ReplyFluke 902 is a great meter to carry for troubleshooting. But to Fluke 80BK Integrated DMM Temperature Probe is larger. Then a k type port for temp. witch is on a fieldpiece sc66 also a good meter, check it out. You dont need a big 166 and a 332.
Professional Member
What would you guys recommend to carry around in the tool bag?
Can you get away with just having the Fluke 902 Clamp on meter or is it better to have the 332 clamp on as well as the 116 Multimeter.
I believe you have more settings when you go with the multimeter but are they all really necessary?
Please post your thoughts and opinions.
Colin
Regular Guest
Fluke 902 is a great meter to carry for troubleshooting. But to Fluke 80BK Integrated DMM Temperature Probe is larger. Then a k type port for temp. witch is on a fieldpiece sc66 also a good meter, check it out. You dont need a big 166 and a 332.
Professional Member
Thats kind of what I was thinking. I mean there are alot more settings on the dmm 166 but I just doubt I will use them all. I'll have to check out that field piece sc66 and see what it has to offer as well. Thanks.Originally Posted by crisp air
Colin
AOP Committee/Professional Member*
Fieldpiece SC 56
http://www.fieldpiece.com/PDF/Flyers/SC55_56v6Flyer.pdf
Great meter. Have not found anything it cannot do that another front line HVAC DMM can do. I love the one hand operation, blue screen, TC jack up front, etc. Can do millivolts DC, in-rush amps, non-contact voltage, has an LED flashlight in clamp, etc. Very tough and the slim case makes it easy to stuff in my goodie bag.
Keep the fire inside the fireplace.
Professional Member
I looked it up and it looks like it does do everything the fluke 902 does, maybe even more. I really liked the swivel head aspect too. I ended up finding the fluke 902 for $255 so that's what I purchased. I couldn't seem to find the SC 55 anywhere offline here
Professional Member*
I had a 902 that endd it up growing legs. I like it, but don't miss it to much. I do commercial work and the 902 couldn't check out high ohm sensors or mA dc signals. My stand by is a Fieldpiece SC76, the ohm board went out in it, but Fieldpiece repaired it for free, my only problem with it now is.the fact that it reads about half an amp lower that the other 4 Fluke meters I checked it against. My boss bought me the 116 332 combo pack as a replacement. He's die hard Fluke, we'll see. For free I'll give it an honest shot. I still miss the all in one and compactness of my Fieldpiece. Pretty stoned about the magnet for hanging the 116.
Dan
If you don't notice, I'm doing my job.
Professional Member
Yeah I checked out the 116 and 322 combo kit as well. The main difference was the dmm had a few more options in it compared to what the 902 has. Either way I'm
Sure whatever you are using will be enough for the job.
Professional Member*
fluke i guess is great to have in your tool bags
i have my trusty extech mulitmeter which is very reliable for me at least and i have had it for at least 2 years. it has everything i need and more (-:
i was told dont buy something that has all the other fancy bells and whistles because your buying it for more money. buy what you need and forget about the other stuff
Get er Done!
Do what has to be done
when it has to be done
as well as it has to be done
And doing it all the time.
Professional Member*
My work supplys these Amprobe meters. They are $109 at local supply house.
I wanna buy my own and I think I will go with a Fieldpiece or the Fluke Hvac Combo kit.
Professional Member
Yeah im not exactly sure why Gateway doesn't supply them but its all good. I talked to stores and they say the 902 is their most bought meter and they rarely have people come back to return them or replace them, or even to buy a different meter.
Professional Member
Gateway Mechanical Services?
Professional Member
Yeah.
Professional Member
Which branch?
Professional Member
I'll be working with the Alberta branch
Professional Member
I would want to have at least two meters with me. That way you can at least check volts if the clamp meter craps out. You can still check amps with the multimeter....you just are limited in amperage and its a ***** to do.
But... you always need a spare volt meter around to keep you from lighting yourself up.
Didnt Jesus say... " Dont put all your eggs in one basket "
The bible is my constitution and the constitution is my bible.
WE THE PEOPLE refers to THEM and not YOU.
Jonathan Lawson 2024
Professional Member*
You will need every setting on the 116 for residential and light commercial hvac service. You will also need some means to measure amps, which the 116 doesn't do. There are several all-in-one hvac clamp meters available that will do everything that the 116/322 combo will do, and some even have a few additional functions and features.
The Fluke 902 is NOT an all-in-one hvac meter. Some of the ranges are too small, and it's also missing a couple of common hvac functions. It isn't even that great as an amp clamp for hvac work, having no low amp range. If you're bent on one or the other of these options, then go with the 116/322 combo. I have that combo myself and I have to say it's a very nice set of meters. The quality and range of functions is excellent.
I also have a Fieldpiece HS36 all-in-one meter, a Fieldpiece SC56 all-in-one meter, and a Meterman all-in-one meter. All of those meters will beat the hell out of the Fluke 902. I'm especially fond of the SC56, and made it my primary meter after using it only a few times. Virtually everything I need in a nice neat and very functional package. It also doubles as a fairly good flashlight in a pinch.
Professional Member
For now I decided on the 902, I figure if I need more I will be able
To afford it at that time. I can definetly see how a low amperage reading can affect the job though.
Professional Member
Just keep in mind the ohm range on the 902 is only 10,000. The 902 is a good starter meter as it can take lots of abuse.
Professional Member*
I'm not saying that the 902 won't measure low amps, what I'm saying is that it doesn't have the same accuracy in general as meters that have a low amp scale, which is specifically designed for low amp accuracy.
The 902 will measure down to 0.1 amp. The meters with a low amp range on the other hand will typically measure down to 0.01 amp. You won't necessarily need to measure currents quite that low, but the advantage of the meters with a low amp range is their accuracy in the low amp region, which is much better than that of the 902.
The 902 has a listed accuracy of 2% plus 5 digits when measuring AC amps. The "plus 5 digits" means that the last digit on the display can be off by as much as 5 in addition to the basic 2 % error, and the meter will still be within its listed specs. Suppose you have a motor rated at 1.2 amps and it is actually drawing 1.2 amps. You have your 902 clamped on the common lead. According to the specs you're liable to get a reading anywhere from 1.7 amps to 0.7 amps. I'm not saying that your reading will actually be that far off, but any 902 that does read that far off will pass quality control before it leaves the factory since it's still within the listed specs. If all 902s performed better than this, then the published specs would be tighter, but they aren't, so what does that tell you?
The Fluke 322 on the other hand has an extra digit, in the hundredths place, so the plus or minus 5 digits represents a much smaller possible error. The basic accuracy is also better, being 1.8%. The possible range of values obtained with this meter on the same motor would be 1.27 amps to 1.12 amps. Big difference.
True rms is another factor to consider, but it doesn't apply in the case of the motor above.
The 902 ohms scale is also too small. At some point you're going to need something that will measure more than 9999 ohms. How will you test compressors for shorts to ground? I had one just yesterday that measured 104,000 ohms to ground and was tripping the breaker. The 902 would have been useless. It isn't uncommon to find shorts to ground that are over 9999 ohms. Thermistors also read higher than 9999 ohms at any temperature below 70°, so forget trying to test them with your 902.
If that isn't enough, there's more. You get a call on an older furnace. The customer says that the pilot won't stay lit. The furnace uses a thermocouple. Is the problem a bad gas valve, bad thermocouple, or weak pilot? You have no idea, because your meter has no dc mv scale to test the thermocouple output.
These are all things that we check on a regular basis, not just every now and then. You need those meter functions if you're going to work on these systems. But its your dollar, spend it however you like.
Professional Member
Hey I really appreciate the feedback. I bought this meter because it's what my employer recommended. It's good to know all of this though because when I can afford it I will most likely get a multi meter with a better range.
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