From: bills@inqmind.bison.mb.ca (Bill Shymanski)
Subject: Re: Dmm Advice Needed
Organization: The Inquiring Mind BBS  1 204 488-1607
Lines: 41

kolstad@cae.wisc.edu (Joel Kolstad) writes:

> In article <734953838.AA00510@insane.apana.org.au> peter.m@insane.apana.org.a
> >
> >If you are going to use one where it counts (eg:aviation, space scuttle, 
> >etc) then I suggest you go and buy a Fluke (never seen a Beckman), however 
> >for every other use you can buy a cheapie.
> 
> My Beckman died a few days ago, thanks do about a 4 or 5 foot drop onto a
> lab table.  !@#!@$#!@$@#$  Probably not indicative of anything, but I've
> already filled out the requisition for a Fluke 87. :-)
> 
> Oh yeah, and sometimes our measurements here do count.  Not often, but often
> enough that I want at least _one_ good meter!
> 					---Joel Kolstad
   
We used to buy Beckman 110 and HD110 ("ruggedized") versions for use
by electricians in the steel mill where I work.   After a while we
got round to filling all the current-input jacks with silicone -
electricians have a regrettable habit of not checking where the last
guy left the leads before using a 3 1/2 digit 0.5 % autoranging $400
meter to check if a fuse is good or not. Its very hard on meters
(and electricians) when you put the milliamp shunt across a 600 volt
bus. 
  But that's not why we stopped buying Beckmans - after a while a 
lot of them got "funny" in the LCD display.  A black stain would
spread from one edge, or else they'd come adrift from those
Zebra connectors and fail to operate.    Now we buy Flukes, the
low-end 20 series mostly ( and we still fill the amp jack with 
silicone). 
  What the world needs is a meter that won't let you change ranges or
turn it on/off with a lead stuck in the amps jack - a little bit of
clever plastic detailing would take care of this and make the world
safer for electricans, anyway.
   Not that I've ever put a meter on the wrong range into a live 
circuit, no, not me...not more than a dozen times, anyway....
    Bill


bills@inqmind.bison.mb.ca
The Inquiring Mind BBS, Winnipeg, Manitoba  204 488-1607
