Fluke problem

[Weez]

Hey all,

I've had a Fluke 115 for almost a year and a half now.  It's seen light use, never been exposed to adverse elements, always kept in my tool bag.  I've pretty much babied this thing.  Up until the other day, it has worked flawlessly.  I pulled it out to check continuity on an amp I'm building, and when I turned it on, the lcd just went bonkers.  Faded in and out, random characters flickering, etc.  So I thought the battery needed to be changed.  Nope.  New battery, same issues.  I've tried turning it on and off repeatedly, and sometimes it will work for a few seconds, and then it's back to going crazy. 

I opened it up and everything appears ok.

Have any of you experienced similar issues with your Flukes?

I bought it from Amazon in Dec. '12, and it has a 3 year warranty, so I shouldn't have issues getting a replacement.

Now is as good a time as any to get a second quality DMM.  I do have an el cheapo Radio Shack unit I can use in the meantime, but, any suggestions?

[Wytnucls]

Try cleaning the zebra strip connector under the LCD.

[Weez]

Ok, I tried that, and it seems to be working...thanks for the tip!

I think I'll still send it back though, seems like a weird thing to have happen and I'd rather have a new replacement considering I didn't have it "out in the field" getting dirty, etc.  It's certainly not one of their top tier models, but it is a Fluke, and I'd expect it to go for years on end without a hitch, considering its environment.

[BravoV]

Ok, I tried that, and it seems to be working...thanks for the tip!

What exactly did you do in detail cleaning the zebra strip connector ? Just swiped it with IPA ?

[Weez]

Eraser first, then q-tip w/IPA.

It actually didn't look like anything was wrong, but I did it anyway b/c I was already in there, so I figured why not.

Very weird problem to have, I think, b/c although the unit has seen a lot of use, it has been light use (always indoors, always put away, never banged around, never exposed to spills, etc.).

I'll just get it replaced anyway since it's under warranty.

[BravoV]

So eraser at the pcb contact, and then qtip at both PCB and zebra strip, correct ?

Thanks.

[Weez]

Yes, that's correct, sorry I wasn't more explicit.

Are you having similar problems?

[BravoV]

Just a tiny problem at one segment of 7 segments at 2nd digit at my 87V, no biggie actually.

That particular segment shows approx. 80% lighter than other segments which have really bold & dark when lit, and it always trickling my nerves whenever I saw it, yeah, its nitpicking. 

[retiredcaps]

Have any of you experienced similar issues with your Flukes?

With older Flukes (20+ years), the zebra strip gets contaminated and requires cleaning.  I haven't heard this problem with newer Flukes though.

Martin Lorton has complained about his Fluke 115 not having very good contrast and I can agree since I have a 113 and 117.  I'm no expert on lcd technology, but I think Fluke's choice of lcd might have to balance a number of factors like wide temperature operation (from -20C to 50C), backlight integration, ruggedness, update speed, font readability and reliability.

For people who sit in their lab all day with perfect led lighting, a Fluke may not be the best option for them as other meters have better contrast.

I bought it from Amazon in Dec. '12, and it has a 3 year warranty, so I shouldn't have issues getting a replacement.

Now is as good a time as any to get a second quality DMM.  I do have an el cheapo Radio Shack unit I can use in the meantime, but, any suggestions?

I would send it back to Amazon to get a replacement under warranty.  I expect Amazon to do the right thing for you.

Since you live in the USA and if you are not opposed to getting an used meter, there are a lot of good choices for $50 USD.

[Robomeds]

I agree about the contrast comment.  The 11x meters I've used all had inferior contrast to some of the older Flukes such as the 73-3 and the 87-1, 87-3.  The 87-5 was a step back and the contrast is more like the 11x meters vs the older 87 and 73 meters.  No idea why.