Ideal brand multimeter error (Model 61-484)

[stn8188]

Hi all, I've never posted on the forum but always appreciate the excellent info.

I have a strange issue that popped up today on my Ideal brand 61-484 digital multimeter. I was measuring power rail resistance on a new PCB, when all of a sudden I got a constant beep and "prob" appeared on the display. (no power was applied to the circuit at all. I was measuring across a ceramic cap at the time) Now, any time I turn the meter on to any setting (except the mA measurement setting) this error shows up. mA setting seems to operate normally.

I tried replacing the battery and also checked the fuses - no luck on any of those. Holding NCV when turning on shows "509" on the display. Holding MIN/MAX when turning on shows "816". One of those is probably firmware version, but hopefully one of them is an error diagnostic code.

I'd appreciate if anyone here has any info or experience with this error. Thanks in advance.

Stephen

[flash2b]

The ideal 61-484 is a rebranded version of the Appa 99 III.

Remove the battery and switch on the meter and wait a couple of seconds. Then switch off connect the battery and try again. Does this help ?

If this doesn't help, open the meter up and clean the selection switch contacts on the PCB.

[kasone]

I found this manual and it may help.  https://s3.amazonaws.com/cesco-content/unilog/Batch5/783250/625497-AttachmentURL.pdf
You are in the USA so it might help to contact Ideal at their toll free number as posted on the following link.
https://www.idealind.com/content/pdfs/sell-sheets/p-5085_480series_brochure.pdf

[stn8188]

Hey - thanks for the help. I'll try to search for better documentation using that model number when I get the chance. I did leave the battery out and the meter switched on for a few minutes - no luck there. I will clean those contacts up later on as well.

Thank you both for the very quick replies.

[JFJ]

I was measuring power rail resistance on a new PCB, when all of a sudden I got a constant beep and "prob" appeared on the display.  ...mA setting seems to operate normally.

Some multimeters detect if a probe is plugged into either current input terminal (split contacts within the socket are shorted by the presence of the probe), and beep a warning if any non-current range is selected. If your meter has this feature, then some conductive debris may have found its way into the mA terminal - fooling the meter into thinking that there's a probe plugged in.

A Fluke service manual provides a procedure for cleaning the input terminals:

[retiredcaps]

If your meter has this feature, then some conductive debris may have found its way into the mA terminal - fooling the meter into thinking that there's a probe plugged in.

Free_electron had a similar case to the above.  See

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/fluke-189-teardown-repair/

[Electro Detective]

and don't let some of the bossy boots fear mongers here    discourage you from using WD-40 in situations like this !

I followed Fluke's WD-40 usage recommendations YEARS AGO, and all meters still working 100% today,
with no dicky probe socket BS,
nor supposed "detrimental effects" tossed about by a handful of greybeard dried horsesh!t smokers warnings 

As long as you apply it sparingly with a cotton tip bud, you are good to go 


FWIW: I own an APPA 99111 (aka Ideal 61-486 or BENNING MM 7-1)  so fire away any queries if you are having issues

It's a great meter with only one small ouch,
very far from a deal breaker once the user is aware of it.

[stn8188]

Holy cow, I didn't expect that to work but it did. I just squirted a bit of WD-40 into the lead receptacles, wiped each with a q-tip and it was good to go. The meter doesn't get a ton of use and the problem showed up in the middle of using it so I figured it was going to be something much more mysterious.

Thank you all for the excellent advice!

[Electro Detective]

Holy cow, I didn't expect that to work but it did. I just squirted a bit of WD-40 into the lead receptacles, wiped each with a q-tip and it was good to go. The meter doesn't get a ton of use and the problem showed up in the middle of using it so I figured it was going to be something much more mysterious.

Thank you all for the excellent advice!

Good news mate        knowing that meter I was 99% certain that was the issue

Best practice for next time is to squirt WD-40 on the Q tip bud and not in the sockets.

Hold the meter so the sockets face down and work the Q tip/bud up into the sockets till they are clean or back to a working state

i.e. the forces of gravity ensure you do get any stray or excess WD-40 or any spray/moisture creeping into the meter's insides

Not much point if all your leads that plug in are dirty, you'll be back to square one again..    so give them a go too, and the probe tips   

That meter model has a great nagging    "wrong plug/switch selection"      warning system when the sockets are fairly clean,
which they should always be anyway to take stable accurate measurements