Tim Shoppa wrote:

On Feb 28, 9:27 pm, "Too_Many_Tools" wrote:

I have a well stocked test bench at home containing a range of analog,
digital and RF test equipment as I am sure most of you also do.

Well the question I have is how do you handle the calibration of your
equipment? What do you use for calibration standards for resistance,
voltage, current and frequency?


It depends entirely on what you need the equipment for.

If for any legal reason you need NBS traceability, then the question
of how and how often is already answered by your regulatory agencies.

If you don't, then I cannot imagine that a couple off-the-shelf
precision resistors, voltage references, and frequency references
(total cost: $10) would not be good enough for sanity checking for
almost any pedestrian uses.

If you're the sort who keeps equipment on your bench just to calibrate
equipment on your bench just to calibrate equipment on your bench,
then any rational argument about traceability is pointless because
you've already set yourself up in an infinite circular loop.

Tim.

Exactly and completely correct in all aspects.
I made a 0.1% resistance reference box: 100 ohms, 1K, 10K, 100K, 1M,
10M and 100M that has been invaluable.
I made a voltage reference box using an Intersil (was Xicor) 5V FGA
reference powered by a 9V battery; good for source and sink and that
initial accuracy of 0.5mV was hard to beat; my HP 5326B verifies the
value within its accuracy as well as the 0.5mV of the reference; both in
the same region of fuzziness - so not too bad.
My handheld DVMs are "fair"; actually the 3.5 digit one os more
stable and reliable in readings than the 4.5 digit.
That one can be set by only one pot which either makes the resistor
readings within spec or makes the DC readings in spec - but not both; i
opted for DC reading accuracy.
I hate it when i have to fiddle with what seems to be a perfectly
good meter, just to make it read correctly (based on two other references).
One of these daze, i may be rich enough to get a Fluke 88845A; and if
*really* rich, will pay for a traceable meter!