[PLUG-TALK] Fluke 87 multimeter

[Galen Seitz]

Denis Heidtmann wrote:
> I was GIVEN a Fluke 87 multimeter because the display was fading--segments
> were missing or nearly so.  I found by searching that this was a common
> problem, and could be cured by cleaning the zebra strips.  Done, and it
> appears fine now.

Nice gift!  I have an 87 III here.


> Two questions:
> 1) How to best check and perform the calibration?  The manual says that for
> AC calibration needs to be done at a set of frequencies.  Something
> considerably short of the $239 Fluke wants is what I have in mind.

I noticed that one of the 87's at our office was recently calibrated. 
  I can pretty much guarantee that we did not pay that much.  It was 
probably done locally.  I'll ask who did the calibration.


> 2) I see that this meter has what I judge to be a very clever feature--the
> drive to the LCD can be sent to the speaker so that the readings can be
> decoded and recorded.  Fluke intended it only for final production test, and
> will disclose nothing.  But a thing called DataHolster by Derek Matsunaga
> was published in the Circuit Cellar in 1993.  It decodes the buzzes and
> sends the data over RS232.  Anybody know if this was practical?  I have the
> full schematic and programming source code.  But since I have seen nothing
> in the way of comments, I wonder if it is worth the effort.  Perhaps it was
> not useful.

How badly do you need to log measurements?


galen
-- 
Galen Seitz
galens at seitzassoc.com