Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.

Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug
style, looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8
mm down an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon
have a lot of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking
for cheap, just quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.

My experience with those meters is that the leads break off where they are
soldered to the probe tip . I pull the tip , strip the wire , and resolder .

--
Snag

Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

http://probemaster.com/8000-series-standard/

--
Steve W.

Steve Walker wrote:

Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.


I have bought, and use these probes:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/150797962469

1-PAIR-Universal-Probe-Test-Leads-Pin-For-Digital-Multimeter-meter

$3.79 USD, and free shipping.

On Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 5:51:04 AM UTC-8, Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.


Fluke test leads are all I used for years. I'm very happy with them.

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 08:28:46 -0600, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug
style, looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8
mm down an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon
have a lot of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking
for cheap, just quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.

My experience with those meters is that the leads break off where they are
soldered to the probe tip . I pull the tip , strip the wire , and resolder .
Doesn't work with "moulded on" tips though - which are pretty much
standard today.

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 08:50:58 -0500, Steve Walker
wrote:

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

You can replace the probe itself...or simply buy a new set of leads on
ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW1Pair-Uni...-/161291428749

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Pair-Ultra...-/251501100026

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...ads&_sac at=0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-TP220-...-/182034970817


Its hardly rocket science. I keep a few sets of new leads on hand at
all times. Couple in the service truck, couple in the shop, couple in
the electronics shop.

Gunner

On 2/27/2016 5:50 AM, Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.

There are a couple of problems with cheap meter leads.

Can't tell from your picture, but if the end that plugs into
the meter has a cylindrical plastic shield that surrounds
the banana plug, sometimes the cylinder is too thick to fit
into the hole in the meter.

Second is lead flexibility. Sometimes they start out stiff.
Often they become stiff with age. Leads that age well are
easy to spot once you know what to look for...and have them
in your hand. Hard to describe, but the plastic is not shiny.

Buying a cheap lead set off EBAY will likely get you stiffed.

On 2016-02-27, Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

O.K. That looks like the ones for my Fluke -- and I've gotten
replacement lead sets from MSC made by Fluke.

They have a plastic insulating sleeve which is a continuation of
the right-angle strain relief on the end of the cable.

They are very good leads in my opinion.

Just verified -- 4mm holes, and the connector starts 7mm under
the front panel.

The tip broke off one of my leads.

Adequate reason to replace the set -- and use the old leads for
building some kind of test fixture -- or hanging alligator clips on the
end.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | (KV4PH) Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

Martin

On 2/27/2016 3:10 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 08:50:58 -0500, Steve Walker
wrote:

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

You can replace the probe itself...or simply buy a new set of leads on
ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW1Pair-Uni...-/161291428749

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Pair-Ultra...-/251501100026

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...ads&_sac at=0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-TP220-...-/182034970817


Its hardly rocket science. I keep a few sets of new leads on hand at
all times. Couple in the service truck, couple in the shop, couple in
the electronics shop.

Gunner

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

Martin

Or use a inexpensive (HF) meter to test something..thinking it was
208..and finding that the meter was not..not rated for 480....going
off like a small fireworks device the moment the probe was touched to
the terminal...which I saw last month....to an inexperienced vendor
for a machine accessory supplier. Was funny as hell..afterI made
sure his heart was still beating..albit about 200 bpm.

Gunner


On 2/27/2016 3:10 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 08:50:58 -0500, Steve Walker
wrote:

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

You can replace the probe itself...or simply buy a new set of leads on
ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW1Pair-Uni...-/161291428749

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Pair-Ultra...-/251501100026

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...ads&_sac at=0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-TP220-...-/182034970817


Its hardly rocket science. I keep a few sets of new leads on hand at
all times. Couple in the service truck, couple in the shop, couple in
the electronics shop.

Gunner

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

I got a nice arc once, when I forgot to change it back to V mode from
A, but the cheapish Mastech probes survived it. The only sign was a
black divot on the pos probe tip. An HFT probe set might not have
made it. One probe handle broke off once, as I caught the DVM from
falling off the table, but I was able to solder it back on with 1/3"
shorter lead. Even the cheapies are usually repairable.

Who makes an inexpensive but super-flexible wire which would work for
probe leads?

--
Life is like one big Mardi Gras. But instead of showing your boobs,
show people your brain, and if they like what they see, you'll have
more beads than you know what to do with.
-- Ellen DeGeneres, Tulane Commencement Speech, 2009

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 22:09:36 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

Martin

Or use a inexpensive (HF) meter to test something..thinking it was
208..and finding that the meter was not..not rated for 480....going
off like a small fireworks device the moment the probe was touched to
the terminal...which I saw last month....to an inexperienced vendor
for a machine accessory supplier. Was funny as hell..afterI made
sure his heart was still beating..albit about 200 bpm.

Har! So, the probes are rated 1kV but the meters aren't? Figures.

--
Of course, we all know that Biden is the intellect of the Democratic
Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
--Clint Eastwood

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...

Who makes an inexpensive but super-flexible wire which would work
for
probe leads?


http://www.acerracing.com/Superworm_...Wire-75-1.html
The 14AWG is about the same OD and flexibility as my old Fluke leads.

http://www.amazon.com/TOOGOO-Gauge-S.../dp/B00F91J6IW

--jsw

On Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 9:38:37 AM UTC-5, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 22:09:36 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

Martin

Or use a inexpensive (HF) meter to test something..thinking it was
208..and finding that the meter was not..not rated for 480....going
off like a small fireworks device the moment the probe was touched to
the terminal...which I saw last month....to an inexperienced vendor
for a machine accessory supplier. Was funny as hell..afterI made
sure his heart was still beating..albit about 200 bpm.

Har! So, the probes are rated 1kV but the meters
aren't? Figures.

Well, I guess multi-meter companies have to say in business
somehow, right?

Of course, we all know that Biden is the intellect of the
Democratic Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
--Clint Eastwood

How can he tell? Has he been democrat before?

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 06:37:28 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

I got a nice arc once, when I forgot to change it back to V mode from
A, but the cheapish Mastech probes survived it. The only sign was a
black divot on the pos probe tip. An HFT probe set might not have
made it. One probe handle broke off once, as I caught the DVM from
falling off the table, but I was able to solder it back on with 1/3"
shorter lead. Even the cheapies are usually repairable.

Who makes an inexpensive but super-flexible wire which would work for
probe leads?

Most probes today are molded as an entire unit and there really isnt
any way to solder parts back together. you add a third party probe
or connector..which WILL cost more than the replacement set of leads
did, including shipping.

Gunner

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 06:39:02 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 22:09:36 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

Martin

Or use a inexpensive (HF) meter to test something..thinking it was
208..and finding that the meter was not..not rated for 480....going
off like a small fireworks device the moment the probe was touched to
the terminal...which I saw last month....to an inexperienced vendor
for a machine accessory supplier. Was funny as hell..afterI made
sure his heart was still beating..albit about 200 bpm.

Har! So, the probes are rated 1kV but the meters aren't? Figures.

I honestly cannot say if they are or are not rated for 1kv. His
certainly didnt appear to be. It was bright however....(VBG)

As you are aware..I, in the course of my business day..may indeed have
occasion to check higher voltages than 208..and when Im working above
208 or in unknown territory..will use one of my Flukes, B&Ks etc etc,
rather than a $3.25 multimeter with leads thinner than my mustache
hair.

Just saying....shrug

Gunner

On 2/27/2016 9:30 AM, Steve W. wrote:


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

Duh! Forgot about home depot. In stock, $16.50 out the door. They seem
very well made. Thanks.


Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug
style, looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8
mm down an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon
have a lot of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking
for cheap, just quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

http://probemaster.com/8000-series-standard/

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 14:02:33 -0500, Steve Walker
wrote:

On 2/27/2016 9:30 AM, Steve W. wrote:


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

Duh! Forgot about home depot. In stock, $16.50 out the door. They seem
very well made. Thanks.


Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug
style, looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8
mm down an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon
have a lot of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking
for cheap, just quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

http://probemaster.com/8000-series-standard/


Nice leads. However..I can buy (7+) sets of decent leads on Ebay and
have them delivered to my home for the price of (1) set of those
leads. Yeah..they are decent leads but they are no more decent that
the ones on Ebay.

Gunner

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 11:50:15 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 14:02:33 -0500, Steve Walker
wrote:

On 2/27/2016 9:30 AM, Steve W. wrote:


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

Duh! Forgot about home depot. In stock, $16.50 out the door. They seem
very well made. Thanks.


Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug
style, looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8
mm down an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon
have a lot of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking
for cheap, just quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

http://probemaster.com/8000-series-standard/


Nice leads. However..I can buy (7+) sets of decent leads on Ebay and
have them delivered to my home for the price of (1) set of those
leads. Yeah..they are decent leads but they are no more decent that
the ones on Ebay.

Gunner
Might even have come off the same cottage assembly line in China.

fired this volley in
:

Might even have come off the same cottage assembly line in China.

In Gunner's defense, they're probably every bit as good as the leads that
came on the meter to begin with, and even the Klein Tools version may
well have been made in China.

Unless you're doing HV stuff, "any-ol'" lead that fits, makes good
contact, and lasts a bit is fine. And truthfully, meter leads don't
undergo a lot of abuse unless you have an accident, so even the cheapest
leads are usually long-lasting.

I _do_ look for things like removable tip shields and proper strain
relief moldings wherever the lead enters a molding.

Lloyd

Lloyd

On 2/28/2016 4:56 PM, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
fired this volley in
:

Might even have come off the same cottage assembly line in China.


Could be. G But I can return these in a few minutes if I'm not happy
with them.


In Gunner's defense, they're probably every bit as good as the leads that
came on the meter to begin with, and even the Klein Tools version may
well have been made in China.

They were.



Unless you're doing HV stuff, "any-ol'" lead that fits, makes good
contact, and lasts a bit is fine. And truthfully, meter leads don't
undergo a lot of abuse unless you have an accident, so even the cheapest
leads are usually long-lasting.

I _do_ look for things like removable tip shields and proper strain
relief moldings wherever the lead enters a molding.

These look well (enough) made. And I got them in less than half an hour,
which allowed me to do what I needed to do immediately, instead of some
time in the next week or so.

Steve Walker fired this volley in
:

And I got them in less than half an hour,
which allowed me to do what I needed to do immediately, instead of some
time in the next week or so.



Heh! I live far enough out in the country so that trips to the big-box
stores must be planned in advance -- and sometimes take two weeks to get
around to. So often, Amazon or Ebay are actually quicker!

Lloyd

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 09:12:56 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 06:39:02 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 22:09:36 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Right!
Just think, an oops when you are in 10amp mode with regular leads and
they fry. Or short the long tip on the Red probe across pins and it
melts away...

Martin

Or use a inexpensive (HF) meter to test something..thinking it was
208..and finding that the meter was not..not rated for 480....going
off like a small fireworks device the moment the probe was touched to
the terminal...which I saw last month....to an inexperienced vendor
for a machine accessory supplier. Was funny as hell..afterI made
sure his heart was still beating..albit about 200 bpm.

Har! So, the probes are rated 1kV but the meters aren't? Figures.

I honestly cannot say if they are or are not rated for 1kv. His
certainly didnt appear to be. It was bright however....(VBG)

I'll bet. 240v arc welding of screwdriver shafts are quite bright,
too. I took out a 50a breaker in Engineering that way once. The
entire production line clapped as I walked back through the dark
factory. It hid my blush a bit, I'm thinkin'.


As you are aware..I, in the course of my business day..may indeed have
occasion to check higher voltages than 208..and when Im working above
208 or in unknown territory..will use one of my Flukes, B&Ks etc etc,
rather than a $3.25 multimeter with leads thinner than my mustache
hair.

Just saying....shrug

Grok that.

--
Of course, we all know that Biden is the intellect of the Democratic
Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
--Clint Eastwood

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 15:56:28 -0600, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

fired this volley in
:

Might even have come off the same cottage assembly line in China.

In Gunner's defense, they're probably every bit as good as the leads that
came on the meter to begin with, and even the Klein Tools version may
well have been made in China.

Unless you're doing HV stuff, "any-ol'" lead that fits, makes good
contact, and lasts a bit is fine. And truthfully, meter leads don't
undergo a lot of abuse unless you have an accident, so even the cheapest
leads are usually long-lasting.

I _do_ look for things like removable tip shields and proper strain
relief moldings wherever the lead enters a molding.

Lloyd

Lloyd
And I bought several sets that meet all those requirements for under
$10 canadian each.

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 10:18:08 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .

Who makes an inexpensive but super-flexible wire which would work
for
probe leads?


http://www.acerracing.com/Superworm_...Wire-75-1.html
The 14AWG is about the same OD and flexibility as my old Fluke leads.

Looks nice. I bought 2/0 Excelene welding wire for the 2kW inverter
recently. Very nice stuff. Will be ordering some 4ga for solar
battery interconnections. #8 is their finest gauge, though.


http://www.amazon.com/TOOGOO-Gauge-S.../dp/B00F91J6IW

Added to Larry's Wishlist. Tanks. That's enough to do 5 meters!

--
Of course, we all know that Biden is the intellect of the Democratic
Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
--Clint Eastwood

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 11:50:15 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 14:02:33 -0500, Steve Walker
wrote:

On 2/27/2016 9:30 AM, Steve W. wrote:


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

Duh! Forgot about home depot. In stock, $16.50 out the door. They seem
very well made. Thanks.


Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug
style, looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8
mm down an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon
have a lot of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking
for cheap, just quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...9410/202266612

http://probemaster.com/8000-series-standard/


Nice leads. However..I can buy (7+) sets of decent leads on Ebay and
have them delivered to my home for the price of (1) set of those
leads. Yeah..they are decent leads but they are no more decent that
the ones on Ebay.

And HD gets them directly from China.

--
Of course, we all know that Biden is the intellect of the Democratic
Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
--Clint Eastwood

On 2/27/2016 4:14 PM, mike wrote:
On 2/27/2016 5:50 AM, Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.

There are a couple of problems with cheap meter leads.

Can't tell from your picture, but if the end that plugs into
the meter has a cylindrical plastic shield that surrounds
the banana plug, sometimes the cylinder is too thick to fit
into the hole in the meter.

Second is lead flexibility. Sometimes they start out stiff.
Often they become stiff with age. Leads that age well are
easy to spot once you know what to look for...and have them
in your hand. Hard to describe, but the plastic is not shiny.

Buying a cheap lead set off EBAY will likely get you stiffed.

I always bought some good flexible leads with rubber insulation and
finely stranded wire... Plastic is too stiff. I was a bench tech
for many years so my meter leads got plenty of use. It wasn't too
uncommon for a lead wire to develop an intermittent break.
Could be a real head scratcher for bit. A good test trick is to grab
each end by the tips and pull. If there is a break in the wire the
lead will stretch fairly easily. Odd thing is the ends of the wire
look like they were cut with a knife.

On 2/28/2016 6:07 PM, gray_wolf wrote:
On 2/27/2016 4:14 PM, mike wrote:
On 2/27/2016 5:50 AM, Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.

There are a couple of problems with cheap meter leads.

Can't tell from your picture, but if the end that plugs into
the meter has a cylindrical plastic shield that surrounds
the banana plug, sometimes the cylinder is too thick to fit
into the hole in the meter.

Second is lead flexibility. Sometimes they start out stiff.
Often they become stiff with age. Leads that age well are
easy to spot once you know what to look for...and have them
in your hand. Hard to describe, but the plastic is not shiny.

Buying a cheap lead set off EBAY will likely get you stiffed.

I always bought some good flexible leads with rubber insulation and
finely stranded wire... Plastic is too stiff. I was a bench tech
for many years so my meter leads got plenty of use. It wasn't too
uncommon for a lead wire to develop an intermittent break.
Could be a real head scratcher for bit. A good test trick is to grab
each end by the tips and pull. If there is a break in the wire the
lead will stretch fairly easily. Odd thing is the ends of the wire
look like they were cut with a knife.

Another tip is to keep the probe points sharp. Dull points will sometimes not
make good contact with oxidized surfaces. Especially if covered with solder
flux... It's a drag to think you just found a bunch of open diodes on a PCB
and find you weren't waking good contact.

On 2/28/2016 8:39 AM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 22:09:36 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:02:29 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Or use a inexpensive (HF) meter to test something..thinking it was
208..and finding that the meter was not..not rated for 480....going
off like a small fireworks device the moment the probe was touched to
the terminal...which I saw last month....to an inexperienced vendor
for a machine accessory supplier. Was funny as hell..afterI made
sure his heart was still beating..albit about 200 bpm.

Har! So, the probes are rated 1kV but the meters aren't? Figures.


20 years ago I was checking the power supply voltage of a microwave oven
with my, decent, Rat Shack Micronta digital VOM. No sparks but they were dead
serious when the said that the input voltage was not to exceed 750 volts.
In the 60's I worked on some Litton commercial ovens. Output test was to bring
a std coffee cup of water to a boil in 10 seconds

On Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 12:16:10 PM UTC-5, Gunner Asch wrote:


As you are aware..I, in the course of my business day..may indeed have
occasion to check higher voltages than 208..and when Im working above
208 or in unknown territory..will use one of my Flukes, B&Ks etc etc,
rather than a $3.25 multimeter with leads thinner than my mustache
hair.

Just saying....shrug

Gunner

You might want to glance over at SED. There is a thread over there " HV Probe" A lot of discussion on test leads for use on high voltage and also on medium ( 1000 to 2000 volts ) voltage.

Dan

On 2016-02-28, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...

Who makes an inexpensive but super-flexible wire which would work
for
probe leads?


http://www.acerracing.com/Superworm_...Wire-75-1.html
The 14AWG is about the same OD and flexibility as my old Fluke leads.

http://www.amazon.com/TOOGOO-Gauge-S.../dp/B00F91J6IW

Hmm ... back when I was working at an R&D lab, we used a
silicone rubber insulated very flexible wire -- but it was all white.
Made a lot of leads with 'gator clips on each end, with the only color
coding being the plastic sleeve on the back end of the clip.

It did feel like the wire insulation in the Fluke leads.

It was good for something like 20 KV (we did a lot of HV low
current work.) (Not sure whether the breakdown voltage for the
colored wires would be lower -- I would suspect so -- especially for the
black ones. :-)

However -- once one was connected across a 28 VDC power supply
which was capable of 50 Amps. The lead went from equally flexible along
its entire length to *more* flexible (where the lead vaporized) and much
siffer, where the strands welded together. :-)

No -- I don't remember who made the wire -- but we typically had
a 1000' spool on hand, and the markings on the end of the metal spools
was blue background, if that rings a bell as to who manufactured it.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | (KV4PH) Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 18:15:39 -0600, gray_wolf
wrote:

On 2/28/2016 6:07 PM, gray_wolf wrote:
On 2/27/2016 4:14 PM, mike wrote:
On 2/27/2016 5:50 AM, Steve Walker wrote:
Wide variety of test leads out there. Anybody have any recommendations
for replacements (and a source)? My Protek takes 4mm banana plug style,
looks like the female contact in the meter is recessed about 8 mm down
an 8mm hole. I would like hard tipped ones. EBay and Amazon have a lot
of name brand (right!!) ones, but who knows. Not looking for cheap, just
quality.
Here's a picture of one like mine.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...YdXE92XcBw.jpg

The tip broke off one of my leads.

There are a couple of problems with cheap meter leads.

Can't tell from your picture, but if the end that plugs into
the meter has a cylindrical plastic shield that surrounds
the banana plug, sometimes the cylinder is too thick to fit
into the hole in the meter.

Second is lead flexibility. Sometimes they start out stiff.
Often they become stiff with age. Leads that age well are
easy to spot once you know what to look for...and have them
in your hand. Hard to describe, but the plastic is not shiny.

Buying a cheap lead set off EBAY will likely get you stiffed.

I always bought some good flexible leads with rubber insulation and
finely stranded wire... Plastic is too stiff. I was a bench tech
for many years so my meter leads got plenty of use. It wasn't too
uncommon for a lead wire to develop an intermittent break.
Could be a real head scratcher for bit. A good test trick is to grab
each end by the tips and pull. If there is a break in the wire the
lead will stretch fairly easily. Odd thing is the ends of the wire
look like they were cut with a knife.

Another tip is to keep the probe points sharp. Dull points will sometimes not
make good contact with oxidized surfaces. Especially if covered with solder
flux... It's a drag to think you just found a bunch of open diodes on a PCB
and find you weren't waking good contact.

Agreed, sharp probe tips prevented a whole bunch of user errors, from
skating off a pin (shorting-out chips) to taking bad readings.

I learned to (much more often) trust shorts and be skeptical of opens
when it came to probing with a DVM. My tech years were short (3), not
long enough to get as decent a grasp of the field of electronics as
I'd hoped. The 10 months of Coleman College's Computer Electronics
Technology course didn't teach me much more than the language.

--
Of course, we all know that Biden is the intellect of the Democratic
Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
--Clint Eastwood

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 17:17:19 -0600, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Steve Walker fired this volley in
:

And I got them in less than half an hour,
which allowed me to do what I needed to do immediately, instead of some
time in the next week or so.



Heh! I live far enough out in the country so that trips to the big-box
stores must be planned in advance -- and sometimes take two weeks to get
around to. So often, Amazon or Ebay are actually quicker!

And invariably less costly and more choices are available. I have
Amazon Prime, so 2-day shipping is free for many, many things. I'd
been paying $79/yr for the privilege, but last month it went up to
$99/yr for Prime. It's worth it to me.

Ordering direct from China takes 2-7 weeks and shipping is usually
free, though. Most of the time, the time frame is not a problem. When
it is, Amazon comes through for a buck or less more money and damnear
instant shipping.

--
Of course, we all know that Biden is the intellect of the Democratic
Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
--Clint Eastwood

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 17:16:55 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 12:16:10 PM UTC-5, Gunner Asch wrote:


As you are aware..I, in the course of my business day..may indeed have
occasion to check higher voltages than 208..and when Im working above
208 or in unknown territory..will use one of my Flukes, B&Ks etc etc,
rather than a $3.25 multimeter with leads thinner than my mustache
hair.

Just saying....shrug

Gunner

You might want to glance over at SED. There is a thread over there " HV Probe" A lot of discussion on test leads for use on high voltage and also on medium ( 1000 to 2000 volts ) voltage.

Dan

Thanks. I make it a point to limit my exposure to anything over 480.
I was a RME/Licensed Electrician with C7 and C10 endorsements
(California) for a number of years, but I don't have the gear or
experience to work with the Big Stuff, nor do I have any interest in
working with hardware/voltages that require big hardware and safety
gear just to be around. Hence I never went to work for PG&E etc etc. I
repair machine tools for a living and while Ill lend a hand/knowledge
to other devices...Ill let the younger, better trained, better
equipped guys **** with Death Voltages/Amperages (not that 440 isnt
death voltages..but the corpse doesnt come out Extra- Extra
Crispy..more along the lines of Medium Well )

Gunner

On Mon, 29 Feb 2016 08:56:24 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 17:16:55 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 12:16:10 PM UTC-5, Gunner Asch wrote:


As you are aware..I, in the course of my business day..may indeed have
occasion to check higher voltages than 208..and when Im working above
208 or in unknown territory..will use one of my Flukes, B&Ks etc etc,
rather than a $3.25 multimeter with leads thinner than my mustache
hair.

Just saying....shrug

Gunner

You might want to glance over at SED. There is a thread over there " HV Probe" A lot of discussion on test leads for use on high voltage and also on medium ( 1000 to 2000 volts ) voltage.

Dan

Thanks. I make it a point to limit my exposure to anything over 480.

I don't blame you. I think I'd want to make sure I had nice, extreme
HV leads if I were testing anything above 240v.

--
Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at
a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand.
--Thomas Carlyle

"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

Hmm ... back when I was working at an R&D lab, we used a
silicone rubber insulated very flexible wire -- but it was all white.
Made a lot of leads with 'gator clips on each end, with the only color
coding being the plastic sleeve on the back end of the clip.

It did feel like the wire insulation in the Fluke leads.

It was good for something like 20 KV (we did a lot of HV low
current work.) (Not sure whether the breakdown voltage for the
colored wires would be lower -- I would suspect so -- especially for the
black ones. :-)

However -- once one was connected across a 28 VDC power supply
which was capable of 50 Amps. The lead went from equally flexible along
its entire length to *more* flexible (where the lead vaporized) and much
siffer, where the strands welded together. :-)

No -- I don't remember who made the wire -- but we typically had
a 1000' spool on hand, and the markings on the end of the metal spools
was blue background, if that rings a bell as to who manufactured it.


Belden and Alpha both used blue. I have a 1000' spool of black
silicone Belden HV wire out in my shop, somewhere. I always preferred
the Belden to any other brand of wire for making probes.

On Wed, 23 Mar 2016 23:11:42 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

Hmm ... back when I was working at an R&D lab, we used a
silicone rubber insulated very flexible wire -- but it was all white.
Made a lot of leads with 'gator clips on each end, with the only color
coding being the plastic sleeve on the back end of the clip.

It did feel like the wire insulation in the Fluke leads.

It was good for something like 20 KV (we did a lot of HV low
current work.) (Not sure whether the breakdown voltage for the
colored wires would be lower -- I would suspect so -- especially for the
black ones. :-)

However -- once one was connected across a 28 VDC power supply
which was capable of 50 Amps. The lead went from equally flexible along
its entire length to *more* flexible (where the lead vaporized) and much
siffer, where the strands welded together. :-)

No -- I don't remember who made the wire -- but we typically had
a 1000' spool on hand, and the markings on the end of the metal spools
was blue background, if that rings a bell as to who manufactured it.


Belden and Alpha both used blue. I have a 1000' spool of black
silicone Belden HV wire out in my shop, somewhere. I always preferred
the Belden to any other brand of wire for making probes.

Ever find it and its in usable condition..Id buy 50' or so off you.

Gunner

Gunner Asch wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Belden and Alpha both used blue. I have a 1000' spool of black
silicone Belden HV wire out in my shop, somewhere. I always
preferred the Belden to any other brand of wire for making probes.

Ever find it and its in usable condition..Id buy 50' or so off you.


O.K. I need to haul off about four truckloads of recyclables before I
can get to it. I haven't been in that part of the garage in several
years. Not since the last time my dad moved, and left a bunch of stuff
in there, 'temporarily'.

On Sat, 26 Mar 2016 19:29:25 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Gunner Asch wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Belden and Alpha both used blue. I have a 1000' spool of black
silicone Belden HV wire out in my shop, somewhere. I always
preferred the Belden to any other brand of wire for making probes.

Ever find it and its in usable condition..Id buy 50' or so off you.


O.K. I need to haul off about four truckloads of recyclables before I
can get to it. I haven't been in that part of the garage in several
years. Not since the last time my dad moved, and left a bunch of stuff
in there, 'temporarily'.

Just keep it in mind. Id love to make up some leads of several colors
using decent lead wire.

Gunner