Products > Test Equipment

Fluke 867B, good or obsolete?

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Wytnucls:
The meter has a logic function (TTL, CMOS 3/5V).

Does anyone make use of that function?
If you do, please explain how that feature fits in your workflow.

Fretec:
I'd say it's nice device if you see it more as a multimeter and not a scope, but the enormous size is an issue.
The first time I ever saw one in person I was surprised it was even bigger then I expected from seeing it on pics.

But if that doesnt bother you or you use it on the bench all the time anyway, it's still useful and nice to have.

Swake:
Because it is devouring batteries this meter was put in a drawer years ago as I don't have a working rechargeable battery and no charger/power supply for mine. Couldn't find a fitting connector at the time either.
Opened that drawer again today with the intend to add a USB connector and a 9v boost converter in the battery compartment. There is more than enough room in there

Is the output of an El-cheapo boost converter of a good enough quality to not interfere with the quality of the measurements?

viper:
Hey guys, I stumbled into this thread and hoping some of the community is still around that added to this thread?  I have an 867 but not the B model.  I do believe the only difference was the display.  Mine is more amber colored.  Which brings me to my questions. 

1.  The display sucks.  Even with the lights down, it is very hard to see.  I am not sure if it is even possible to modify the backlight in one of these LCDs?  If not, I have noticed China pushing replacement displays on egay.  I am not sure of the quality and I think they are a bit over priced at $40.  I would be so excited to find a high rez screen like OLED or something?  Open to any ideas! 

2.  What got me searching on the 867 is my battery is completely toast.  I have to plug in to even use the meter.  I was going to attempt to hack the battery case to just swap cells but I learned lots in this thread.  Really, this meter is probably not "the best", but I love it like family and would like to modernize where I can.  A lithium battery would not be difficult, even if I had to remove and charge outside the meter I guess.  Just getting more capacity would really minimize the charges anyway.  But that brings me to important questions about the internals of the 867 charge system.  It appears the OE charger is just an unregulated DC walwart.  I would assume Fluke had a regulator in the meter?  I guess to get down to it, I am trying to figure out what voltages will be tolerable in the device? 

The way I see it, it sure sounds like people put Alkaline batts in these too.  I didn't know that was possible but NiCad is 1.2vpc, and Alk is 1.5vpc and I am sure there was head room for over achieving cell voltage.  I would not mind drilling a new charge port or seeing how we can do this.  It really seems like if you bypass the OEM charge circuit, and take new leads right to the battery terms, the meter would have no idea if it was charging or not, and more modern charge techniques could be used on Li chemistry? 

OK, now I have to go open that meter and study it.  Can of worms here. 

viper:
So...... :-DMM  I of course decided to go down the rabbit hole a bit after making the above post.  I cannot really figure out the charge programming in the meter but here is where I am at right now. 

1.  The terminals in the meter for AA Alkaline batts and the NiCad pack are connected (there are different terminals).  This means without a double IMO, running up to 10V is no issue at all. 

2.  The OE charger is most certainly a regulated transformer PSU, set at 11.8V. 

3.  I think the charge circuit is "voltage sensing" to try to determine what is in there and how to deal with it.  For instance, when I removed the battery and bar the Pos and T term, then plug in the charger, the term voltage in the meter is full charger voltage of 11.8V.  It did not blow up but I sort of wonder if that is a good idea. When I don't connect anything and plug in, the voltage at the meter terms were maybe around 8V, so it certainly further regulates the voltage. 

What is most odd to me is with testing, I realized when I plugged the battery and charger into the meter, the battery term voltage would drop to 0.  As well, I checked the battery and it was reading a super solid 0.000V.  Like dead to the world!  Typically even a bad battery will take a little charge for a bit.  So on a hunch, I jump started the battery with a 10V pack.  It took about .5A for about 1min or so.  I then tested the battery voltage at 8V, stuck it in the meter and it actually turned on the display!  So I stabbed the charger in on that and it is now drinking 500mA of charge from a 300mA charger....lol  We will see what happens here. 

Another thing I realized is I believe it terminates battery charging when you use the meter while plugged in!  I will have to further verify but current went from 500mA to 200mA when I turned on the meter.  One would expect current to increase.  Or maybe it moves to a trickle.  Either way, she won't do any serious charging (if at all) while running. 

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