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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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#1
Posted to sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Wed, 16 Mar 2016 01:17:54 -0400, ehsjr Gave us:
On 3/13/2016 11:58 PM, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: I have 4 brand new DVMs and one uses a battery pack up in 3 days flat, turned OFF! I did some net searching and found a forum where it was discovered that Fluke put a cheap Toshiba supercap in the meter with a less than 2 year lifespan and AT the same voltage they were charging it to and everyone was seeing leaking. I knew right away that was the cause of my problem. So I bought a higher voltage, bigger supercap with nearly the same footprint and a slightly higher profile, and stuck it in the BAD METER! and fixed that pup. It takes minimal GRINDING (yes, I said grinding) to make it clear, but it will last for years without leaking since it has a higher voltage rating and the meter will hold the date longer if the batteries do die down. They have been in it for two weeks and no depletion, so that nailed the problem. I photo-documented the whole process in case anyone else has a Fluke DVM that eats batteries for breakfast like they are going out of style. I would have made a video, but this works. Feel free to critique or make good use of as you wish. http://imgur.com/a/jPlow Brilliant! Thanks. I wish I had made a video, but all there is are the pics, so one has to be a bit intuitive and look at the file names as well. I also put metadata info into the file, but imgur may not take the files as they get uploaded and my create their own versions sans metadata. I like when I can hover over one of my Excel spreadsheets/workbooks with my mouse and a wealth of info (which I inserted) about the file and what it does appears before ever opening the file. The idiots at MS did get a few things right. |
#2
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 10:37:10 AM UTC-4, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote:
On Wed, 16 Mar 2016 01:17:54 -0400, ehsjr Gave us: On 3/13/2016 11:58 PM, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: I have 4 brand new DVMs and one uses a battery pack up in 3 days flat, turned OFF! I did some net searching and found a forum where it was discovered that Fluke put a cheap Toshiba supercap in the meter with a less than 2 year lifespan and AT the same voltage by this behavior. Just an FYI: Flukes generally carry a lifetime warranty - and this expedient would void that warranty. A more serious failure would then render the unit worthless and without resort to Fluke. Just keep this in mind. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
#3
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
"Just an FYI: Flukes generally carry a lifetime warranty -"
Really. Does that apply to the 8000 series ? Buddy of mine has one the batteries leaked all over and now it acts erratic. We have NOT modified the unit, just took out the batteries. If that is under warranty hell, we'll send it in ! |
#4
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
Eveready or Duracell, either will replace the unit at no cost. Chinese crap, no. Fluke would call that negligence, and rightly so.
Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
#5
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
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#6
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 11:59:02 AM UTC-4, Cydrome Leader wrote:
The last duracell battery leakage claim I filed resulted in getting a prepaid credit card. Had to get an all new flashlight, but it worked out in the end. Not sure how they deal with more expensive stuff like test equipment. My wife once upon a time collected Fiesta Ware pottery. As you (should) know, back in the day that Fiesta first started, many of the glazes used radioactive salts for certain colors including orange, green and a few others. So, I acquired a geiger counter, military surplus, for checking that possibility. Not that the stuff was passively harmful, just that one would not wish to serve food in those pieces that were radioactive. Well, the (Eveready) batteries leaked. I sent it off to Eveready, and about a week later, received a check for $357.32 (I DO remember that number), which represented the cost of that unit when new plus the cost of my shipping the item to them. That, along with a very nice note suggesting that batteries should be removed from expensive test equipment when it is not in use to avoid inconvenience. I went back to the same source I got the first counter, and replaced it with a Navy surplus device for $75, including shipping. I gave that to my son-in-law, as he and his dad collect items that involve glazes and glass, and I now have a Civil Defense kit including scintillators and several other testers that I purchased NIB at a municipal "yard sale" for $25. Works nicely. I now also remove batteries from my "good" stuff if it is going down for more than a week or so. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiesta_(dinnerware) Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
#7
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On 21/03/16 23:04, wrote:
"Just an FYI: Flukes generally carry a lifetime warranty -" Really. Does that apply to the 8000 series ? Buddy of mine has one the batteries leaked all over and now it acts erratic. We have NOT modified the unit, just took out the batteries. If that is under warranty hell, we'll send it in ! http://en-us.fluke.com/support/warranties/ "Industrial Products Limited Lifetime Warranty "Lifetime is defined as seven years after Fluke discontinues manufacturing the product, but the warranty period shall be at least ten years from date of purchase. *(Lifetime Warranty applies to products manufactured after October 1996" -- Adrian C |
#8
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 8:18:27 AM UTC-4, Adrian Caspersz wrote:
On 21/03/16 23:04, wrote: "Just an FYI: Flukes generally carry a lifetime warranty -" Really. Does that apply to the 8000 series ? Buddy of mine has one the batteries leaked all over and now it acts erratic. We have NOT modified the unit, just took out the batteries. If that is under warranty hell, we'll send it in ! http://en-us.fluke.com/support/warranties/ "Industrial Products Limited Lifetime Warranty "Lifetime is defined as seven years after Fluke discontinues manufacturing the product, but the warranty period shall be at least ten years from date of purchase. *(Lifetime Warranty applies to products manufactured after October 1996" -- Adrian C All true. But my direct experience with Fluke is that they will send on the "next best thing" when a piece is unfixable. NOTE: they have fixed, also in my direct experience, some pretty sick puppies. Zippo will repair their lighters similarly, even if it is only a strike wheel that remains of the old device. Their factory tour (Bradford, PA) goes by the repair room where these lighters come in - and the dedicated (in every way) staff that does the repairs. A fascinating operation. Many here could learn a few things. I certainly did. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
#10
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
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#11
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
wrote: On Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at
11:59:02 AM UTC-4, Cydrome Leader wrote: The last duracell battery leakage claim I filed resulted in getting a prepaid credit card. Had to get an all new flashlight, but it worked out in the end. Not sure how they deal with more expensive stuff like test equipment. My wife once upon a time collected Fiesta Ware pottery. As you (should) know, back in the day that Fiesta first started, many of the glazes used radioactive salts for certain colors including orange, green and a few others. So, I acquired a geiger counter, military surplus, for checking that possibility. Not that the stuff was passively harmful, just that one would not wish to serve food in those pieces that were radioactive. Well, the (Eveready) batteries leaked. I sent it off to Eveready, and about a week later, received a check for $357.32 (I DO remember that number), which represented the cost of that unit when new plus the cost of my shipping the item to them. That, along with a very nice note suggesting that batteries should be removed from expensive test equipment when it is not in use to avoid inconvenience. I went back to the same source I got the first counter, and replaced it with a Navy surplus device for $75, including shipping. I gave that to my son-in-law, as he and his dad collect items that involve glazes and glass, and I now have a Civil Defense kit including scintillators and several other testers that I purchased NIB at a municipal "yard sale" for $25. Works nicely. I now also remove batteries from my "good" stuff if it is going down for more than a week or so. That's a good practice. They only leak when you don't expect it. Then there are always the batteries that are good for a decade past the "good until" date. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiesta_(dinnerware) Didn't know red was the radioactive color. I do like that green-ish radioactive glass from the era of uranium based home products. |
#12
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
... wrote: On Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 11:59:02 AM UTC-4, Cydrome Leader wrote: The last duracell battery leakage claim I filed snip I now also remove batteries from my "good" stuff if it is going down for more than a week or so. That's a good practice. They only leak when you don't expect it. Then there are always the batteries that are good for a decade past the "good until" date. Couple years back I bought a Micronta 22-206 FET multimeter, virtually "new old stock". Well, not quite. While everything looked pristine - Radio Shack branded batteries had been installed (1975 date code) and just left in there when the thing was boxed back up. The batteries, a C-cell and a 9 volt, were totally flat but had never leaked. Not even a little. Dodged a bullet on that one. Mark Z. |
#13
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Friday, March 25, 2016 at 6:35:32 AM UTC-4, Mark Zacharias wrote:
Couple years back I bought a Micronta 22-206 FET multimeter, virtually "new old stock". Well, not quite. While everything looked pristine - Radio Shack branded batteries had been installed (1975 date code) and just left in there when the thing was boxed back up. The batteries, a C-cell and a 9 volt, were totally flat but had never leaked. Not even a little. Dodged a bullet on that one. Mark Z. This thread lead me to check the battery-included instruments I keep at/near the bench: B&K LCR meter Fluke DVM Transistor Analyzer ESR Meter Micronta Digital DVM (travel kit) RF/AF Signal Injector Micro Maglite 3D Maglite (AKA "Persuader") Any one of which could be a significant inconvenience should it fail at a critical time and/or have to go away for a while. The Geiger counter lives in the closet. It gets used perhaps twice per year. Ah, well. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
#14
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
" wrote: Eveready or Duracell, either will replace the unit at no cost. Chinese crap, no. Fluke would call that negligence, and rightly so. Peter, the Fluke meters that I've repaired all had GE labeled NiCads. They were assembled in the form of two packs of two cells that were soldered together in a pair, and they used some Berg terminals that snapped onto tiny ball tipped terminal posts. They were approximately C cell sized, and each pair was in a snap on cover, one on each side of the line transformer. I have located a supply of new cells from another OEM, but the wires are hard as a rock, and most of the terminals ar damaged in the latest batch of Fluke 8050 meters that I received. I have been unable to locate the part number for the terminals. It isn't listed in the Fluke manuals. We used that terminal at Microdyne, but I no longer have any contacts there now that it is part of L3-Com, in Philly. As far as I know, they dropped support for every product that used that terminal, as well. |
#15
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 4:57:07 PM UTC-4, Michael Terrell wrote:
" wrote: Eveready or Duracell, either will replace the unit at no cost. Chinese crap, no. Fluke would call that negligence, and rightly so. Peter, the Fluke meters that I've repaired all had GE labeled NiCads. They were assembled in the form of two packs of two cells that were soldered together in a pair, and they used some Berg terminals that snapped onto tiny ball tipped terminal posts. They were approximately C cell sized, and each pair was in a snap on cover, one on each side of the line transformer. I have located a supply of new cells from another OEM, but the wires are hard as a rock, and most of the terminals ar damaged in the latest batch of Fluke 8050 meters that I received. I have been unable to locate the part number for the terminals. It isn't listed in the Fluke manuals. We used that terminal at Microdyne, but I no longer have any contacts there now that it is part of L3-Com, in Philly. As far as I know, they dropped support for every product that used that terminal, as well. Send them to Fluke. Betcha you will be pleasantly surprised. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
#16
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On 03/20/2016 8:09 AM, wrote:
On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 10:37:10 AM UTC-4, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: On Wed, 16 Mar 2016 01:17:54 -0400, ehsjr Gave us: On 3/13/2016 11:58 PM, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: I have 4 brand new DVMs and one uses a battery pack up in 3 days flat, turned OFF! I did some net searching and found a forum where it was discovered that Fluke put a cheap Toshiba supercap in the meter with a less than 2 year lifespan and AT the same voltage by this behavior. Just an FYI: Flukes generally carry a lifetime warranty - and this expedient would void that warranty. A more serious failure would then render the unit worthless and without resort to Fluke. Just keep this in mind. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA Lifetime by Fluke is defined as seven years after they stop production of the device: http://en-us.fluke.com/support/warranties/ My 1980s vintage Fluke test gear 9100s, 9010s, etc., is long past their lifetime warranty. John ;-#)# -- (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup) John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9 (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games) www.flippers.com "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out." |
#17
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
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#18
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On 3/28/2016 8:48 AM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
wrote: On Friday, March 25, 2016 at 6:35:32 AM UTC-4, Mark Zacharias wrote: Couple years back I bought a Micronta 22-206 FET multimeter, virtually "new old stock". Well, not quite. While everything looked pristine - Radio Shack branded batteries had been installed (1975 date code) and just left in there when the thing was boxed back up. The batteries, a C-cell and a 9 volt, were totally flat but had never leaked. Not even a little. Dodged a bullet on that one. Mark Z. This thread lead me to check the battery-included instruments I keep at/near the bench: B&K LCR meter Fluke DVM Transistor Analyzer ESR Meter Micronta Digital DVM (travel kit) RF/AF Signal Injector Micro Maglite 3D Maglite (AKA "Persuader") Be extra careful with the maglights. Leaked battery swell up and the juice that comes out will corrode the aluminum and constrict around the battery. It can be impossible to get the batteries out. I had a Kel-Lite destroyed that way. Somebody on usenet suggested wrapping the cells in saran wrap so if they leak you can just slide the whole mess out. That probably won't help. You have to pull them out and there's nothing to pull on. I had a maglite with that problem. I had to saw it in half to get a look at the markings on the battery. Was Duracell. Sent them a picture. They sent me the cost of the light. |
#19
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
" wrote: On Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 4:57:07 PM UTC-4, Michael Terrell wrote: " wrote: Eveready or Duracell, either will replace the unit at no cost. Chinese crap, no. Fluke would call that negligence, and rightly so. Peter, the Fluke meters that I've repaired all had GE labeled NiCads. They were assembled in the form of two packs of two cells that were soldered together in a pair, and they used some Berg terminals that snapped onto tiny ball tipped terminal posts. They were approximately C cell sized, and each pair was in a snap on cover, one on each side of the line transformer. I have located a supply of new cells from another OEM, but the wires are hard as a rock, and most of the terminals ar damaged in the latest batch of Fluke 8050 meters that I received. I have been unable to locate the part number for the terminals. It isn't listed in the Fluke manuals. We used that terminal at Microdyne, but I no longer have any contacts there now that it is part of L3-Com, in Philly. As far as I know, they dropped support for every product that used that terminal, as well. Send them to Fluke. Betcha you will be pleasantly surprised. Fluke used to sell replacement battery packs, so there was no warranty. These did not damage anything, they simply loose the ability to take a charge of the decades. The problem is that you can not use the meter from AC, since the battery powered version has an inverter that needs the NiCads on the input side to operate. Look at the schematic of a model 8050, and read the manula where it warns you not to use that version with dead or missing battery packs. |
#20
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
John Robertson wrote: On 03/20/2016 8:09 AM, wrote: On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 10:37:10 AM UTC-4, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: On Wed, 16 Mar 2016 01:17:54 -0400, ehsjr Gave us: On 3/13/2016 11:58 PM, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: I have 4 brand new DVMs and one uses a battery pack up in 3 days flat, turned OFF! I did some net searching and found a forum where it was discovered that Fluke put a cheap Toshiba supercap in the meter with a less than 2 year lifespan and AT the same voltage by this behavior. Just an FYI: Flukes generally carry a lifetime warranty - and this expedient would void that warranty. A more serious failure would then render the unit worthless and without resort to Fluke. Just keep this in mind. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA Lifetime by Fluke is defined as seven years after they stop production of the device: http://en-us.fluke.com/support/warranties/ My 1980s vintage Fluke test gear 9100s, 9010s, etc., is long past their lifetime warranty. Otherwise, they would still have to support old vacuum tube based equipment that they built in 1948. They don't even list the manual for my Fluke 8050 meters. Luckily, several free archive sites have it in PDF. |
#21
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Sat, 02 Apr 2016 23:42:14 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote: Fluke used to sell replacement battery packs, so there was no warranty. These did not damage anything, they simply loose the ability to take a charge of the decades. The problem is that you can not use the meter from AC, since the battery powered version has an inverter that needs the NiCads on the input side to operate. Look at the schematic of a model 8050, and read the manula where it warns you not to use that version with dead or missing battery packs. Thanks. You just explained why my 8050a was acting rather oddly on AC. When I replaced the battery pack, it magically started working correctly. I was guessing a loose wire or component, but never suspected that anything required a working battery: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=fluke+8050a+battery I guess I should have read the manual. -- Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558 |
#22
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
Jeff Liebermann wrote: On Sat, 02 Apr 2016 23:42:14 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" wrote: Fluke used to sell replacement battery packs, so there was no warranty. These did not damage anything, they simply loose the ability to take a charge of the decades. The problem is that you can not use the meter from AC, since the battery powered version has an inverter that needs the NiCads on the input side to operate. Look at the schematic of a model 8050, and read the manula where it warns you not to use that version with dead or missing battery packs. Thanks. You just explained why my 8050a was acting rather oddly on AC. When I replaced the battery pack, it magically started working correctly. I was guessing a loose wire or component, but never suspected that anything required a working battery: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=fluke+8050a+battery I guess I should have read the manual. You're welcome. I wish the Fluke 8920/8921/8922 true RMS meters (20 MHz upper limit) were as easy to repair and calibrate. I used one at Microdyne, so I bought one for myself a few years ago. Being able to set 0 dB where you want it, makes gain calculations easy. |
#23
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On 04/02/2016 9:11 PM, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
John Robertson wrote: On 03/20/2016 8:09 AM, wrote: On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 10:37:10 AM UTC-4, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: On Wed, 16 Mar 2016 01:17:54 -0400, ehsjr Gave us: On 3/13/2016 11:58 PM, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote: I have 4 brand new DVMs and one uses a battery pack up in 3 days flat, turned OFF! I did some net searching and found a forum where it was discovered that Fluke put a cheap Toshiba supercap in the meter with a less than 2 year lifespan and AT the same voltage by this behavior. Just an FYI: Flukes generally carry a lifetime warranty - and this expedient would void that warranty. A more serious failure would then render the unit worthless and without resort to Fluke. Just keep this in mind. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA Lifetime by Fluke is defined as seven years after they stop production of the device: http://en-us.fluke.com/support/warranties/ My 1980s vintage Fluke test gear 9100s, 9010s, etc., is long past their lifetime warranty. Otherwise, they would still have to support old vacuum tube based equipment that they built in 1948. They don't even list the manual for my Fluke 8050 meters. Luckily, several free archive sites have it in PDF. True enough, Fluke (for one) doesn't appear to mind that folks post their older technical manuals for obsolete equipment. I've hosted their manuals for almost two decades with no issues at all (Fluke 9010 and 9100 stuff). Data I/O is another, in fact most of the respectable technical tools company seem to implicitly support the dissemination of their older info to keep these devices running... John :-#)# -- (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup) John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9 (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games) www.flippers.com "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out." |
#24
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
Glad my 8050A doesn't have batteries.
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#25
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
"I wish the Fluke 8920/8921/8922 true RMS meters (20
MHz upper limit) were as easy to repair and calibrate." Holy chit, 20 MHz ? I don't even want to know what those things cost. |
#26
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
On Sun, 3 Apr 2016 07:42:01 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
Glad my 8050A doesn't have batteries. Is it Option 1 and duz it work on AC? Mine wouldn't work on AC until I replaced the battery pack. Here's what's involved in running it without a battery and replacing the display with LED's: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/fluke-8050a-repair/ Or, if you don't mind overkill, here's another LED and a graphic display transplant: http://vondervotteimittiss.com/belfry/?p=180 http://vondervotteimittiss.com/belfry/?p=129 -- Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558 |
#27
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
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For those with Fluke Handheld DVMs
wrote: "I wish the Fluke 8920/8921/8922 true RMS meters (20 MHz upper limit) were as easy to repair and calibrate." Holy chit, 20 MHz ? I don't even want to know what those things cost. Typical used price is around $500. I have seen them sell for $50, untested. http://assets.fluke.com/manuals/8920A_21imeng0000.pdf |
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