Volt meter testing

[Geo-TH,In]

 

[JGayman]

You need a good Fluke to use as a baseline.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

What's the accuracy of fluke?

 

[Tony in SD]

My Fluke 87 has an accuracy of (0.05% + 1)

 

[Jim.ME]

(quoted from post at 13:41:45 02/13/23) What's the accuracy of fluke?

If accuracy is your concern, you should be taking them to a place that calibrates and certifies meters to established standards and will issue documentation of the results. And it is common that must be done at least yearly. That is common practice in many places and requirements in some. Otherwise, your meters read within .07 of a volt, with the unknown being if any are truly accurate.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

If I did my math correctly that's within + or - about .25%
All good in my opinion when working on tractors and 12v
batteries.

 

[John T]

George, X2 Ditto I agree with you in that for working on an old tractor perfect accuracy is NOT required lol......I have more meters than I can count, my trusty old reliable ANALOG Simpson 260 and RCA WV 38A and a Triplett PLUS some HF or Sears cheapies plus a Fluke and a Southwire BIG DEAL some may be more accurate..

John T

 

[caterpillar guy]

And if it reads close enough to we within tolerance. Stating that is better than most people will care. Like the nonsense about rifle accuracy. They are all more accurate than a person can hold freehand. Some even more accurate than some can hold on a set of bags rested on a bench.

 

[M-MAN]

Plenty close enough for low voltage. It's high voltage that weeds out the el cheapo's. At one time I had one of the more expensive Craftsman's at work. 550v smoked it like a cheap cigar even though it was supposed to be good for 600v.

Personally I'm not to concerned about voltage accuracy. Amps, ohms and capacitance are the critical aspects to me.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I bought this meter to measure DCA and it works just like measuring AC amps using the jaws. You need to push the select button to DCA.
I measured a lawn mower starter amps, 105a.
It also measures frequency and capacitors. I think this will be handy.
Do Fluke and Kien meters measure 600 DCA?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Plus 1 what?? Last digit?

 

[JGayman]

What's the accuracy of fluke?

Fluke meter accuracy varies. The more expensive the unit, the more accurate it typically is. But for a sub $300 multi-meter like a model 117 it is rated at 1% +3 counts. That equates to +/- 1.5V when measuring 120 VAC.

For an explanation of the +3 counts, this is from the Fluke website:

It refers to the least significant digit on the meter within that range. As an example, when measuring 120 volts ac on this 6000 count meter. To measure 120 volts ac, the meter will have to be on the 600.0 ac voltage range. The resolution (least significant digit) then is 0.1 volt.

Using the accuracy specification in the title, +/-(1% of reading + 3 counts). Here is how we would determine the accuracy:

+/- (120 V X 1% = 1.2 V + 3 digits) = (1.2 V + 0.3 v) = +/- 1.5 V

 

[M-MAN]

Do you have a link for the DCA?

 

[MarkB_MI]

OK, the two meters on the left are within a couple counts of each other, so we'll split the difference and and assume the real voltage is 12.35. That would mean the HF meter is off by almost 3 percent. Poor for a DMM but better than most analog meters.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Wouldn't that be within plus or minus 1.5%.
All close enough for my purposes.
BTW the clamp on meter measures DC amps.

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

BINGO! I like the rifle analogy. Reminded me of the old Mel Brooks movie, Blazing Saddles with Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid when he holds his hand up and the sheriff says, ...steady as a rock... and then he lifts his other hand up and it is shaking profusely, and he says ...yeah, but I shoot with this hand!.


Tim Daley(MI)

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I think my new cheapie clamp-on DC ammeter will come in handy when testing alternators output and measuring cranking amps.

 

[Dean]

Very cost effective when free.

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Wouldn't that be within plus or minus 1.5%.

Only if you assume all three meters are equally accurate. Which I don't.

 

[buickanddeere]

(quoted from post at 13:05:40 02

Much pleased with this meter .