UNI-T 61D Defective voltage

[Auklend]

My UNI-T 61D woun't read voltage.
I was playing with it, an tried to measure the voltage in a ingition electrode. 

Any suggestions on what to do? Is it repairable? I have replaced the 1A Fuse, which was not the problem. The fuse was working.

It looks like this in voltage mode.

[SeanB]

Save for a new one, you cooked the main chip input side...........

[Auklend]

Thought so. No burned parts inside.

[max666]

Don't know what input protection the UNI-T 61D has, but SeanB may be right and you fried the chip. What kind of ignition electrode are we talking? Car?

[Auklend]

Those for ingiting gas refrigerators/stoves.
Thanks for the video.

[mcinque]

Like a piezo/electronic spark igniter??? 

[saturation]

Is the rest of the DMM functions still working?  Current?  Ohms in particular? If so, it suggests the CPU is still working. The output of an ignition coil is in kV and likely tripped the input protection circuits, see green squre.  Visually inspect them, if blown, you can bypass them and see if the meter starts up.  MOV's fail open,  but if they shorted you'd have to cut a lead to open them, and if the series PTC resistors opened you'd have to short across them.  If the input protection failed to act quick enough the meter may still not act right, it could blow additional components, typically signal diodes or input transistors, e.g. green arrows.  Visually inspect those, they are less easy to repair and if damaged, it could have also damaged the input to the main IC, so recovering your meter is less likely.

[Lightages]

I would look for a new meter. Multimeters are not meant to measure voltages used for spark ignition. You are trying to measure 10s of kilovolts and they are not designed to withstand that, no matter what brand.

If you want to stay with Uni-T, I suggest you look at the UT139C at $50. There is also the Amprobe AM5X0 series which are good for low prices. Of course there is the Brymen BM257s for $135 shipped to you. There are many options but not all are worth buying.

[mcinque]

I can see how that could happen.   Not sure even the Fluke 101 would survive.  Here's one of the Mastech's hooked to an ignition.

Multimeters are not meant to measure voltages used for spark ignition.

I think he used another kind of igniter:

Those for ingiting gas refrigerators/stoves.

like a piezo or electronic BBQ igniter. Of course that doesn't change the fact that they also can easily fry the DMM.

[joeqsmith]

Hitting the Fluke 101 with transients from a piezo grill starter. 

[max666]

You didn't waste any time going at this, did you Joe?   

I too would have thought that some simple MOVs and some diode clamping would save most meters from a piezo igniter, but the fact that Auklend's meter now shows kOhm in the display while in voltage mode doesn't look promising to me.

[Fungus]

Is the rest of the DMM functions still working?  Current?  Ohms in particular? If so, it suggests the CPU is still working.

It's showing Ohms when the switch is on CD volts range...I'm guessing "not".

[Fungus]

Not sure even the Fluke 101 would survive.

Is the 101 the new standard?

[joeqsmith]

Not sure even the Fluke 101 would survive.

Is the 101 the new standard?

You sir,  should have never set the bar so high and get so many Fluke users upset!    I guess I was supposed to treat that  87V with more care and respect than I did.     

Until a company steps up and makes a more robust meter than this $50 cheapo, your 101 remains the meter to beat!   

[saturation]

Off topic: Thanks to your impressive thread I've obtained a 101 and running it through more tests.

Hitting the Fluke 101 with transients from a piezo grill starter. 

[joeqsmith]

Off topic: Thanks to your impressive thread I've obtained a 101 and running it through more tests.

Hitting the Fluke 101 with transients from a piezo grill starter. 

Looking forward to seeing what tests you come up with for it.  Maybe a new thread, "The Fluke 101, Tougher Than...."    Klein Tools would be all over that! 

[saturation]

Off topic: quick test on the Fluke 101 via temp testing, from 11^oF to 140^oF, that's what the temperature ended up to be.  Leaving unit in freezer for 1 hour, functional test for 5 min, oven for an hour then function test, both back to back for 'temperature shock'.  The meter stays within printed spec.  Those temp ranges are beyond the 0^o-40^oC  [32^oF-104^oF] operational range in the printed spec.

Off topic: Thanks to your impressive thread I've obtained a 101 and running it through more tests.

Hitting the Fluke 101 with transients from a piezo grill starter. 

Looking forward to seeing what tests you come up with for it.  Maybe a new thread, "The Fluke 101, Tougher Than...."    Klein Tools would be all over that!