Products > Test Equipment
“Blown” Fuses in Several New Multimeters
Gyro:
--- Quote from: wraper on September 05, 2024, 09:51:28 am ---
--- Quote from: Gyro on September 05, 2024, 09:39:31 am ---In this case, you want a 2 pole voltage tester (not one of those crappy single pole or non-contact ones). I don't have visibility of what is commonly available in the US, but in the UK you would use something like the Martindale VT25, Kewtech KT1710 (or KT1780 if you must have a digital display). Fluke T5 etc.
They are 'idiot proof' - no switches, no sockets, no fuses, they still give a voltage indication if the battery is flat or missing, and have safe continuity test. Above all, they have high CAT ratings for far less cost than the equivalent DMM. Ideally get a proving unit too,
--- End quote ---
I'd never waste money on that overpriced garbage that cannot display the voltage with remotely reasonable accuracy. There is nothing wrong with using multimeter as long as you know what you're doing. IMHO those testers are for people who don't know one's head from a hole in the ground. Not to say for that money you can buy a quite decent multimeter with similar CAT rating. Heck, if you cannot plug the leds into proper terminals to save your life, cover amps sockets by sticky tape.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---Plug in a lamp, it tells you just as much info.
--- End quote ---
Sorry, we're going to have to disagree on this one. Yes a lamp is intrinsically safe... as long as you test it on a known good circuit before and after plugging it into suspect circuit.
As far as the testers, they are there to protect life against itself. DMMs (as the OP has demonstrated) have far too many opportunities of error. As I said, we are all idiots waiting to happen!
Fungus:
--- Quote from: Gyro on September 05, 2024, 10:03:44 am ---
--- Quote ---Plug in a lamp, it tells you just as much info.
--- End quote ---
Sorry, we're going to have to disagree on this one. Yes a lamp is intrinsically safe... as long as you test it on a known good circuit before and after plugging it into suspect circuit.
--- End quote ---
That's true of multimeters as well.
It's why they sell these: https://www.fluke.com/en/product/electrical-testing/basic-testers/prv240-proving-unit
Without one of those your meter/lamp can only indicate the presence of voltage, not absence.
Gyro:
--- Quote from: wraper on September 05, 2024, 10:03:02 am ---
--- Quote from: Gyro on September 05, 2024, 09:39:31 am ---Use Electrician's tools.
--- End quote ---
Fluke 117 is literally an "Electricians Multimeter" https://www.fluke.com/en/product/electrical-testing/digital-multimeters/fluke-117
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As in marketing speak for a bunch of features useful for a commercial electrician and decent CAT rating. It won't tell you that you are testing whether a circuit is live with the probes in the A jack and the dial set to Volts. It won't blow up in your face but it is not intrinsically safe in proving a circuit dead, i.e. If somebody dies from touching a live circuit, it won't be deemed adequate in court, non-contact test is unreliable. I'm veering towards commercial installations at this point of course.
Read any of the manufacturers sheets (including Fluke) on safe isolation.
Fungus:
--- Quote from: Gyro on September 05, 2024, 10:13:57 am ---As in marketing speak for a bunch of features useful for a commercial electrician and decent CAT rating. It won't tell you that you are testing whether a circuit is live with the probes in the A jack and the dial set to Volts.
--- End quote ---
Doesn't the Fluke 117 have input jack alert? If it doesn't then it should be kept away from mains AC.
Me? I think the only "electricians meter" made by Fluke is the 113.
Gyro:
--- Quote from: Fungus on September 05, 2024, 10:06:36 am ---
--- Quote from: Gyro on September 05, 2024, 10:03:44 am ---
--- Quote ---Plug in a lamp, it tells you just as much info.
--- End quote ---
Sorry, we're going to have to disagree on this one. Yes a lamp is intrinsically safe... as long as you test it on a known good circuit before and after plugging it into suspect circuit.
--- End quote ---
That's true of multimeters as well.
It's why they sell these: https://www.fluke.com/en/product/electrical-testing/basic-testers/prv240-proving-unit
Without one of those your meter/lamp can only indicate the presence of voltage, not absence.
--- End quote ---
Yes,. Those proving unit's (that I mentioned) are sold for pre-post checking two pole testers as part of the standard safe isolation procedure. Unfortunately they won't power your lamp, hence you have wander off with it to find a live outlet. The sequence is... prove that the tester detects live voltage before, test the circuit and ensure that it reads dead, test the tester again to check that it didn't go faulty in the meantime. You can only assume that the tester worked last time, hence you need to check it again afterwards.
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