24-05-2016, 08:21 AM
Mark made the point about comparing these sub £20 meters with the cheapest Flukes. Assuming the RS one genuinely meets its Cat III 600V rating (and I doubt that RS would be willing to put its good name to it otherwise) then it's OK for most tasks that most of us are likely to do.
Most of us have no need to go prodding around busbar chambers or even our own consumer units. Anyone who's messing around with HT over 300V really needs to be well aware of the risks, the DMM being just one small part of the problem. TV fans will encounter boost voltages up to 800V or so on some colour sets with enough power to do some real damage. There's enough line scan energy around there to trouble most DMMs so it's time to dig out an AVO for that. If you deal with TVs having mains derived EHT then you need the right kit, right attitude and a strong sense of self preservation.
If you're Nick and play with kit that can easily go bump in the night then you need an even stronger sense of self preservation.
Most of us have no need to go prodding around busbar chambers or even our own consumer units. Anyone who's messing around with HT over 300V really needs to be well aware of the risks, the DMM being just one small part of the problem. TV fans will encounter boost voltages up to 800V or so on some colour sets with enough power to do some real damage. There's enough line scan energy around there to trouble most DMMs so it's time to dig out an AVO for that. If you deal with TVs having mains derived EHT then you need the right kit, right attitude and a strong sense of self preservation.
If you're Nick and play with kit that can easily go bump in the night then you need an even stronger sense of self preservation.
www.borinsky.co.uk Jeffrey Borinsky www.becg.tv
