Scythe Kama Meter review



Testing
You can choose between seven different colours and you can also let the device cycle through all the colours. The seven different colours are: orange, red, purple, violet, blue, sapphire and green.

Here's a picture of all the colours, but unfortunately my digital camera didn't manage to capture the exact colours. Most of them look a lot better than on the picture, for instance, the sapphire blue and the green are a lot more fluorescent than on the photo.



I'm very pleased with the LCD display of the Scythe Kama Meter. It's big, very easy to read and the backlight is pretty bright. Most of the colours look pretty good, I especially like the sapphire and the green.



Fan controlling
Up to four fans can be connected to the Scythe Kama Meter. The device features 3-pin headers and extension cables so you don't need to cut any wires. Unfortunately this also means that you will need adapters if you want to use fans which don't have a 3-pin connector.

One of the weird things with the Kama Meter is that you can indefinitely turn the fan control knob to the left or right. I can't find the exact voltage in the specifications of the Kama Meter but I guess the fan speed knob allows you to lower the voltage flowing to your fan from 12V to 7V. Unfortunately it's not possible to turn a fan off, you can only slightly reduce the speed at which it spins. The RPM speed of your fan is shown on the LCD display but it takes a few seconds before it will update.

All fan settings are saved in the EEPROM memory of the Kama Meter and when a fan fails (if it goes below 400RPM or if you unplug one when your system is running) you will heard a loud alarm. The alarm stops after 20 seconds but there's also a visual alarm, the LCD display of the Kama Meter will blink orange until the problem has been corrected.

According to the specifications, the fan controller supports a maximum of 1A/12W per fan channel and you can connect only one fan per channel. This is enough for most fans available on the market but it may not be enough for some of the more powerful fans like the Vantec Tornado fans. It's not a good idea to go above these specifications, otherwise your unit won't last long.

Temperature readings
The device features four temperature sensors, you can use these to measure the air temperature in your case, the temperature of a heatsink, hard drive, video card, ... The unit will alarm you when the temperature drops under 0°C (32°F) or above 90°C (194°F). Personally I think the temperature range should be adjusted a bit, 90°C is really hot and the device should already warn you at lower temperatures like above 65°C.

One of the bad things about the temperature display is that the temperature gauge's range isn't big enough if you use Fahrenheit. It only goes to 100°F (37.7°C) which is pretty low.

Volume control
While the volume control worked well I didn't really like it, I prefer using the volume control buttons on my keyboard, they are much easier to use when you're working on your PC.

What I also didn't like is the volume indicator on the Kama Meter's display. The display gives a reference for the minimum to maximum volume, it doesn't display the actual sound pressure in decibels.


Conclusion
While the Scythe Kama Meter has some negatives my overall experience with the Scythe Kama Meter was pretty good.

The build quality of this unit is perfect and I also liked the display of this unit, it's very easy to read, even from a couple of meters away.

The device has some bad points, one of the biggest is that the volume indicator display isn't really useful. It would be better if the device had a real decibel meter so it could provide you with real noise readouts. But if you're looking for a multi-functional controller with a big LCD display I definitely recommend this product.

The Scythe Kama Meter has a MSRP of $39.95 but you can find it for less than $35 in some stores.

The Good Stuff
- Display is bright, big and easy to read
- Looks good
- Build quality is alright
- Has visual and audible alarm
- Three different front plates


The Bad Stuff
- Volume indicator not really useful
- Temperature alarm is set at 90°C
- Only supports fans with 3-pin connector
- Fans can't be turned off


I give the Scythe Kama Meter a 8/10.

Added: June 11th 2007
Product reviewed: Scythe Kama Meter
Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
Score: 8/10
Page: 2/2



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About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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