They won't prevent the meter from exploding in your hand if you select the wrong range.
That's why we don't use meters with possible low impedance path on high energy circuits unless we check twice or more we're on right range. No HRC fuse or CAT rating will help even on low voltage distribution line if you're near the transformer and something goes really wrong - I put my safety into considerations about other, more probable things, like knowing that if something goes wrong I won't fall down from the pole and have a head trauma (most electricity injures come not from an actual eletrical shock, but blunt trauma after you did nasty landing fom the ladder/whatever).
c) Joe has exploded several meters in his thread. He doesn't test on the current ranges.
And working at a substation 15kV -> 400V I haven't exploded any.
Would you use a UT61E if you were working around substations every day?
[/quote]
Yes, I would, to check why the light is out in the building. No other reason to use a multimeter in that environment;) Other things are measured via current transfomers and so on connected to separate meters so no reason or need to poke around. I must admit, it' s a bad example;)
But there is a device that will make most CAT focused people cringe. Incandescent bulb with two probes attached. It's still very useful - RCD tester, phase to earth voltage checker or phase-to-phase (you have to do it quick, as eg 230V bulbs don't like 400V for a long ime) and it loads the circuit well enough to get rid of any ghost voltages that LoZ option on DMM won't cover. I'm yet to see voltage stick that will draw 100W or so.
Home
Help
Search
Login
Register
