PE Product Tester Norman Bradshaw recently took a closer look at the COMBITOUCH 17th Edition Multifunction Tester from HT Instruments.
Aesthetically, the HT Instruments COMBITOUCH is striking, with a brave orange and black casing. Its sleek curved shape is complimented by a hinged stand that allows the tester to sit upright. Great if you need your hands free at the same time you are carrying out a test and need to see the reading on the colour screen from a distance.
As far as functionality is concerned this machine does everything apart from making the cup of tea and it’s a joy to use. Instead of the dials to select the different functions, as used on other testers, you have a smart TFT colour touchscreen, where the key functions can be quickly selected from earth leakage to phase rotation.
Great leads
The connections for the leads are located at the top of machine and are colour coded. The test leads themselves were really impressive. Rated at 10A/15A respectively, the earth lead came with an offset ‘Y’ end connection which allowed you to link out another lead if you needed to do so; such a simple feature that really helped speed up my testing.
The crocodile clips are some of the best that I have used. When you put the clips on the cables to say take your r1+r2 readings there is no deviation on the readings due to the firm connections. That inspires confidence in the results obtained.
Whilst the COMBITOUCH is capable of carrying out tests on both domestic and industrial electrical systems, it is designed as more of a bench test machine. It does not come with a strap so I’d say it’s more suited to larger, more industrial installations, where the need for portability would be less of an issue.
This HT product definitely stands out from its competitors and that’s not just because of its colourful appearance. The Wi-Fi connectivity is a great, advanced feature and the touch screen, especially, makes this an incredibly easy tester to use. The COMBITOUCH is a reliable, intuitive MFT that is clearly designed with users in mind. I wouldn’t have minded a strap to keep the tester close by, but aside from that I was very impressed.
Pros
● Very responsive touchscreen
● Excellent quality test leads
● User friendly
● Option to transfer data using Wi-Fi
Cons
● Does not have a carrying strap
KEY FEATURES
The COMBITOUCH also features built in Wi-Fi so you can connect to iOS and Android devices to transfer and analyse data on the go. I use stand-alone software to capture my results when I’m testing but any testers that include built in functions that makes the process of keeping track of my readings easier is a winner in my book!
