express it is only $30.. I think it deserves solid 4 stars..
Thanks for the review. Great stuff!
Glad you enjoyed the review !
Nice review. Thanks!
TNK you for this review
😃👍
Review and teardown bordebe bd99 digital multimeter
Love the screen!
Definitely looks great!
In ali express it is $30 only
£27-75 sterling for my V8.
That's close to 50$ Canadian.. about 38US. Not bad!
Yes, my V8 is in the most beautiful shade of blue🤣
Yes I agree! I wanted the blue as well but it was not to be...Great all around multimeter!
An acquired taste!
@@derektodd4126 yes..much like caviar..😅
@@KeepOnTesting love your review. If i could get the Aneng V8 for US$32 shipped, would you recommend to get it as the first multimeter for computer hobbyish? Thank you.
Let's hit it with a 15kV transient...
I doubt it would survive a 5kV spike...let alone 15kV 😉👍 not much under the hood for transients..
@@aurthorthing7403 Take a gander at Joe Smith's channel.
Aurthor Thing Whether you agree with the transient testing that Joe Smith does, or whether you have seen meters destroyed by transients, the fact is is that there IS an ISO standard for transient testing of meters. ISO 61010 (or 61020 I forget exactly which, and I'm too lazy to look it up) and is more severe than Joe Smith's tests. You can argue whether or not it is truly reflective of real world situations or not, but ISO standards are not created without reason, or by ignorant people. If you read the ISO standard, they will probably have an extremely good explanation for the standard, why it was created, and how they came up with the voltage, current, duration, and repetition rate of the transients used.
As for the second question, I have not had a toaster taken out by a transient, but I have had 2 alarm clock radios, 1 short wave receiver, and a CRT television destroyed by line transients caused by suspected lightning strike created transients (not direct hits into the equipment). I do think that anybody who works with higher power (i.e. 2HP and up) motors, arc welding equipment, and generators/alternators of various types can possibly see transients that could potentially damage multimeters, even Fluke meters. I have seen transformers blowing up right on the power poles due to surges/transients, as the linemen doing the repairs said that is what caused the transformers to blow up.
Out of Luck