Fluke 101 selloff?

[BravoV]

In turned off state, press the "HOLD" button while turning it on, while still pressing, all LCD segments will be on, and once the HOLD button released, mine shows "r5.13" for about 1/2 second, and then "F101" for about same period, and the meter back to normal.

Just curious, is that firmware version ? Whats yours ?

[rsjsouza]

fwiw and millions may disagree just because they can, but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,
winning by a nose if all competitors have clean lead probes and meter sockets.

Nah, that's the 8060A.

I agree. The 8060/8062 are the fastest shooters of the wild west.

[Fungus]

but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,

Nah, that's the 8060A.

I agree. The 8060/8062 are the fastest shooters of the wild west.

The manual says 10uS average response time.

[Fungus]

In turned off state, press the "HOLD" button while turning it on, while still pressing, all LCD segments will be on, and once the HOLD button released, mine shows "r5.13" for about 1/2 second, and then "F101" for about same period, and the meter back to normal.

Just curious, is that firmware version ? Whats yours ?

Mine says 5.13.

[BravoV]

I'm guessing, that the "F101" is the firmware and "r5.13" is the revision. 

[Fungus]

I'm guessing, that the "F101" is the firmware and "r5.13" is the revision. 

I'm fairly sure "F101" is the model. 

[BravoV]

I'm guessing, that the "F101" is the firmware and "r5.13" is the revision. 

I'm fairly sure "F101" is the model. 

  ... too much coffee

[Fungus]

One more thing if you're taking it apart:

After you get the back off, don't remove the big silver screws at the bottom of the PCB where the input jacks are.

You only need to remove the three little screws around the screen to get the PCB out.

[Electro Detective]

fwiw and millions may disagree just because they can, but 189 still has THE fastest cont/buzzer out of all the Flukes,
winning by a nose if all competitors have clean lead probes and meter sockets.

Nah, that's the 8060A.

I agree. The 8060/8062 are the fastest shooters of the wild west.

Sorry to disappoint, but with two identical performing 8060A meters to compare against the 189, it's no contest

Did this horse race ages ago, to see how the newer 'yellow' meters    fared against a classic    

and noticed: 

With a clean test target/s and clean probe set with spotless sockets on the 'contestants', thanks to some IPA and Q-Tips\cotton buds..
yes the 8060A is quick on the draw,
but for quick touch on/off multiples in audible continuity buzzer mode, it stays latched for a longer period
and can't keep up with the recovery speed of the 189,
and IIRC the 8060A came in second against the 289 and 87V too. All had fresh batteries btw

Hope that made sense, I am certain our host DJ would know what I mean with all the meters he's played with 

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,
and I'd rather roll with that before many other overpriced hyped brands,
that I don't believe will go the distance before their displays and switching mechanisms die,
on top of mystery software bugs and suss reliability over time due to cheap 'source unknown' unlabelled microscopic parts,
no schematics or troubleshoot flow chart = high no can fix factor built in  = buy another and shutup   

[BravoV]

As there are many Fluke 101 teardown photos in this forum, compared with mine sourced from S.Korea, I guess its the international version, as there is not even a single Chinese character printed at the box and at the DMM it self.

Images of Chinese version taken from -> HERE and HERE.

Attached below the comparison of the boxes and the back side of the DMM.

Highlighted some symbols that are not in the Chinese version.

[joeqsmith]

As there are many Fluke 101 teardown photos in this forum, compared with mine sourced from S.Korea, I guess its the international version, as there is not even a single Chinese character printed at the box and at the DMM it self.

...

Attached below the comparison of the boxes and the back side of the DMM.

Highlighted some symbols that are not in the Chinese version.

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

It will be interesting to see if you find any other differences between the two meters.   

[Fungus]

As there are many Fluke 101 teardown photos in this forum, compared with mine sourced from S.Korea, I guess its the international version, as there is not even a single Chinese character printed at the box and at the DMM it self.

Mine also has no Chinese anywhere. I removed the "country of origin" sticker (because it's cheap sticker that wasn't even stuck on straight, not because the origin bothers me).

[Fungus]

Occidentals don't get a warranty for these.

[Fungus]

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

Why wouldn't it pass?

[Electro Detective]

More Flukeups   

It would be interesting to see all these 'Made In Where?'     101 variations in a tear down, component comparison

and of course the zap test fest 

and see which ones are the business, and which are yellow dyed Anengs 

[EEVblog]

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,

I've often wondered if a re-issue of the 8060A would sell today...

[Electro Detective]

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,

I've often wondered if a re-issue of the 8060A would sell today...

If anyone does not need a or another bench meter, as the 8060A can be also powered without batteries bench style anyway  = 


An 8060A Mk2 might be a goer as it is, same everything including the dual fused 2 amp current mode (no added 10A/20A BBQ mode please)   

but I would lose the bulky switches on the side, and put a bank of (same layout) covered membrane switches or whatever Fluke have kicking around, like on the 87V meters etc (with hold down startup options),
so the meter could be made 'adverse conditions' resistant
..and rolled in sand for the revisited photo shoot demonstrating Fluke reliability,
so it's believable this time around > with the leads attached please.. 

Perhaps a simple backlight chucked in,
and if they don't up the CAT, they should at least supply FUSED LEADS to avoid an input re-design
so it can do decent CAT 111 and maybe a 300/500 volt CAT4   

and in 2020 it's got to have a holster to toughen it up, 
a better fit than my DIY knockup ones, which do ok and better than nothing

fwiw the yellow is an older Jaycar generic holster
and the red one (and leads) salvaged from a 'hey keep it or toss it mate' half DOA new Brymen,
after a replacement sent asap by an excellent local Ebay seller

and lets not forget the metal threaded screw posts this time, no tacky crumblers! 

[BravoV]

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

Maybe CSA is so impressed with how you zapped your 101 @13kV and its still kicking, they simply just surrendered their rubber stamp to Fluke for the 101 certification. 

It will be interesting to see if you find any other differences between the two meters.

I did open mine, and just to inspect it briefly, not very sure though, from my memory it looks like there is not much difference compared to Chinese version, I might missed the details. 

Maybe @Fungus can help with few tear down photo shots ? I'm on travel won't be at home until next year. 

[Electro Detective]

and here I thought there were only two types, the Fluke 101 badged I have here,
and the other heiroglyphix badged 101

it seems Aneng? they made a few variations, and some may not be up to zap par 


Friendly FYI: Mr. Smith may want to consider chucking some serious Disclaimers on Youtube and here about it,
and not have punters b!chin on him if/when their 101 pops in their hand    prodding about inside a CAT 4 industrial switchboard

[joeqsmith]

How in the world did this meter ever pass CSA??  Do they just rubber stamp anything now days???   

 

Maybe CSA is so impressed with how you zapped your 101 @13kV and its still kicking, they simply just surrendered their rubber stamp to Fluke for the 101 certification. 

It will be interesting to see if you find any other differences between the two meters.

I did open mine, and just to inspect it briefly, not very sure though, from my memory it looks like there is not much difference compared to Chinese version, I might missed the details. 

Maybe @Fungus can help with few tear down photo shots ? I'm on travel won't be at home until next year. 

Safe travels.

After our friend Meter Junkie ran their 101 across an actual combo generator at 12KV in all modes to replicate my findings, it's hard to believe CSA would have found anything wrong with it.  It's by far the most electrically robust meter I have come across in that $50 price range.     

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hear-kitty-kitty-kitty-nope-not-that-kind-of-cat/msg703581/#msg703581

I have yet to take the cover off my 101 but it's about 4 1/2 years old now and it may be interesting to compare it against a new one.   If anyone cares to pull their new  CSA certified 101 apart to get some high res pictures, I would do the same.   If it's anything like that 107, it's well made.   Not many meters I've looked at would survive at 14KV like that meter did.   

Hard to believe with as solid and  inexpensive at the 101 is,  of the 75 meters I looked at, 28 of them were damaged at or below 2KV!     

[Fungus]

I have yet to take the cover off my 101 but it's about 4 1/2 years old now and it may be interesting to compare it against a new one. 
If anyone cares to pull their new  CSA certified 101 apart to get some high res pictures, I would do the same.   If it's anything like that 107, it's well made.   Not many meters I've looked at would survive at 14KV like that meter did.   

I'll take some pics later but I find it hard to believe they'll have more than one design in production.

Hard to believe with as solid and  inexpensive at the 101 is 

Not as hard to believe as you not taking yours apart.

Just looking at the PCB though, you can see why it survives. Look at all the slots separating the input jacks from the rest of the PCB:



There's also seven resistors in the input chain instead of the usual four or five, etc., etc.

[Fungus]

Here's mine...

The trick to opening it is that the front grey panel pulls out leaving the PCB behind in the yellow base.

Remove the bottom two screws, loosen the top two and push on them. The grey panel will pop out a bit and reveal a slot at the top for fingernails.

Don't remove the screws that hold the input jacks to the PCB, you don't need to and they're Loctited in place. Remove the three screws around the screen to get the PCB out.

[Fungus]

Notes:

PCB is (C) 2012, Rev 5

S6 (at the top of the PCB) is the calibration switch. It's behind a "calibration void if broken" sticker in the battery compartment.

Yes, the selector switch is greased.

[Fungus]

fwiw a properly working 8060A still kicks serious goals today,

I've often wondered if a re-issue of the 8060A would sell today...

Specification-wise and speed-wise, it still kicks serious butt. 1 don't know if the side-switches would put people off though, it's not clear what mode you're in with just a quick glance at it.

OTOH: HP still makes the 12C and people in fancy suits still use it. Maybe the 8060A would be weird enough for nerdy engineers to want one.

[BravoV]

Thanks for the photos. 

PCB is (C) 2012, Rev 5

Those older ones Chinese version are also at rev 5, guess not much to improve anymore.