Fluke 289 and Fluke 189 True RMS DMM's

[Cifrocco]

I just bought my new Fluke 289 True RMS DMM. Very nice instrument. Redesigned and improved over the previous flagship DMM from Fluke, the 189.

For $680 I got the 289, leads, thermocouple, FormsView software, soft pouch, hanging clip and strap.


Improvements:

The 289 now has a 1/4 VGA LCD display, compared with the fixed-digit, segmented display of the 189. You get a lot more information on-screen. There is a nice menu system with online help.

The rotary switch now does not need to be rotated to turn the DMM on since there is a separate ON-OFF switch. This in itself is worth the upgrade, lol. Saves some wear and tear on the rotary every time you use it, since many times we need the same setting (i.e. DC Volts) so no need to rotate away from it just to turn unit on/off.

On-screen warning if you insert the leads in the wrong jack for current measurements. Nice!

Haven't gone through all the specs but they seem to be the same. The 289 has a new Lo-Z and Lo-ohms setting.

The 289 is just as sturdy and rugged as the 189, a little taller and heavier. They make a great pair!

Highly recommended.

 

[JTECH]

The best! Also keeps its calibration for long period. (The 189 and earlier).

 

[Leftyretro]

Nice investment. Fluke is a great company with great products.

Lefty

 

[Dean Huster]

For $680, if you're not getting 6-1/2 digits and ±0.0005% accuracy, I don't know what you'd do with that thing vs. using one that is more in the $100 category. Yeah, Fluke is a wonderful brand, but ya know, an Escort will get you there just as fast as a Lincoln and for a lot less money (i.e., a cheaper model of the same brand). Any modern Fluke model is virtually "bullet-proof".

And I've never seen a Fluke DMM made since 1990 that doesn't keep its calibration dead on for a long, long time. But then, there's probably only 0.1% at most of DMM buyers that actually have their meter periodically calibrated, and most would never know if their meter was out of cal or not.

For $680, I can buy a Tektronix 7904 500MHz scope fully loaded with plug-ins.

I guess congratulations on your purchase. I hope it really fills a void. It's just not for me.

Dean