Finest possible multimeter test leads?

[JGAN]

Don't really know much about multimeters, only how to use one so bare with me 

I'm looking for test leads that are fine enough to use with mobile devices -- 01005, 0201 packages in a high density. I have tried sewing needles (sharps #7) soldered to the ends of my current ones, and they are exact enough for what I do but for some reason they don't have good conductivity/continuity -- I'm guessing they are coated with something that insulates them.

So far, this is the only thing I can find, but it is from China and I'm not sure of the quality. Where can I find/what do I search for multimeter test leads that are as fine as sewing needles?

[Wytnucls]

Fluke's TL910 are pretty sharp:

http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-TL910-Electronic-Test-Probes/dp/B000VRJH0G

[Mr.B]

Not as sharp as needles, but I use Fluke TL910 for very fine work.

http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-TL910-Electronic-Test-Probes/dp/B000VRJH0G

Edit: Wytnucls bet me to it...

[Mr.B]

It might be possible to solder some gold plated pogo pins to a cheap set of meter leads.
Pogo pins are pretty sharp.

[orbiter]

Also check out POMONA 6341

http://uk.farnell.com/pomona/6341/test-lead-set-blk-red-1m-60v-3a/dp/4135775

[dadler]

Fluke's TL910 are pretty sharp:

http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-TL910-Electronic-Test-Probes/dp/B000VRJH0G

I second these. They come with both solid and spring pogo-pin tips and are sharp enough to draw blood.

[JGAN]

What exactly are pogo pins?

[orbiter]

What exactly are pogo pins?

They're sprung pins.. So they compress a little when you probe with them.

[Mr.B]

What exactly are pogo pins?

http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/193/70-15233.pdf

Use tip type B

[corax]

These fit on the ends of the regular probes:
http://us.flukecal.com/products/accessories/test-leads-probes-and-clips/8845a-efpt

They are pretty sharp, but not quite as fine as sewing needles.

[EvilGeniusSkis]

I made a set of probes for lo voltage work out of a couple cheepo pens, wire and sewing needles, work well, just store them with something over the tips, figured that one out the hard way.

[Ian.M]

Take an empty genuine BIC ballpoint with the cone shaped tip.  Remove and discard ink tube and wash out ink from tip with WD40 or similar.  Push brass part of tip out.  Punch the tiny ball out from the brass part with a small hard pin from the inside. Rinse brass part with IPA. *Either* dip a needle in conc. copper sulphate solution to flash plate it with copper so its easily solderable, then when there's enough copper on it, rinse with water then IPA *or* get a gold plated needle.  Solder in place in the brass part of the tip with a few mm protruding.  Reinstall in plastic part of the tip.   Drill the end plug at the top of the body to suit the test lead wire, thread it through and solder to the eye of the needle.  Reassemble and use BIC cap to guard the point while its in your toolbag.

I wouldn't care to use such a probe at greater than SELV voltages, but for low voltage work its quite usable and if you need a thin sharp probe that can access an individual QFN package pin, its about the cheapest that's effective.

[georges80]

I have a set of dmm leads from:

http://www.probemaster.com/index.php?cPath=2

They are spring loaded, gold plated SHARP tips. Excellent for probing tiny devices and the tips are SHARP!!

Nice silicone wire, nice soft probes in your hands and highly recommended.

cheers,
george.

[JGAN]

Saw these on probemaster. The 8161 are .013 inches, is that the radius or diameter at the point?

[georges80]

Radius of the probe, the tip is needle sharp. They are spring loaded and will pierce you skin just with the spring pressure as an example of how sharp they are.

I have a set of 0.040" tips (just measured) which is still quite tiny and the tips are needle sharp and taper quite a bit from the tip - so very low profile for fitting between components.

cheers,
george.

[georges80]

Quick picture. You can look up the chip datasheet to get an idea of the lead width/pitch. Discretes are 0603 size for some perspective.

cheers,
george.

[CatalinaWOW]

Many (maybe most) pins are brass with a nickel plate.  Hard to solder to.  Not particularly strong so they are easily bent.  Sewing needles are almost always steel so won't bend easily, but again may be chrome or nickel plated for appearance and smoothness (suits the actual purpose).  They are also hard to solder, so I suspect your resistance issues came at the solder joint.

I would think you could get what you want by using needles, with appropriate treatment pre-solder treatment.  Sand or grind the coating off the back end, use appropriate flux and go wild.  You might also have to take the coating off the tip using a small stone like you would use when sharpening a knife.

[CrashO]

I use HIRSCHMANN probes hooked on to my standard banana leads, which are pretty sharp. I use abuse them reguarly to bend leads on PowerSSO-36 packages (0,5mm pitch, making the space i'm using to wiggle them to the side about 0,25mm). Because my tweezers won't fit between the leads, but the probe does..

[ataradov]

And the ones you've linked in the original message are really cheaply made, so if you are a multimeter snob, or worry about working with high energy circuits, then stay away. Otherwise, they work perfectly fine and they are very sharp.

Here is a cheaper version http://www.ebay.com/itm/111288483688

But if you do need to use them on a regular basis, then go for more expensive stuff.

[BradC]

I use small croc clips on hypodermic needles. Cheap, and disposable when they eventually lose their edge.

[Someone]

Fluke's TL910 are pretty sharp:

http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-TL910-Electronic-Test-Probes/dp/B000VRJH0G

Also check out POMONA 6341

http://uk.farnell.com/pomona/6341/test-lead-set-blk-red-1m-60v-3a/dp/4135775

Pomona OEM for Fluke and Agilent/Keysight on that part, very fine if you get the set of tips with crowns as well as sharp points. The downside is the cables wear out and go open circuit quickly in day to day use.

[gaijin]

TL910s are nice but I've had 2 brand new sets open or intermittent right out of the package.

[nukie]

Yes the stupid expensive fluke Panoma made pogo pin test probes doesn't last. I have one the pins just slide in and bottom out its annoying and the electrical connection goes open once a while so it really makes testing test leads very time consuming. The leads are very light and flexible no doubt made of thin gauge wires which snaps easily if tugged accidentally. Great for probing smd pcbs only when it works. The pogo pins can be quite flimsy. Looks cool sex on stick but it's got STD avoid at all cost, overpriced piece of garbage.

Extremely disappointed with them!!!!

I have these two in my watch list forever never got around buying them but it should serve well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111016849664

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221292518412

[daddario]

I'd recommend the PRUEF 2 from Hirschmann: http://www.sks-kontakt.de/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_sks_all.tpl&product_id=73&category_id=21&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=121&lang=en

[nctnico]

Don't really know much about multimeters, only how to use one so bare with me 

Get these:
http://uk.farnell.com/hirschmann-testmeasurement/932959001/test-lead-kit/dp/1011414

I'm using these all the time. I even got 2 sets.