Products > Test Equipment
DMM safety
BeBuLamar:
Our company issued the 116 to some of our people. One of the meter behaves like bad test leads. It doesn't read anything but the the display looks fine. Just like you're not connecting it to anything. I sent it to Fluke and they gave me a new one but I wonder if the problem was caused by someone trying to measure 480V while the meter is in microamps mode?
By the way when I called Fluke they said they can't repair the 116. Just send the bad one to them and they send me a new one.
mqsaharan:
--- Quote from: Kleinstein on December 02, 2022, 10:08:46 am ---P.s.:
The DC-µA range may indeed use a PTC of similar element as fuse. So it would not hard clamp the voltage with diodes as most other meters do when measuring current, but respont with a high resistance. Chances are the burden resistance would go up (at least with a little delay) when overloading.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: HKJ on December 02, 2022, 12:27:22 pm ---A uA range can/will piggy-bag on the same protection as the ohms ranges, it is basically the same current. Only disadvantage is that the burden voltage is higher than on a traditional uA range with a fuse and diodes.
--- End quote ---
Thank you both, Kleinstein and HKJ for reminding me that. It had actually slipped my mind. Sorry, I didn't notice your P.S. before, Kleinstein. I missed it.
Kleinstein:
--- Quote from: BeBuLamar on December 02, 2022, 12:48:20 pm ---Our company issued the 116 to some of our people. One of the meter behaves like bad test leads. It doesn't read anything but the the display looks fine. Just like you're not connecting it to anything. I sent it to Fluke and they gave me a new one but I wonder if the problem was caused by someone trying to measure 480V while the meter is in microamps mode?
By the way when I called Fluke they said they can't repair the 116. Just send the bad one to them and they send me a new one.
--- End quote ---
Normally the meters should withstand a connection to mains and similar voltage even in the ohms or similar protected low current mode. However there can still be aging. Some of the PTCs specify a limited number (e.g. 100 or 1000) of cycles they can withstand, probably voltage dependent.
With such lower cost DMMs there is not much that can be repaired (e.g. the rubber holster, stand and battery compartment, possibly known weak points / series defects). Ideally a repair would need strickt testing, a new calibration and safety tests. This alone can cost more than the meter. Chances are Fluke would not like poorly repaired meters to come back to the market - so they probably get destroyed and not send to India or Vietnam for a cheap repair.
BeBuLamar:
--- Quote from: Kleinstein on December 02, 2022, 01:18:32 pm ---
--- Quote from: BeBuLamar on December 02, 2022, 12:48:20 pm ---Our company issued the 116 to some of our people. One of the meter behaves like bad test leads. It doesn't read anything but the the display looks fine. Just like you're not connecting it to anything. I sent it to Fluke and they gave me a new one but I wonder if the problem was caused by someone trying to measure 480V while the meter is in microamps mode?
By the way when I called Fluke they said they can't repair the 116. Just send the bad one to them and they send me a new one.
--- End quote ---
Normally the meters should withstand a connection to mains and similar voltage even in the ohms or similar protected low current mode. However there can still be aging. Some of the PTCs specify a limited number (e.g. 100 or 1000) of cycles they can withstand, probably voltage dependent.
With such lower cost DMMs there is not much that can be repaired (e.g. the rubber holster, stand and battery compartment, possibly known weak points / series defects). Ideally a repair would need strickt testing, a new calibration and safety tests. This alone can cost more than the meter. Chances are Fluke would not like poorly repaired meters to come back to the market - so they probably get destroyed and not send to India or Vietnam for a cheap repair.
--- End quote ---
The 116 is made in Malaysia (not India and I don't think Fluke has factory in Vietnam yet). Age? It's less than 1 year old that's why Fluke gave me the replacement meter. The 116 doesn't have lifetime warranty like the higher end ones. It was made less than 1 year old because Fluke determined that the meter is in warranty just by the serial number. I don't have to give them any receipt or anything like that.
bdunham7:
--- Quote from: BeBuLamar on December 02, 2022, 11:23:34 am ---I wonder what happens if one try to measure voltage with the 116 and the dial is set at microamp position?
--- End quote ---
The input in this case is virtually the same as in the Lo-Z/Auto mode, so there would be no more chance of burning up the PTC(s) than if you were checking the 480V circuit in the range you typically would start with anyway.
Also, FWIW, the warranty is 3 years.
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