Multimeters - Fluke or Agilent

[mvs sarma]

I experienced more failure of DMMs with MANY ranges and 360 deg rotation knobs. On the other hand autoranging ones with 6 to 8 switch positions for selection of volt, ohm, diode, temp, frequency(Hz) and current ranges are working fine.

It is very true that these meters also fail due to wrong applications like Volts while in Ohms etc. Thus it is not that meters fail, rather we kill them un-intentionally. I have used even simple Chinese meters ( you may call them One pound or $.2/- DMMs) for long periods.

 

[Speakerguy]

Otherwise, if one never has to work anywhere near AC power, control center or busbar, a replacement fuse is fully justified.

The 5.95 fuse is the proper replacement fuse. It is the Fluke manufacturer recommended part number, and it is manufactured for them by Bussman. You can pay $35 for it if you order under the Bussman part number, but it is the same fuse.

 

[audioguru]

I have a Fluke 79III DVM that I bought in 1990. I am very happy with it.
It has True RMS, a frequency counter and a capacitor measurer. Newer ones have a backlight and a temperature probe (that I never needed).

 

[jhoskins]

I can tell you that the Agilent is a far superior meter than the fluke. I was the biggeest fan of fluke ever. Ever meter that I purchased for any company had to be a Fluke. In my company we have about 5 Fluke 189's. thay are very great meters, then one day we had Agilent come in and hold a test and measurement event at out facility. At this event i won a U1242A meter and was quite impressed with it from the start. It is very very fast and very easy to use. It measures capacitance and Ohms more accurately then the fluke. In fact I keep the Agilent at my desk and everyone comes to borrow it to make specific measurements. You will be very pleased withthe way that the probes wrap around the meter. It will not let you down.

Just my 2 cents

Joe

 

[Dean Huster]

I wouldn't surprise me that an Agilent meter would be more accurate than the Fluke. However, I'd still hold that the Fluke would be more "bulletproof" than any other brand in the world, including Agilent. I always thought that Tektronix had some of the most accurate DMMs around with their DM501 and 213 DMM/scope -- but bulletproof? No.

Dean

 

[kmtang]

Agilent U1242A Low level AC voltage measurement

Hello all,

I bought this DMM two weeks ago. I used it to measured the hum noise of my tube amplifier which is approx 3 to 5mVrms with fundamental frequency of 120Hz. I found that it only gives me 0.0mV while other different model DMM give me 5 or 6mVrms. I used my oscilloscope to monitor it and the voltage is there.

I called the technical support of Agilent and the tech confirmed the same DMM of his happened the same. He suspected it is the kind of algorithm or circuit makes it incapable in measurement such low level AC voltage. Once the signal level is above 50mV, the reading is very accurate.

I don't know what happen to the design of this DMM. I just don't want to return it because I love the performance of it except this BIG BUG.


Johnny Tang