https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-TL81A-Test-Deluxe-Electronic/dp/B000NI2B6A/ref=pd_lutyp_rtpb_sccl_2_1/142-3653234-3875240?pd_rd_w=8wX1f&content-id=amzn1.sym.9c90becd-3e6e-4609-85c5-d4298ba525ad&pf_rd_p=9c90becd-3e6e-4609-85c5-d4298ba525ad&pf_rd_r=W2VAXEFG42ZY2RN15N9V&pd_rd_wg=Tc99b&pd_rd_r=eca67892-4420-4869-8d8e-145a23c7fb1f&pd_rd_i=B000NI2B6A&th=1
Some of their handheld DVMs are over $400.
Sometimes I also question their design decisions. I have the Fluke 8845A
bench meter. It puts out around 10V (!) in the ohms ranges. That will
easily blow reverse Vbe of a modern RF transistor which is often 2-3V
abs max. Some might just zener and still kind of work but their noise
figure and possibly hfe might then be shot. The old annealing trick by
crunching a burning cigarette butt on top of the transistor won't work
well anymore since they are flea-sized plastic packages, and almost
nobody smokes anymore.
My cheapo Harborfreight meter applies less than 300mV. So right now on
an RF board I am using a $5 meter because the $1000+ meter isn't up to
the job.
At the very least I'd have expected Fluke to provide aselectable lower
voltage while sacrificing accuracy. Being off by 0.1% in the ohms range
sure beats blowing an unobtanium RF part.
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/
I paid $275 for an original crispy flavor(*) Fluke 87 in about 1989.
Cheers
Phil Hobbs
(*) apologies to the late Jim Thompson
--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
http://electrooptical.nethttp://hobbs-eo.com
> Sometimes I also question their design decisions. I have the Fluke 8845A
> bench meter. It puts out around 10V (!) in the ohms ranges. That will
> easily blow reverse Vbe of a modern RF transistor which is often 2-3V
> abs max. Some might just zener and still kind of work but their noise
> figure and possibly hfe might then be shot. The old annealing trick by
> crunching a burning cigarette butt on top of the transistor won't work
> well anymore since they are flea-sized plastic packages, and almost
> nobody smokes anymore.
>
> My cheapo Harborfreight meter applies less than 300mV. So right now on
> an RF board I am using a $5 meter because the $1000+ meter isn't up to
> the job.
>
> At the very least I'd have expected Fluke to provide aselectable lower
> voltage while sacrificing accuracy. Being off by 0.1% in the ohms range
> sure beats blowing an unobtanium RF part.
When Fluke took over Philips Instruments, they tried to sell me a
replacement for my Philips PM2518. The salesman was talking rubbish
about the Philips putting out RFI on the test leads and the Fluke
'specification' sheet was just a glossy advert full of glib phrases that
were obviously designed to cover up the limitations of their meter.
I wrote to their technical department requesting a proper specification
sheet and received another copy of the advertisment - so I wrote again
saying "Have received advertisment, now please send specification as
requested".
The next day I got a 'phone call from their chief salesman. He was
furious and told me I was a fool not to buy one of their meters and
nobody expected a specification sheet that showed up where the meter
might lose accuracy (the Philips specification *booklet* had graphs to
show the areas of greatest and least accuracy). What a way to treat a
potential customer!
I bought another Philips before Fluke could stop their production.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
Reply by John Larkin●November 9, 20232023-11-09
On Wed, 8 Nov 2023 13:43:05 -0800, Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com>
wrote:
I really like my 8845A. It's much better than the contemporary
Keithley or HP meters. It will really measure micovolts.
10 volts on the ohms ranges is good, as long as you know about it. It
tests diodes and zeners and such. The current is low so is unlikely to
damage anything.
My 8845 hasn't been calibrated in human memory. I connected it to a
new Keysight SMU and their voltage measurements agreed to a few PPM.
Reply by john larkin●November 9, 20232023-11-09
On Wed, 8 Nov 2023 18:12:38 -0500, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:
Darned board. ;)
Phil Hobbs
--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC /
Hobbs ElectroOptics Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics