Using The Correct Tools For The Job Are Always Essential!!

[tcp2525]

I've found out the hard way in my younger days that if you skimp and buy inexpensive tools you pay for it in the end. If you're doing mobile GMRS installs or troubleshooting, and the gear and accessories are "Imported" it is inadvisable to use a domestically manufactured meter, even the legendary Fluke. To solve this dilemma I've been finding myself in more often than not is to purchase an "Imported" Fluke meter to get around this problem. Now when I'm in this situation again, I won't feel like I'm mixing matter with anti-matter. I love this meter!!  Ain't she pretty? Now off to measure the current draw of my DB20.

[SteveShannon]

54 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

I've found out the hard way in my younger days that if you skimp and buy inexpensive tools you pay for it in the end. If you're doing mobile GMRS installs or troubleshooting, and the gear and accessories are "Imported" it is inadvisable to use a domestically manufactured meter, even the legendary Fluke. To solve this dilemma I've been finding myself in more often than not is to purchase an "Imported" Fluke meter to get around this problem. Now when I'm in this situation again, I won't feel like I'm mixing matter with anti-matter. I love this meter!!  Ain't she pretty? Now off to measure the current draw of my DB20.

I have the 117 and really like it. Of course I wanted the 87 but I couldn’t justify the price difference. 

[WRYZ926]

I'm still using the Fluke 73 III that I bought 25 years ago. It does most everything I need it to do. I have a new Klein clamp meter for amperage reading when needed 

[tcp2525]

Ah, the classic 87, it never goes out of style nor will it ever be discontinued. Don't remind me about clamp meters. My dumb ass left my old favorite Fluke ampprobe where I was working and didn't remember I forgot it till the next day. Needless to say somebody got an early Christmas gift. I bought a new one, it gets hooked to my belt. I ain't making that mistake twice.

[WRUU653]

 I agree that good tools are a joy to use. Like radios it seems I can never have enough. As for Flukes I have the Fluke 16 and Fluke T5 1000.
Before I retired I used to have the 87, the 376 FC with the flexible clamp (that was a nice meter) and a 771 milliamp clamp on (usefull for 4-20 controls). All good meters. 

[WSHH887]

Still prefer Klein. And I have never trusted those pen type devices to see if a circuit is live. 
 

I do have one old Fluke meter. All it measures is 129 or 240 voltage. It must be close to 60 years old now. 

[WRUU653]

7 minutes ago, WSHH887 said:

And I have never trusted those pen type devices to see if a circuit is live

Yeah they can be finicky, I trust them to tell me something is hot, I don’t trust them to tell me it’s not.
Klein has certainly made some money off of me over the years too

[tcp2525]

20 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

 I agree that good tools are a joy to use. Like radios it seems I can never have enough. As for Flukes I have the Fluke 16 and Fluke T5 1000.
Before I retired I used to have the 87, the 376 FC with the flexible clamp (that was a nice meter) and a 771 milliamp clamp on (usefull for 4-20 controls). All good meters. 

That is the beauty of the 87, it's such a joy to use. I always thought the clamp was such a neat accessory.

[tcp2525]

21 minutes ago, WSHH887 said:

Still prefer Klein. And I have never trusted those pen type devices to see if a circuit is live. 
 

I do have one old Fluke meter. All it measures is 129 or 240 voltage. It must be close to 60 years old now. 

Don't get me started on those pen testers. I always tell the new guys to NEVER rely on them. If you insist on using one you better check using your meter. 277v and 480v is so unforgiving. 

[WRYZ926]

27 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

I always tell the new guys to NEVER rely on them. If you insist on using one you better check using your meter. 277v and 480v is so unforgiving. 

It will only hurt for a little bit - until you either trip the breaker or pass out from the pain. 

I've zapped myself with everything from 12 V DC to 480 V AC three phase. 120 is the worse since it wants to hold onto you. Generally (but not always) 220V and above will throw you off.

I got hit with 480V three phase when testing a contact. The relay went bad and it was getting the full 480 across it. I had my left hand on the metal cabinet when it hit me. It instantly threw my hand off the door.

One of the worse shocks I got was when working on a 36 V DC golf cart. I got zapped by the full 36 volts from 6 high amp 6 volt batteries. I was testing the big resistor that controls the speed and accidentally got my left forearm across all three terminals on the motor. I had to grab my left arm with my right hand to pull my arm off the motor.

I won't go cheap when it comes to tool needed for electrical work. All of my screw drivers and some pliers are all rated for up to 600 volts. And I definitely won't use those pen testers.

[Socalgmrs]

For 12v dc the best investment a mechanic or hobbyist can make is a power probe.    Testing grounds, relays, giving power or ground to something.   

[WRUU653]

I would add make sure what you think you’re testing is what you think it is before putting that meter on it also. I got called out for a blown fuse on 4160 three phase. Each leg supplied a group of transformers and the electricians (not our company) thought the high side was 480… they opened up the back, one guy put the probes on while the other held the 600 volt rated meter. They both lived but they both went to the burn ward. Be safe and pass on stories where things can go wrong so the newbies may learn and hopefully avoid bad mistakes.

[WSHH887]

Fortunately my work never involved more than 220. A lot was DC control power and 120 that was relay controlled to the equipment. But an old electrician gave me some advice early on. Have two sets of tools. One for electrical and the other for everything else. Keep them in separate tool bags and never mix them. I always bought the best tools I could afford. Retired now I still keep my electrical tools segregated from my others. Old habits die hard if you follow them, you will too. 

[PACNWComms]

Yes, good test equipment will last a very long time. Still using an old Fluke 87 (no series III or white backlight here). Leaking LCD crystal around its display.....and believe it or not, a metrology tech put the main knob on in the wrong position, had to correct that myself. (My personal fluke ended up in the work pool as it looks like many others.....has happened with a Motorola XPR7550e radio as well). 

 

Black gasket broke, so electrical tape seals the gap in places.....but still accurate and great for use in dark corners of electrical cabinets or floor board of cars. Some co-workers bought the cheaper Kelin Tools multimeters, only to find they lacked a backlight. The old expensive Fluke 87 continues to do the job (suspect mine is 30 years old or so).

 

By once, cry once. Get good gear.

[WSEZ864]

When I was an electrician in 1980, I bought a new Fluke hand held digital multimeter. It worked perfectly until about 2 years ago, when it was inundated with saltwater in a flood. I found it several days after, soaked/rinsed with fresh water, then 90% alcohol, but when it dried out, all the control buttons were fused with corrosion. Total loss.

I bought a bench model Fluke DMM among some other used test equipment about 20 years ago. It was at least 10 years old when I got it. It too worked perfectly until about six months ago. I turned it on and the display was crazy and it would not respond to the controls. Have not yet decided what to do with it, I may send it back to Fluke because a direct replacement is over $1k.

Meantime, I bought another new Fluke hand held DMM. As with the other Fluke instruments, it was pretty expensive, but if it provides the same level of service my other two Flukes did, it will outlive me by a decade or two.

[tcp2525]

46 minutes ago, WSEZ864 said:

When I was an electrician in 1980, I bought a new Fluke hand held digital multimeter. It worked perfectly until about 2 years ago, when it was inundated with saltwater in a flood. I found it several days after, soaked/rinsed with fresh water, then 90% alcohol, but when it dried out, all the control buttons were fused with corrosion. Total loss.

I bought a bench model Fluke DMM among some other used test equipment about 20 years ago. It was at least 10 years old when I got it. It too worked perfectly until about six months ago. I turned it on and the display was crazy and it would not respond to the controls. Have not yet decided what to do with it, I may send it back to Fluke because a direct replacement is over $1k.

Meantime, I bought another new Fluke hand held DMM. As with the other Fluke instruments, it was pretty expensive, but if it provides the same level of service my other two Flukes did, it will outlive me by a decade or two.

Ouch!

[WRHS218]

I have a 35 year old Fluke 27 that has never let me down.

19 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

Be safe and pass on stories where things can go wrong so the newbies may learn and hopefully avoid bad mistakes.

I had a supervisor that wanted some measurements taken inside of a 72 KV switchyard. The two operators on duty refused to perform the task and reminded the supervisor (who had been an operator and went through the high voltage training) that measuring tapes were not allowed inside of a live switchyard. He got mad and went in the switchyard to get the measurements anyway. He lived but will never fully recover from what it did to his body. That was in a very specific professional setting, but the lessons apply to anyone working with any voltages.

[WRUU653]

4 hours ago, WRHS218 said:

I have a 35 year old Fluke 27 that has never let me down.

I had a supervisor that wanted some measurements taken inside of a 72 KV switchyard. The two operators on duty refused to perform the task and reminded the supervisor (who had been an operator and went through the high voltage training) that measuring tapes were not allowed inside of a live switchyard. He got mad and went in the switchyard to get the measurements anyway. He lived but will never fully recover from what it did to his body. That was in a very specific professional setting, but the lessons apply to anyone working with any voltages.

Wow... Sorry to hear that. Electricity definitely jumps. Good on the two that said no. Working High voltage wasn't my favorite thing to do but when I did we always had a tailgate meeting to go over the task step by step and I always asked if anything seemed wrong or missing, I wanted input. If two people are saying no it sure would be cause to reevaluate the situation. Always more impotant to go home at the end of the day. 

[WRYZ926]

I never messed with voltage above 480 three phase and I did not want to mess with higher voltages. KV is nothing to mess with. I won't get near a high power AM/FM radio station tower either.

I also would refuse to use any type of welder outside in the rain for the same reasons. I had a 1st Lieutenant that wanted one my soldiers to stand inside a M113 engine bay and well the engine mount in the rain. The 1st Lt tried pulling rank but he forgot that the lead maintenance soldier was always in charge while working on vehicles. I politely and tactfully told hime that he was an ID10T and my soldiers would not weld in the rain. 

[tcp2525]

6 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

I never messed with voltage above 480 three phase and I did not want to mess with higher voltages. KV is nothing to mess with. I won't get near a high power AM/FM radio station tower either.

I also would refuse to use any type of welder outside in the rain for the same reasons. I had a 1st Lieutenant that wanted one my soldiers to stand inside a M113 engine bay and well the engine mount in the rain. The 1st Lt tried pulling rank but he forgot that the lead maintenance soldier was always in charge while working on vehicles. I politely and tactfully told hime that he was an ID10T and my soldiers would not weld in the rain. 

You really don't want to get bit by the high voltage from a tube amplifier, it will wake you up. You youngsters missed the good old days of flyback transformers connected to CRT, they hold their voltage for a long time after being de energized.

[WRYZ926]

I have not used any radio tube amp but have used and repaired a few guitar/bass tube amps. The one machine shop was still using a larger surface grinder that was used tubes. So I have some experience working with them.

Our club's VEC has an old 2000 watt tube amp that came out of the local AM radio station decades ago. We keep teasing him by asking when he is going to install that in his pickup truck. The amp is out the same size as a small 18 cubic inch refrigerator 

Quote

You really don't want to get bit by the high voltage from a tube amplifier, it will wake you up. You youngsters missed the good old days of flyback transformers connected to CRT, they hold their voltage for a long time after being de energized.

I remember working on the old TVs as a kid. one of my uncles owned a TV repair shop.

[WSHH887]

I was just going to mention finding out that just because an old B&W TV was unplugged doesn't mean it can't bite. There are just places you shouldn't put a screwdriver. 

[WRYZ926]

1 hour ago, WSHH887 said:

I was just going to mention finding out that just because an old B&W TV was unplugged doesn't mean it can't bite. There are just places you shouldn't put a screwdriver. 

The same goes for capacitors too. Some of the machines I use to work on had banks of 24 to 36 capacitors that were bigger than a soda can. I forgot the actual farad rating for those but it was in the KF range.