My trusty Fluke 77, which I've fondly used nearly every day for about 20
years, is about to give up the ghost. I've already taken it apart and
repaired it several times over the years, but I get the feeling that it's
not long for this world. It's giving me warning signals to "abandon ship."
I do hate to part with it, but it's simply wearing out and it's time to
upgrade.

Yeah, I know, I can simply shop on-line or visit local pawn shops and buy
another. There are plenty of them out there, but I'm not really comfortable
buying a used meter. Lord knows what's happened to it, and I took good care
of MINE. And I doubt Fluke is still making 77s. (If I'm wrong, please tell
me.) I've worked on mine often enough over its lifetime that if I sent it
to Fluke for real repair and calibration, they'd just laugh and stuff it
right back in the box and ship it back to me with a note saying "Buy a new
one." (The store I bought it from, Industrial Electronics, just off
Montgomery Street in Fort Worth, closed several years ago.) Does Fluke
offer refurbished models for sale? (Sorry for not checking that in
advance...)

The Fluke 77 does everything I need, but there's one feature that I've
practically never used: Touch-Hold. I mention this because I'm sure Fluke's
current new crop of digital multimeters can do everything the 77 did, plus
a great deal more. I don't want anything more than what I've got now; I
wouldn't use the capacitance test function, or a big LCD scope meter, or a
USB port, or an automatic dish washer or anything else. I'd just like to
replace what I've got with something new, be it a new model number or
whatever.

There's a Fry's Electronics here in Arlington that carries a lot of good
test equipment (I bought a Tektronix dual-polarity benchtop power supply
from them a few years ago on sale because it was a showroom model, and I'm
still very pleased with it), but I haven't gone shopping there yet because I
wanted to ask everyone here first: What should I look for in today's Fluke
DMMs, and which ones should I avoid?

I'd like to keep the same physical size if at all possible, because the
original 77 fits snugly into my toolbox (an old ammunition box). I don't
think anything much bigger would fit in there.

Now for my next problem: making my old meter fit in my photo album.

Thanks!!!
Matt J. McCullar, KJ5BA
Arlington, TX

http://www.action-electronics.com/fluke.htm#70

On Aug 19, 11:14 am, "Matt J. McCullar" wrote:
My trusty Fluke 77, which I've fondly used nearly every day for about 20
years, is about to give up the ghost. I've already taken it apart and
repaired it several times over the years, but I get the feeling that it's
not long for this world. It's giving me warning signals to "abandon ship."
I do hate to part with it, but it's simply wearing out and it's time to
upgrade.

Yeah, I know, I can simply shop on-line or visit local pawn shops and buy
another. There are plenty of them out there, but I'm not really comfortable
buying a used meter. Lord knows what's happened to it, and I took good care
of MINE. And I doubt Fluke is still making 77s. (If I'm wrong, please tell
me.) I've worked on mine often enough over its lifetime that if I sent it
to Fluke for real repair and calibration, they'd just laugh and stuff it
right back in the box and ship it back to me with a note saying "Buy a new
one." (The store I bought it from, Industrial Electronics, just off
Montgomery Street in Fort Worth, closed several years ago.) Does Fluke
offer refurbished models for sale? (Sorry for not checking that in
advance...)

The Fluke 77 does everything I need, but there's one feature that I've
practically never used: Touch-Hold. I mention this because I'm sure Fluke's
current new crop of digital multimeters can do everything the 77 did, plus
a great deal more. I don't want anything more than what I've got now; I
wouldn't use the capacitance test function, or a big LCD scope meter, or a
USB port, or an automatic dish washer or anything else. I'd just like to
replace what I've got with something new, be it a new model number or
whatever.

There's a Fry's Electronics here in Arlington that carries a lot of good
test equipment (I bought a Tektronix dual-polarity benchtop power supply
from them a few years ago on sale because it was a showroom model, and I'm
still very pleased with it), but I haven't gone shopping there yet because I
wanted to ask everyone here first: What should I look for in today's Fluke
DMMs, and which ones should I avoid?

I'd like to keep the same physical size if at all possible, because the
original 77 fits snugly into my toolbox (an old ammunition box). I don't
think anything much bigger would fit in there.

Now for my next problem: making my old meter fit in my photo album.

Thanks!!!
Matt J. McCullar, KJ5BA
Arlington, TX

Check with Fluke.

a) many have actual lifetime guarantees.
b) they will fix many others for a nominal fee, if any.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

"Matt J. McCullar" wrote:

And I doubt Fluke is still making 77s. (If I'm wrong, please tell
me.)

Series IV now.
http://www.fluke.co.uk/comx/show_pro...uken&pid=36987

Mine's a series II.

Graham

I would recommend the Fluke 87 series. Check them out. These are excellent
meters for general troubleshooting. This is the main stream model we use in
our facilities.

We also have a number of Fluke 27 military versions. These are used mainly
in outdoor conditions in all weather conditions. The 27 does not have all
the features of the 87, but it is still good for general troubleshooting. I
believe the 27 will even float! It is water proof.

Fluke gives excellent warranty plans, and they give excellent service and
calibration.

We never buy used test equipment. We found that they need calibration, and
many times, they were sold used because there were fault conditions.

Fluke meters are a high quality industry standard.


Fluke 27:
http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/Fl...(FlukeProducts)

Fluke 87:
http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/Fluke80SeriesV.htm


--

JANA
_____


"Matt J. McCullar" wrote in message
t...
My trusty Fluke 77, which I've fondly used nearly every day for about 20
years, is about to give up the ghost. I've already taken it apart and
repaired it several times over the years, but I get the feeling that it's
not long for this world. It's giving me warning signals to "abandon ship."
I do hate to part with it, but it's simply wearing out and it's time to
upgrade.

Yeah, I know, I can simply shop on-line or visit local pawn shops and buy
another. There are plenty of them out there, but I'm not really comfortable
buying a used meter. Lord knows what's happened to it, and I took good care
of MINE. And I doubt Fluke is still making 77s. (If I'm wrong, please tell
me.) I've worked on mine often enough over its lifetime that if I sent it
to Fluke for real repair and calibration, they'd just laugh and stuff it
right back in the box and ship it back to me with a note saying "Buy a new
one." (The store I bought it from, Industrial Electronics, just off
Montgomery Street in Fort Worth, closed several years ago.) Does Fluke
offer refurbished models for sale? (Sorry for not checking that in
advance...)

The Fluke 77 does everything I need, but there's one feature that I've
practically never used: Touch-Hold. I mention this because I'm sure Fluke's
current new crop of digital multimeters can do everything the 77 did, plus
a great deal more. I don't want anything more than what I've got now; I
wouldn't use the capacitance test function, or a big LCD scope meter, or a
USB port, or an automatic dish washer or anything else. I'd just like to
replace what I've got with something new, be it a new model number or
whatever.

There's a Fry's Electronics here in Arlington that carries a lot of good
test equipment (I bought a Tektronix dual-polarity benchtop power supply
from them a few years ago on sale because it was a showroom model, and I'm
still very pleased with it), but I haven't gone shopping there yet because I
wanted to ask everyone here first: What should I look for in today's Fluke
DMMs, and which ones should I avoid?

I'd like to keep the same physical size if at all possible, because the
original 77 fits snugly into my toolbox (an old ammunition box). I don't
think anything much bigger would fit in there.

Now for my next problem: making my old meter fit in my photo album.

Thanks!!!
Matt J. McCullar, KJ5BA
Arlington, TX

Matt J. McCullar wrote:
The Fluke 77 does everything I need, but there's one feature that I've
practically never used: Touch-Hold.

It's a great feature for those times when you're in tight quarters and/or
absolutely have to keep your eyes on the test probe while measuring. I
don't use it every day, but I use it often enough to want it on my next
meter.

--
"You know the difference between cannibals and liberals?
Cannibals only eat their enemies."
-- Lyndon Baines Johnson