EEVblog #597 - Fluke 114 Kit Multimeter + Sparkfun/Fluke Rant

[fenclu]

I'd love to get this meter. I'm only 18 and still a high school student. I'm currently developing an OSHW project - the miniLOG https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/minilog-a-precision-standalone-voltage-logger/

Unfortunately I only have an sbsolute POS meter, a Uni-T UT30D. It's just not enough for this work, I need much better accuracy for properly testing this thing. The shit confidence of my meter is actually one of the reasons why I'm struggling with progressing on this project.

What can I say, I'm not rich. I don't own a scope and have an incredibly basic lab.  A nice Fluke like this one would be a giant help.

[Hal_9000_de]

So if you want it, leave a comment saying why you should have it.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell a moving story to justify why I need the multimeter. I already have a multimeter (though cheap but functional). A friend would sell me a 77 IV in good condition for a reasonable price.

But I would love to present the "kit" in a display case where it can be considered from friends – many of them are professional electronics engineers and also viewers of the EEVblog.

Am I on the list?

[saturation]

A Fluke kit is a first for them, IIRC.  Its does suggest Fluke takes the hobby market seriously to devote resources to it.
It likely will generate a following and intro a new generation to their better gear.

[juanfermed]

Seriously Dave? hahaah Your video seems so real, I didn´t believed what I read here about aprils fool day, but I just read the post on Flukes webpage saying they are not making the kit and I must admit you got me too again! What?!! Very very good one Dave. 

Anyway, it seems this served Fluke to notice how the hobbyist would like a product like that one.

[miguelvp]

btw and not that I encourage anyone to get those, microcenter in the US still has those sparkfun meters but they are not autoranging so the dress code they chose lies a lot!

Or like my wife will say. It doesn't even measure temperature, what good it does me!

[EEVblog]

Or like my wife will say. It doesn't even measure temperature, what good it does me!

SWMBO complained the other night that I didn't have a multimeter in the house that measured temperature.

[saturation]

Thanks, checked now and it looks like I've been had .. 

A Fluke kit is a first for them, IIRC.  Its does suggest Fluke takes the hobby market seriously to devote resources to it.
It likely will generate a following and intro a new generation to their better gear.

Sounds like you need to read a bit more of this thread.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

swmbo

for those who may not know, is short for She Who Must Be Obeyed. From British TV show Rumpole of the Bailey.

[Hal_9000_de]

swmbo

for those who may not know, is short for She Who Must Be Obeyed. From British TV show Rumpole of the Bailey.

Ah, now things make sense. Thanks for the explanation!

[theawesomejl]

I need the 114 because I'm an electronics newb and I'm taking a course in college, and a multimeter is one of the requirements. Also, I'm doing some hobbyist, Arduino stuff for home automation. I've also been using a crap ten-dollar unbranded inaccurate meter, and putting up with it 

[ResR]

I have an analogue Velleman AVM360 since 2006, it has a 5x20 glass fuse, x1 ohms range is not working due to the accidental 230V input - burned out resistor with the 500mA fuse and Meterman branded test leads with electrical arc damage from previous owner that barely stay in sockets (the stock ones falled apart). I would like to have at least one decent test equipment, as anything safe/precise is well over from what I can spend from my salary I get for working as a full time skilled electrician in Estonia.

[DrJoe]

Dave,
 You are absolutely brilliant! You had me hook, line and sinker. I even checked the Fluke web page for info.
Parts bags with parts numbers and bar codes, and parts that weren't desoldered and had full length leads!
Genius.
Well played. Best April Fools ever.
Joe
K5AD

[pickle9000]

Or like my wife will say. It doesn't even measure temperature, what good it does me!

SWMBO complained the other night that I didn't have a multimeter in the house that measured temperature.

My Tek DMM916 did a pork roast on Monday. I know you have a few of those.

[retiredcaps]

My Tek DMM916 did a pork roast on Monday.

If you are interested, I would like to see you start a new thread on possibly repairing/troubleshooting this meter?  I might be able to make some suggestions?

PS. As soon as I saw the thermistors, varistors and fusible resistor, I knew it was a very good April Fool's joke. 

[Michael_M]

It's a very great product. I have to do many projects at school specifically with microcontrollers and custom PCB-s. So yeah...Would be great to have one of these.

[TheRuler8510]

I didn't know it was an April Fool's prank until today after listening to the Amp Hour. The funny thing is, I have been carefully scrutinizing every video starting on Apr 1 waiting for a gag. So, I guess I was out-flanked! Last years tricked me too.

Great entertainment on your channel Dave, thanks!

[eripaha]

Im interested in hearing who got the multimeter?

[nixxon]

"Thank you for your message. While we’ve received an overwhelming interest in the 114/117 DIY Fluke Kit featured in EEVblog #597, it was in fact developed by Dave Jones from scratch, for fun, as an April Fool’s joke. We don’t currently have plans to build this kit, but we are certainly passing your enthusiasm for it on to our product planning team. Join us in congratulating Dave on a well-executed prank!

Best,
The Fluke Team"

 

[Hal_9000_de]

"Thank you for your message. While we’ve received an overwhelming interest in the 114/117 DIY Fluke Kit featured in EEVblog #597, it was in fact developed by Dave Jones from scratch, for fun, as an April Fool’s joke. We don’t currently have plans to build this kit, but we are certainly passing your enthusiasm for it on to our product planning team. Join us in congratulating Dave on a well-executed prank!

Best,
The Fluke Team"

[icon]

swmbo

for those who may not know, is short for She Who Must Be Obeyed. From British TV show Rumpole of the Bailey.

Rather older than that; Mortimer borrows from Rider Haggard's 'She' - Ayesha is know as SWMBO.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

Thanks for that, I will read it. I actually love the old movie King Solomons Mines.

Damn SWMBO knows the book and just gave away the ending. 

[Reno380]

I had a home fire and lost all my equipment. I am slowly replacing, my O-scope, my desoldering station, jumper wires, breadboards, everything, gone. Because I did not list them on my home owners insurance, they will not cover any of it. I had 2 flukes, now I am stuck with a Harbor Freight tools $20 tester. I enjoy projects, this would be the best of both worlds for me. Able to build my own Fluke AND own\use it again.

 I hope I am the one!!

[c9lb8]

im just getting into electronics, i've got a decent soldering iron, desoldering station, and a few other odds and ends but i don't have a multimeter and i don't want to get a crappy one but money is tight and i cant afford to buy a decent meter

[JoeN]

im just getting into electronics, i've got a decent soldering iron, desoldering station, and a few other odds and ends but i don't have a multimeter and i don't want to get a crappy one but money is tight and i cant afford to buy a decent meter

I would certainly have prioritized the meter prior to a desoldering station.  I have an oscilloscope, function generator, very nice multimeter, three quality lab power supplies, hot air station, and I don't even have a desoldering station.  I have a desoldering station in a can, it's called desoldering braid and it has never not worked and it costs about six bucks for a good sized roll.

Get a multimeter.  Otherwise, any problem is a guessing game.  And a $10 cheapo is just fine.  Just don't use it on line voltages, DC only.

Cheap, but not too cheap:

www.ebay.com/itm/New-VC97-3999-Auto-range-multimeter-AC-DC-R-C-F-Temp-/290528212784

Obscenely cheap, not even auto-ranging:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-LCD-Multimeter-XL-830L-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Ohmmeter-OHM-VOLT-Tester-USA-/121321843160

[Hal_9000_de]

Every day I visit this forum with the anticipation of Dave asking for my address.