Fluke 101 selloff?

[Fungus]

I was just on eBay and there's a few sellers selling the Fluke 101 for about $37, shipping included.

eg.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352851361474

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273524954227

Time to get finally get one, methinks.

[Gyro]

Entertaining specification items...

- Hold: Impossible
- Operating Cycle: Possible

Impossible to hold? or impossible to push the hold button?
Operating cycle? - It works?

[bc888]

Wow, from South Korea. Think they may be real? Ebays getting better on that stuff.

[Fungus]

Wow, from South Korea. Think they may be real? Ebays getting better on that stuff.

Ummmmm.... yes. It's one of Fluke's "Asian market" models. That's where you normally get them.

You'll actually have trouble buying one in the USA, Fluke's "USA!" models are all expensive.

Rest assured though, the 101 is 100% fluke. It's actually one of their hardest-to-kill models. Plus it fits in a shurt pocket, who doesn't want that?

https://dam-assets.fluke.com/s3fs-public/6000031_6116_ENG_A_W.PDF

[AG6QR]

I think I paid around $50 for mine about two years ago.  It's an excellent value for a solid, rugged, simple meter.

There is only one pair of input jacks, and they are always high impedance.  No fuses, no current measurement.  That makes the meter simple to use and eliminates the possibility of attempting to measure a voltage source when your probes are in the current jacks.  It also prevents you from measuring current.  Is the tradeoff worth it?  I think it often is, but I have other meters for the times when I need to measure current.

It is a tiny meter, quite thin.  It has no stand to prop it up, so I usually end up laying it flat on the ground or a tabletop. 

[Electro Detective]

I bought an unloved one from the local pawn establishment just to see what the big deal was about 

It works fine for a basic prodder, but the bare bones 114 leaves it in the dust.

and no matter how convincing the user reviews and meter survival demos are
there is no way I'd be sticking a 101 in any high zap potential zones without proper PPE,
wood poles, electrical tape,
and distance.   

Did I mention it's annoyingly small, rolls about and won't stay put ? 
and not really 'pocket friendly' sporting a full sized Fluke generic lead set

Still, it's Fluke enough and worthy, and a better bet than most cheapie meters aka car wheel chocs with the suss slapped on CE stickers,
and optimistic CAT ratings, which may refer to how well they hold up after a twister has taken out the manbarn   

[joeqsmith]

Or buy a fleet of Fluke 18x. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-4-Fluke-187-189-Multimeters-for-Parts-or-Repair/233425795873?hash=item365942fb21:g:BXMAAOSwR9Nd6tJB

[Fungus]

It works fine for a basic prodder, but the bare bones 114 leaves it in the dust.

114 is three times the price/size.

Did I mention it's annoyingly small

Just what I want!

and optimistic CAT ratings

joe hasn't managed to zap one yet, he's taken out Fluke 87Vs, etc., but not a 101.

[LazyJack]

Oh dear. Shouldn't have seen this topic. Just decided I needed one under the Xmas tree and ordered. I have an 87, an 87V, an 83-III, and an 85 and now this small one is joining. Plus an 8842A. Is is still normal or should I just go directly to the TEA topic? :-)

[bd139]

I might grab one at that price. Although it'll only arrive at that price if they mark up the customs declaration wrong

[Fungus]

I might grab one at that price. Although it'll only arrive at that price if they mark up the customs declaration wrong

China post at Xmas. Can they possibly do every little packet?

[Electro Detective]

and optimistic CAT ratings

joe hasn't managed to zap one yet, he's taken out Fluke 87Vs, etc., but not a 101.

"optimistic CAT ratings" comment was referring to most cheapo meters (not 101)
the ones that are a great bargain and work well..till something goes badly wrong,
stuff rarely heard about or see on the so called 'news' 

Also there's more plumbing in a 87V, so more stuff to get zapped into metrology oblivion once the initial protection gets hurdled over

i.e. I'll throw a 114 and 101 at a problem first, to 'investigate' what's going on,
before I get accuracy picky with a big dollar Fluke, and risk cooking it and the credit card 

-----------------------

Buyer BEWARE:  Better make sure the seller ships you a genuine Fluke badged 101,
and not the FlookHungLow badged model flogged here in Austrailia > www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mini-Fluke-101-Digital-Multimeter-Clamp-Meter-AC-0-1A-400A-MS3302/173816933038
i.e. why pay Fluke 101 dollars for an orange holstered Aneng or similar 101 knockoff/rebadge?   

[BravoV]

Damnit  ... blame on you Fungus.

[Fungus]

Damnit  ... blame on you Fungus.

That's two.   

[Electro Detective]

Or buy a fleet of Fluke 18x. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-4-Fluke-187-189-Multimeters-for-Parts-or-Repair/233425795873?hash=item365942fb21:g:BXMAAOSwR9Nd6tJB

What's the bet all four have zapped fuses and or battery corrosion that killed them, assuming they are dead dead 

including the one with broken screen

or some in-house can do jack of all tries had a go at the CAL and botched it 

[Fungus]

What's the bet all four have zapped fuses and or battery corrosion that killed them, assuming they are dead dead 

The description says all four of them have battery corrosion, so... keep your money. 

I bet the price goes way high though and it's $209 shipping to where I live. I'll pass.

[Gandalf_Sr]

Hmmm, 4 x Fluke 189 (actually one is a 187) for $200ish?  Sounds like an purchase for a masochist; I'm pretty sure that, if my life depended on it, I could make 1 good one from the 4 broken ones but I can buy a good used one for $200 anyway so why go to all the hassle? I suppose if you made 2 good ones you could sell one.

The Fluke 101 is OK but I wouldn't buy it because it has no current measurement.  If anyone in the US wants one, they are available on Amazon Prime now for $40.50 US.

I gave my Fluke 117 to my son who needed it for house electrical work but I don't miss it.  I was going to replace it with a Fluke 289 but gave up as the prices used are silly ($330 US and higher). Instead I picked up a used Keysight U1242C for $205 US on the eBay Keysight store - mine even came with the serial-USB optical cable.  The U1242C turned out to be a great meter that I think is positioned against the Fluke 87 V but with 2,000 readings in-meter storage capability plus the Keysight data logger software is free and very usable; it also takes the U1117A Bluetooth adapter that links to my iPhone.

[bd139]

For electronics work I rarely if ever use current these days. I usually use a resistor in circuit as a shunt and measure voltage. Mainly because I'm lazy and utterly fed up of having to rewire everything to make a single measurement.

[BravoV]

Same here, I rarely or almost never used my DMM for current measurement, I think the last time I did that probably a decade ago.

Most of my handheld DMMs, especially the high end ones are "plugged" at the current terminals, either to stop dust accumulating there, or stupid accident. Photo of my 287 with the plugs below.



And another reason I took the dive on this 101 is the size. As I consider it has a niche sized DMM and yet quality build, as sometimes I experienced awkward positions using ordinary sized DMM, either at a tight space like in car or other tight cramped area in small enclosure, or the distance is quite far that the standard wires length of the probes are not long enough, while bringing the DMM side by side close to the measuring point is quite hard as the space limitation, and difficult to place the DMM in there, especially with huge DMM like Fluke 28x, even 87V still considered quite big, this tiny 101 just fits in for this purpose. 

[Gyro]

For electronics work I rarely if ever use current these days. I usually use a resistor in circuit as a shunt and measure voltage. Mainly because I'm lazy and utterly fed up of having to rewire everything to make a single measurement.

It's not laziness, it's common sense. It's rare that there isn't somewhere in the circuit that you can't derive current from voltage drop, and without the additional burden voltage of the meter.

My bench meters don't even have current ranges (they do have useful 10mV ranges though). I've built up a set of current shunts that can be 'permanently' wired in circuit which I can chose to minimise burden.

[bd139]

In my case the laziness arrived before the common sense did 

[joeqsmith]

joe hasn't managed to zap one yet, he's taken out Fluke 87Vs, etc., but not a 101.

That is a true statement.  During my first round of testing,  I ran the Fluke 101 up to 13KV, 2ohm source, 100us FWHH with no damage.   I later ran it up to 12KV 2ohm source 50us FWHH with no damage. 

I also ran the Fluke 107 to a whopping 14KV, 100us FWHH, 2ohm source without any damage!  I've only had two other meters survive at that level and both were modified to pull it off.   One happens to be a somewhat clone of the 107.


Along with the fact of how old my 189s are,  Fluke knows how to design both a mechanically and electrically robust meter.     I would fork over a $100 for the best case and one of the switch contacts from that bunch of 18x.   Maybe the buyer will part them out.     

[Shock]

I've used the Fluke 101, I think they make a great gift and not much that you can mess up on them. Since I own a Fluke 112 that is my preferred small multimeter. It's a bit older but has True RMS and the basic features.

[Black Phoenix]

I've used the Fluke 101, I think they make a great gift and not much that you can mess up on them. Since I own a Fluke 112 that is my preferred small multimeter. It's a bit older but has True RMS and the basic features.

Good memories this one makes me remember. My first contact with Fluke was with this one, the Fluke 112 during my vocational degree in Industrial Electronics. I agree, simple smaller greater.

[Fungus]

I've used the Fluke 101, I think they make a great gift and not much that you can mess up on them. Since I own a Fluke 112 that is my preferred small multimeter. It's a bit older but has True RMS and the basic features.

They don't make those any more though. 

nb. That's the sort of meter Fluke should be making more of, not that stupid "MAX" thing...  (IMHO  )

[Shock]

You can still pick up Fluke 112 secondhand, not the best value though as they aren't commonly sold. A secondhand Fluke 117 is probably the wisest choice if you can wait for one at the right price and aren't worried about form factor. At the time I paid $55 USD for my Fluke 117 which was in new condition with carry case (easy decision) and $40 for the Fluke 112 which was a fairly grubby but cleaned up ok.

The Fluke 12 is another cool looking little meter that seems to have held it's price.

[bc888]

Fungus, I'm hoping you get a commission:-) I'm in for 2 here.

" it'll only arrive at that price if they mark up the customs declaration wrong " Shipping from South Korea to USA probably not an issue. The estimated del. date is way out there.

[tautech]

The 12E+, a model I wasn't aware of  looks a better option for a compact DMM and is $62 about the same price my 15B cost some years back.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000337628643.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000060.3.17c85cf1eHJOee&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.13339.146401.0&scm_id=1007.13339.146401.0&scm-url=1007.13339.146401.0&pvid=9a9ca18e-4eb1-4e1c-b00e-225f3735eb84

[Fungus]

The 12E+, a model I wasn't aware of  looks a better option for a compact DMM

It's massive compared to the 101.

[bd139]

Did some research on the 101 and I’m not buying one. Continuity is shit!

[GreyWoolfe]

You'll actually have trouble buying one in the USA, Fluke's "USA!" models are all expensive.

Rest assured though, the 101 is 100% fluke. It's actually one of their hardest-to-kill models. Plus it fits in a shurt pocket, who doesn't want that?

Very easy to get here is the US.  I bought mine and a hard case off of Amazon.  Right now, one seller is selling at $40.50 with free Prime 2 day delivery.  Worth paying $4 more for 2 day delivery.  Paid $45 I think earlier this year plus another $17 for the Aenllosi hard case for it as it sits in my work toolbag. I swapped out the OEM leads for some Brymen leads I bought from Frankie's store and it works perfectly for my needs.  I have no need for current measurement and continuity testing is not something I will be using.  Mostly resistance pass/fail on a FRU and maybe verifying mains occasionally.  I should have bought this first instead of the Aneng AN 8008 and 8009 I bought for fun.  Size was also important to me as I carry a lot of tools in a not so large toolbag, otherwise I would carry my Fluke 27 F/M.  I really don't want to carry anything larger than what I have. 

[Shock]

That is why I said the Fluke 101 makes a great gift, there is obviously better meters but it's cheap so you can't expect a lot. It is well built, simple to use and mains safe.

Under the Fluke 117 ($150 new or whatever secondhand) it's a fairly lackluster choice in Chinese Fluke, they just seem to be missing a subset of features. Even asking for temp measurement seems like a special request. Still I like the Fluke 117 despite it not being the perfect electronics multimeter, it has got LoZ which is nice. Mine is a US made one but I can't tell any obvious differences.

Most of the cheap low end Chinese made models don't have True RMS. A deliberate move by Fluke of course, China don't deserve free True RMS.

[Fungus]

Under the Fluke 117 ($150 new or whatever secondhand) it's a fairly lackluster choice in Chinese Fluke, they just seem to be missing a subset of features. Even asking for temp measurement seems like a special request. Still I like the Fluke 117 despite it not being the perfect electronics multimeter, it has got LoZ which is nice. Mine is a US made one but I can't tell any obvious differences.

Most of the cheap low end Chinese made models don't have True RMS. A deliberate move by Fluke of course, China don't deserve free True RMS.

The lack of temperature, amps, etc., is also a deliberate move., Fluke has been all about money for a long time now.

(I bet it's the reason they don't make that awesome little 112 shown above any more - too many features for too little money, not enough profit margin!)

[Electro Detective]

Did some research on the 101 and I’m not buying one. Continuity is shit!

It's not that bad mate, you can't do drum triplets or get a Buddy Rich vibe going with the probes as well and on cue like with an 87V, 189, 289 etc

but with clean probe tips the 101 does better than many other brand big dollar multimeters that are a disappointing FAIL in this regard

I roll with Fluke meters ONLY because they are THE fastest Continuity/Buzzer game in town, and the MIX MAX AVE PEAK capture function rocks 

as these are the features I really need for serious troubleshooting, especially intermittent ball breakers 

All the other functions many other meters can do well enough or same, and at a much cheaper price 


I'd go with a feature starved 101 before considering an Aneng bells and whistles car wheel chock any day

unless the 101 is a MIC rebadged orange Aneng we aren't supposed to know about.. 

[EEVblog]

Wow, from South Korea. Think they may be real? Ebays getting better on that stuff.

To my knowledge there has never been an actual Fluke ripoff that looks like the real thing. There is the "Fuke" brand, and ones the copy the general look'n'feel, but no identical "fakes".

[Gandalf_Sr]

Wow, from South Korea. Think they may be real? Ebays getting better on that stuff.

To my knowledge there has never been an actual Fluke ripoff that looks like the real thing. There is the "Fuke" brand, and ones the copy the general look'n'feel, but no identical "fakes".

So are you saying you think those cheap Flukes are really made by Fluke Dave?

[Shock]

So are you saying you think those cheap Flukes are really made by Fluke Dave?

Fluke 101 are made in China for Fluke. There are also models such as 117C and 17B which seem to be local only models, you are likely to only see these emanate from Asia. The 110 series on the other hand were made in the US then moved to China for manufacture but still sold worldwide.

There have been no obvious fakes and the Fluke 101 have been sold for about $50 with free shipping for years. Still there is a first time for everything, but I think people are fairly wary of buying fake multimeters due to safety concerns.

I don't mind buying secondhand and have managed to avoid lemons. Once you have a semi decent multimeter there is little incentive to shop at all for Chinese low end meters and even models like the Fluke 101 aren't that appealing.

[Black Phoenix]

So are you saying you think those cheap Flukes are really made by Fluke Dave?

Fluke 101 are made in China for Fluke. There are also models such as 117C and 17B which seem to be local only models, you are likely to only see these emanate from Asia. The 110 series on the other hand were made in the US then moved to China for manufacture but still sold worldwide.

There have been no obvious fakes and the Fluke 101 have been sold for about $50 with free shipping for years. Still there is a first time for everything, but I think people are fairly wary of buying fake multimeters due to safety concerns.

I don't mind buying secondhand and have managed to avoid lemons. Once you have a semi decent multimeter there is little incentive to shop at all for Chinese low end meters and even models like the Fluke 101 aren't that appealing.

Although remember than the warranty of models only available in China is only valid in China, not for export. I think it also applies (not 100% sure) to the models with C on the end (not the Colour Scopemeters) like the 117C, 87VC and 287C/289C for example.



Exactly like the grey market of Nikon/Canon being sold in this part of the world, specially Hong Kong (Nikon US is different from Nikon International for example, even in the serial numbers who start with US) They are cheaper, but Nikon/Canon/Etc will not provide warranty because most models are imported from Japan. Same with most of the Watch Shops selling Seiko, Citizen, Casio, etc. If they have 20% to 40% discount over the original prices then they have been imported and in warranty claims are handle by the shop who sold them, not the manufacturer.

[med6753]

I'll pass. Me and my 22 year old 87 Series 1 have been through some tough scrapes and it still works perfectly. Why should I down grade? 

[Cubdriver]

I grabbed two - figure one to put in the glove box of the Jeep, and one to lose here in the house...  (Or maybe it will find and lead me to my also missing 27FM..)

-Pat

[Fungus]

I'll pass. Me and my 22 year old 87 Series 1 have been through some tough scrapes and it still works perfectly. Why should I down grade? 

You only ever need one meter?? 

[med6753]

I'll pass. Me and my 22 year old 87 Series 1 have been through some tough scrapes and it still works perfectly. Why should I down grade? 

You only ever need one meter?? 

No....I have nearly a dozen assorted DMM's.

[EEVblog]

Wow, from South Korea. Think they may be real? Ebays getting better on that stuff.

To my knowledge there has never been an actual Fluke ripoff that looks like the real thing. There is the "Fuke" brand, and ones the copy the general look'n'feel, but no identical "fakes".

So are you saying you think those cheap Flukes are really made by Fluke Dave?

Yes. These are made in China specifically for the Chinese market.
Fluke have a long history of this which started with the (ill-fated) Fluke 19, it was only ever sold in the asia-pacific market (including Australia)

[Fungus]

There have been no obvious fakes and the Fluke 101 have been sold for about $50 with free shipping for years.

Less.

This $37 price tag is only about $6 or $7 less than they normally go for.

[Electro Detective]

I'll pass. Me and my 22 year old 87 Series 1 have been through some tough scrapes and it still works perfectly. Why should I down grade? 

The 101 is a toy in size, spec and features compared to 87 Series 1,
but a cheap/er sacrificial or surviver meter in suspect/unknown scenarios, where an unsuspecting 87 may end up a zapped hero 

Also I'll bet 'most' 87 Series 1 screw posts are cracked and wonky from battery and or fuse changes,
so don't expect any serious  handheld CAT 111+ bangs to be contained by the meter body. 

or you can resort to taping up the sides and tops to hold the meter together, with a decent electrical or duct tape that won't run, slide or get gooey,
use two stacked layers if thin.   

Yes, it's bugly and won't be strutting any meter fashion CAT walks  (  ) but it gets the job done keeping the meter intact,
especially on a toned down Fluke 28-11 DJ style drop 

A small quantity of good quality electrical or duct tape is cheap,

and saves on stuffing about with epoxy glues etc, which may fail or work loose from the meter body/chassis anyway   

A tape up job like this no one sees once the amber/yellow holster in on 


Pictured example is an 87V photo taken to show a member here at another post a fast easy 'keep it together' option,
my Series 1 87  got the treatment first, as have some other meters with suss posts

Taiwan made meters  have metal posts, not sure about MIJ and Europe ones 

yet Fluke somehow misses the boat on this constantly   
whilst flogging serious -BANG- videos on Youtube with new multimeters with one time screwed posts,
containing the sparks and fun flames 

Probe safe folks, and don't trust any multimeter (especially with current sockets) at higher voltages/amps
or brand rep.

Coffeeholic marketing teams and corporats they work for are not known for picking up medical bills or funeral costs,
especially on older gear or products past the 'Limited Conditions' Warranty date   

[bd139]

I got a beater 87 from eBay earlier this year. It’s now my main meter.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/long-term-reliability-of-some-cheap-multimeters/msg2577435/#msg2577435

Honestly I’d I’m going to kill myself with a meter it’s not going to be with it blowing up in my face but me becoming part of a circuit somewhere because of a procedural error. Thus I don’t really give a fuck about the CAT marketing. If i was poking around bus bars I may worry. What I care about is usability and fluke are a winner there. Well they were - the 87V was a regression.

I’ve owned keysight, Brymen, Uni-T and at least 15 fluke meters and this one is just right.

[Shock]

I got a beater 87 from eBay earlier this year. It’s now my main meter.

I ended up with a beater 87 last year for $40. The holster is crusty and could do with new buttons and LCD bezel, but otherwise fine. I have two Fluke 87V in good condition now so decided I'll probably not spend more money on the 87. But yeah secondhand is the way to go for bang for buck.

[EEVblog]

Honestly I’d I’m going to kill myself with a meter it’s not going to be with it blowing up in my face but me becoming part of a circuit somewhere because of a procedural error. Thus I don’t really give a fuck about the CAT marketing. If i was poking around bus bars I may worry.

Yes, a high end CAT rated meter isn't going to matter for most users.
You just have to make sure it's basically safe for mains and other high powered stuff. i.e proper HRC and voltage rated fuses, and some basic surge protection.

[EEVblog]

There have been no obvious fakes and the Fluke 101 have been sold for about $50 with free shipping for years.

Less.
This $37 price tag is only about $6 or $7 less than they normally go for.

Same price on Aliexpress: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/ni5zAcKM
You can also get the Fluke Voltstick (but Chinese marked) for $15: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/CkDQcEKU

[EEVblog]

This store here calls itself the "FLUKE-Multimeters Authenticate Store" and has several models.

http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/oZYKWqp2

[med6753]

I'll pass. Me and my 22 year old 87 Series 1 have been through some tough scrapes and it still works perfectly. Why should I down grade? 

The 101 is a toy in size, spec and features compared to 87 Series 1,
but a cheap/er sacrificial or surviver meter in suspect/unknown scenarios, where an unsuspecting 87 may end up a zapped hero 

Also I'll bet 'most' 87 Series 1 screw posts are cracked and wonky from battery and or fuse changes,
so don't expect any serious  handheld CAT 111+ bangs to be contained by the meter body. 

or you can resort to taping up the sides and tops to hold the meter together, with a decent electrical or duct tape that won't run, slide or get gooey,
use two stacked layers if thin.   

Yes, it's bugly and won't be strutting any meter fashion CAT walks  (  ) but it gets the job done keeping the meter intact,
especially on a toned down Fluke 28-11 DJ style drop 

A small quantity of good quality electrical or duct tape is cheap,

and saves on stuffing about with epoxy glues etc, which may fail or work loose from the meter body/chassis anyway   

A tape up job like this no one sees once the amber/yellow holster in on 


Pictured example is an 87V photo taken to show a member here at another post a fast easy 'keep it together' option,
my Series 1 87  got the treatment first, as have some other meters with suss posts

Taiwan made meters  have metal posts, not sure about MIJ and Europe ones 

yet Fluke somehow misses the boat on this constantly   
whilst flogging serious -BANG- videos on Youtube with new multimeters with one time screwed posts,
containing the sparks and fun flames 

Probe safe folks, and don't trust any multimeter (especially with current sockets) at higher voltages/amps
or brand rep.

Coffeeholic marketing teams and corporats they work for are not known for picking up medical bills or funeral costs,
especially on older gear or products past the 'Limited Conditions' Warranty date   

Call me anal I guess but I take care of my equipment so it takes care of me. Here's that 22 year old 87. In perfect condition. No broken parts. Has never needed a calibration adjustment. Battery changes only when necessary. It's always been my "go to" DMM for quick checks or other dirty jobs like vehicle electrical work or mains work.

[all_repair]

22 year old.  Have you use it at all?  You better don't let people that may borrow from you know that you have one.  Or you need to get a fluke 101 to protect your 87.

[Fungus]

22 year old.  Have you use it at all?  You better don't let people that may borrow from you know that you have one.  Or you need to get a fluke 101 to protect your 87.

Yep. An extra Fluke 101 is perfect if you suffer from "borrowers".

[med6753]

22 year old.  Have you use it at all?

With nearly every project that crosses my bench the 87 gets used in one way or another...along with my other DMM's.

You better don't let people that may borrow from you know that you have one.  Or you need to get a fluke 101 to protect your 87.

It will be a cold day in hell before I'll allow anyone to borrow my equipment.

[bd139]

Yes...

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend."

[Fungus]

It might be a good idea if you suffer from "children" as well.

[bd139]

Yeah. "Can I borrow £20" is a regular one here. 

[Gandalf_Sr]

Call me anal I guess but I take care of my equipment so it takes care of me. Here's that 22 year old 87. In perfect condition. No broken parts. Has never needed a calibration adjustment. Battery changes only when necessary. It's always been my "go to" DMM for quick checks or other dirty jobs like vehicle electrical work or mains work.

That's wonderful news med6753, how many times a day do you twiddle your knob?

[med6753]

That's wonderful news med6753, how many times a day do you twiddle your knob?

Are you jealous? 

[Gandalf_Sr]

That's wonderful news med6753, how many times a day do you twiddle your knob?

Are you jealous? 

Maybe but be careful, if you twiddle it too much it will drop off!

[all_repair]

Why does every non Fluke-87-multimeter post end up talking more about Fluke 87? 

Of course, I have one.  Almost 10 year old, but it is still in the box fresh.  One reason of the trapped 87 is I just could not get any of my other meters to fail, and I am still keep piling up new Aneng meters.  Fluke 87 do get to leave its locked vault.  Her appearance with my FLIR camera is when I have clients to impress.   Not for measurement but for the showmanship. 

Back to Fluke 101, it is less stressful using Fluke cheapo meters, you can do long pass to your co-worker like how those America Football quarter-back doing their.  No fear, anyway you are already on your helmet and safety shoes.

 

[BravoV]

Back to Fluke 101, it is less stressful using Fluke cheapo meters, you can do long pass to your co-worker like how those America Football quarter-back doing their.  No fear, anyway you are already on your helmet and safety shoes.

Especially without the current measurement capability, it will be further less riskier when passing it along to a DMM noob.

[mansaxel]

For electronics work I rarely if ever use current these days. I usually use a resistor in circuit as a shunt and measure voltage. Mainly because I'm lazy and utterly fed up of having to rewire everything to make a single measurement.

For that laziness, there is the -- hp -- 428b clip-on mA meter. Shown here with the 974a younger sibling.

[Electro Detective]

"King Of N00BS" first post:

Hi, I'm 12 years old and itching to get into electronics,
I love watching EEVblog, ElectroBoom and PhotonicInduction
whilst getting piercings and tatts listening to Rap and Metal full pedal to p*** off the neighbors

What's a good first miltumeter?


----------------

Cranky old school grey beard poster:

"Buy a Fluke 101 and get on with it."   

--------

"King Of N00BS" reply

but...  



THREAD LOCKED

 

[bd139]

LMAO. Better than the result if you ask that question on allaboutcircuits forum...

"Go on ebay and get the cheapest DT830 clone, only use it in current mode on the mains with the provided test leads. Make sure your first project is a  capacitive dropper for christmas tree lights you soldered together yourself on veroboard and put in a non earthed hammond box. Make sure you test it by letting your kids chew on your dry solder joints. Also leave an open can of isopropyl on the bench for luck. Here's a YouTube video of how to do it from some dude in India who's just come back from his brother's funeral after the incident the other day with the SMPS repair done with a hammer"

[Gandalf_Sr]

This is getting quite funny 

[Sigurd]

Fluke 101 are made in China for Fluke. There are also models such as 117C and 17B which seem to be local only models, you are likely to only see these emanate from Asia. The 110 series on the other hand were made in the US then moved to China for manufacture but still sold worldwide.

At least one other manufacturer does this, I have a Uni-T 39C and it was only ever sold in China and there is no English information on it, instruction manual is in Chinese only.

[BBBbbb]

I bought one just because I panicked you pricks would drive the price up.
Now I'm waiting for my 4th 5th DMM...
well it's small, can put it in my car or give it to my dad and not worry if a retired old man might might hurt himself with a falsely rated crappy meter from a local store.

EDIT: forgot about the little aneng one...

[Electro Detective]

..well it's small, can put it in my car

or give it to my dad and not worry if a retired old man might might hurt himself with a falsely rated crappy meter from a local store..

 

and this is where those bargain meters many here applaud can assbite, in the hands of someone else unaware of multimeter limitations in general,
much less what CAT means, especially when they think current means voltage and vice-versa
plus get some continuity/beep beep action in too.. whilst plugged into the current inputs 

usually = BANG!   ~~ ~~

[bd139]

Sometimes it's just arrogance. At a company I once worked for I heard from my predecesor that there was actually an afternoon walk out over the introduction of mandatory test gear replacement with safer stuff. Some of the guys were still using Avos from the 1950s which would have voided any liability insurance the company had. So when they walked in a huff the site team went round and scooped the fuckers into a plastic bin and threw them in the trash compactor. This is the same damn company which walked out becuse they refused to use the production asset tracking software. Their solution of using index cards in envelopes was good enough apparently. That was until we shredded one of the envelopes on purpose and it killed the entire production line dead for a day while they took everything to bits to find out where some assemblies had gone.

These guys were professional engineers .

[all_repair]

Many time it is environment.  Last use did not reposition probe wires correctly.  Then a site job come.  Need to prepare for all kind of things: transport, gear, manual, permit, worker, parts, etc etc.  Then go through all kind clearance, pass changing, form signing, and after all these hassles, and with many eyes watching and clients beside need entertaining and explaining, then the meter and probe come out to do the golden touch.  AND...

[Fungus]

You can also get the Fluke Voltstick (but Chinese marked) for $15: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/CkDQcEKU

I've had one of those for about 5 years.

I just went to use it and I thought I'd check the batteries and they're still like new.

I wondered what the standby current was so I tried to measure it and failed. It must be down in the low nanoamps range somewhere even though it's sensing all the time. 

PS: Haven't received my 101 yet...

[BravoV]

Mine arrived ...




Among the giants 189 & 287 ...  its tiny.

[bd139]

Can you please let us know if continuity is shit?

[Shock]

Can you please let us know if continuity is shit?

I brought a Fluke 101 years ago and wasn't blown away by any feature, but they are obviously cheap, small and safe. If you look at the youtube demonstrations it looks fairly poor. I can't recall if I did this at the time but cleaning the probes is half the battle so until you give them a quick clean or swap them out it's hard to tell if surface oxidization is influencing testing.

The Fluke 112 has a quick continuity but the bar is a little slow. Fluke 117 and 87V are quick with a fast bar in comparison.

[BravoV]

Can you please let us know if continuity is shit?

Bought it because of it's size, also no current measurement hence won't hurt my neanderthal friends  , also one unique feature that I personally like is the banana terminals horizontal position, it suits to be placed inside tool box in my car as no protruding parts from the probes.

Yep, it is  , say compared to my work horse Fluke 189, but leave it for you to decide, 189 vs 101, and crank up the volume as you can hear the probe's metal pins when they're contacting/slamming each other either soft or hard.

Both used the same new probes that came with 101.

Fluke 189, fyi it uses chirping sound instead of beeping.




Fluke 101 .. to be honest no contest here.

[bd139]

Urgh that’s terrible. Thanks for posting. I’m not sure how they screw up such a simple feature. Actually I do know how. They use the ADC rather than a separate circuit. 

[Shock]

Urgh that’s terrible. Thanks for posting. I’m not sure how they screw up such a simple feature. Actually I do know how. They use the ADC rather than a separate circuit.

Would be deliberate, it's hard to miss. But not like most people who buy them would care, just like the missing True RMS and current features. If the Fluke 101 was super awesome it would eat into the sales of other meters.

The Chinese are also not allowed fast continuity. When nothing makes sense just add a suitable conspiracy theory and it explains everything.

[BravoV]

When nothing makes sense just add a suitable conspiracy theory and it explains everything.

Looking at the retail price < $40, its not conspiracy anymore, clearly Fluke loudly shows their intention to cripple down this 101, especially we've seen how Fluke can do more like 189 examples, which is a decades old design.

Wonder how much the 101's BOM includes labor, $10 ? 

Anyway, as I mentioned things I like about it, also for the price I bought, I'm fully content and basically can live with it's limitation.

[rsjsouza]

Fluke 189, fyi it uses chirping sound instead of beeping.

That is one thing that I really dislike about the 189... I like the beep clean, as I am frequently trying to evaluate intermittent contacts (cables, etc.) and the chirp throws me off. YMMV, of course.

[BravoV]

Fluke 189, fyi it uses chirping sound instead of beeping.

That is one thing that I really dislike about the 189... I like the beep clean, as I am frequently trying to evaluate intermittent contacts (cables, etc.) and the chirp throws me off. YMMV, of course.

C'mon, from a guy that developed a swimming style in his "sea" of DMMs (>30) ...   

If it its too perfect, where is the fun then ? 

[Fungus]

Urgh that’s terrible. Thanks for posting. I’m not sure how they screw up such a simple feature. Actually I do know how. They use the ADC rather than a separate circuit.

I don't think anybody here ever pretended the Fluke 101 could be your main multimeter.

OTOH it's cheap, it's safe, it's small, it's the sort of meter you can abuse without worrying too much (physically and electrically) and you can even let other people use it.

[rsjsouza]

Fluke 189, fyi it uses chirping sound instead of beeping.

That is one thing that I really dislike about the 189... I like the beep clean, as I am frequently trying to evaluate intermittent contacts (cables, etc.) and the chirp throws me off. YMMV, of course.

C'mon, from a guy that developed a swimming style in his "sea" of DMMs (>30) ...   

If it its too perfect, where is the fun then ? 

I actually love Uncle Scooge'a stories and grew up with Disney comics - we had tons in our collection and know several lines by heart (things that kids do). It is kinda sad that here in the US their distribution is so restricted... And in today's PC culture, probably 90% would be cancelled.

[BravoV]

OTOH it's cheap, it's safe, it's small, it's the sort of meter you can abuse without worrying too much (physically and electrically) and you can even let other people use it.

Also my other strong reason is this little tiny bugger survived the 13kV slaughtering by our resident Thor with his lightning test .. aka joeqsmith. 



Forgot to mention, it came with the well known to leak, genuine Energizer (made in Singapore) 2 x AAA Alkaline cells, suggesting to replace it asap, or at least detach from the DMM if you don't plan to use it soon as it will be forgotten, especially its not your main DMM, as leaving them too long will posed the risk of leaking. 

Instantly replaced mine with a freshly charged Eneloop upon 1st time unboxing & inspection.

[Fungus]

Mine arrived ...

The tracking info says mine is stuck at "customs". 

What should I do if they ask me for $30 tax? I'm not sure...

[Gandalf_Sr]

What planet are you on?

[Black Phoenix]

Mine arrived ...

The tracking info says mine is stuck at "customs". 

What should I do if they ask me for $30 tax? I'm not sure...

What planet are you on?

In Portugal that would if that happened: 15€ the documentation plus 23% over the total of the price of the item plus shipping. So it would be 30€ easily! Marking as Gift doesn't do anything against, declaring lower value also (I saw one time when I gone to pickup stuff, they inserting the item no from eBay for search on eBay and confirm the value declared).

[Fungus]

What planet are you on?

I dunno but whenever there's one of these multimeter-buying-frenzy threads I never get mine until two weeks after the thread has died off.

I'm not bitter over this. No, not a bit.

In Portugal that would if that happened: 15€ the documentation plus 23% over the total of the price of the item plus shipping. So it would be 30€ easily!

Same here in Spain. Here they charge the taxes plus a minimum of about 24 Euros "handling fees". It never seems to come out below 30 Euros.

[Gandalf_Sr]

I feel your pain. if I send gifts to my Granddaughter in the UK, the Customs there nearly always intercept them and demand taxes from my family before they will release the item.  They now have a system where they can go to the Post Office, pay the tax, and get the item.

Here in the USA, I have never been asked to pay duty on anything coming from anywhere.  I believe there's a $1,600 personal allowance (per year I assume) before the US customs even charge anything but I suspect that there's so many small packages coming in that they gave up bothering.

[Black Phoenix]

I feel your pain. if I send gifts to my Granddaughter in the UK, the Customs there nearly always intercept them and demand taxes from my family before they will release the item.  They now have a system where they can go to the Post Office, pay the tax, and get the item.

Here in the USA, I have never been asked to pay duty on anything coming from anywhere.  I believe there's a $1,600 personal allowance (per year I assume) before the US customs even charge anything but I suspect that there's so many small packages coming in that they gave up bothering.

That's exactly why now all my parcels goes to my Father's in Law that lives in Hong Kong, Hong Kong is a free port. There is no customs tariff on goods imported into Hong Kong. The HKSAR Government collects an excise duty on only four types of goods irrespective of whether they are imported or locally manufacturedd: tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, alcoholic beverages and methyl alcohol.

OFFTOPIC
I was writing for 15 min a long essay about my opinion over taxation of items, specially over items not sold in anyway in the destination country or over used items but I refrain of posting, it would cause a lot of controversy and probably I would look bad.

[Fungus]

Mine arrived! It got through customs with no charge and turned up today.

First impressions:

* It's small. About the same size as an Aneng 8008 but thinner and a lot heavier. Seems a lot more solid in comparison.

* Battery compartment has a mechanism that can be opened with a fingernail, no screwdriver needed.

* The leads are very, very long and a bit stiff, not silicone. It's obvious now why the 101's input sockets are on the bottom of the meter, it's because the shrouds on the leads are longer than the meter is thick.

* Range selector switch has a very light action. Very clicky.

* Screen is very readable from all angles. No backlight though.

* All the readings seem to be spot on down to the last digit. Much more accurate than the advertised 0.5%.

* Continuity test isn't fast but it's also not the slowest I've ever seen. It's loud enough.

* Ohms autoranging is fast.

* Diode test voltage is 2.4V open, much higher than the 2.0V specified in the manual. It lights up a blue LED at 0.3mA(!)

* Millivolts range is AC only, so no current measurement with shunts on that range. 

Edit: I think I'm going to use it with the leads from an Aneng for non-mains stuff. They're a much more manageable length, and more flexible.

[BravoV]

Congratz and also for the no customs charge. 

[rsjsouza]

Thanks for the impressions, Fungus. Usually I only hear about how the 101 is cheap AND a Fluke.

[Shock]

I think I'm going to use it with the leads from an Aneng for non-mains stuff. They're a much more manageable length, and more flexible.

It needs Probe Masters and Lithium rechargeable batteries, chuck another $40 at it for the full immersive experience.

[Fungus]

The screen isn't a flat curve. You can't put a piece of 'phone screen protector on it, the corners lift up. 

Mine came with a couple of Energizer batteries in it. I don't know if that's a factory thing or if the seller put them there, I can't imagine Fluke boxing up a meter with batteries installed though.

Power consumption is about 1mA. Batteries should last a long time.

[Shock]

No need for screen protectors, 20 years later and a little bit of plastic polish it will look like new .

Make sure they aren't Chenergizer fakes. They are cheaper over there but if they don't come with the meter as standard then there is a high chance of them being fakes, especially if lithium.

[BravoV]

* It's small. About the same size as an Aneng 8008 but thinner and a lot heavier. Seems a lot more solid in comparison.

If you managed to open it, just pay attention to the case yellow plastic, its like Fluke uses a very sturdy, yet strong but not easy to crack material, and that piece of small plastic it self is quite heavy.

Subjectively, yes, its just feel really firm & solid. 

[bc888]

I thought Fluke suggested you don't ship meters with batteries inside? Regardless, both arrived with batteries inside and were working fine and looking great, thanks for the heads up -I love Fluke stuff. I don't "need" them, nor do I "need the others (Daves BM235, a 189 II data logging Fluke, A Tektronix 850, a Fluke 27II, 7 Fluke 27/FM multiple Chinese lightweight affairs) but separating one's "needs" and ones "wants" isn't always necessary.  . I'll be selling some of them soon and it won't be the Tek or the BM235.  7 of the 27/fms seems excessive and needless... I guess.

[Electro Detective]

Fluke 189, fyi it uses chirping sound instead of beeping.

That is one thing that I really dislike about the 189... I like the beep clean, as I am frequently trying to evaluate intermittent contacts (cables, etc.)

and the chirp throws me off. YMMV, of course.

The 189 buzzer chirp was driving me nuts >>> TOO LOUD 

so I opened it up and strategically put a small tab of electrical tape on the buzzer thingie to tone it down.
You can double or triple the tab layer for the volume level that suits, whilst the meter is powered in the cont/buzzer mode,
and it's an undo-able cheap 'hack' 

Works great now, no more jumping out of the chair, rattled brains,
or cats knocking over food and water bowls running for cover   

fwiw and millions may disagree just because they can, but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,
winning by a nose if all competitors have clean lead probes and meter sockets.

Speaking of competitors, many other brands big dollar meters have woeful continuity buzzer response,
useless half baked products for serious troubleshooting of electronics and electricals, as far as I'm concerned. 

[Fungus]

fwiw and millions may disagree just because they can, but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,
winning by a nose if all competitors have clean lead probes and meter sockets.

Nah, that's the 8060A.

[BravoV]

In turned off state, press the "HOLD" button while turning it on, while still pressing, all LCD segments will be on, and once the HOLD button released, mine shows "r5.13" for about 1/2 second, and then "F101" for about same period, and the meter back to normal.

Just curious, is that firmware version ? Whats yours ?

[rsjsouza]

fwiw and millions may disagree just because they can, but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,
winning by a nose if all competitors have clean lead probes and meter sockets.

Nah, that's the 8060A.

I agree. The 8060/8062 are the fastest shooters of the wild west.

[Fungus]

but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,

Nah, that's the 8060A.

I agree. The 8060/8062 are the fastest shooters of the wild west.

The manual says 10uS average response time.

[Fungus]

In turned off state, press the "HOLD" button while turning it on, while still pressing, all LCD segments will be on, and once the HOLD button released, mine shows "r5.13" for about 1/2 second, and then "F101" for about same period, and the meter back to normal.

Just curious, is that firmware version ? Whats yours ?

Mine says 5.13.

[BravoV]

I'm guessing, that the "F101" is the firmware and "r5.13" is the revision. 

[Fungus]

I'm guessing, that the "F101" is the firmware and "r5.13" is the revision. 

I'm fairly sure "F101" is the model. 

[BravoV]

I'm guessing, that the "F101" is the firmware and "r5.13" is the revision. 

I'm fairly sure "F101" is the model. 

  ... too much coffee

[Fungus]

One more thing if you're taking it apart:

After you get the back off, don't remove the big silver screws at the bottom of the PCB where the input jacks are.

You only need to remove the three little screws around the screen to get the PCB out.

[Electro Detective]

fwiw and millions may disagree just because they can, but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,
winning by a nose if all competitors have clean lead probes and meter sockets.

Nah, that's the 8060A.

I agree. The 8060/8062 are the fastest shooters of the wild west.

Sorry to disappoint, but with two identical performing 8060A meters to compare against the 189, it's no contest

Did this horse race ages ago, to see how the newer 'yellow' meters    fared against a classic    

and noticed: 

With a clean test target/s and clean probe set with spotless sockets on the 'contestants', thanks to some IPA and Q-Tips\cotton buds..
yes the 8060A is quick on the draw,
but for quick touch on/off multiples in audible continuity buzzer mode, it stays latched for a longer period
and can't keep up with the recovery speed of the 189,
and IIRC the 8060A came in second against the 289 and 87V too. All had fresh batteries btw

Hope that made sense, I am certain our host DJ would know what I mean with all the meters he's played with 

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,
and I'd rather roll with that before many other overpriced hyped brands,
that I don't believe will go the distance before their displays and switching mechanisms die,
on top of mystery software bugs and suss reliability over time due to cheap 'source unknown' unlabelled microscopic parts,
no schematics or troubleshoot flow chart = high no can fix factor built in  = buy another and shutup   

[BravoV]

As there are many Fluke 101 teardown photos in this forum, compared with mine sourced from S.Korea, I guess its the international version, as there is not even a single Chinese character printed at the box and at the DMM it self.

Images of Chinese version taken from -> HERE and HERE.

Attached below the comparison of the boxes and the back side of the DMM.

Highlighted some symbols that are not in the Chinese version.

[joeqsmith]

As there are many Fluke 101 teardown photos in this forum, compared with mine sourced from S.Korea, I guess its the international version, as there is not even a single Chinese character printed at the box and at the DMM it self.

...

Attached below the comparison of the boxes and the back side of the DMM.

Highlighted some symbols that are not in the Chinese version.

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

It will be interesting to see if you find any other differences between the two meters.   

[Fungus]

As there are many Fluke 101 teardown photos in this forum, compared with mine sourced from S.Korea, I guess its the international version, as there is not even a single Chinese character printed at the box and at the DMM it self.

Mine also has no Chinese anywhere. I removed the "country of origin" sticker (because it's cheap sticker that wasn't even stuck on straight, not because the origin bothers me).

[Fungus]

Occidentals don't get a warranty for these.

[Fungus]

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

Why wouldn't it pass?

[Electro Detective]

More Flukeups   

It would be interesting to see all these 'Made In Where?'     101 variations in a tear down, component comparison

and of course the zap test fest 

and see which ones are the business, and which are yellow dyed Anengs 

[EEVblog]

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,

I've often wondered if a re-issue of the 8060A would sell today...

[Electro Detective]

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,

I've often wondered if a re-issue of the 8060A would sell today...

If anyone does not need a or another bench meter, as the 8060A can be also powered without batteries bench style anyway  = 


An 8060A Mk2 might be a goer as it is, same everything including the dual fused 2 amp current mode (no added 10A/20A BBQ mode please)   

but I would lose the bulky switches on the side, and put a bank of (same layout) covered membrane switches or whatever Fluke have kicking around, like on the 87V meters etc (with hold down startup options),
so the meter could be made 'adverse conditions' resistant
..and rolled in sand for the revisited photo shoot demonstrating Fluke reliability,
so it's believable this time around > with the leads attached please.. 

Perhaps a simple backlight chucked in,
and if they don't up the CAT, they should at least supply FUSED LEADS to avoid an input re-design
so it can do decent CAT 111 and maybe a 300/500 volt CAT4   

and in 2020 it's got to have a holster to toughen it up, 
a better fit than my DIY knockup ones, which do ok and better than nothing

fwiw the yellow is an older Jaycar generic holster
and the red one (and leads) salvaged from a 'hey keep it or toss it mate' half DOA new Brymen,
after a replacement sent asap by an excellent local Ebay seller

and lets not forget the metal threaded screw posts this time, no tacky crumblers! 

[BravoV]

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

Maybe CSA is so impressed with how you zapped your 101 @13kV and its still kicking, they simply just surrendered their rubber stamp to Fluke for the 101 certification. 

It will be interesting to see if you find any other differences between the two meters.

I did open mine, and just to inspect it briefly, not very sure though, from my memory it looks like there is not much difference compared to Chinese version, I might missed the details. 

Maybe @Fungus can help with few tear down photo shots ? I'm on travel won't be at home until next year. 

[Electro Detective]

and here I thought there were only two types, the Fluke 101 badged I have here,
and the other heiroglyphix badged 101

it seems Aneng? they made a few variations, and some may not be up to zap par 


Friendly FYI: Mr. Smith may want to consider chucking some serious Disclaimers on Youtube and here about it,
and not have punters b!chin on him if/when their 101 pops in their hand    prodding about inside a CAT 4 industrial switchboard

[joeqsmith]

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

Maybe CSA is so impressed with how you zapped your 101 @13kV and its still kicking, they simply just surrendered their rubber stamp to Fluke for the 101 certification. 

It will be interesting to see if you find any other differences between the two meters.

I did open mine, and just to inspect it briefly, not very sure though, from my memory it looks like there is not much difference compared to Chinese version, I might missed the details. 

Maybe @Fungus can help with few tear down photo shots ? I'm on travel won't be at home until next year. 

Safe travels.

After our friend Meter Junkie ran their 101 across an actual combo generator at 12KV in all modes to replicate my findings, it's hard to believe CSA would have found anything wrong with it.  It's by far the most electrically robust meter I have come across in that $50 price range.     

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hear-kitty-kitty-kitty-nope-not-that-kind-of-cat/msg703581/#msg703581

I have yet to take the cover off my 101 but it's about 4 1/2 years old now and it may be interesting to compare it against a new one.   If anyone cares to pull their new  CSA certified 101 apart to get some high res pictures, I would do the same.   If it's anything like that 107, it's well made.   Not many meters I've looked at would survive at 14KV like that meter did.   

Hard to believe with as solid and  inexpensive at the 101 is,  of the 75 meters I looked at, 28 of them were damaged at or below 2KV!     

[Fungus]

I have yet to take the cover off my 101 but it's about 4 1/2 years old now and it may be interesting to compare it against a new one. 
If anyone cares to pull their new  CSA certified 101 apart to get some high res pictures, I would do the same.   If it's anything like that 107, it's well made.   Not many meters I've looked at would survive at 14KV like that meter did.   

I'll take some pics later but I find it hard to believe they'll have more than one design in production.

Hard to believe with as solid and  inexpensive at the 101 is 

Not as hard to believe as you not taking yours apart.

Just looking at the PCB though, you can see why it survives. Look at all the slots separating the input jacks from the rest of the PCB:



There's also seven resistors in the input chain instead of the usual four or five, etc., etc.

[Fungus]

Here's mine...

The trick to opening it is that the front grey panel pulls out leaving the PCB behind in the yellow base.

Remove the bottom two screws, loosen the top two and push on them. The grey panel will pop out a bit and reveal a slot at the top for fingernails.

Don't remove the screws that hold the input jacks to the PCB, you don't need to and they're Loctited in place. Remove the three screws around the screen to get the PCB out.

[Fungus]

Notes:

PCB is (C) 2012, Rev 5

S6 (at the top of the PCB) is the calibration switch. It's behind a "calibration void if broken" sticker in the battery compartment.

Yes, the selector switch is greased.

[Fungus]

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,

I've often wondered if a re-issue of the 8060A would sell today...

Specification-wise and speed-wise, it still kicks serious butt. 1 don't know if the side-switches would put people off though, it's not clear what mode you're in with just a quick glance at it.

OTOH: HP still makes the 12C and people in fancy suits still use it. Maybe the 8060A would be weird enough for nerdy engineers to want one.

[BravoV]

Thanks for the photos. 

PCB is (C) 2012, Rev 5

Those older ones Chinese version are also at rev 5, guess not much to improve anymore.

[joeqsmith]

Thanks for taking the time to post those.   It appears to be the same as what I have.   

While I have seen many of the 5mm PTC's come apart during my testing, I have yet to see one of these larger parts break down.   The 121GW for example uses a couple of PTCs in series for a load.  Even with my small generator, we saw that section of the switch breakdown. If the PTCs breakdown, there's not much that will limit the current.   

I've had the smaller resistors fail as well during my testing but not these larger parts. 

I like how things are spread out.  All in all, it looks good and makes sense that it has held up so well with my testing.   There's really no excuse that a meter designed today wouldn't consider the basics and handle some basic transients like the 101.   

[rsjsouza]

Thanks for sharing the photos! It really looks a quite well built meter.

Is it just me or the PCB looks like a smiley face?

(Same thing can be said about the back of the front panel).


P.S. Sorry about the psychedelic image; I am on my cell phone and the only drawing SW I have is my kids' doodle app.

[Fungus]

I like how things are spread out.  All in all, it looks good and makes sense that it has held up so well with my testing.   

Looking at this pic, you can see exactly why it stands up to your transients. Big chunky components, good spacing, PCB slots and separator walls.

There's really no excuse that a meter designed today wouldn't consider the basics and handle some basic transients like the 101.

Yep. There's no secrets there, it's just input protection done by the book. There's no reason anything but the cheapest of meters shouldn't be made that way.

[floobydust]

The 61010 spacings needed are absolutely huge which is difficult to meet in something small and handheld.
The 1k surge resistor also needs to be huge, reinforced (double) spacing between its terminals and 2X power rating during DMM misuse.

Fluke had the patent for their multimeter protection scheme, it expired today. Might explain why Keysight is using sluggish GDT's.

[BravoV]

The 101 with minimal features and without current measurement alone, has huge advantages in the design as to spare no expense in practicing good & proper input protection mechanism, as we can see there are still plenty of spare unused space, cmiiw.

[joeqsmith]

The 101 with minimal features and without current measurement alone, has huge advantages in the design as to spare no expense in practicing good & proper input protection mechanism, as we can see there are still plenty of spare unused space, cmiiw.

While the Brymen BM869s is very robust when compared with other meters I have looked at,  I've had one of mine all the way up to 14KV without breaking down or damaging the meter with nothing more than a transistor swap.   That's a packed meter.   That low end HIOKI would have made it up this high had they added just extended the plastic a bit further.    There's certainly a few companies that know how to design very robust meters regardless of the cost and size.

[Fungus]

The 61010 spacings needed are absolutely huge which is difficult to meet in something small and handheld.

Distances can be 3D and/or airgapped, see photo four posts up where you see the slots in the F101 board and raised dividing walls to separate components.