Author Topic: If you only had one meter?  (Read 13800 times)

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Offline Smokey

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #75 on: April 19, 2023, 10:07:04 am »
only one meter, huh?  How about alti...



or maybe vario...
 
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Offline Ed.Kloonk

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #76 on: April 19, 2023, 10:58:17 am »
So you know when to pull the 'chute.
iratus parum formica
 

Offline bdunham7

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #77 on: April 19, 2023, 03:16:27 pm »
Metrix MTX3293 has all that and some...

You forgot IP67.  And the F289 still has Lo-Z, conductance (nS) and a 500M range, all of which I have actually used.

Due to shifts in pricing, you can actually get the MTX 3293 here for about the same or even less than the F289.  Global Test Supply has them on sale for $765 and the Fluke combo kit with the IR cable is now $1050 from TEquipment or Transcat.  Fortive seems to be on a mission to see exactly how much their customers are willing to pay...  Of course in the case of industrial handhelds like the 289, you have the warranty to consider as well.
A 3.5 digit 4.5 digit 5 digit 5.5 digit 6.5 digit 7.5 digit DMM is good enough for most people.
 

Offline bdunham7

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #78 on: April 19, 2023, 03:18:38 pm »
only one meter, huh?  How about alti...

I'd definitely go with airspeed--everything else you can just look outside.
A 3.5 digit 4.5 digit 5 digit 5.5 digit 6.5 digit 7.5 digit DMM is good enough for most people.
 

Online 2N3055

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #79 on: April 19, 2023, 03:25:50 pm »
Metrix MTX3293 has all that and some...

You forgot IP67.  And the F289 still has Lo-Z, conductance (nS) and a 500M range, all of which I have actually used.

Due to shifts in pricing, you can actually get the MTX 3293 here for about the same or even less than the F289.  Global Test Supply has them on sale for $765 and the Fluke combo kit with the IR cable is now $1050 from TEquipment or Transcat.  Fortive seems to be on a mission to see exactly how much their customers are willing to pay...  Of course in the case of industrial handhelds like the 289, you have the warranty to consider as well.

Yes I didn't list all... MTX has Lo-Z but doesn't have conductance and 500MΩ range (only 100MΩ  :-DD).
I used conductance mode on Brymen few times, but usually only need such a high resistance ranges to test insulation so I use insulation tester for that. UNI-T 511 and it works decent enough...
"Just hard work is not enough - it must be applied sensibly."
Dr. Richard W. Hamming
 

Offline No.15

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #80 on: April 19, 2023, 07:32:52 pm »
My Brymen 869s probably, but I like my Fluke 77 that I have had forever :)
 

Offline bdunham7

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #81 on: April 19, 2023, 10:06:16 pm »
I used conductance mode on Brymen few times, but usually only need such a high resistance ranges to test insulation so I use insulation tester for that. UNI-T 511 and it works decent enough...

Conductance isn't a good replacement for an HV insulation tester (imagine testing a spark gap) but it actually is useful for looking at leakage on things like capacitors, although it takes a long time and you wouldn't do it routinely.  Of course other less$ meters have the feature too.  I haven't tried looking at capacitor DA by logging, but you can just eyeball the meter for  a few hours and sort of get an idea.  You can get a good idea about how good some types of capacitors really are in this area.  If you compare ceramic disc, silver mica, mylar, polypropylene film and polystyrene this way you can actually see the differences. 
A 3.5 digit 4.5 digit 5 digit 5.5 digit 6.5 digit 7.5 digit DMM is good enough for most people.
 
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Offline BeBuLamar

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #82 on: April 19, 2023, 11:00:57 pm »

- the build quality is perfect: the rotary switch is top, as well as the button design and button feeling when pressing


I have two 287 (which has the same quality rotary switch as the 289) which had the rotary switch broke off. But I won't complain about that because Fluke gave me brand new replacement meters under warranty.
 
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Offline Excavatoree

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #83 on: April 20, 2023, 01:10:38 am »
only one meter, huh?  How about alti...


I have one of those.  I was going to say I use it as a barometer, but I suppose it IS a barometer.   If the altimeter indicates that my house is climbing, I know the pressure is decreasing.   If it show my house is descending, I know the pressure is rising.  If the altitude indicates the actual altitude of my house, then I know the "altimeter setting" is the actual pressure.  (I think.)
 

Offline PushUp

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #84 on: April 21, 2023, 12:13:00 am »

- you can measure anything (apart from white LEDs in diode mode as 3.1V is max)

3.1V is enough to light a white LED.


Let me know, when you will succeed in doing so with a Fluke 289:





Cheers!  ;)
 

Offline vk6zgo

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #85 on: April 21, 2023, 12:43:18 am »

- you can measure anything (apart from white LEDs in diode mode as 3.1V is max)

3.1V is enough to light a white LED.


Let me know, when you will succeed in doing so with a Fluke 289:



Cheers!  ;)

DMMs can't do everything unassisted.

I had a bunch of LEDs to test with the Fluke 77.

For the ones it couldn't turn on, I just grabbed a half dead 9v battery, an appropriate series resistor from the junk box, & read the volts across the LED when it was lit,
Total cost of the "LED tester"------- zilch.
 

Online 2N3055

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #86 on: April 21, 2023, 06:06:33 am »

- you can measure anything (apart from white LEDs in diode mode as 3.1V is max)

3.1V is enough to light a white LED.

Metrix MTX3293 has 28V 10mA mode for zeners and leds... But not really economical to buy it just for that...  >:D
Let me know, when you will succeed in doing so with a Fluke 289:





Cheers!  ;)
"Just hard work is not enough - it must be applied sensibly."
Dr. Richard W. Hamming
 

Offline Andrew_Debbie

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #87 on: April 21, 2023, 11:00:04 am »
If I only had one meter, it would have to be a handheld. 

  I'd probalby get a Brymen 869.     If the 869 is out of budget, then a BM789.     

Fluke 87 is a good meter but it is too expensive.     Cost matters.  It always does.
 

Offline jonpaul

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #88 on: April 21, 2023, 03:01:33 pm »
Fluke 87V or 87 V max


jon
An Internet Dinosaur...
 

Offline bdunham7

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #89 on: April 21, 2023, 03:29:17 pm »
Let me know, when you will succeed in doing so with a Fluke 289:

I don't know about your white LEDs but here's mine, actually a bunch of them.  3.1V should light any single blue or white LED. 

A 3.5 digit 4.5 digit 5 digit 5.5 digit 6.5 digit 7.5 digit DMM is good enough for most people.
 

Offline bdunham7

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #90 on: April 21, 2023, 03:39:25 pm »
Fluke 87 is a good meter but it is too expensive.     Cost matters.  It always does.

How do you calculate cost?

My Fluke 289 from 2010 was $400 for a nice kit.  They respun the internals about 2016 but kept the same model number, pretty typical for Fluke.  A few years ago I had the supercap problem and I sent it back to them and of course they repaired a 12 year old meter for free.  Unfortunately it still had a minor issue with battery drain--still perfectly usable but not quite right.  They informed me that there was a part that was NLA and they couldn't fix it and I'd need a new meter--which they provided.  According to the terms of their warranty, even if they stopped making the model today I'd still have another seven years of warranty, for about 20 years total.  So for $400 I'm guaranteed a working meter for 20 years, or $20 per year.   I actually don't use mine all that much, but for someone using it professionally each and every day, $20 per annum seems pretty reasonable.
A 3.5 digit 4.5 digit 5 digit 5.5 digit 6.5 digit 7.5 digit DMM is good enough for most people.
 

Offline GigaJoe

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #91 on: April 22, 2023, 01:27:27 am »
how about OWON HDS242S as one universal
 

Offline Andrew_Debbie

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #92 on: April 22, 2023, 08:27:05 am »

How do you calculate cost?

My Fluke 289 from 2010 was $400 for a nice kit. So for $400 I'm guaranteed a working meter for 20 years, or $20 per year.   I actually don't use mine all that much, but for someone using it professionally each and every day, $20 per annum seems pretty reasonable.

You do have a point.   10+ years warranty has value.

  I bought a Beckman Tech 310 new in 1980.   It still works and is still in spec.   It was about $140 from Mouser, a huge amount of money for me at the time.   That's $500 adjusted for inflation.

I keep the 310 in my desk at work.  I still use it ocassionaly.

Support for the meter ended a long time ago.  When it dies, I'll probalby put it up on eBay so someone else can use the parts.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2023, 08:35:49 am by Andrew_Debbie »
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #93 on: April 22, 2023, 12:08:08 pm »
I actually don't use mine all that much, but for someone using it professionally each and every day, $20 per annum seems pretty reasonable.

Have you added in the cost of the batteries and eye strain over that period?
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #94 on: April 22, 2023, 12:09:13 pm »
I bought a Beckman Tech 310 new in 1980.   It still works and is still in spec.

Liar! Only Flukes can do that!!

(froth)
 

Offline Andrew_Debbie

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #95 on: April 22, 2023, 01:27:24 pm »
I bought a Beckman Tech 310 new in 1980.   It still works and is still in spec.

Liar! Only Flukes can do that!!

(froth)
;D    The orginal made in California Beckman DMMs were very durable.


« Last Edit: April 22, 2023, 01:29:44 pm by Andrew_Debbie »
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #96 on: April 22, 2023, 02:22:06 pm »
;D    The orginal made in California Beckman DMMs were very durable.

I think everybody on here that's old enough still has a 1980s Radio Shack meter that still works.
 

Offline Bud

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #97 on: April 22, 2023, 03:08:26 pm »
Fluke 87V or 87 V max


jon
It would Not be 87V for me because of the shitty display.  Beckman puts it in shame.
Facebook-free life and Rigol-free shack.
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #98 on: April 22, 2023, 03:26:28 pm »
Fluke 87V or 87 V max
It would Not be 87V for me because of the shitty display.  Beckman puts it in shame.

It wouldn't be the "max" either. The max is a rebadged 28 II and it can't light up LEDs (only 2V diode test voltage).
 

Offline BeBuLamar

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Re: If you only had one meter?
« Reply #99 on: April 22, 2023, 03:56:06 pm »
I actually don't use mine all that much, but for someone using it professionally each and every day, $20 per annum seems pretty reasonable.

Have you added in the cost of the batteries and eye strain over that period?

Yes the cost of batteries is very high when you use it daily. Yes the eye strain and the frustration of waiting for it to boot up as well as doing the autoranging in resistance measurement. I rarely use the continuilty feature to check for continuity I always use the resistance measurement (I need to know what kind of continuity it is) and it's too slow on autoranging. Bothersome to have to switch to manual ranging. So I avoid using it for my daily task (I let the other guys have that, I use the 87V).
 


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