DMM for life?

[hell0un1verse]

Is 189 the most decent one by Fluke?

[peterpan188]

Crap, then I skipped a great price for a 179, it was sold for $125 last night. Oh well, good reason to go on a 189.

I saw another 189 on eBay this morning, no original package (no probes, like-new condition, probably going for under $170, do you guys think its a good deal?

Thanks,
Peter

[JahJahBinks]

189 is the best DMM fluke makes.

[mb3k]

You should try the 73 III, or 77 III also. I've heard enough positive comments about those that I just bought one from Ebay.

[tangent]

Originally Posted by peterpan188

Measurements should including...ohmic values in single digit

I'm not certain, but I think you can get accuracy better than 1 ohm on the Fluke 189. From my reading of the specs page, it looks like the worst case error on the lowest range is +/- 0.35 ohms.

This assumes you keep it calibrated, of course. Budget $50 per year for calibration services if maintaining this level of accuracy is important to you.

I know there is something called 4 wires resistance measurement

From what you wrote, I don't think you can afford 4 wire measurement. The cheapest name brand meter I'm aware of that will do that is a Keithley model 2000, which will run you over $1000 new.

You can find used 4-wire meters for less money, but they'll probably be less accurate than a Fluke 189, if they're in your price range.

How much difference do 179 and 189 work out in real life?

The 179 is a 6,000 count instrument, whereas the 189 is a 50,000 count instrument. All else being equal, that means that the 189 can give readings that are over 8x more accurate. All else probably isn't equal, but the main point remains.

If you're looking to save money, go with the 187 over the 189. I don't believe I've ever used the data logging feature of my 189, which I believe is the only thing it has over the 187.

189 is the best DMM fluke makes.

Ah, no. This is the best DMM Fluke makes. It'll run you about $9,500.

[NeilR]

Originally Posted by bigcat39

... But they are MUCH more delicate....Bill

What exactly is MUCH more delicate about my Waveteks?

[splaz]

Originally Posted by bigcat39

If you can afford it, a Fluke 189 is nearly a lifetime investment.... like my HP calculator.

ROFL... HP ???

My HP 39G+ calculator died inexplicably a month or two out of warranty. Serious firmware issues... it would turn on but I'd get a computer style "blue screen of death" amongst other issues.

I wasn't the only one either. Many people back in high school had issues with it.

A little OT but yeah... that was hardly a lifetime investment. More like a short term loss.

[hell0un1verse]

Ah, no. This is the best DMM Fluke makes. It'll run you about $9,500.

So 189 is best Fluke hand-held DMM

[tangent]

Originally Posted by splaz

My HP 39G+ calculator died inexplicably a month or two out of warranty.

I'm certain that our resident metrologist was talking about pre-Carly HP. I have both an HP 48GX and a 49G+, and the "old" 48 is far and away a better built unit. I'm also a fan of the 20S as a programmer's calculator, which totally dominates its modern replacement, the 30S, from a durability standpoint.

EDIT: They shoulda given the calculator division to Agilent when they split that off. Agilent kept the HP ethic alive.

So using that to segue this thread back on topic... bigcat39, what do you think of Agilent's lower end DMMs? From my investigations of the entry level 4-wire DMMs, it looks like the 34410A is the best thing going right now. The Keithley Model 2000 is the only other unit that caught my attention, and it doesn't seem to be a big enough step up from a Fluke 189. Keithley's line seems to get too steep going up from there -- their higher-end models seem more oriented toward ATE applications. And Fluke doesn't even offer a reasonably priced 4-wire DMM.

Are there other options you'd consider in the 34410A's range?

[splaz]

True. I had heard good things about the old models and nobody I knew had trouble with them. Just pointing out that some of the new HP calculators have quality issues.