Alternative DMMs to Fluke?

I have some Omega test equipment, it is pretty good. They are not as solid as a Fluke or a Tek, after all they are knock-offs.

Depends who makes the stuff. Omega doesn't make any instruments AFAIK, they have their name stuck on them by the real manufacturer. Some of it is European in origin.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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Joseph2k wrote in news:Heb_f.9522$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com:

Those TEK DMMs come from Taiwan,not from TEK. They were rebadged,just like the cheap function generators and counters.

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
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temperature,

I am not familier with the Fluke version of the Omega HHM290. Could you point out the correct model number to me so I can buy the Fluke version next time.

I don't know whether Fluke makes that particular model. The point is, Omega is a distributor. I have nothing against distributors, unless they stick their Omega label on top of the real manufacturer's label, and then pretend they're the manufacturer. Sheesh.

Mastech. I have one and have also used other ones of Mastech, and I find them high quality products.

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Greetings,

IMHO, the most important thing about a Fluke meter is not the quality of its build, but where it is built.

Sure, Flukes cost more, but there built in the USA (AFAIK). You're getting some of your money back in the taxes they pay (assuming you're an American, an Iraqi, or a North Korean (eventually)).

You may not like how much Fluke charges, but you can be reasonably sure that they're not going to use the extra cash to invade Taiwan or launch nuclear missiles at YOU.

Back to your question:

Although I don't think its made anymore, my favorite DMM was a Simpson

467. Very convenient for field/industrial use when "worn" with the high quality, real leather carrying case (which allowed the meter to dangle from your neck -- look out for door knobs!). It also had a swell set of features.

Although I do own a Fluke, I generally use a cheap, but well liked (non-ROC) VOM at work, and a Triplett 630-PLK at home. (I think I'm the last person that has ever bought one new, but, as they're still for sale, you can beat me if you wish:

I've grow ever more fond of VOMs with age, and ever less fond of DMMs. Something about the way their digits keep staring at me whilst they drain, albeit slowly, their batteries disquiets me.

If your keen on investigating your meter choices, you might want to look around the eclectic collection offered (mostly exclusively) on line at Electronix Express/RSR Electronics

Not only do they have what may be the worst FET-VOM ever built, but they also offer a Triplett Model 3250 DMM with a Head-up-display. (You wear a transparent monocle upon which your test results are displayed.) Anyone ever try it?

Cordially, Richard Kanarek

My most frequently used non-Fluke meter is an Extech MiniTec 26, which cost around $35, includes good test leads, thermocouple, 10 Amp range (limited to 30 sec in 15 min), nice solid case with fold-out stand. No true RMS, but the capacitance measurement function has a wider range and is far more accurate than the the capacitance function on my Fluke

87.

Thanks for that link, Richard. I see they also sell the best diagonal cutters on the planet, Erem brand, at very competitive prices. I love good tools!

Hmm... my Tek TX1 says "Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, OR USA" on the back of it. The box for it says the same thing; I don't see "Taiwan" anywhere. Are you sure they came from Taiwan?

Not that, for low-end equipment, I think it matters that much anymore anyway. I'm sure the Chinese, Taiwanese, Russians, Africans, etc. -- anyone on the planet -- can crank out decent designs these days. And I'm told that traditionally low-quality equpiment providers such as Chinese manufacturers

*can* build to pretty much any level of quality you're willing to pay for... it's just that relatively low-quality/cheap goods are still "good enough" for many uses.

If I'm buying an 8GHz real-time oscilloscope or a 40GHz network analyzer, I am more reluctant to stray outside of the well-known manufacturers (i.e., the short list is Tek, Agilent, Rohde-Schwarz, LeCroy, etc.).

"Joel Kolstad" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

What's the serial number begin with? A "T"?? Beaverton TEK-made stuff comes with a "B" prefix s/n.

"T" s/n prefix=Taiwan origin,H=Heenveren,B= Beaverton. No letter prefix =Sony/Tek,IIRC.

At the time I separated from TEK,they were buying Taiwanese DMMs and selling them as TEK meters. One was identical to a Beckman DMM. TEK itself only makes scopes now,most other "TEK" gear comes from other companies,rebadged. The very first item TEK did this with was a Dolch LCD handheld scope. At least the Telequipment scopes(British)retained the Telequipment badge.

BTW,TEK TDS scopes use a purchased power supply.

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

(snip)

TEK had enough sense to keep those things at arm's length ;-)

Peter (D32 owner)

How is that different than a Mazda pickup truck or IBM Personal Computer, or any number of a thousand different every day items? Sheesh, indeed!

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  Keith

budgie wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Not really,they were sold out of TEK catalogs,and they came into TEK US service centers;that's how I got my experience with them(yecch).

Worse,they didn't learn from that mistake,and now sell even more equipment from other companies,with less-than-TEK (the OLD Tek)service levels.Some items had to be shipped back to Britain just to be calibrated.Parts availability for local repairs was often terrible.

Now you can't even get a component-level schematic for your TEK TDS scope;they don't want you trying to fix them yourself,even "obsolete" ones they no longer service.

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

I don't know, Keith, how is it different? I don't buy IBMs or any other brand of PC, nor Mazdas. I know who made my Mac, and my Toyota. Everything is assembled from parts, it's true. But if you peel the Mazda sticker off your Mazda, is there a Chevrolet sticker under it?

We used to manufacture a surgical monitoring instrument for a well-known international corporation. In order to distribute the instrument in Europe, the thing had to be manufactured in Europe. We stuck the appropriate label on the units bound for Europe, attesting to that. When they got there, people there installed the 9 volt battery. Voila. Made in Europe.

I think things ought to be accurately labeled, and that not doing so constitutes fraud. That's my opinion, of course, and you're welcome to share it or hold some opposing belief.

You're not wrong. They'd have to partly explain the total demise of UK electronic manufacturing. Telequipment are to CRO's what Lucas are to auto electrics (hint: google Lucas and "prince of darkness").

The D32 has those abominable through-board rivets which present as a continual source of new dry joints. MTBF is probably single digit hours.

At least I have the full service manual for the D32.

Ah, from the time when I repaired my own cars and motorbikes, I remember the "Lucas darkness amplifier"...

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Italian bike electrics from the 70's were far worse than Joe Lucas's stuff.

I still miss my Ducati 750.But you couldn't ride it at night in a built up area, as you had to go at least 70mph to keep the lights glimmering....

martin

Not made from foreign parts. *Made* in China and Taiwan. BTW, IBM Personal Computers aren't even IBM. The brand was sold to Lenovo (for five years). Same for GE appliances and...

No, a Ford sticker. Mazda light trucks are made in Ford plants in the US. The 'B' series trucks are Ford Rangers. I suppose it would freak you out to know that Volvo and Jaguar are also Ford and Saab (the cars, anyway) are GM.

So you're as crooked as those you bitch about. BTW, the US has laws against such nonsense and I'm surprised the EU doesn't as well.

Re-branding is not fraud. You think Sears shouldn't be allowed to sell "Die-Hard" batteries or "Kenmore" appliances?

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  Keith