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Re: [Amps] HV mesuring

To: "MIKE DURKIN" <patriot121@msn.com>, <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [Amps] HV mesuring
From: "Jeff Blaine AC0C" <keepwalking188@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:10:47 -0500
List-post: <amps@contesting.com">mailto:amps@contesting.com>
Mike,

As a guy with several fried DVM sitting on my bench, I would strongly 
recommend against this.  In addition to the fireworks that come from 
overstepping one of the DVM's breakdown voltage, at these voltages, a 
misstep can result in death.  My wife probably would not be happy saying, at 
my funeral, "at least he was trying to save some money on test equipment."

A fluke probe is about $50 on ebay.  It's nothing but a string of resistors 
and a long bit of plastic.  The key here is that the spacing from your 
fingers to any of the contact surfaces is a long way.  The key here is to 
value this probe as a way to keep living.  If you value the individual 
component parts, you will think it's a waste of money...

Any VOM/DVM using standard probes is going to have your fingers a lot 
closer.  And those max voltages indicated?  They are real.  I had a couple 
with 600VAC written on the unit - but a FS of 1.999KV.  I thought, well, it 
will probably work up to 1kv where I wanted to measure.  Wrong.  Snap 
crackle pop.  But I have a hard head and just had to kill off a few other 
(including a couple of pretty expensive Fluke DVMs) along the way before I 
got the message.

I am as frugal as the next tight-fisted ham.  But with 2 kids and a young 
wife, there is no logic in pinching pennies when it comes to HV.  Just my 
thinking...

Be safe.

73/jeff/ac0c

--------------------------------------------------
From: "MIKE DURKIN" <patriot121@msn.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2009 8:38 AM
To: <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: [Amps] HV mesuring

>
> Is there a list of lower cost VOM's that can measure 5KV. I know of the 
> Simpson 260 (version 5 and older only) that can ..... are there any others 
> to keep an eye out for??
>
> KC7NOA
>
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