UT61E fuses in the US

[donf99]

Hi, all! My first post. I'm a telecom engineer for the past 35 years. I've been getting along with my trusty Fluke 77 series I meter for more years than I care to think about! It still works perfectly, but I wanted sonething with a bit more capability to support my ham radio, RC aircraft and planespotting hobbies. I settled on the UT61E as a great value meter. I Looked long and hard at another Fluke, but just couldn't bring myself to part with the cash for the one I wanted.

I was very pleased with the meter when it arrived, $45.00 USD from Amazon! It seems to have undergone some circuitry updates since the flurry of interest a few years back. I hooked it up to my multiple reference voltage source from China...right on the money on all the ranges I was able to check.

While fooling around with current measurements, I popped the 1A fuse. I thought it would be no problem to pick up a fuse locally here in the US. Wow, was I wrong!!  The fuses are a BS1362 type with a 6x25mm form factor. These are apparently common as dirt in the UK, but almost impossible to find in the US. I ended up ordering a bag of 30 of each value from Hong Kong. I ordered a few TDC180's from DigiKey to get me by until then. They are ceramic with the same form factor. I am not sure if either type is sand-filled, but the TDC180's are rated to interrupt up to 6000A at 240 volts.

Has anyone found a good local source in the US for these fuses?? Not tgat I'll be needing one, but...

I liked this meter so much that I ordered a second.

Thanks and regards,

Don

[Towger]

Just order them from ebay.co.uk.  Chances are the HK fuses will be fakes and have no sand and the same thickness fuse wire for all values.
Edit: I think your TDC180s may be the same thing.

[donf99]

I didn't realize fake fuses were so prevalent. There are quite a few articles on this. I'll have to break a few of the HK units open and run some tests when they arrive.

I think the DigiKey TDC180s should be OK, though, although country of origin is China. They were $2.00 each, so hopefully that buys some assurance of a genuine item.

Are the BS1362 and TDC180 used interchangeably in the UK? The TDC180 spec sheet is here: 

https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/tdc180-series/4551?mpart=BK/TDC180-10&vendor=283

Best,

Don

[Towger]

BS 1362 is short for British Standard 1362 and should have the 'Kitemark Symbol' printed/stamped on it.  But the fakes will have the all the correct codes on them as well. Only a couple of weeks ago I saw and bought a packet of Bussmann branded fuses at a large discount store chain and they were fakes.  This is from a large company which should know better. 
I had a look at the data sheet on Farnell and the TDC180 is the same.