Author Topic: fluke dmm, really need help (Read 7385 times)

Z80 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 13, 2018, 08:50:00 am »

This is a textbook example of the bad advice given to beginners, to get something like a Fluke 87 on the basis of 'safety'. The OP has discovered that the fuses for this thing aren't cheap and out of desparation fitted random items from the local hardware store and has ended up with a 'safe' meter that's now more dangerous than the cheapest, crappiest ebay special. Even worse, say out of frustration he sells it on and it ends up back in an electricians toolbag (where it belongs) and gets used in real CATIII CATIV environments with dollar store fuses inside, I don't think need to say what may happen next.
To the OP, I'm sorry you got taken for a ride by your neighbour and you ended up with a bad choice of meter for what you want to do. If you do decide to sell it, please either fit the correct Fluke fuses or remove them and let the buyer know they are not fitted.

hayatepilot · « **Reply #26 on:** July 13, 2018, 09:45:29 am »

Proper fuses are not too expensive (at least in the US).
I found those on ebay from a US seller:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-440-mA-0-4A-1000V-Fuse-44-100A-DMM-44-100-Digital-Multimeter-fuses-/152636593083
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-11A-1000V-DMM-11-A-Digital-Multimeter-Fuse-87-V-88-V-287-289-179-US-SELLER-/161104330017

Directly from China they are even less:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/322201723932

Z80 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 13, 2018, 10:00:06 am »

Quote from: hayatepilot on July 13, 2018, 09:45:29 am

Proper fuses are not too expensive (at least in the US).
I found those on ebay from a US seller:

The US seller is using the cheap item but $30 postage trick so not such a good deal after all. Sure you can take a gamble and buy cheap random stuff from China but are they real? Do you want to find out the hard way? Do yourself a favour and get a decent meter with cheap safe fuses you can obtain from a reputable dealer, why put yourself through the ebay gamble pain.

hayatepilot · « **Reply #28 on:** July 13, 2018, 11:48:00 am »

Quote from: Z80 on July 13, 2018, 10:00:06 am

Quote from: hayatepilot on July 13, 2018, 09:45:29 am
Proper fuses are not too expensive (at least in the US).
I found those on ebay from a US seller:

The US seller is using the cheap item but $30 postage trick so not such a good deal after all. Sure you can take a gamble and buy cheap random stuff from China but are they real? Do you want to find out the hard way? Do yourself a favour and get a decent meter with cheap safe fuses you can obtain from a reputable dealer, why put yourself through the ebay gamble pain.

Yes for people in europe the shipping is $30 but within the US the shipping is free. And since the OP is from the US...
I thought he might want to buy local since he would have the fuses much sooner.

rsjsouza · « **Reply #29 on:** July 13, 2018, 12:08:21 pm »

Well done for working to get what you needed! That mindset will take you very far.

Regarding the fuses, I think I can help you out. Please send me a PM with your address.

james_s · « **Reply #30 on:** July 13, 2018, 03:10:14 pm »

Quote from: Z80 on July 13, 2018, 08:50:00 am

This is a textbook example of the bad advice given to beginners, to get something like a Fluke 87 on the basis of 'safety'. The OP has discovered that the fuses for this thing aren't cheap and out of desparation fitted random items from the local hardware store and has ended up with a 'safe' meter that's now more dangerous than the cheapest, crappiest ebay special. Even worse, say out of frustration he sells it on and it ends up back in an electricians toolbag (where it belongs) and gets used in real CATIII CATIV environments with dollar store fuses inside, I don't think need to say what may happen next.
To the OP, I'm sorry you got taken for a ride by your neighbour and you ended up with a bad choice of meter for what you want to do. If you do decide to sell it, please either fit the correct Fluke fuses or remove them and let the buyer know they are not fitted.

I don't see how a good meter with cheap fuses fitted is more dangerous than a cheap meter with those same inappropriate fuses. The fuses are one of the areas cheap meters most often skimp, but putting those same fuses in a Fluke does not suddenly make it *more* dangerous than the cheap meter.

Anyone who buys a used meter and takes it to a jobsite without even having a look inside first has only themselves to blame if something goes wrong. Whenever I buy used gear I always open the lid and inspect it for any sort of surprises prior to even trying to use it.

Mr. Scram · « **Reply #31 on:** July 13, 2018, 05:33:04 pm »

Quote from: hayatepilot on July 13, 2018, 09:45:29 am

Proper fuses are not too expensive (at least in the US).
I found those on ebay from a US seller:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-440-mA-0-4A-1000V-Fuse-44-100A-DMM-44-100-Digital-Multimeter-fuses-/152636593083
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-11A-1000V-DMM-11-A-Digital-Multimeter-Fuse-87-V-88-V-287-289-179-US-SELLER-/161104330017

Directly from China they are even less:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/322201723932

Please get your fuses from reputable sources.

MosherIV · « **Reply #32 on:** July 13, 2018, 05:53:09 pm »

Quote

Well done for working to get what you needed! That mindset will take you very far.

Regarding the fuses, I think I can help you out. Please send me a PM with your address.

That is really nice of you rsjsouza.

Just love the community spirit here

Cody Turner OKC · « **Reply #33 on:** July 13, 2018, 10:13:26 pm »

Hey guys, thanks everyone for the advice, as I had said earlier up I ended up taking the fuses out due to the advice! And the problem is not that im being cheap trying to get some cheap fuses, the prob is that I am to young for a debit card or any way to order something from the internet and parents/ "family" could care less to help me with something! which is why i posted all of this to begin with, if I had the money and was old enough to order, trust me i would have some proper fuses on the way now! And wow, thank you very much to rsjsouza!

ArthurDent · « **Reply #34 on:** July 13, 2018, 10:39:10 pm »

One red flag I see is the meter as you received it had blown fuses which could mean that it was abused. If you are correct that it reads incorrectly on other ranges then maybe the fuses aren't the only problem. If you could get in touch with a local ham or technical school and explain your situation they might be willing to do a quick check to see if there are other problems.

On the fuses, definitely get fuses of the correct rating. The FNM-5 fuse you got has 2 problems-1st the 5A is way too high and 2nd it is a slow blow fuse and the meter specifies a fast blow fuse. Even a slow blow fuse of the correct rating will take longer to blow and may not protect the meter. The fuses specified are filled with a powder to prevent arcing if you blow the fuse when measuring current on higher voltages circuits.

ArthurDent · « **Reply #35 on:** July 13, 2018, 10:58:20 pm »

Manual info-

james_s · « **Reply #36 on:** July 14, 2018, 02:56:01 am »

Fluke meters are well known for being tolerant of abuse. The fuses are supposed to blow before damage occurs to the meter. They're not foolproof but I wouldn't assume there are issues just because of blown fuses. I've blown the fuses in mine a couple times too, not recently but it's easy to do if you're going back and forth between measuring voltage and current.

mzacharias · « **Reply #37 on:** July 15, 2018, 07:33:32 pm »

The flaky behavior could have been due to intermittent switch contacts, both on the front main switch and the rear switch for the carbon tracks. Also, the carbon could have shed some, making for weird symptoms. Very common issue with the original 87, and the 87III is very similar.

I recommend De-Oxit D-100L with the needle applicator for the main switch. Do NOT spray any cleaner so as to get on the board itself.
Clean the rear carbon tracks with a dry cotton bud, or the same bud moistened with De-Oxit.

retiredcaps · « **Reply #38 on:** July 15, 2018, 08:54:57 pm »

Quote from: mzacharias on July 15, 2018, 07:33:32 pm

The flaky behavior could have been due to intermittent switch contacts, both on the front main switch and the rear switch for the carbon tracks.

see

http://mrmodemhead.com/blog/fluke-83-iii-rotary-switch/

Cody Turner OKC · « **Reply #39 on:** July 22, 2018, 05:05:12 pm »

Hey guys, I got the Fuses from rsjsouza yesterday, and after spending hours working on the meter I have made a new post in the repair section about the Current input issues that consist, althought all the other functions work great! Thanks everyone for the help and here is a link to the new post if you would like to follow up!!

https://eevblog.com/forum/repair/fluke-87iii-broken-current-input/

quinones · « **Reply #40 on:** July 23, 2018, 09:04:24 am »

You may be too young to get a debit card but being in the US you should be able to get an Amazon gift card, and there appear to be proper fuses available there.

tooki · « **Reply #41 on:** July 23, 2018, 03:07:02 pm »

Quote from: Cody Turner OKC on July 13, 2018, 10:13:26 pm

Hey guys, thanks everyone for the advice, as I had said earlier up I ended up taking the fuses out due to the advice! And the problem is not that im being cheap trying to get some cheap fuses, the prob is that I am to young for a debit card or any way to order something from the internet and parents/ "family" could care less to help me with something! which is why i posted all of this to begin with, if I had the money and was old enough to order, trust me i would have some proper fuses on the way now! And wow, thank you very much to rsjsouza!

FYI, you can get prepaid credit cards (sold as Visa/MC/AMEX “gift cards”) at Target, Wal-Mart, drug stores, etc. You just load them up with cash at the store. (At least initially, not sure about refilling.) Then you can use those online.

Cody Turner OKC · « **Reply #42 on:** July 23, 2018, 03:38:19 pm »

Well my parents kind of take any money I have for there problems so the only money I do have is hidden and if I did that and we got a package from Amazon or something during the day while I was at school and they got it I would be dead in trouble for not giving then the money :/ but he sent me fuses and since they came from a personal letter they just threw it on my bed and didn't ask questions!

IanB · « **Reply #43 on:** July 23, 2018, 04:20:22 pm »

Quote from: Cody Turner OKC on July 23, 2018, 03:38:19 pm

Well my parents kind of take any money I have for there problems so the only money I do have is hidden and if I did that and we got a package from Amazon or something during the day while I was at school and they got it I would be dead in trouble for not giving then the money :/ but he sent me fuses and since they came from a personal letter they just threw it on my bed and didn't ask questions!

Oh my, you need new parents

james_s · « **Reply #44 on:** July 23, 2018, 04:27:10 pm »

Have stuff sent to a friend's place and go pick it up from there, then you can say someone gave it to you.

Mr. Scram · « **Reply #45 on:** July 23, 2018, 04:35:22 pm »

Quote from: Cody Turner OKC on July 23, 2018, 03:38:19 pm

Well my parents kind of take any money I have for there problems so the only money I do have is hidden and if I did that and we got a package from Amazon or something during the day while I was at school and they got it I would be dead in trouble for not giving then the money :/ but he sent me fuses and since they came from a personal letter they just threw it on my bed and didn't ask questions!

That doesn't sound like a good situation. Is talking to them about it an option?

Cody Turner OKC · « **Reply #46 on:** July 23, 2018, 09:01:38 pm »

No, They care about thereselfes and there bad habits and thats it, I am too embarrased to try and ask a friend to have it sent to them, I have to explain enough already about why they cant come over and why there is always problems, usually if i leave my parents alone, they leave me alone, and I am happy, otherwise they make my life terrible, thank you for the ideas though guys, you all have helped me more on this post then I have ever remembered being helped by my parents, it feels good for once, I think i figured out my meter problem to, I havent found replacments yet but im looking through boards of tear downs i have done for the diode bridge and smd diode, im on summer brake at school right now so I have lots of time!

james_s · « **Reply #47 on:** July 23, 2018, 09:10:46 pm »

Man, get out of there as soon as you can, that sounds like a losing environment. In the meantime stay focused on school and do the best you can there, not to sound cliche but a good education is your ticket out of that mess.

Mp3 · « **Reply #48 on:** July 23, 2018, 09:31:44 pm »

Yup that is very true, the kid's got a good work ethic so i'm not worried about him, i feel for him because i have friends whose parents acted the same way when we were growing up. i don't know how long you have to go before college applications Cody but work hard towards that and you will be very happy

Watch a lot of joe smith's youtube videos too. I don't know a single resource online that has more meters being destroyed and repaired with such clear and easy to digest material.

Mr. Scram · « **Reply #49 on:** July 24, 2018, 07:23:10 am »

Quote from: Cody Turner OKC on July 23, 2018, 09:01:38 pm

No, They care about thereselfes and there bad habits and thats it, I am too embarrased to try and ask a friend to have it sent to them, I have to explain enough already about why they cant come over and why there is always problems, usually if i leave my parents alone, they leave me alone, and I am happy, otherwise they make my life terrible, thank you for the ideas though guys, you all have helped me more on this post then I have ever remembered being helped by my parents, it feels good for once, I think i figured out my meter problem to, I havent found replacments yet but im looking through boards of tear downs i have done for the diode bridge and smd diode, im on summer brake at school right now so I have lots of time!

That doesn't sound like a great situation. Just know that the world can seem like a terrible place at times and it sometimes is, but that it's also full of people who are willing to help you. There are plenty of incredible people who often materialise when you think things couldn't get worse. Remember that your current situation isn't the rest of your life. As other people have said, make sure to develop your skills and do well in school. Having success is the best answer to people causing you trouble.

If you ever need some help with electronics or your more general situation, don't be afraid to ask. It sounds like an already unfair situation, you shouldn't have to keep it a secret and do it all on your own for fear of people thinking badly about you. Even just talking about it could help.


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Author Topic: fluke dmm, really need help (Read 7385 times)

Z80

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