Hi Tony, thank you for doing this video, I was looking to buy a new analogue test meter. After you showed the Tek power TP8250, I went on Amazon and brought one. So thanks to you Tony I how have one to replace my 20+ years old one.
Good info, thank you for the video! I think the one downside of the FE-20's "Lo-Power" resistance setting is, you still have to cycle through different knob/range settings to select the correct range when checking a boards components, making it a bit inconvenient. It would be nice to cover a bit of using the 'REL" , or "DELTA" - "ZERO" button when making ohm, voltage or current measurements. I find it's usually very successful at taking out the intrinsic resistance of the test leads when using it, making it easier to troubleshoot / measure things like low value emitter resistors, switch and relay contacts, and measuring to get close to a dead short without having to break connections to isolate a circuit's components. I see very few content creators that make electronics repair videos use it in situations where it could give them an advantage.
Some interesting features that I have not encountered on meters or never looked into what they're for. Thanks for sharing. I remember when I was at college back in 1984 that conductivity was measured in Mho which I think is better as it's Ohm backwards. Siemens definitely wasn't used or I'd remember the jokes about it being around 16 or 17 years old at the time.
Hello, great video, i just checked with my 87V multimeter and it does have the nS range! its not listed as a button and if you just go on ohms range it wont work automatically. but if you press the range button when on ohms mode you will be able to select the nS range! I actually managed to measure resistanses higher than 100Megs using this mode! If you have time and check your meter and let me know if yours has it too. Thanks for the very well made video!
Great video, Tony. My favorite feature of any multimeter is actually something incredibly simple. My vintage Grundig has scale indicator LEDs. It indicates which scale on the dial you're supposed to read. Unbelievably useful. I don't understand why you don't see this more often on multimeters. Oh yes, and my cheap Owon has data logging via Bluetooth. Can also be an interesting feature.
I have a bunch of Aneng meters and am very happy with them, the Aneng DC current clamp is my favourite! Has a feature that will keep the meter on, instead of shutting down it beeps to remind you that it's still on, still annoying but at least it's a better annoyance.... It doesn't state in the manual that it can do it which I have no idea why, a meter that can stay on is a great feature! I saw a UA-cam video review that shows which button to press and hold when turning on to activate the stay on feature.... Also has low Z and high Z voltage measurement.... Non contact voltage detection, temperature and the rest of the usual suspects.... I'm waiting for Aneng to release a meter that can do 3 wire measurement like one particular EEV blog meter can do, giving voltage, current and wattage reading at the same time! That's a useful feature that I can really make use of.... Sadly I have only seen one and it's not cheap! Or at least not Aneng cheap.... Is that a Yamaha cassette deck I see in the background??? I love Yamaha audio equipment.... Especially their cassette decks, they all look similar but they have covered literally every possible feature that you could want in a cassette deck.... There's even a 4 track recorder design that was for multi track recording purposes in a studio, yet it looked like a cool home hi-fi deck.... I have a Yamaha CD/HDD recorder which is amazing! User replaceable HDD, you can use the internal DAC for external components.... You can rip to HDD or burn to CD..... I don't think that many people know about this device, they aren't expensive, I got one and my son got one also! It's what CD player's should have been! Highly recommended! And looking forward to possibly seeing that Yamaha cassette deck on the bench! Possibly LoL 😂.
Amazing the nS scale! i didn't knew it was possible to measure something like 1G ohm at low voltages! i always use my megger for that but indeed high voltages and sometimes not a good idea xD, subscribed, thank you.
One of my favorite features of any meter I own: precision constant current of Fluke 8600a on ohms. 200, 2k = 1.000ma 20k = .1000ma 200k = 10.00ua 2M = 1.000ua (3.5v) ...great for matching diodes or transistors at two known currents
Great site Tony. learned a ton. Was wondering if you could do a BASIC dive on how an amplifier works from the power going in to the power going out at each stage. And specifically for all of us dummies explain how amplification works. That is a question no one has ever been able to explain to me so I could understand since I was 15, I'm now 65. So 50 years and I still don't know how you can get more out of a little without violating the laws of physics since we cannot create energy. I used to think the transistor was only a variable switch that only allowed so much energy into the circuit, but others have stated I am wrong. I wish I knew whether I am wrong, and if so how does it actually work. Thanks Tony.
Good teaching on the nS. A lot of the other stuff I've never seen having gone digital since the fluke 75. Kids who grew up without seeing/ learning the analog meters are at a disadvantage!
I have the high voltage mode on my gigaohm meter. It's called "shot" and sends a 100V-5kV Dirac pulse over the resistor network. It's great to probe for parasitic capacitance, leaks, or breakthroughs. And while you can force the pulse, it will normally not fire,, if the resistance is less than 10MOhm. I use this on boards that then get potential free couplers installed (opto, inductance, capacitive) and it gives you a good idea how safe your margins are.
Good info! Especially on the less expensive meters. I like the record feature on the Fluke 87 - useful for detecting voltage or current variations over time such as current drain on a battery in a parked car. Also, I found your pronunciation of Megohm to be different than what I've encountered here in the NE during my 68 years (Megohm vs Megaohm) I was wondering if that term has been changed or if it's just a regional or individual thing.
Good information. I have an Agilent U1252B multimeter that has a nS mode that I have never used. Now I'm measuring the input resistance of my HP 3456A and a Fluke 8842A. Very interesting. I read 0.02 nS on both but the reading is affected by noise. I varies depending on how I route the meter leads. I'll have to try it with shielded leads. They should be around 1G Ohms or 0.01 nS. I never realized that I could measure them. Thanks for the info.
Turns out I was wrong. The 3456A and the others I tested are specified to be >10G Ohms or 0.001nS. I'm down to the noise floor of the U1252B. Shielded cables had no real affect. Still an interesting exercise.
Saludos amigo desde Mexico yo tambien tengo un medidor Fluke el midelo 88 V tambien tiene la opcion de medir nano siemens son bastante buenos y tambien temgo un medidor analogico el Simpson 260 7 M muy bueno tambien saludos exelente video 👏🤝👍☝️🇲🇽
Thanks. I got the same TekPower specifically for the null scales. Didn't notice the low-ohm D scale. I couldn't afford the Sanwa's! I like Aneng's too, Check out their ZS20.
Tony, as always your posts are very helpful in my late in life electronics at home education. Mr. B, In your opinion is it worthwhile to repair/update my NAD 214 and 9060 amps? Thank you and I wish you and yours all the very best, Kevin
Quite a few of the older Fluke 8XXX series were capable of measuring conductance, some even have the feature built in as a totally unmarked "Easter Egg", as they are similar in function to the other meters that are marked, but they have the internal circuitry and switch functions to make it work. It seems it as cheaper to "upcharge" by marking the front panel, while using the same parts and circuits in a larger series of meters and hoping customers wouldn't find out the cheaper models have the same functions.
Thanks, your explanations were very helpful. I'd known about mhos, but not the Siemens unit. I live in an apartment ( schools, churches and apartments get seriously ripped off by contractors) and for both of the meters ncv I have, I get positive readings on the same odd places in the walls where there shouldn't be any electrical circuits. I haven't put up anything since I have doubts about whether those are false positives or there really is something there. Is there anything in particular than can make false positives or should I just assume that there really is something hidden there? These are spots at about 5 feet up and nothing in my apartment should be there.
Some Fluke meters (189, 289) have a data logging capability. The fastest selectable rate is 1 per second, if I recall. But it also checks if the signal changed more than some amount between the 1 second samples, it stores additional data. On the other side, you can set the meter sample only once every minute or even less often. You can collect the variations over night, for example. , As to the voltage applied on ohms ranges, most of my meters have something around 2 V (like 1.999). However, the Diode test applies 1 mA CURRENT, and indicates the resulting voltage, in my case up to 4, 5, or even 6 V. . Finally, I have a bench meter to measure milli-ohms. It has selectable applied voltages, 2V, 0.2 V and 0.02V, i.e. 20 mV. Fine, but requires that I pay meticulous attention to cleaning the meter switch contacts, or at least “play” with the settings before my measurements. Which reminds me of some old Wheatstone bridge switches - heavy wiping with 5 or 6 parallel contact leafs structure. When there was a need, even in the old days somebody figured a solution to the problem.
I see you have a Korad PSU. I did not see any reviews on it on your channel. What are your thoughts on it? I am thinking of getting one of the latest versions of their line up. THANX. Love the overview of unusual features on the meters. THANX!!!!!
Talking about the Lo-Z mode, Fluke meters need that! Did you know that if you are using a Fluke meter and touch one lead to a hot voltage point such as the 120 VAC Line conductor it will read 10-13 volts without the other lead connected to anything! Also if you are touching both leads to Line and Neutral but the Neutral has a bad connection, is floating or just corroded and you don't get a good connection it will still read around 13 VAC or so making you think the 120 VAC Line has a very low voltage which can be really dangerous if you aren't careful!
Hi Tony, wonderful video here. I'm going to be recapping a vintage Pioneer SX-636 receiver from a kit. I need a simple digital multi meter to do the job I'm need for this little project. What would you recommend of brand and model number for my purpose. Thanks.
my 87-3, most advanced DMM I own, doesn't have the nS option. Basically I've never had the need to measure ove 1 MOhm or equivalent. Most used however is my Fluke 73 which I modified so it can use the 75's fixed range mode.. just bought the 75's Knob a long time ago after some experimentation. One regret I have : I should have bought the 87-4... which has a wider cap measurement range.
The Fluke meter measures conductivity in Siemens. Gm measured in umho’s convert to uSiemens. How does the measurement relate to the measurement of gm (mutual transconductance) with a Hickok 539c tube tester?
Hi, thanks a lot for this video showing extra features. As for the AC coupling, rather than being magnetic, is it not due to the electical field ? Tha magnetic field comes from the current, but in you exemple of putting the open leads close to the AC outlet, no current flows through the leads but there is an eletrical field being produced by the voltage. So, NCV works on eletrical field rather than magnetic. Of course, LowZ gets rid of both inductif coupling (from current) and capacitive (from voltage). Correct me if I'm wrong.
I actually said it was due electromagnetic coupling. Inductive and capacitive coupling both involve changes in voltage and/or current through electromagnetic fields, explained by Faraday's and Gauss' laws (if memory serves me correctly).
I wanna know how he got the case of the Old Fluke to last 25 years. I got my 87III in 1997 and although the meter still works properly the plastic case and knob has cracked beyond useability. The screen is about to fall out… the only thing holding it together is the rubber case
I’ve used Fluke meters since the 80’s. They make great test equipment.
I prefer my Fluke 189 over my 187. My 189 was a new, old stock, product. Has never let me down. Your Probe-Master probes are a great upgrade.
Thanks Tony! That was a great video! I learned so much, this was very helpful.
Excellent video Tony. And not a Seimens joke to be found 😂
It took a lot of editing to make that happen 😉
Fluke 87V has nS- just cycle through the ranges in resistance mode using the range button
@@cremvustila yes it does have nS
Hi Tony, thank you for doing this video, I was looking to buy a new analogue test meter. After you showed the Tek power TP8250, I went on Amazon and brought one. So thanks to you Tony I how have one to replace my 20+ years old one.
Good info, thank you for the video! I think the one downside of the FE-20's "Lo-Power" resistance setting is, you still have to cycle through different knob/range settings to select the correct range when checking a boards components, making it a bit inconvenient. It would be nice to cover a bit of using the 'REL" , or "DELTA" - "ZERO" button when making ohm, voltage or current measurements. I find it's usually very successful at taking out the intrinsic resistance of the test leads when using it, making it easier to troubleshoot / measure things like low value emitter resistors, switch and relay contacts, and measuring to get close to a dead short without having to break connections to isolate a circuit's components. I see very few content creators that make electronics repair videos use it in situations where it could give them an advantage.
Great explanation of everything. We all can benefit from the explanation and use this knowledge accordingly
Some interesting features that I have not encountered on meters or never looked into what they're for. Thanks for sharing. I remember when I was at college back in 1984 that conductivity was measured in Mho which I think is better as it's Ohm backwards. Siemens definitely wasn't used or I'd remember the jokes about it being around 16 or 17 years old at the time.
Thank you for sharing this video. I really enjoyed it.
Hi Tony! Thank you. Fluke 87 V has ns if you push range button on the ohms set, at the end there are ns range!
Haven't seen you in a while my old 8060a has 2000nS label , time to read the manual. Thanks
Hello, great video, i just checked with my 87V multimeter and it does have the nS range! its not listed as a button and if you just go on ohms range it wont work automatically. but if you press the range button when on ohms mode you will be able to select the nS range! I actually managed to measure resistanses higher than 100Megs using this mode! If you have time and check your meter and let me know if yours has it too. Thanks for the very well made video!
Great video, Tony.
My favorite feature of any multimeter is actually something incredibly simple. My vintage Grundig has scale indicator LEDs. It indicates which scale on the dial you're supposed to read. Unbelievably useful. I don't understand why you don't see this more often on multimeters.
Oh yes, and my cheap Owon has data logging via Bluetooth. Can also be an interesting feature.
I have a bunch of Aneng meters and am very happy with them, the Aneng DC current clamp is my favourite! Has a feature that will keep the meter on, instead of shutting down it beeps to remind you that it's still on, still annoying but at least it's a better annoyance.... It doesn't state in the manual that it can do it which I have no idea why, a meter that can stay on is a great feature! I saw a UA-cam video review that shows which button to press and hold when turning on to activate the stay on feature.... Also has low Z and high Z voltage measurement.... Non contact voltage detection, temperature and the rest of the usual suspects.... I'm waiting for Aneng to release a meter that can do 3 wire measurement like one particular EEV blog meter can do, giving voltage, current and wattage reading at the same time! That's a useful feature that I can really make use of.... Sadly I have only seen one and it's not cheap! Or at least not Aneng cheap....
Is that a Yamaha cassette deck I see in the background???
I love Yamaha audio equipment.... Especially their cassette decks, they all look similar but they have covered literally every possible feature that you could want in a cassette deck.... There's even a 4 track recorder design that was for multi track recording purposes in a studio, yet it looked like a cool home hi-fi deck.... I have a Yamaha CD/HDD recorder which is amazing! User replaceable HDD, you can use the internal DAC for external components.... You can rip to HDD or burn to CD.....
I don't think that many people know about this device, they aren't expensive, I got one and my son got one also! It's what CD player's should have been! Highly recommended! And looking forward to possibly seeing that Yamaha cassette deck on the bench! Possibly LoL 😂.
Excellent overview!
Amazing the nS scale! i didn't knew it was possible to measure something like 1G ohm at low voltages! i always use my megger for that but indeed high voltages and sometimes not a good idea xD, subscribed, thank you.
One of my favorite features of any meter I own: precision constant current of Fluke 8600a on ohms.
200, 2k = 1.000ma 20k = .1000ma 200k = 10.00ua 2M = 1.000ua (3.5v)
...great for matching diodes or transistors at two known currents
Great video!
Nice. I want to know.😅
Congratulations from Portugal 🇵🇹
Really liked this video. Great things to know/use. Thx!
Great site Tony. learned a ton. Was wondering if you could do a BASIC dive on how an amplifier works from the power going in to the power going out at each stage. And specifically for all of us dummies explain how amplification works. That is a question no one has ever been able to explain to me so I could understand since I was 15, I'm now 65. So 50 years and I still don't know how you can get more out of a little without violating the laws of physics since we cannot create energy. I used to think the transistor was only a variable switch that only allowed so much energy into the circuit, but others have stated I am wrong. I wish I knew whether I am wrong, and if so how does it actually work. Thanks Tony.
Yes! Please - pretty please!
Fascinating, more please
Good teaching on the nS. A lot of the other stuff I've never seen having gone digital since the fluke 75.
Kids who grew up without seeing/ learning the analog meters are at a disadvantage!
Thanks Tony. Learned a lot from this.
I have the high voltage mode on my gigaohm meter. It's called "shot" and sends a 100V-5kV Dirac pulse over the resistor network. It's great to probe for parasitic capacitance, leaks, or breakthroughs. And while you can force the pulse, it will normally not fire,, if the resistance is less than 10MOhm.
I use this on boards that then get potential free couplers installed (opto, inductance, capacitive) and it gives you a good idea how safe your margins are.
Good info! Especially on the less expensive meters. I like the record feature on the Fluke 87 - useful for detecting voltage or current variations over time such as current drain on a battery in a parked car. Also, I found your pronunciation of Megohm to be different than what I've encountered here in the NE during my 68 years (Megohm vs Megaohm) I was wondering if that term has been changed or if it's just a regional or individual thing.
Thank you sir this is very informative video
Good information. I have an Agilent U1252B multimeter that has a nS mode that I have never used. Now I'm measuring the input resistance of my HP 3456A and a Fluke 8842A. Very interesting. I read 0.02 nS on both but the reading is affected by noise. I varies depending on how I route the meter leads. I'll have to try it with shielded leads. They should be around 1G Ohms or 0.01 nS. I never realized that I could measure them. Thanks for the info.
Turns out I was wrong. The 3456A and the others I tested are specified to be >10G Ohms or 0.001nS. I'm down to the noise floor of the U1252B. Shielded cables had no real affect. Still an interesting exercise.
Ha, I have an analog meter with 1.5v and 9v battery test - and I never knew how that worked! Thanks!
But..Nobody can do a "meter-vid" as well as Tony.
Saludos amigo desde Mexico yo tambien tengo un medidor Fluke el midelo 88 V tambien tiene la opcion de medir nano siemens son bastante buenos y tambien temgo un medidor analogico el Simpson 260 7 M muy bueno tambien saludos exelente video 👏🤝👍☝️🇲🇽
hi tony hope your well, i just got the amp book by randy slone, you were correct its brilliant. thank you for making these videos
Thanks. I got the same TekPower specifically for the null scales. Didn't notice the low-ohm D scale. I couldn't afford the Sanwa's!
I like Aneng's too, Check out their ZS20.
Tony Great Video !
Tony, as always your posts are very helpful in my late in life electronics at home education.
Mr. B, In your opinion is it worthwhile to repair/update my NAD 214 and 9060 amps?
Thank you and I wish you and yours all the very best, Kevin
Thanks for explaining ns. I have a really old fluke 8020B that has nS ranges. Next, please demonstrate using the output feature of some VOMs.
Quite a few of the older Fluke 8XXX series were capable of measuring conductance, some even have the feature built in as a totally unmarked "Easter Egg", as they are similar in function to the other meters that are marked, but they have the internal circuitry and switch functions to make it work. It seems it as cheaper to "upcharge" by marking the front panel, while using the same parts and circuits in a larger series of meters and hoping customers wouldn't find out the cheaper models have the same functions.
My Fluke 87V has conductance, select ohms then push RANGE button until nS shows as units..
Thanks, your explanations were very helpful. I'd known about mhos, but not the Siemens unit.
I live in an apartment ( schools, churches and apartments get seriously ripped off by contractors) and for both of the meters ncv I have, I get positive readings on the same odd places in the walls where there shouldn't be any electrical circuits. I haven't put up anything since I have doubts about whether those are false positives or there really is something there. Is there anything in particular than can make false positives or should I just assume that there really is something hidden there? These are spots at about 5 feet up and nothing in my apartment should be there.
Thank you!! I love this!
I have a Fluke 45 which I use dedicated for audio to measure power, the meter does the math for you 😁
Thank you Tony😊
Cheap meters give terrible ghost voltages when working around RF fields but the quality meters like Fluke did fine.
Tony what about a Wheatstone bridge
Some Fluke meters (189, 289) have a data logging capability. The fastest selectable rate is 1 per second, if I recall. But it also checks if the signal changed more than some amount between the 1 second samples, it stores additional data. On the other side, you can set the meter sample only once every minute or even less often. You can collect the variations over night, for example.
,
As to the voltage applied on ohms ranges, most of my meters have something around 2 V (like 1.999). However, the Diode test applies 1 mA CURRENT, and indicates the resulting voltage, in my case up to 4, 5, or even 6 V.
.
Finally, I have a bench meter to measure milli-ohms. It has selectable applied voltages, 2V, 0.2 V and 0.02V, i.e. 20 mV. Fine, but requires that I pay meticulous attention to cleaning the meter switch contacts, or at least “play” with the settings before my measurements. Which reminds me of some old Wheatstone bridge switches - heavy wiping with 5 or 6 parallel contact leafs structure. When there was a need, even in the old days somebody figured a solution to the problem.
i like it, do more. Please
I see you have a Korad PSU. I did not see any reviews on it on your channel. What are your thoughts on it? I am thinking of getting one of the latest versions of their line up. THANX. Love the overview of unusual features on the meters. THANX!!!!!
Well done.
Fluke 87-V also measures MHOs.
Talking about the Lo-Z mode, Fluke meters need that! Did you know that if you are using a Fluke meter and touch one lead to a hot voltage point such as the 120 VAC Line conductor it will read 10-13 volts without the other lead connected to anything! Also if you are touching both leads to Line and Neutral but the Neutral has a bad connection, is floating or just corroded and you don't get a good connection it will still read around 13 VAC or so making you think the 120 VAC Line has a very low voltage which can be really dangerous if you aren't careful!
Thanks for sharing
First I want to thank you for the explanation. Thanks! I have fluke 187 that turned on but doesn't measure voltage and amps. What can be the problem?
Fluke 87V have nS also. Just push the RANGE button.
Hi Tony, wonderful video here. I'm going to be recapping a vintage Pioneer SX-636 receiver from a kit. I need a simple digital multi meter to do the job I'm need for this little project. What would you recommend of brand and model number for my purpose. Thanks.
a peak hold + - is very helpful also
my 87-3, most advanced DMM I own, doesn't have the nS option. Basically I've never had the need to measure ove 1 MOhm or equivalent. Most used however is my Fluke 73 which I modified so it can use the 75's fixed range mode.. just bought the 75's Knob a long time ago after some experimentation. One regret I have : I should have bought the 87-4... which has a wider cap measurement range.
I have a analog meter that reverses polarity in ohms setting.i reverse the leads when check semiconductor junction.
The Fluke meter measures conductivity in Siemens. Gm measured in umho’s convert to uSiemens. How does the measurement relate to the measurement of gm (mutual transconductance) with a Hickok 539c tube tester?
Hi, thanks a lot for this video showing extra features. As for the AC coupling, rather than being magnetic, is it not due to the electical field ? Tha magnetic field comes from the current, but in you exemple of putting the open leads close to the AC outlet, no current flows through the leads but there is an eletrical field being produced by the voltage. So, NCV works on eletrical field rather than magnetic. Of course, LowZ gets rid of both inductif coupling (from current) and capacitive (from voltage). Correct me if I'm wrong.
I actually said it was due electromagnetic coupling. Inductive and capacitive coupling both involve changes in voltage and/or current through electromagnetic fields, explained by Faraday's and Gauss' laws (if memory serves me correctly).
what about the Fluke 28II true rms meter
I wanna know how he got the case of the Old Fluke to last 25 years. I got my 87III in 1997 and although the meter still works properly the plastic case and knob has cracked beyond useability. The screen is about to fall out… the only thing holding it together is the rubber case
That s.... My fluke 75 from the 80's so looks great. Perhaps yours has had a busier life?
The same thing happened to my fluke 89-IV plastic cracked and crumbled
does the meter there [yellow] test capacitance?
👍
pfff here in europe our normal voltage is 240 at 50 Hz and 3 phase is 380 volts or higher !!
👍👍👍👍👍
But how does the nS mode work? Tellling us how it doesn't work but not telling us how it does work is cruel!
Good session Professor!