The INNOVA 3300 is a ‘hands-free’, entry level meter designed to troubleshoot a variety of automotive and household electrical problems. The base of the 3300 series of multimeters by this popular American brand, it is for general-purpose work, such as testing batteries, fuses, socket outlets and the like.
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Key Features
- Can measure AC and DC voltage to 500V
- Measures DC current
- Resistance to 20MΩ
- 9V-1.5V battery test ranges
- Manual ranging
- Dimensions: 5.5″ (139mm) x 3.5″ (89mm) x 1.25″ (32mm)
- Weight: 5.7oz (170g)
What’s Included?
- 9V battery
- Leads
- Instruction booklet
See here for online manual
In-depth Review of the INNOVA 3300
A cheaper, less versatile multimeter to the 3320 and 3340, the INNOVA 3300 is more for basic testing around the home and garage. Typical jobs might include the checking of car and bike wiring, batteries, switches, circuit breakers and electronic components.
It has a similar design and look to its siblings, featuring large display and side lead holders, though is manual ranging only. This generally makes it harder to use for those not averse with electrical systems as the right range will need to be manually selected before it can test correctly.
Users can measure the main things with the INNOVA 3300; including volts, amps and resistance, and it will perform continuity tests. These are the most common test criteria of a multimeter. Most people will rarely need any more than this and there is even a dedicated battery test range – 1.5V and 9V.
NOTE: The input protection does not allow for prolonged testing over 200mA. Also note that the INNOVA 3300 cannot test AC amperage.
Although it has an okay resistance range (200Ω to 20MΩ) and has 10MΩ circuitry, this is not a super-sensitive meter that could be used to test delicate electronic circuitry effectively. Accuracy is okay for mid-level units, though lower end resistance readings are not precise. There is also no audible beep when testing for continuity.
SPECS
Range | accuracy | resolution | |
---|---|---|---|
DC voltage | 200mV / 500V | ±(0.8%+5) @200mV-200V | 100µV-1V |
AC voltage | 200mV / 500V | ±(1.2%+10) | 100µV-1V |
Battery tests | 1.5V / 9V | 10mV | |
DC current | 2000µA / 10A | ±(2.0%+5) @10A | 1µA-10mA |
Resistance | 200Ω / 20MΩ | ±(1.0%+5) @200Ω-200kΩ | 0.1Ω-10kΩ |
Build Quality
For the money, this is a decent little unit with a tough case, albeit minus the rubber protection of the aforementioned meters. It has a good, solid dial selector switch. On the sides are INNOVA’s trademark probe leads clips, which are a boon as most multimeters don’t offer this kind of storage.
Display: You won’t get a backlit screen for this kind of money, but the INNOVA 3300 display is quite large and clear nonetheless. It reads resolution to 2,000 count (3 1/2 digit), which is fine for most scenarios around the home and yard. Unlike most others, you will have to note the test criteria of the dial since minimal units displayed. The INNOVA 3300 does have a polarity indicator, however.
Functions and Performance
It is light on power consumption, which is just as well as there is no auto power off mode for when you forget to turn the thing off. There is a low battery warning, though, which should be heeded at all costs since results may vary wildly with these cheaper meters when onboard power is low.
Protection
A standard 350mA fuse protects the main circuitry. Although it has a DC 10A range, be aware that if measuring these high current energies, it should only ever be for short bursts. This multimeter does not have the necessary input protection for sustained high amperage.
Pros and Cons
PROS
- Great price
- Decent brand
- Wrist strap, good for holding and testing
- Battery tester
CONS
- No continuity beeper
- No backlight
- Manual ranging – not great for newbies
Conclusion
In short, the INNOVA 3300 is a basic manual ranging multimeter for everyday use around the home. A decent hobby meter, it can measure most things and has okay accuracy, though is not recommended for mains work or for testing sensitive electronics. This will do for most things where a Fluke might be overkill. The lack of an auto range may put newer users off however.
Alternative: Consider the slightly more expensive INNOVA 3320, which is auto ranging and offers better protection.