re: Fluke 289 backup cap

[mzacharias]

I have a 289 bought new summer of 2012. I have never opened it, but I wonder at what point should I be concerned about the notorious backup capacitor?

Thoughts?

[retiredcaps]

I'm sure you are aware of Fluke's terms and conditions wrt to their warranty.  If not, I have attached them straight from the 289 manual for you.

You might want to check the cap every 6 months?

If you qualify for warranty, you might want to wait until 2017 or 2018 to send the 289 to Fluke HQ for the supercap problem.  Why?  In the next 2 to 3 years, Fluke might make more changes to the pcb, components, bug fixes, etc. If they choose just to replace your pcb, like they have for some with the supercap problem, you will get the latest pcb revision with a calibration check.

If Fluke chooses to replace your supercap with a new one in 2017/2018, they will likely check your calibration before returning the 289 to you. This means, in a indirect way, you get to know if your 2012 Fluke 289 has drifted or not.

If you don't qualify for warranty, you can always replace the cap on your own.

PS. Are you going to continue making youtube videos?