digital manifold

[wilks]

hi all

anybody got any feed back on what the digital manifolds ( mastercool 99103 ) are like ??Do you think their worth the money?? thinking of getting a set . Any feedback would be great thanks

alan

http://base.googlehosted.com/base_media?q=http://www.ryanairconspares.com/images/9910320w20hook.gif&size=2&dhm=fd8de9da&hl=en

[p_p]

Hi Wilks

Not had anything to do with mastercool but I have just invested in a Refco Digimon 3 manifold and I must say money well spent £180.00.
Mastercool is entry level stuff.



Regards

PP

[HVACGod]

MasterCool® digitals are primarily focused and directed at the MAC market so I don't have any first hand experience that I can offer you on them. One point I would like to make to both the OP and the replying member. You have to remember this technology is not cheap - it isn't inexpensive for the OEM and it isn't inexpensive for the technician that transitions from analog to digital. You take the Refco® as an example p_p, unfortunately my friend if ever there were an "entry level" digital gauge the Digimon® is it. Here is just a portion of one of the field based evaluations on the performance of this instrument: http://digitalzeus.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/refco%c2%ae-digimon%c2%ae-hvac-protech%c2%ae-member-evaluation/ Try to look at this objectively - the cost of the Digimon® in the United States varies typically however, they can be found around $200.00. And, I'll give credit where credit is due, Refco® was straight forward in their disclosure that the Digimon® had a designed in 3 second refresh rate - from a residential technicians aspect that will not likely present any great issues from a commercial technicians viewpoint a 3 second update rate makes the instrument essentially useless. But those points aside.

Look at the number of features that the Digimon® boasts: 50 onboard refrigerant profiles, independent display of SH/SC values, micron level vacuum value display, LCD screen protector, backlit display, auto calibration, auto off, power cell level indicator, refrigerant updates are made available and something I know that's important to you guys, a plastic case to transport the set in. Does $200.00 not seem even a bit unrealistic considering the number of features? Look a quality micron level vacuum gauge [a good Inficon® Pilot™ or Yellow Jacket® Super Evac™ digital], is going to cost more alone than they are charging for this entire set.

So how do you suppose they can do it? Look at the link I posted above - the way they do it is obvious. Unfortunately the technicians that recognize the fact that the digital manifold gauge is far superior to the analog - in performance, accuracy, reliability, repeatability, digitals eliminate the "human error" factor - error in conversion of pressure to saturated temperatures, interpolation errors - digital gauges make their analog counterparts obsolete. And the technicians that recognize that fact and transition to digitals with sub-standard quality sets are going to be disappointed.

Today is a whole new ball game, because of the miracle of the internet we are no longer forced to rely solely on the OEM's claims of what their product is capable of. When you are considering an investment in this instrument do your research - the data is available from a seemingly endless variety of sources. Research the type of transducers and thermistors incorporated into the instrument, research the type of protection each OEM designs into the product to protect these components, research the microprocessors utilized in the instruments - there are alot of considerations that should be reviewed and researched prior to making this investment. I am in a unique position in that I have alot of first hand data on many of these DMG's - and I can assure you they are not all created and designed equally, far from it. The cliche that "you get what you pay for", is a cliche for a reason. Don't be enticed by low ball, gutter pricing on the digital manifold gauge because if you do the experience will leave a bad taste in your mouth for the technology for a very long time.

[wilks]

thanks for the feedback ,

[Prince Vaillant]

I had a look at the Mastercool website, i wouldn't say they were entry level?:p


Mastercool is a family owned and operated company that has been supplying professional air conditioning, service tools and equipment for over 25 years.
As one of the fastest growing companies in this market, Mastercool’s name is synonymous with “World Class Quality” and uniquely innovative product design. With our never-ending focus on new technology, Mastercool has been awarded many patents worldwide.
In addition to Mastercool’s headquarters located in the United States, our Belgium office also features a full inventory and staff. This has enabled us to set up distribution to over 60 countries demonstrating that we are truly a
multi-national company.

[HVACGod]

Are you joking? The simple fact that you quoted - and apparently take at face value the companies own opinion of themselves is reason enough alone to preclude responding to such a naive supposition.

Do you really expect any OEM of any description, be it automobiles, clothing, lawnmowers or televisions to reflect themselves - particularly on their own website in anyway other than pristine and without flaw? Surely you jest.

If you base all of your purchases on this same criteria my friend you have along and expensive road ahead of yourself.

[Brian_UK]

I had a look at the Mastercool website, i wouldn't say they were entry level?:p


Mastercool is a family owned and operated company that has been supplying professional air conditioning, service tools and equipment for over 25 years.
As one of the fastest growing companies in this market, Mastercool’s name is synonymous with “World Class Quality” and uniquely innovative product design. With our never-ending focus on new technology, Mastercool has been awarded many patents worldwide.
In addition to Mastercool’s headquarters located in the United States, our Belgium office also features a full inventory and staff. This has enabled us to set up distribution to over 60 countries demonstrating that we are truly a
multi-national company.I don't see how quoting a manufacturers website enables you to contradict the "entry level" statement.

I could say that I have been doing this job for 30 years but that doesn't prove that I'm any good at it. ;)

Facts are what is required, not sales pitches.

[kiwireeferman]

Are you aware the Digimon has a 3 second display update and the low side display does not indicate a negative value except when you choose the vacuum mode.
You could hook up to a critical charge system and not be aware it is running on a vacuum as the display bottoms out at zero.
Seems to me this product was designed by laboratory engineers with no experience of the real world.
Its pretty obvious the Digimon was never Field tested before release, as its only application would be air conditioning. It's a pity the company was not more honest with the description.

[HVACGod]

Couldn't agree with you more Kiwi. I think there was an unfortunate decision made by someone at Refco that should never have been approved relative to the Digimon. I don't like to see anyone from any field - in any capacity within that field impune their integrity based on what at least externally appears to be a financially motivated decision. We've witnessed it in the United States with Tif and then Robinair and it was with the digital manifold gauge as well. They're credibility has suffered as a result of their decision to market an instrument that was not capable of withstanding field application demands - at least from my perspective.

Again from my perspective the same can be said of Refco. In the United States Refco enjoyed a reputation of being a high quality precision instrument builder and developer - that reputation has been injured by their decision to market this "tool". This type of injury, at least as far as Tif ad Robinair are concerned still resonantes even today many years after the fact. In my opinion this will prove to be an expensive lesson that Refco will hopefully have the corporate faculties to learn from.

There are without doubt a tremendous urge or need - perhaps even an inane desire inherent to the corporate mechanism to attempt to capitalize on market trends, no one has to limit themselves to this industry alone to see that observation in practice. This specific trend - that towards the long past due transition of the manifold gauge from analog to digital accuracy is not really a trend at all, it can be more accurately charaterized as an evolution. And it is my opinion the instrument OEM's that treat it as a trend and not the natural technological evolution that it is are ultimately, the OEM's that are orchestrating their own demise. Engineered failure.

This technology was not something that was conceived of, built and marketed in a years time - the viable versions of this technology the Digi-Cool DRSA Series the Testo RSA Series and the J/B DM Series represent years of development - years of failure - and years of refinement to achieve the embodiment of what we see today. This is an informal interview that I did about 2 years ago with Doug Lockhart, the developer/designer of the Digi-Cool DRSA - a supportive document illustrating the supposition that an evolution is also a journey strife with self doubt, failure, struggle and most importantly courage. The interview can be read in it's entirety here: http://tinyurl.com/49m9rt (mods if this is not permitted, please edit).

When this evolution is viewed as and responded to as a trend - in the end a debt for that miscalcualtion will be assessed - unfortunately, that debt is first extracted at the expense of our fellow technicians - we essentially become the paying field evaluation mechanism for the offending OEM - ultimately in the end though it is the OEM that will be pay the ultimate debt in the form of lost loyalty. I would think from my little insignificant outlook on the world, greater thought would be invested by the OEM to determine the true benefit, or lack thereof of shortsighted capitization on what they define as emerging trends.