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| Which probes don't stink? |
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| txNgineer:
Thanks to all for the suggestions. Yes I was aware that one set would not do everything I wanted, which is why I planned a lower cost per set. I have not had a problem finding options, but it is difficult to know what experienced people think about the different options unless you ask somewhere like here. One thing I had not considered was dropping the "CAT III" for the SMD probes. True it is not required, but I was not aware of how to get the quality I want in an unrated probe. But after the above comment I will give it another Google deep dive. For the higher current stuff all the above convinces me I need to "roll my own". Even Pomona uses stranded 18ga in their better probes and depending on what Ampacity table you use the derate for stranding drops the nominal 10A rating down to 3-5A. The tricky bit for that will be finding the good croc clips and banana plugs/jacks (like Dave mentioned in one of his videos). What I am coming to from this discussion is something like: Set 1 - SMD and LV PCB sharp end probes with exchangeable tips for bench work Set 2 - 4 conductor shielded set for sensitive, high accuracy. Custom built with mini-kelvin clips Set 3 - Power DC with matching sense voltage leads and kelvin clips, all custom built for 10A (using something like Digikey 314-1695-ND). Need to source good, 10A kelvin clips though, sigh. Set 4 - CAT IV 1000v probes for HV up to about 900v plus use my existing HV divider probe for 900V up Set 5 - Good general purpose probes like Probemaster as my every-day-driver Set 6+ Dedicate my various existing Fluke probes to my carry-around meter(s) used in general electrical stuff (mains, vehicles, continuity, POE, etc.) Still not seeing much on shielded cable with the best choice so far being shielded ETFE 4 conductor (Digikey 55PC1241-20-CML4-9CS2502-05-ND). Only 225-270C melting point though. Any other ideas? |
| tooki:
Take a look at Cal Test, they make 10A Kelvin clips. Mueller Electric and Pomona probably do, too, as will Stäubli, Hirschmann, EZ-Hook, etc. You'd probably be well advised to download all their catalogs and read through them carefully. I think you'll find a lot of the stuff you need. |
| tooki:
--- Quote from: tooki on July 07, 2019, 03:28:26 pm --- --- Quote from: KMoffett on July 07, 2019, 10:41:40 am --- --- Quote from: coppercone2 on July 07, 2019, 02:51:59 am ---....Try going to 100+ strand count silicone wire to get a good probe. It will be like spaghetti, ... --- End quote --- Where do you purchase this type of wire? Ken --- End quote --- Digi-Key carries a bunch of it: https://www.digikey.com/short/p98ht3 (That's a parametric search, for hook-up wire, of the type "test lead" and restricted to in-stock only.) So far I've used the stuff by Pomona, Mueller Electric, and Cal Test*, and they're all good, but I expect that any of the brands Digi-Key carries will be good. I just don't bother with PVC, just silicone (or maybe rubber). *The Cal Test wire is rebranded and is imported from France, so its nominal sizes are metric, which is why they're oddball AWGs like 15 and 17ga. --- End quote --- I was looking for something else today and came across the French company Electro-PJP, and I strongly suspect they're the OEM to Cal-Test, as PJP's products look identical, and they've got a larger selection than Cal-Test. I suppose it's technically possible that they both sell rebranded stuff from a common OEM, but given that the Cal-Test wire I got literally says "product of France", I think it's more likely that PJP is the OEM. (They also advertise OEM services.) I strongly recommend downloading their PDF catalog, as the website is slow and annoying (clicking "back" from a product page takes you back out of the entire category, not just back one page!). |
| txNgineer:
Thanks for the suggestions. I have been looking over the detail from many good suppliers for years and the problem I run into is incomplete or missing specifications on individual products. For example, many will specify the voltage rating on kelvin clips and not mention current rating (or vice versa). Your post below mentioned some EU suppliers that I was not familiar with, thanks for that! I will definitely give them a look. Overall my quest was for quality and maximum universality, without ending with a huge Gordian Knot of probe leads when I am looking for a specific type or set. :) |
| H713:
I'm going to be one of the few people to say that I've tried the probe-masters, and I hate them. They're great quality. No question. But there are several things about them that drive me nuts. Firstly, they're too flexible and noodly. This makes them feel fragile (I'm sure they aren't), but more importantly it means that I am constantly untangling them. The probe end is rather bulky, and while the various attachements that screw on are neat, changing them is annoying. I'll be honest, I really like the Fluke probes. Not too noodly, but don't have the memory issue of the cheap probes (which retain their factory bends for about 2 years), and they feel great. In addition to that, get some pomona minigrabber leads. I use them as often as anything, and they feel great to use. Also, any respectable probe will be good to 1kV so long as it isn't an eBay cheapie. Actually, even the eBay cheapie will probably be fine to 1kV so long as they aren't physically abused or used at high temperature, but it's still not worth the risk. |
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