Guide · Paint-thickness gauges
Bluetooth and app paint gauges
A paint gauge app stores and reports readings; it does not make them more accurate. What apps add, what color codes mean, and the radio marks to check.
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Picks that fit
- UNI-T UT343E Fe/NFe coating thickness gauge (Bluetooth, 0‑2000 µm)View on AliExpress
Short answer
An app adds record keeping, not accuracy. A Bluetooth gauge sends readings to your phone so you can store them by panel and share a report; the measurement itself still depends on the probe, and its accuracy is what the maker states for the gauge.[1] Some apps also color-code panels as factory or repainted. That is the maker's interpretation, not proof.[2]
Picks that fitAll picks and how to choose
- UNI-T UT343E Fe/NFe coating thickness gauge (Bluetooth, 0‑2000 µm)View on AliExpress
What the app does
- Storage and logging. UNI-T lists Bluetooth app support and storage for 3,300 readings on the UT343E.[1]
- Reports. A stored set of readings by panel is easier to share with a seller or a buyer than notes on paper. Report features vary by model: NexDiag says PDF reports are not supported on its NexPTG Standard and Standard Plus gauges.[2]
- Connections. DeFelsko lists USB, WiFi and Bluetooth for the PosiTector 6000.[3] Elcometer offers Bluetooth on the 311 Model T only.[4]
Check which model a listing sells. The same family name can come with or without Bluetooth and reports.
What the app does not change
Accuracy. The app shows the number the probe measured. UNI-T lists the UT343E's accuracy as ±(2%H + 2 µm), whatever screen you read it on.[1] More decimal places on a phone are still resolution, not accuracy. See accuracy vs resolution.
The cause. NexDiag's NexPTG app interprets readings with its SAPL system and color-codes panels as factory, repaired or touched-up, or repainted or body filler.[2] It is a useful flag, but it is the maker's reading of a number. In AUTO BILD's 2021 test, one NexPTG Professional sample deviated by up to 118% from the reference device.[5] One sample is not every unit, but a color code is only as good as the reading under it. A gauge shows thickness, not the cause.
Do you need an app gauge?
| You are | App worth it? |
|---|---|
| Checking one car before you buy it | Optional; a paper panel map works |
| Checking several cars, or comparing over time | Helpful for keeping records straight |
| Writing reports for customers | Yes, and check the model supports the report format you need |
Radio marks and North America
A Bluetooth gauge is a radio device. Whether a particular model carries an FCC ID (US) or ISED certification (Canada) has to be checked on the model itself.
- UT343E: UNI-T's product page lists CE and UKCA as its certificates and lists no UL, ETL, CSA, FCC or ISED marks. It runs on a built-in 3.7 V 1300 mAh lithium battery.[1] Absence on the page is not proof the marks do not exist, so look at the label on the unit you receive.
- Canada: ICES-003 is Canada's interference-causing equipment standard for information technology equipment, including digital apparatus.[6] Whether it covers a given gauge must be checked per model.
We do not claim any North American mark that the maker does not state for the product.
Picks that fit1 product
Choose the UT343E (Bluetooth, 0-2000 µm): Fe/NFe, with app support and 3,300-reading storage per UNI-T.
More on choosing
UNI-T lists only CE and UKCA marks for it, so check the unit's own label for an FCC ID. UNI-T's site links no AliExpress store, so a store name alone does not show who runs it.
UNI-T UT343E Fe/NFe coating thickness gauge (Bluetooth, 0‑2000 µm)
Next
Questions
Does a Bluetooth paint gauge measure more accurately?
No. The app shows what the probe measured, and accuracy stays what the maker states for the gauge, for example ±(2%H + 2 µm) for UNI-T's UT343E.[1]
Can the app tell me a panel was repainted?
Some apps color-code panels; NexDiag's NexPTG app labels them factory, repaired or repainted with its SAPL system. That is the maker's interpretation of a thickness number, not proof of a repair.[2]
Does every NexPTG gauge make PDF reports?
No. NexDiag says PDF reports are not supported on its NexPTG Standard and Standard Plus gauges.[2]
Does the UNI-T UT343E have an FCC ID?
UNI-T's product page lists only CE and UKCA certificates and no FCC or ISED marks. That does not prove there is none, so check the label on the unit itself.[1]