Poll

How many cycles will the KeySight U1281A's detent spring last?

0-2000
7 (17.9%)
2k-4k
5 (12.8%)
4k-8k
14 (35.9%)
8k-16k
7 (17.9%)
>16k (most rubust meter ever made)
6 (15.4%)

Total Members Voted: 36

Author Topic: Handheld meter robustness testing  (Read 1149552 times)

0 Members and 4 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline MacMeter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 321
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2600 on: July 17, 2018, 08:39:15 pm »
Cable box?
 

Offline bitseeker

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9057
  • Country: us
  • Lots of engineer-tweakable parts inside!
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2601 on: July 17, 2018, 09:07:22 pm »
So, more dead electronics.   I have a device that has several transistors, microcontroller, switches and such.  This device was not plugged in at the time of the strike.  I went to use it and it was totally dead.  I opened it up.  They use a glass fuse.  The glass was shattered.  Transistors were split in two.  Several traces were gone.  Again, it was not plugged in. 

Holy smokes! :o How in the world did it shatter the fuse? Was it that close to the tree?
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2602 on: July 17, 2018, 09:12:36 pm »
Cable box?

Another very good guess.  If I only watched TV.   :-DD 

Offline Vgkid

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2710
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2603 on: July 17, 2018, 09:15:13 pm »
Internet modem(our old one had a fuse)
If you own any North Hills Electronics gear, message me. L&N Fan
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2604 on: July 17, 2018, 09:18:37 pm »
So, more dead electronics.   I have a device that has several transistors, microcontroller, switches and such.  This device was not plugged in at the time of the strike.  I went to use it and it was totally dead.  I opened it up.  They use a glass fuse.  The glass was shattered.  Transistors were split in two.  Several traces were gone.  Again, it was not plugged in. 

Holy smokes! :o How in the world did it shatter the fuse? Was it that close to the tree?
The fuse is in-line with the secondary of a power transformer.  The primary would normally go to the AC outlet.   It was not plugged in and that glass shattered like what I have shown many times with my testing.   

Offline rsjsouza

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 5980
  • Country: us
  • Eternally curious
    • Vbe - vídeo blog eletrônico
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2605 on: July 17, 2018, 09:19:01 pm »
Harbor Freight DMM?  :-DD

That or an AM/FM radio. I could see something with an antenna being "fried" by EMP.

HF meter is a very good guess.  I'll give you another clue, the transient did not come through the power cord, or through the air.  You know it hit a tree.... 

So, several traces, three transistors, exploded glass fuse and a shorted 104 cap.    After about 2 hours of work, I tried to run it and the microcontroller is hot.  No other activity.  On the plus side, easy to order a new one and get on with the next video...  I've got a date with a cheap meter and want to design the most unimpressive differential probe ever...
Wow... the sprinkler system then took quite a hit. I can imagine, as the "step voltage" is quite high.

("step voltage" is a technical term we used in Brazil to name the difference of potential between a "living thing's" feet while walking in the ground close to an electrical event such as a lightning strike - this was particularly troublesome for cattle farmers).
Vbe - vídeo blog eletrônico http://videos.vbeletronico.com

Oh, the "whys" of the datasheets... The information is there not to be an axiomatic truth, but instead each speck of data must be slowly inhaled while carefully performing a deep search inside oneself to find the true metaphysical sense...
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2606 on: July 17, 2018, 09:23:48 pm »
Internet modem(our old one had a fuse)

Well, that modem was dead for sure.  As a matter of fact, the coax enters the house and goes to the modem.  That's it.   And again, it hit the phone lines which are not connected to anything.  It also I suspect caused a huge common mode voltage on the mains which I suspect damaged some of my test equipment that was still plugged in but turned off at the time at both the equipment and power strips. 

So let me give you another clue.  To replace this device will cost me between $50 and $100.  The old one uses a National COP if anyone remembers them. 




Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2607 on: July 17, 2018, 09:28:45 pm »
Harbor Freight DMM?  :-DD

That or an AM/FM radio. I could see something with an antenna being "fried" by EMP.

HF meter is a very good guess.  I'll give you another clue, the transient did not come through the power cord, or through the air.  You know it hit a tree.... 

So, several traces, three transistors, exploded glass fuse and a shorted 104 cap.    After about 2 hours of work, I tried to run it and the microcontroller is hot.  No other activity.  On the plus side, easy to order a new one and get on with the next video...  I've got a date with a cheap meter and want to design the most unimpressive differential probe ever...
Wow... the sprinkler system then took quite a hit. I can imagine, as the "step voltage" is quite high.

("step voltage" is a technical term we used in Brazil to name the difference of potential between a "living thing's" feet while walking in the ground close to an electrical event such as a lightning strike - this was particularly troublesome for cattle farmers).

BINGO!!! We have a winner!!!  :-DD   

The solenoids are very close to that tree.  I checked their resistance and cycled them.  Everything appears fine.     

Offline MacMeter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 321
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2608 on: July 17, 2018, 10:17:51 pm »
“Hey God, there is this dude down there that likes to torture innocent meters with voltage transients.”
GOD: “Really, well let me show him what a real TRANSIENT is!”

Nah, I’m sure it’s just a one in a million coincidence.....
 
The following users thanked this post: tautech, Kean

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2609 on: July 17, 2018, 11:28:23 pm »
I've seen bigger transients captured on Youtube.

Offline bitseeker

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9057
  • Country: us
  • Lots of engineer-tweakable parts inside!
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2610 on: July 17, 2018, 11:55:10 pm »
So, more dead electronics.   I have a device that has several transistors, microcontroller, switches and such.  This device was not plugged in at the time of the strike.  I went to use it and it was totally dead.  I opened it up.  They use a glass fuse.  The glass was shattered.  Transistors were split in two.  Several traces were gone.  Again, it was not plugged in. 

Holy smokes! :o How in the world did it shatter the fuse? Was it that close to the tree?
The fuse is in-line with the secondary of a power transformer.  The primary would normally go to the AC outlet.   It was not plugged in and that glass shattered like what I have shown many times with my testing.

Ah, no wonder.

Wow... the sprinkler system then took quite a hit. I can imagine, as the "step voltage" is quite high.

("step voltage" is a technical term we used in Brazil to name the difference of potential between a "living thing's" feet while walking in the ground close to an electrical event such as a lightning strike - this was particularly troublesome for cattle farmers).

BINGO!!! We have a winner!!!  :-DD   

The solenoids are very close to that tree.  I checked their resistance and cycled them.  Everything appears fine.     

Yep, all the clues fit together.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline rsjsouza

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 5980
  • Country: us
  • Eternally curious
    • Vbe - vídeo blog eletrônico
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2611 on: July 18, 2018, 02:02:11 am »
Joe, I don't know what control unit you had or how many stations, but I recently replaced an ancient Toro unit with this one from Orbit. The advantage is that it is enclosed, which even in a garage it will probably have a long life (my older unit was eaten from rust coming from dust and spider webs).
Vbe - vídeo blog eletrônico http://videos.vbeletronico.com

Oh, the "whys" of the datasheets... The information is there not to be an axiomatic truth, but instead each speck of data must be slowly inhaled while carefully performing a deep search inside oneself to find the true metaphysical sense...
 

Offline MacMeter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 321
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2612 on: July 18, 2018, 02:38:15 am »
I've seen bigger transients captured on Youtube.

Sure, but they weren’t aimed at your home .... we just need a nickname for you now.

Lightning Joe?

Anyone????
 

Offline tautech

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 28136
  • Country: nz
  • Taupaki Technologies Ltd. Siglent Distributor NZ.
    • Taupaki Technologies Ltd.
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2613 on: July 18, 2018, 02:52:11 am »
I've seen bigger transients captured on Youtube.

Sure, but they weren’t aimed at your home .... we just need a nickname for you now.

Lightning Joe?

Anyone????
:-DD

Nearly.......Joe Lightning ! ! !
Avid Rabid Hobbyist
Siglent Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiglentVideo/videos
 
The following users thanked this post: MacMeter

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2614 on: July 18, 2018, 02:20:20 pm »
Joe, I don't know what control unit you had or how many stations, but I recently replaced an ancient Toro unit with this one from Orbit. The advantage is that it is enclosed, which even in a garage it will probably have a long life (my older unit was eaten from rust coming from dust and spider webs).

Your ancient Toro controller was much newer than mine.  :-DD  Mine uses a mechanical timer with programming pins.  Why they even put a microcontroller in there, I am not sure. 

I started to look at new ones but they all take a battery for the RTC.  I don't need it to call my cell phone that I don't have have, update my blog or graph my water usage.  It's grass, it gets water, don't over complicate it.   :-DD

I've seen bigger transients captured on Youtube.

Sure, but they weren’t aimed at your home .... we just need a nickname for you now.

Lightning Joe?

Anyone????
:-DD

Nearly.......Joe Lightning ! ! !

Now I need some sort of Joe Lightning intro for all my videos along with an action figure.   :-DD   

Offline rsjsouza

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 5980
  • Country: us
  • Eternally curious
    • Vbe - vídeo blog eletrônico
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2615 on: July 18, 2018, 02:43:37 pm »
Joe, I don't know what control unit you had or how many stations, but I recently replaced an ancient Toro unit with this one from Orbit. The advantage is that it is enclosed, which even in a garage it will probably have a long life (my older unit was eaten from rust coming from dust and spider webs).

Your ancient Toro controller was much newer than mine.  :-DD  Mine uses a mechanical timer with programming pins.  Why they even put a microcontroller in there, I am not sure. 

I started to look at new ones but they all take a battery for the RTC.  I don't need it to call my cell phone that I don't have have, update my blog or graph my water usage.  It's grass, it gets water, don't over complicate it.   :-DD
That was a concern of mine as well; both units (the old and the new) only use it for the RTC and to keep the programming in a power failure. I explicitly avoided the Wi-fi connected units because of that.
Vbe - vídeo blog eletrônico http://videos.vbeletronico.com

Oh, the "whys" of the datasheets... The information is there not to be an axiomatic truth, but instead each speck of data must be slowly inhaled while carefully performing a deep search inside oneself to find the true metaphysical sense...
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2616 on: July 18, 2018, 09:44:17 pm »
I plan to start work on the Meterk MK01A soon.

Offline Cliff Matthews

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 1910
  • Country: ca
    • General Repair and Support
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2617 on: July 18, 2018, 09:53:58 pm »
I plan to start work on the Meterk MK01A soon.
Kind of amazed it stayed in focus (if it only knew what was in store for it, it would be doing the 4th of July quiver)..  :-DD
 

Offline MacMeter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 321
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2618 on: July 18, 2018, 10:04:58 pm »
I plan to start work on the Meterk MK01A soon.

Joe Lightning STRIKES AGAIN!! Look forward to the $9.00 shootout....
 

Offline tautech

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 28136
  • Country: nz
  • Taupaki Technologies Ltd. Siglent Distributor NZ.
    • Taupaki Technologies Ltd.
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2619 on: July 18, 2018, 10:13:30 pm »
Now I need some sort of Joe Lightning intro for all my videos along with an action figure.   :-DD   
Fits you quite well IMO Joe, when at home busting meters, sparks and smoke all over the place and when you're on the drag bike .....lightning fast !
Avid Rabid Hobbyist
Siglent Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiglentVideo/videos
 
The following users thanked this post: joeqsmith

Offline bitseeker

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9057
  • Country: us
  • Lots of engineer-tweakable parts inside!
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2620 on: July 19, 2018, 02:47:52 am »
Nice job with that new "spare parts" diff probe, Joe.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 1910
  • Country: ca
    • General Repair and Support
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2621 on: July 19, 2018, 03:05:17 am »
That was one fine "8 Mhz probe"  :-+
 

Offline malagas_on_fire

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 591
  • Country: pt
  • Kernel Panic
    • Malagas Lair
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2622 on: July 19, 2018, 09:37:11 am »
Hi there, im looking forward to see how the mertek meter performs. In addition to comments on the video, could you show the ceramic fuses internals?
If one can make knowledge flow than it will go from negative to positve , for real
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2623 on: July 19, 2018, 12:43:40 pm »
Hi there, im looking forward to see how the mertek meter performs. In addition to comments on the video, could you show the ceramic fuses internals?
I plan to pull both fuses apart after seeing where they open up at.   

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11630
  • Country: us
Re: Handheld meter electrical robustness testing.
« Reply #2624 on: July 19, 2018, 12:56:47 pm »
Nice job with that new "spare parts" diff probe, Joe.

That was one fine "8 Mhz probe"  :-+

It works better than I expected it would.  Looks like the price for the MICSIG DP10013 jumped $30 USD on Amazon since the last time I looked. 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf