Review on Borbede 168A Mini Portable Digital Multimeter: Accurate DC AC Voltage Current Capacitance Resistance Testing with NCV & True RMS Diode Tester by Todd Lowry

I opened the box and pulled out this crappy plastic toy. In fact I've seen grandkids playing with much higher quality toys that fit and feel! I put the battery in from the shelf because I was pretty sure it would be sent back with a sealed battery. Turned on - the display flashed - and it went off. Wonderful. But never give up! I took it apart and inspected it. I suspected that the switch's spring contacts weren't working, since pressing the meter would cause it to turn on momentarily. As it turned out, they were just battery contacts. I believe another reviewer reported the same thing. I bent them and put them back together. Working now, the display was crisp and clear. The backlight works well. The test leads almost had to be smashed in, but came loose after a day of use. Despite the cheap feel and look, it works really well. Accuracy is good compared to my best gauges. It calculates OHMS settings slower than other functions. The capacity even seems accurate. Someone complained about the management. Hey, it's DVM! What should you know? In fact, Auto Power Off Defeat doesn't work as the manual claims, but it's a cheap gauge. UV readings come in handy in a device in this price range. I used it to calibrate my Simpson 260 yesterday when I needed a meter with a 50 microamp resolution. I also used secondary standards but it worked. The book claims that there is overload protection, a feature I'll no doubt test, but not on purpose. Hoping for the best I will use it until I get a better device. Nobody mentioned a protective case: the meter doesn't have a slim body that slides easily out of the vinyl sleeve, instead it has a square tray on top of the meter. the case that holds it all together. Using your thumbnails, pull the front of the lid away from the center on both sides. Keep working on it until you loosen it and a corner is free. Please!