Old Fluke Multimeters

[Rita]

I am now the owner of a new brick.  I got it for £45 posted ($60).  It's in stunning condition, everything seems to work as it should and it came with three sealed packets of assorted leads and probes.  There spare fuse in the battery holder is still there. The circuit boards are spotless and dated 1984.  It even had a calibration sticker on it (from 1988, probably the last time it was used) so it's bound to be spot on  .  The only issue is that the battery clip is a little nasty and the -ve battery lead seems to have black wire corrosion.  That's within my skillset to replace.

It's made in Holland.  An RMS 27FM would have been nice but they don't crop up this side of the pond, this will do for me.

EDIT: Retailed by RS Components hence their logo on the screen.

[Excavatoree]

I have to have one.  (LOL)  Seriously.  I've got a 23 with the RS branding, but I didn't know there was a 27.  One learns something new everyday.   

The 8025/25/27s are some of my favorites. 

[mansaxel]

Over in the TEA thread, we've been busy buying up NOS 27CE meters from USMC stocks, complete with HV and RF probes. Links in that thread in some of the last 40 pages or so.

Teaser:

[Excavatoree]

Over in the TEA thread, we've been busy buying up NOS 27CE meters from USMC stocks, complete with HV and RF probes. Links in that thread in some of the last 40 pages or so.

Nice.  I've got some very old 8025b meters from the USMC that are in good condition. 

[Fungus]

My 27FM has this bit of paper neatly scotch-taped to the top:







The meter is pristine, looks like it was never out of stores except for calibration.

(and it's still bang-on accurate today, a big shout out to J. Martin, wherever you are....)

[Rita]

I have to have one.  (LOL)  Seriously.  I've got a 23 with the RS branding, but I didn't know there was a 27.  One learns something new everyday.   

The 8025/25/27s are some of my favorites.

    I would offer to swap it for a RMS 27FM but I think the cost of sending them back and forth wouldn't be worth it.

As an aside, is there any difference between the 21/23 and 70 series?

[Excavatoree]

    I would offer to swap it for a RMS 27FM but I think the cost of sending them back and forth wouldn't be worth it.

I thought the same thing.

As an aside, is there any difference between the 21/23 and 70 series?

In most cases, it's just the color.

Of the three 6000 (EDIT: That's wrong.  They are 4000 count, not 6000)  count meters, the 79 (grey) is the same as the 29. (yellow)  The 76, the TRMS version,  is grey; there is no yellow version.

However, there are some differences with the 3200 count models:  The older 21s and the older 73s each have only one current range (as opposed to the rest of the 3200 count meters, which have the 10 A and the 300 ma ranges) but the 21 has only the 300 ma, while the 73 has only the 10A.    Also, there is no yellow version of the 70 (no current measuring capability, to my knowledge)  There are four versions of the grey (70, 73, 75, 77) but only two yellow versions.  (21 and 23)  However, only two models of grey meters were sold at the end. (70 and 73)

[Shock]

I have roughly 10 Fluke 27/FM with trms (ex military as well). I didn't go for cosmetically perfect and mine have all seen use, but they are straight and well maintained. I was aiming for 4 working meters (with spares) to perform VI biasing between two DUTs a once. That is about my practical meter limit, but it's easy to use more if you have bench space for projects.

I also have a bunch of 70 series which includes my meter I've had since the 80s. The 70 series and the 170 series aren't really that appealing to me though.
 
Considering you could pick the 20 and 70 series up for about $20, and have increased roughly 9% per year in value, a bargain. I doubt the vintage 8000, 20 and 70 series though will surpass the 87V used price. Unless perhaps it's driven by demand for spares or consumerism.

[Excavatoree]

I also have a bunch of 70 series which includes the my Fluke meter I've had since the 80s. .

I still have the first 77 meter I bought (used) in 1988 or so, but I'm embarrassed to say I'm not 100 percent sure which one of my 77s it is - I only have a pretty good guess.

[mansaxel]

My first Fluke is a 10, bought as I was starting out free-lance instead of employed in the glamorous music industry. I had basically no income, and ended up cutting a lot of corners. The 10 does not do current, for instance. But, it is still with me, and it is still the to-go meter in my toolbag. Nowadays there's an 8060a in the toolbag too, and I've loads more at the bench, both simpler and more competent. But the 10 still goes first.

[Paceguy]

Here are two of my oldest Flukes, 8100A and 8200A with nixie displays.

[Paceguy]

I have several 8600A's and a couple of 8050A's with the battery option that I would like to convert to line powered only and eliminate the batteries completely. Does anyone have a good line powered power supply conversion that retains the original power transformer and just involves some caps and a regulator or two? I'm sure that there are others here who are also in that sort of conversion project. Thanks!

[med6753]

My "go to" since 1997.

[Shock]

Plot twist: No probes are connected.

[Martian Tech]

I have several 8600A's and a couple of 8050A's with the battery option that I would like to convert to line powered only and eliminate the batteries completely. Does anyone have a good line powered power supply conversion that retains the original power transformer and just involves some caps and a regulator or two? I'm sure that there are others here who are also in that sort of conversion project. Thanks!

https://youtu.be/Gvo9_ZNc9qE
 

[precaud]

Plot twist: No probes are connected.

LOL !

[Robert763]

    I would offer to swap it for a RMS 27FM but I think the cost of sending them back and forth wouldn't be worth it.

I thought the same thing.

As an aside, is there any difference between the 21/23 and 70 series?

In most cases, it's just the color.

Of the three 6000 (EDIT: That's wrong.  They are 4000 count, not 6000)  count meters, the 79 (grey) is the same as the 29. (yellow)  The 76, the TRMS version,  is grey; there is no yellow version.

However, there are some differences with the 3200 count models:  The older 21s and the older 73s each have only one current range (as opposed to the rest of the 3200 count meters, which have the 10 A and the 300 ma ranges) but the 21 has only the 300 ma, while the 73 has only the 10A.    Also, there is no yellow version of the 70 (no current measuring capability, to my knowledge)  There are four versions of the grey (70, 73, 75, 77) but only two yellow versions.  (21 and 23)  However, only two models of grey meters were sold at the end. (70 and 73)

There is MUCH more difference between the 25/6/7 and 73/4/5 than the colour.
The 25/6/7 is significantly more accurate than the 73/4/5 This is reflected in the fact that they cost 2.5 times the 73/4/5.
The 25/6/7 is also waterproof and explosion proof.
And, not all 25/6/7 meters are yellow.

[1audio]

I have 2 8860A's. Both defective. One has a bad Ohms converter, the other is just bad. One had GPIB, the other has the keyboard and a couple of memory modules.  I believe the Ohms failure is on the ceramic module. I could not figure out how to repair it so they are sitting. They need a new home with someone who can do useful things with them. I have plenty of other meters.

However they were the best bench testing meters I have used. Much faster than a 6 1/2 digit Keithley and easier to read with the huge LED displays. PM me if interested.

[LucaP]

Hi, I'm new here.
I'm a 58 years old thecnology teacher with electronics hobby. Sorry for my poor English, I'm italian.

This is the very first time on this forum and suppose this is the right place to post an help request about  an old Fluke 8860A multimeter that is making me crazy.....

I've got several PTI Fluke instruments, but this one is the only multimeter in this particular case: I own an 8600A and an 8810A too, but they are not in PTI case. All three multimeters seems to work properly (I've replaced all filtering capacitors, plus a relay and a resistor into the 8600A that came me bad).

All three multimeters are provided of data out interface, and I own a Fluke 2030A Thermal printer in PTI case too.

..... and here the question: 8600A and 8810A can be correctly interfaced with the printer, so display data is correctly printed on paper by the printer, but interfacing the 8860A seems to be impossible.

The 8860A printer port is somewhat of "one in its kind"  data inteface: while data interface card into the 8600A and 8810A multimeters can be addressed by jumpers on the requested Address #5, the one inside the 8860A is part of the "calculating interface" and has no jumpers.
From multimeter's manuals, 8860A printer port can be used as programmable data out port and switching between printer port / data port is hardware made acting on pin 18 of data connector.

Connecting the keyboard to the multimeter, choosing "run" in remote mode and requiring display printing ( "down" key plus "print X" one), results in no printing. Forcing printer to output (print "single" key) resultds in printing "BUS DOWN" message.

As I know about 2030A printer, it is capable to print from up to nine instruments, connected on printer input bus : printer begins printing cycle sending on bus an ID (from 1 to 9, 0 is reserved) and waiting for "address valid" signal from a connected instrument with that address programmed on its interface card: if there is one data from it is printed and then the next address is sent from the printer (searching a new instrument) and so on.

In this configuration, printer is master, all connected instruments are slaves: but how 8860A works ? Requiring printing from multimeter's keyboard makes instrument master and printer slave !

I think the 8860A was the last multimeter (and the one too)housed in PTI case: probably for this reason 2030A printer manual omits it (only 8600A, 8800A and 8810A multimeters are reported for address #5, other printer addresses are reserved for thermometers, voltmeters and frequency meters).

The odd thing is that 8860A calculator interface manual says that a 2020A or a 2030A printer can be connected.....

Is there someone that owns an 8860A and a 2030A and can explain me how to print something ?

Bye !

Luca

[Neomys Sapiens]

Someone with a vintage Fluke DMM or Voltmeter might have a use for this:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/384681089006

(80N-5 5kV divider probe with 3-pin connector box)

[rodcastler]

It's 2022 and the 8060A is still alive and kicking, Mr. Taylor.

My father served as a field technician for 35 years at IBM in Chile. The first multimeter I ever interacted with was the analog IBM 1749231 (sort of a re-branded Simpson 160).
Even though it was my dad's daily job tool, I used to borrow it from him every single weekend and every time I could, which was very frequently. I was 9, and boy that meter and I went a long way.

When IBM upgraded my dad's meter from that one to the fluke 8060A, he brought it home and showed it to me. I was amazed beyond belief: until that day I had never seen a digital multimeter with LCD display. That Fluke was a thing of beauty. Naturally, being top notch technology I didn't get to play with it until several years later (and I was not too dissapointed since I immediately inherited the Simpson meter I had been borrowing for so long, becoming my very first own meter).

Fast forward to 2022, my dad is in his late 70s and he doesn't get to do hands-on electronics anymore as he just lost interest. Me however, I have a full blown electronics bench, far beyond my dad's dreams as a young tech and I DO care for that 8060A since I got to use it plenty as a teenager and I do recognize its value and quality. So yesterday, I asked the old man if I could take his meter for a ride, and brought it home with me (trust me, I tried that move a few times years ago, without success but I was on a lucky roll this weekend).

The Fluke was in good shape but quite dirty. So I took it apart and gave all the love and care I could to it. I probably spent an hour cleaning it very carefully. I removed a bit of corrosion from the battery input cap -where the batt wires meet the main board-, and this thing of beauty shines again.

Yes, next step is a complete cap replacement, at a later time. Right now, it seems to be as calibrated as the day it was born. I'll find a cheap meter for the old man so he has one if he ever needs it.

[Excavatoree]

Yes, next step is a complete cap replacement, at a later time.

Don't delay that cap replacement too long.   I thought some of mine were fine, but the capacitors in these meters tend to leak at the bottom, where you can't see it. 

One of our forum's meter repair experts told me to "go ahead and replace them" after I said they were fine.  I thought it was unnecessary, but he insisted.  I was dismayed to find significant trace damage.   One of the two brands of capacitors used tends to leak worse than the other, so I wouldn't hesitate to go ahead and replace them to preserve the meter, especially since it has so much value to you.

[med6753]

I recently purchased this dingy 8060A off Ebay for restoration.

Original Ebay pix.



Clean up and tear down for re-capping. I did not find any capacitors leaking but be aware that the + screening on the circuit board for one of the capacitors is backwards. I forget which capacitor it was. Install the capacitors as you currently found them.

[rodcastler]

Don't delay that cap replacement too long.   I thought some of mine were fine, but the capacitors in these meters tend to leak at the bottom….

I followed your advice and got it started today.
Interestingly enough, none of the caps show signs of leakage. I’m replacing them regardless.

I am also puzzled about the C19 cap installed backwards that was discussed before in this thread. Did anyone come out with a reasonable explanation to that? I’m concerned about the inconsistency not so much with the silkscreen as I am with the schematics.

[AVGresponding]

I'm mostly puzzled by the fact that I can't find a C19, either in the schematic, or the parts list. There are 7 electrolytic caps in my 8060A, which matches the parts list. All the silkscreen polarities seem to be correct, though I can't see the polarity or silkscreen for C16, the 1uF tant without sucking it off the board.
The build date for my meter is going to be late 1999 or early 2000 judging by the IC date codes, with the date of the PDF 2000 or later.