Fluke 21 Multimeter died.

stileseverett

New member
This site came up as a forum on the above Fluke. Touched it to an electric fence, and it's now dead. Did I burn it up? Thanks.
Everett Stiles
Macon County, North Carolina
Expertise in electronics: none
 

johnlong

Senior Member
Hello and welcome
check the schimatic it may well have a fuse that has blown worth a look at
regards john
 

techElder

Well-known member
stay away from o_O electric fences
... or, figure out what kind of resistor divider you could have used to measure that fence voltage and stayed within the specs of your meter. :D
 

papaof2

Senior Member
First you need to know the peak voltage of the fence charger and the maximum input voltage of the Fluke. Unless you have a genuine technical need to know the exact voltage, a series string of neon bulbs (NE-2 or the like) needs about 90 volts per bulb to light it. For 2000 volts, that's 22 bulbs in series with a 100K resistor.

If you just need verification of voltage present, an NE-2 with a 2.2 megohm resistor will show voltage present, but so will a NE-2 held by the leads and the glass of the bulb touched to a fence wire. Best to have the resistor unless you're very careful with how close your fingers and the wire get to the fence ;-)
 

geezer88

Senior Member
We used to test an electric fence by touching it with a two foot long grass stem. If we didn't feel any thing at first, we then slid the grass to be closer and closer. Worked every time. Your mileage may vary.
Tom
 
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