Fluke 289 - yet a good investment nowadays?

[arturmariojr]

Hi, experts!
After decades I could buy one pre-owned Fluke 289.
A big meter and I was workin and trying some measures on it's  main characteristc, as I thought: the trend graphic and data logging.
I have to say I'm quite disappointed with its performance.
I put my function generator on step mode (just 8 steps) and at 1Hz (so, steps were at 1/8 s), and other frequencies, up to 10Hz. This shoild be much less faster than aquisitiion rate stated on manual (I believe 100ms).
But the trend graphic can't repesent the real signal.
On Burst mode, for simulating spurious signal, It can't detect them too (VDC, 10v pulse, 0.1s).
Beyond such bad real results, display just't can be read without back light.
Using constantly backlight will consume faster the batteries. I really don't worry about this, as I can adapt a LiIon battery and charge circuits and never more will need to replace batteries.
I'm wondering: nowadays, we have tens of multimeters with oscilloscope function, even Fluke has their scopemeters. They shine with color LCDs, rechargeable batteries too.
Is Fluke 289 still a good investment, considering it's high price? And for a datalogging tool, it lacks the connection adapter, sold for high prices too...

What are your opnion?  Could a multimeter-oscilloscope like Owon HDS2202 - 200MHz do the same tasks?
Thanks for sharing your comments with me!
Artur

[pcbcrew]

For me, reliability is crucial.

Around 4-5 years ago, I spent several hours troubleshooting a PCB I had designed. It wasn't functioning properly for some unknown reason. When I attempted to measure the VCC voltage of the microcontroller using a multimeter, I found that it was reading around 2.5V instead of the expected 3.3V. It made my time wasted a lot, until I found that the multimeter reading in 10V range was incorrect.
I was only measuring some DC voltages with it. I didn't think I had put some surge on it in anytime since I'd bought it.

Following this discovery, I decided to assess the accuracy of the readings from the handheld digital multimeters (DMMs) I owned at that time. I had models from Uni-T, Owon, Victor, and Fluke. Only Fluke and Owon consistently provided accurate readings for all DC voltage ranges.

As Fluke's interface was simpler than Owon, I've been using the Fluke multimeter for my daily tasks ever since.

In my opinion, investing on Fluke 110 multimeter was worth enough for my daily use of 3.5-digit multimeter.
And if I need 4.5-digit multimeter for daily use, I'll choose Fluke 289 (or similar) without any reservation.

[kripton2035]

I don't like the display of the 289 at all. and I read here on eevblog that they empty their batteries very fast...
I don't have one, so I can't argue more, but I have a 189 for years that I really like.
I also bought it second hand for a lower price than a 289.


I also have a fluke 867b that I really like too, and I use it for the trend measurments.

[BeBuLamar]

I tend to agree with the OP. I have the 189, 287 and 289. I like the 189 a lot more. I didn't have to buy either the 287 or 289. I don't know but I think I can only get the 289/287 to log about 1 reading per second.

[arturmariojr]

Hummm, It seems It does measures between the minimal 1s interval. It is dificult to affirm this, but moving on measurents on graph It stops on intermediate points. So, the real signal can be aproximated. But It shows out data to seconds only, so, this is my conclusion.

[BeBuLamar]

As for reliablility the reason I have the 287 because the company I worked for has a number of them. 2 of them got the dials just broken off for no reason. They were to throw it away and I asked the boss to give one to me and I sent it to Fluke. Fluke gave me a new 287. The company bought the 289 for me to use and they gave it to me when I retired. They also gave me an 87V and I used that one much more often than the 289.
Besides from the low contrast display. The 287/289 are slow to boot up. They also autorange in the resistance function slowly. Also the power on/off button is located at about the same place as the backlight button on other Fluke so I tend to turn the meter off when I want to turn on the backlight.

[luudee]

I bought mine very long time ago 10 years+ or so ...

I am very happy with it, and just recently had it professionally calibrated by the local cal. lab.

I have not needed for my 289 to perform that particular task you are trying to do.
I have other instruments for that ..

But I am extremely happy with my 289.

Yes it is true that it is a bit power hungry, depending on usage I have to replace the batteries
about every 6 months. It's very annoying, but such is life ! ;-)

Good Luck,
rudi

[AndyC_772]

I have a 289, which I refer to as my 'travel multimeter'.

If I need to go to a customer site, it's the one I take with me, knowing it can do anything at all that I'll need it to do. It's accurate, capable, and reliable - all the things that really matter on site. It's never 'wrong'.

Back in my lab, though, I rarely use it, for the same reasons as many others have mentioned - slow to boot, battery life not great, display contrast not as good as it could be. Instead I use my Keysight 33465A, or sometimes my Fluke 89 IV.

[voltsandjolts]

IMHO the Keysight U1272A is about the best handheld for an electronics engineer, certainly an upgrade from my previous Fluke 87V.
Sometimes you can get the OLED version U1273A or AX for cheap when the display fails and fix it yourself.

[rsjsouza]

Olá Artur,

Sorry if this was mentioned before, but page 53 of the user's manual mentions the data recording interval goes from 1s to 99m59s. In this case, measuring an 8Hz signal will not yield an accurate reproduction of the waveform.

I don't have the 289 but one thing that annoys me with the Fluke datalogging is indeed the requirement for using their adapter and software.

I did a review of the Owon VDS1022I on my channel and it can do quite a long data capture at a very reasonable price, but it does not have the accuracy and voltage range of a multimeter and it requires a PC.

 

Hi, experts!
After decades I could buy one pre-owned Fluke 289.
A big meter and I was workin and trying some measures on it's  main characteristc, as I thought: the trend graphic and data logging.
I have to say I'm quite disappointed with its performance.
I put my function generator on step mode (just 8 steps) and at 1Hz (so, steps were at 1/8 s), and other frequencies, up to 10Hz. This shoild be much less faster than aquisitiion rate stated on manual (I believe 100ms).
But the trend graphic can't repesent the real signal.
On Burst mode, for simulating spurious signal, It can't detect them too (VDC, 10v pulse, 0.1s).
Beyond such bad real results, display just't can be read without back light.
Using constantly backlight will consume faster the batteries. I really don't worry about this, as I can adapt a LiIon battery and charge circuits and never more will need to replace batteries.
I'm wondering: nowadays, we have tens of multimeters with oscilloscope function, even Fluke has their scopemeters. They shine with color LCDs, rechargeable batteries too.
Is Fluke 289 still a good investment, considering it's high price? And for a datalogging tool, it lacks the connection adapter, sold for high prices too...

What are your opnion?  Could a multimeter-oscilloscope like Owon HDS2202 - 200MHz do the same tasks?
Thanks for sharing your comments with me!
Artur

[joeqsmith]

I've never owned the 289 but borrowed one from a friend for a review I made of the UNI-T UT181A.  The UNI-T is a somewhat knockoff of the Fluke 289.  It drives basically the same and has some improvements.  Still, it's a UNI-T product and like all of their products I have looked at, treat it like a princess.  It will not take much abuse.   Then there is the whole non-standard battery and needing to charge it.   The 289 is slow to boot, poor display, eats batteries.  Both have too many negatives for my taste.   I do like the Fluke 189 but for new meters, I still like the Brymen BM869s.   

This video shows the UNI-T UT181A with the BLE interface.   About 20 minutes in, I show how I am combining the faster data rate of the bar graph with the slow, high resolution data to collect at much faster rates.   

[Fungus]

Hi, experts!
After decades I could buy one pre-owned Fluke 289.

For what price?

[bdunham7]

I have to say I'm quite disappointed with its performance...

Is Fluke 289 still a good investment, considering it's high price? And for a datalogging tool, it lacks the connection adapter, sold for high prices too...

Could a multimeter-oscilloscope like Owon HDS2202 - 200MHz do the same tasks?...

Any disappointment is likely due to misunderstanding its actual capabilities.  It is not an oscilloscope in any sense of the word and its logging capabilities are best used with a PC and software, the on-screen displays make a nice advertisement but are really only marginally useful.  The only thing where I think it actually has an issue is the very slow and somewhat vague settling when using the LO-Ohms mode to measure very low resistances.  The HDS2202 is a different instrument and I haven't seen one, but if you need an oscilloscope feature it probably is a better (and less expensive) choice.  However, I've heard a lot of disappointment expressed about OWON in general, so perhaps consider that.

As for being a good investment, nowadays the Fluke 289 is extremely expensive especially outside the US.  You need a kit with the cable and the software to really use the features properly and those kits are $1000+, 1200 Euros and god-knows-what in Brazil. 

[Martin72]

Sign this.

We (at work) have one 289 since a couple of years as an exchange for our broken Fluke867B (because of the lifetime warranty).
Basically said it´s a very good meter with a rare to find high capacitor measure range up to 40mF.
But in practice it overwhelms you with it´s tons of functions and the boot-time is annoying.
New it costs about 900€ and more, used I´ve seen some for about 400€.

[coromonadalix]

meh     for now   any other good brands are ok too

i have 189,  still a reference for me

i have brymen and an Amprobe meters, pretty darn good for the money, based on the same chipsets

i have gossens   wich are a niche meters  but slow display refresh is a killer  ... no parts and expensive to calibrate

some friends have the high end hioki, they love it

tried the 289,   bof   i think it should be upgraded, slow as hell,  very big for nothing, display view as other said  is so so /  blemish

Uni-t in some models have upped their game ...


Really once again depend of your needs,   fluke in some models are way overpriced, even the used ones

and uni-t seems a clone of the 189,  and a Victor or Vichy,  i cant recall,   is a pure knock off of the 189, even the blue button  loll   same case layout etc  ... and costly ??

[Veteran68]

The HDS2202 is a different instrument and I haven't seen one, but if you need an oscilloscope feature it probably is a better (and less expensive) choice.  However, I've heard a lot of disappointment expressed about OWON in general, so perhaps consider that.

Owon can be hit or miss, but I really like my HDS2202S. It's my go-to portable scope although I'd say I don't stress it much. It also has a 20,000 count DMM for use in a pinch -- not that I use it as a DMM, it's strictly a scope and occasional siggen for me, but it's there if you need it. Far better IMO (and more expensive) than the el-cheapo toy scopes.

I also like the Owon VDS1022i as a USB-based scope. Owon makes some decent stuff for the price, I'd put it in the same class as Uni-T (some junk, some a great value).

[jchw4]

I have two of these Fluke 289 meters that I bought for parts and repaired.

You asked about "Good Investment" and I would say that "probably yes". Investment-wize buying used Fluke 289 makes sense. It does not drop in value as much as other meters. But buying 87V is probably even better until Fluke makes 89 VI.

Is it useful? Sometimes.

DMM in 2023 is a computer first. And then a meter. The measurement part is pretty good even in cheap Aliexpress multimeters. So let’s look at the UI features:

Its screen is horrible. I don’t know how they managed to find a supplier of such a crappy panel in 2023. They probably had to put a lot of efforts into avoiding modern alternatives.

* TrendCapture graphically displays logged data session to quickly determine whether anomalies may have occurred.

Kind of. Until you realize that you can only plot saved data after you stopped logging! It’s incapable of plotting data while measuring. Even Protek D620 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/protek-d620-100-000-count-forgotten-multimeter/) can do it! Shame…

What are the features of a graphical multimeter in 2023? Siglent, Hantek (let alone the Keysight and Keithley) have histograms, statistics, FFT, etc.
Does 289 offer anything from this list? No, nothing.

So I store my both meters in the far corner of the storage pile unpowered. Leaking batteries are still the worst enemy of this meter. (This problem has been known for 30+ years and still Fluke does not care? No protected battery compartment in 2023 for the $870 meter?)

Having said that, when is it useful? It’s extremely useful to impress contractors. I used it 3 times to demonstrate that the mains socket did not have power even though it was claimed “fixed” 3 times in a row!

Is it worth spending a lot of money to speed up the “is it powered” debate? You need to decide for yourself. For me it was well spent $100.

What are your opnion?  Could a multimeter-oscilloscope like Owon HDS2202 - 200MHz do the same tasks?

I don't have this meter. But in my opinion the best data logger is probably a Mooshimeter https://moosh.im/. It's $135 now on Amazon.
It has its own (serious) issues, but the logging part is definitely the best I have seen. I would not directly recommend it but it's just an example that for data logging you may want to look in the other direction. There are other alternatives too.

YMMV.

[trp806mo]

I (at work) looked in the past for a portable DMM which could memorized and displayed long trend of measures in the field.

When i tried the 289 I didn't like it's display and I choosed a Metrix (or chauvin arnoux) MTX3293B model. Real (good) display for a real industrial DMM. They have different type (3291/3292/3293 /with BT or not/ -last revision A or B is important as it changes the spec).

You may look at the specs in order to know if it fits your needs.

[arturmariojr]

Well, thanks a lot for precious comments about Fluke 289.

I read the application note by Fluke about the datalogging on this meter. They say, clearly, it's not a scope and uses a different approach to get less data for long sessions of capturing data.

There is the interval data logging, you can set from 1s up to 1h31 minutes, and the meter will take a measurement at that rate; but there is the concept of event. When the measured signal changes above a selectable valueu, it takes the measument and takes note If stabilized or not. What is "stabilized": from manual, on AutoHold explanation, if the signal changes (threshould is selectable in percentage on Setup) and keeps its value stable for at least 1s. Events may occur at any time.

The meter can save 10000 interval_data and up to 15000 interval + events.
The session can take up to 94 days!!!

Also there is the response time: 100ms - so, signals shorter than this may not be captured. I've tested and is true. Even 50ms events are detected, but amplitude can be less than real one.

There is another funcion to monitor spourious sinals, but online (you keeping your eye on data) : Peak monitoring, with response of 250us  or 4000 Hz sinal !   I have tested this too. Really amazing feature!

It's a great logging meter, not an oscilloscope, for industrial applications and long sessions of data capturing.
My comments that follows keep their significante, but It is actually a great equipment and very valuable for detecting transient and problemat signals.
It is not s scope and the its power is adjust time capturing according the session lenght. If you will take a session of 24h of monitoring some circuit, don't put an interval of 1s, there's no sense on doing this. Don't mind, the events will trace any  annomally between the normal time acquisition.

As many said here, for a 2013 multimeter, it was a king... nowadays, I don't believe so. But Fluke should keep one eye on concurrence and their fast evolution.

Having a certificate equipment, as chinese aren't at all, is expensive; make good manuals, in many idioms, calibrating and taking care on production lines are too expensive, but if Fluke wants to keep their place on market, I believe it would be a good approach to revitalize their line of meters, incorporate the bluetooth or even better for this kind of equipment: internet capabilities.

[bdunham7]

As many said here, for a 2013 multimeter, it was a king... nowadays, I don't believe so. Fluke should keep one eye on concurrence and their fast evolution...

but if Fluke wants to keep their place on market, I believe it would be a good approach to revitalize their line of meters.

If you think that then you aren't part of Fluke's target market and you don't understand it.  Very long product cycles are what their customers want, not the latest, greatest flavor of the week at a bargain price. 

[BeBuLamar]

As many said here, for a 2013 multimeter, it was a king... nowadays, I don't believe so. Fluke should keep one eye on concurrence and their fast evolution.

I thought the 289 was release long before 2013. I remembered in 2004 just after I bought the 189 Fluke came to me and demonstrated the 287/289 so I think it should come out 2005 or so.

[bdunham7]

I thought the 289 was release long before 2013. I remembered in 2004 just after I bought the 189 Fluke came to me and demonstrated the 287/289 so I think it should come out 2005 or so.

2007.  Mine (the old one) was from 2010.  New version (respun board, no supercap) was 2016 IIRC.

[BeBuLamar]

Mine 289 has firmware 1.16 but I think it was made after 2016. My 287 which was made 2022 has firmware 1.41.

[arturmariojr]

I parcially agree with you...
Having equipments that will last is important, more even they are expensive. So Fluke 289 meets this point.

But, see at your pocket... you don't have iPhone 1.0 in it, do you?

Even if Apple would insist it is a great hardware, innovative at 20 years ago and that works up today, you bought new phones because new features and market pressure, isn't it?

Is the same in the case of Fluke, and worst yet! Fluke is (was?) the king of test equipment. Very well planned, done and with great support. Fluke is at top.

What happend to the ones that are at top? They can take two simple ways: keep their position or drop down. Very simple. 

Processors of nowadays are not the same of 15 years ago. Their prices also are relativelly lower than theis counterparts from 15 years ago, if you consider power consume, speed, memory, etc. The same for ADC or DACs. You must agree.

So, for a giant of measurement industry, it would be a mandatory slogan: keep products ahead of competitors. Fluke has this capability, for sure. For us, costumers of technology, is the price to pay for - upgrade, upgrade, upgrade... but there is a conscience relieve: donnate your old Fluke or HP meters, oscilloscopes, great calibrators to poor people in Brazil, like ME!

I like my old B&K 190 analog meter, but for serious work, a modern one is preferred.

Just my thoughts. Please, don't be offended (and sorry for my poor english!)

Best regards!
Artur

[rsjsouza]

So, for a giant of measurement industry, it would be a mandatory slogan: keep products ahead of competitors. Fluke has this capability, for sure. For us, costumers of technology, is the price to pay for - upgrade, upgrade, upgrade...

Artur, as you are probably aware, DMMs are not consumer products like iPhones, thus the pressure for HW and SW upgrades/updates/new features is not as critical.

Moreover, the device is self-contained and therefore does not become obsolete with the passing of years - it still performs its functions as long as it is calibrated and functional.

Over the years it has been quite clear that Fluke's strategy for portable multimeters is to maintain consistency, reliability and quality control to stay ahead of the competition - naturally they fight hard to keep unblemished their brand recognition and perceived value as well (they are not stupid). Innovation and adventurous departures from their established designs, howerver, happen in many areas other than portable multimeters.

but there is a conscience relieve: donnate your old Fluke or HP meters, oscilloscopes, great calibrators to poor people in Brazil, like ME!