[Boatanchors] need multimeter advice

W2HX w2hx at w2hx.com
Tue Sep 1 18:29:55 EDT 2009


Fluke 8840A/AF. I have a few! Love the bright blue VFD. Also love the GPIB,
very useful.  One thing I don't love is after taking a voltage measurement,
the display doesn't go back to zero volts when you disconnect the probes.
Apparently the input is so high impedance that the charge remains on the
instrument. You have to short the probes to get zero again. I am told this
is a feature. But for my use, not so useful. Aside from that I really like
it! Has offset capability, and you can adjust the speed at which it takes
measurements (1/sec 10/sec, 100/sec) and other neat features.

73 Eugene W2HX
-----Original Message-----
From: boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bob Hardie- W5UQ
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 6:12 PM
To: Alex Whitaker
Cc: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net; kf4nsradio at verizon.net
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] need multimeter advice

Me too.. Fluke meters are great....

HOWEVER, one CAN get a cheaper DMM's.  What I did was get a Fluke 179 
for my main DMM and then got a couple of cheaper ones. 
What "can happen"  is.... IF you use the current meter portion of the 
Fluke, then FORGET to change the leads back to voltage, it is easy to 
BLOW the DMM up. 

So get a cheap one and compare it with your Fluke while it IS working... 
record the differences and be ready to blow your Fluke up...
Unless you are reallllly careful....which I am....but CRS and old age 
has taken over.....So unless you are lucky....which I was not in this 
case...  you will forget and blow it up...

ALWAYS,,,,,,I mean not almost always, but _ALWAYS_ change the probe 
leads back to voltage when you move them to current and even "think" you 
may be finished... err on the side of caution..............

destructive comments are not welcome...    constructive and reasonable 
comments are... :-)
Bob

Alex Whitaker wrote:
> I was always partial to my Fluke 89 and 79, also to Simpson 260 and 460.
>  
> 73,
>  
> Alex AA9XY
>
> --- On Tue, 9/1/09, jcoward5452 at aol.com <jcoward5452 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: jcoward5452 at aol.com <jcoward5452 at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] need multimeter advice
> To: kf4nsradio at verizon.net, boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009, 4:25 PM
>
>
> Agilent make decent ones.Nice bright displays you can see across the 
> room.Check out the used equipment suppliers and renters.
> Jay
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dick KF4NS <kf4nsradio at verizon.net>
> To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> Sent: Tue, Sep 1, 2009 1:05 pm
> Subject: [Boatanchors] need multimeter advice
>
>
>
> Ok guys, I know this is likely to start a HUGE thread so please be as
> brief as possible.
>
> Over my 50+ years of electronics I have used so darn many multimeters
> starting with my first one being a Simpson 260 in the 1950's. My
> latest one being a Triplett DMM about to give up the ghost, I need to
> replace it.
>
> I want something that is true RMS, has lots of ranges, does not have
> to be autoranging, is of good accuracy, is sufficiently rugged, large
> display (not a pocket one) state of the art testing but not interested
> in computer interface, can be bench or handheld. I do not want to
> spend my whole month's social security on it but am willing to buy a
> "GOOD" one.
>
> I have looked at ads for Fluke, Mastech, Extech, RSR, BK Precision,
> Tenma, Amprobe, Protek, and so many others that I never heard of nor
> can I pronounce the name.
>
> Sock it to me!
>
> 73, Dick KF4NS
> St Petersburg, FL 33714 USA
> Keep The Glow!
>
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