Need cheap multimeter fuse: buy or jury rig?

[llonen]

Re: Need cheap multimeter fuse: buy or jury rig?

For commercial repairs that is client test gear that comes in for repair I will use the specified fuses as per service literature, for my own bench meters unless I have left over stock I would probably use a close physical ceramic substitute. That said I don't recall the last time I killed a fuse on any fluke test gear. I did manage to put a fluke 79 in amps mode across a 240 volt incomer once there was a spectacular as the breaker tripped out but both the meter and its fuse survived.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Need cheap multimeter fuse: buy or jury rig?

Well, of course, but yeah this is my own meter And those ⅜" fuses I don't have a stockpile of for any purpose... ¼" fuses and 5mm, sure, but not ⅜".

Ideally the specified fuse is the best replacement, but I sure did not want to stick in another slow blow ceramic fuse that I had...that's the only spare ceramic I had.

I still am baffled how I fried that fuse, the only thing I can think of is exactly that, the charging of a capacitor, and the fast blow fuse was faster than the capacitor charging.

I'd imagine there is some probe pitting after passing that many amps, but yeah be glad something stopped the flow whether it be the fuse or a circuit breaker...

[llonen]

Re: Need cheap multimeter fuse: buy or jury rig?

Yeah it took a good chunk out of the test probe, left me with a sickening feeling that I had killed an expensive meter util I got back to the workshop and inspected the unit.

[stj]

Re: Need cheap multimeter fuse: buy or jury rig?

i dont even know why they have a current mode in meters intended for electricians.
HIOKI (better than fluke) doesnt, they provide an inductive clamp with the meter for current sampling.

https://www.hioki.com/en/products/de...oduct_key=5595

[llonen]

Re: Need cheap multimeter fuse: buy or jury rig?

I prefer Fluke, and as to the inclusion of current modes well commercial industrial electrical work is not my only workload and I happen to need the flexibility of having current mode. I have inductive clamp meters and this was simply an oops moment.