Digital Multimeter
- Thread starter The Critic
- Start date
- Status
What about a Fluke 179 (177 plus temp probe)? This is what I am currently considering especially when working on the vehicle or HVAC/Fridge systems.
Good ole Fluke, I have a model 75 I bought in 1983, and my original true RMS 8060A that I was issued at work in 1986. Both work great. Not sure about their latest stuff.
I'm also not a fan of insulation piercing. Over time I've found the wire corrodes at the pierced point. I've used telco insulation piercing taps, but those are full of silicone gel so displace air.
Search Amazon for "back probe". The Electronic Specialities are long enough to touch metal in most any connector.
Search Amazon for "back probe". The Electronic Specialities are long enough to touch metal in most any connector.
I have used these Pomona retractable tip probes for years at work. Be carefull they are very sharp. You should be able to backprobe about anything. They are also very slim.
http://compare.ebay.com/like/321111046428?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar
http://compare.ebay.com/like/321111046428?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar
I own a Fluke 110 and used a 115 daily in a previous job and would highly recommend those. I had a cheaper meter that fail during a critical test and decided on nothing but Fluke after that. I've used those Flukes where electrocution was a real danger.
I would be pretty upset if my mechanic were to use the insulation probing tips on *my* car without my permission. Just back probe at a connector and save the destructive probing where it really needs it aka tracing opens or shorts on a specific wire and not as general electrical troubleshooting method.
Originally Posted By: cat843
Get a set of aligator test leads and a DVM from HF. If this is the one you will learn on, almost any DVM will do. I am not a fan of piercing insulation.
Have you obtained a copy of the directions to install it? Can you handle it? Some (Viper) do not include directions. The directions are only available to authorized installers.
Make sure you use top notch connectors. The ones included may just be OK.
Alligator test leads do sound like a good idea.
I do have the instructions for installation. The connections seem manageable - there are just more of them compared to my Prius (which was RSR). Although Directed does not officially provide support to DIYers, the information is out there. I am waiting for their new 4x10 unit to launch, as the new "one box" XpressStart One solution is very promising.
Get a set of aligator test leads and a DVM from HF. If this is the one you will learn on, almost any DVM will do. I am not a fan of piercing insulation.
Have you obtained a copy of the directions to install it? Can you handle it? Some (Viper) do not include directions. The directions are only available to authorized installers.
Make sure you use top notch connectors. The ones included may just be OK.
Alligator test leads do sound like a good idea.
I do have the instructions for installation. The connections seem manageable - there are just more of them compared to my Prius (which was RSR). Although Directed does not officially provide support to DIYers, the information is out there. I am waiting for their new 4x10 unit to launch, as the new "one box" XpressStart One solution is very promising.
If you think you will use it regularly and don't mind paying the premium, I would get a Fluke.
I own a Fluke 77 (purchased a long time ago when they were still made in the USA) as well as several other brand meters (Extech, Kleton, Agilent, a Wavetek in the past, Radio Shack analogue meters in the past). My go-to meter is the Fluke as it just seems to work well for most things. As an example, the continuity tester on the Fluke is just right, not overly damped or twitchy, just right. The diode tester on the Fluke works reliably. The auto-ranging of the ohms doesn't take forever like my Extech meter. Again, unlike my Extech, it stays powered on a good long time before going to sleep so you don't constantly have to power cycle the thing to wake it up if you are monitoring something for a long duration test. Unlike one of my previously owned meters, the LCD segments work over a reasonable temperature range. etc.
One other reason you might want to consider a Fluke is that, though the fuses may be expensive, you can be reasonably certain that they will always be available.
Now, my Fluke is not perfect mind you. The Extech I have has more digits which is very useful at times and is true RMS. However, the Fluke just seems to have been better thought out from a practical usage point-of-view. The old models at least seemed to be designed by people who actually used multimeters regularly as opposed to someone who just purchased a chipset and slapped it in a case.
If one can afford it, I think everyone should have at least one Fluke meter. The second meter can be something else but try to have at least one Fluke in the stable.
David
I own a Fluke 77 (purchased a long time ago when they were still made in the USA) as well as several other brand meters (Extech, Kleton, Agilent, a Wavetek in the past, Radio Shack analogue meters in the past). My go-to meter is the Fluke as it just seems to work well for most things. As an example, the continuity tester on the Fluke is just right, not overly damped or twitchy, just right. The diode tester on the Fluke works reliably. The auto-ranging of the ohms doesn't take forever like my Extech meter. Again, unlike my Extech, it stays powered on a good long time before going to sleep so you don't constantly have to power cycle the thing to wake it up if you are monitoring something for a long duration test. Unlike one of my previously owned meters, the LCD segments work over a reasonable temperature range. etc.
One other reason you might want to consider a Fluke is that, though the fuses may be expensive, you can be reasonably certain that they will always be available.
Now, my Fluke is not perfect mind you. The Extech I have has more digits which is very useful at times and is true RMS. However, the Fluke just seems to have been better thought out from a practical usage point-of-view. The old models at least seemed to be designed by people who actually used multimeters regularly as opposed to someone who just purchased a chipset and slapped it in a case.
If one can afford it, I think everyone should have at least one Fluke meter. The second meter can be something else but try to have at least one Fluke in the stable.
David
Notice something in this thread? All the folks touting the Fluke have old US made ones including myself.
No doubt they were the best but what about now that they are Chinese made?
I suspect just another cheap Chinese product with a brand name.
No doubt they were the best but what about now that they are Chinese made?
I suspect just another cheap Chinese product with a brand name.
Originally Posted By: Trav
Notice something in this thread? All the folks touting the Fluke have old US made ones including myself.
I guess I haven't purchased one lately to realize that they are now made in China. They used to have great turnaround when you sent in one for repair, but I haven't had to do that lately either. I think I sent my 77 in one time for repair and I got it back in a couple of days.
Moral of the story: Don't lend your Fluke out to somebody who was trying to (unknowingly by me) use it to test an electric cattle fencer.
Notice something in this thread? All the folks touting the Fluke have old US made ones including myself.
I guess I haven't purchased one lately to realize that they are now made in China. They used to have great turnaround when you sent in one for repair, but I haven't had to do that lately either. I think I sent my 77 in one time for repair and I got it back in a couple of days.
Moral of the story: Don't lend your Fluke out to somebody who was trying to (unknowingly by me) use it to test an electric cattle fencer.
I'm still using a Fluke 77 that I bought in 1981, but of course, it was Made in USA. If the current ones are Made in China, a $20 meter bought at WalMart will be sufficient.
If the one you are looking at is made in USA, I would just go ahead and buy it. That Fluke 77 I bought was expensive by 1981 standards (and to a 16 yr old), but worth it.
If the one you are looking at is made in USA, I would just go ahead and buy it. That Fluke 77 I bought was expensive by 1981 standards (and to a 16 yr old), but worth it.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Trav
Notice something in this thread? All the folks touting the Fluke have old US made ones including myself.
No doubt they were the best but what about now that they are Chinese made?
I suspect just another cheap Chinese product with a brand name.
Only their lower line meters are made in China; i.e., models 113, 114, 115, 116 ,117, etc.
Notice something in this thread? All the folks touting the Fluke have old US made ones including myself.
No doubt they were the best but what about now that they are Chinese made?
I suspect just another cheap Chinese product with a brand name.
Only their lower line meters are made in China; i.e., models 113, 114, 115, 116 ,117, etc.
That's good to know but i don't know to many auto repair guys buying high end Fluke either.
Honestly if they are going to have a Chinese cheap line they could call it another name by fluke and a different color.
I hate this garbage with making brand name stuff in China.
Honestly if they are going to have a Chinese cheap line they could call it another name by fluke and a different color.
I hate this garbage with making brand name stuff in China.
Actually I would say that the current Fluke products are, more likely than not, well made Chinese products. Where I used to work I had the opportunity to use various generations of Fluke meters: Fluke 115, Fluke 179, Fluke 77-3, Fluke 87, a few others. No doubt some of them were made overseas. They all worked well with perhaps the exception of that first generation Fluke 87 which didn't have very good battery life. The display on that particular unit would also lose a few digits once in a while (rare actually) until you took it apart and cleaned some contacts with alcohol. I believe they resolved those issues in the later generations. Anyways, there is a reason why most engineering and manufacturing offices tend to have Fluke meters as standard equipment. You can get them calibrated and get support from the US office. Now, I'm not saying other Chinese made meters are bad. I'm sure there are some very good ones, but, if I'm going to make a recommendation to someone without actually having first hand qualified a specific unit, I'm going to steer them towards Fluke.
BTW, the minimum Fluke model I would probably get these days would be the Fluke 115. (I don't know why they bother with the models that don't seem to measure current. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken here.)
BTW2, since The Critic lives in The Bay area, it might not be a bad idea to look on Craigslist for a used Fluke meter. They generally hold up well and seem to be able to survive those silly mistakes like measuring voltage in the ohms range, etc.
David
BTW, the minimum Fluke model I would probably get these days would be the Fluke 115. (I don't know why they bother with the models that don't seem to measure current. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken here.)
BTW2, since The Critic lives in The Bay area, it might not be a bad idea to look on Craigslist for a used Fluke meter. They generally hold up well and seem to be able to survive those silly mistakes like measuring voltage in the ohms range, etc.
David
Kestas
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I would be pretty upset if my mechanic were to use the insulation probing tips on *my* car without my permission. Just back probe at a connector and save the destructive probing where it really needs it aka tracing opens or shorts on a specific wire and not as general electrical troubleshooting method.
Not all connections can be back-probed. I use pins to breach the insulation, then attach probes to the pins.
I would be pretty upset if my mechanic were to use the insulation probing tips on *my* car without my permission. Just back probe at a connector and save the destructive probing where it really needs it aka tracing opens or shorts on a specific wire and not as general electrical troubleshooting method.
Not all connections can be back-probed. I use pins to breach the insulation, then attach probes to the pins.
+1
Though piercing the insulation would be my last resort, one can always seal the puncture afterwards with liquid electrical tape. Perhaps even put some regular tape around that if you need additional abrasion resistance.
Though piercing the insulation would be my last resort, one can always seal the puncture afterwards with liquid electrical tape. Perhaps even put some regular tape around that if you need additional abrasion resistance.
Surprised no one has mentioned Megger as a source of U.S. made test equipment, or Simpson, which was always a better instrument than Fluke in my book, but some Simpson's may be China made now.
Keithley is now part of Tektronix, so their stuff is probably Chinese made. All of the sub $1K Tektronix scopes I have seen are now made in China, but they look like nice scopes.
For tasks where damage to the instrument is a real possibility, I use a cheapie HF. I've fried these so hard they light up inside. I salvage the battery and fuses and move on.
Keithley is now part of Tektronix, so their stuff is probably Chinese made. All of the sub $1K Tektronix scopes I have seen are now made in China, but they look like nice scopes.
For tasks where damage to the instrument is a real possibility, I use a cheapie HF. I've fried these so hard they light up inside. I salvage the battery and fuses and move on.
The OP was installing a remote starter so almost any DVM can measure 12V DC and ohms would be fine. He needs a "starter" DVM.
While I have several, some are more favorite than others. And than means one or two are used so infrequently, that when I try to use it the battery (now many years old) is no good.
I was at the house of someone I started to date and she was impressed when I pulled a DVM from my car to fix her doorbell. Now there is a long list of things she needs help with.
While I have several, some are more favorite than others. And than means one or two are used so infrequently, that when I try to use it the battery (now many years old) is no good.
I was at the house of someone I started to date and she was impressed when I pulled a DVM from my car to fix her doorbell. Now there is a long list of things she needs help with.
Originally Posted By: Donald
The OP was installing a remote starter so almost any DVM can measure 12V DC and ohms would be fine. He needs a "starter" DVM.
What he needs has nothing to with what he wants! How long have you been on BITOG?
The OP was installing a remote starter so almost any DVM can measure 12V DC and ohms would be fine. He needs a "starter" DVM.
What he needs has nothing to with what he wants! How long have you been on BITOG?
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
