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c/computer-techniciansericnguyenericnguyen10d agoProlific Poster

Warning about those cheap power supply testers from online marketplaces

I was at a client's office in Phoenix last month, testing a dead workstation. I used a generic PSU tester I bought for $12 online. It gave me a green light on all rails, so I spent two hours swapping parts before realizing the 12V rail was actually dead. The tester was lying. I lost a whole morning and the client was not happy. Now I only trust my proper multimeter or a known good unit for a swap test. Has anyone else had a bad experience with these cheap test tools?
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3 Comments
diana_king
diana_king10d ago
Ugh, mine gave a false positive last year too.
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haydenharris
That's the worst feeling, @diana_king. I spent a whole week stressed before the follow-up test came back clear. It really makes you lose trust in the whole process for a bit.
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oscarb71
oscarb712d ago
My Fluke meter caught a bad 5V rail last Tuesday.
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