Application Note

2 Fluke Corporation The new Fluke 233 wireless digital multimeter
distance is designed for thirty
feet. However, in the field,
successful readings have been
taken at greater distances.
Outside the hazard zone
Safety when performing work
involving electrical hazards is
of course paramount. The NFPA
70E, Standard for Electrical
Safety in the Workplace, general
requirements for safety related
work practices, requires test
instruments, equipment, and
accessories to be “designed for
the environment to which they
will be exposed, and for the
manner in which they will be
used.” The 233 is a rugged DMM
that can be used as just as any
other DMM in the field. Yet, it
also offers the ability to safely
take readings while energizing
and de-energizing equipment.
How many times have you had
to place a meter in a pre-
carious—and possibly unsafe
position—in order to observe the
readout? The wireless greatly
reduces the risks involved in
such procedures.
A common practice in the
electrical field is to have some-
one hold the meter as the
technician reaches inside the
control panel or switchgear
to place the test leads for the
measurement. This “meter
reader” then becomes exposed
to virtually the same shock
and arc-flash hazards as the
individual placing the test
leads. With the 233’s detach-
able head, this “meter reader”
can now stand safely outside
of the Flash Protection Bound-
ary while recording readings. A
common complaint in the field
is the inconvenience of taking
readings while dressed out for
Hazard Risk CAT III or CAT IV. By
having the person observing the
meter readout back outside of
the above boundaries, protective
clothing requirements can most
probably be reduced to a lower
Hazard Risk Category—again
simplifying the measurement
process.
Troubleshooting PLCs
LED indication on input and
output cards of PLCs is a great
way to troubleshoot them—as
long as you are at the PLC. Few
things are more frustrating than
trying to adjust a limit switch,
certain proximity switches, or a
photo eye. Quite often the radio
call must go out for help as one
person performs adjustments
on one of these safety switches
while another person observes
the PLC input indicators. It’s now
a whole lot easier to attach the
true-rms DMM to the correct
terminals, and take only the
wireless display with you to the
switching device.
What if...
In addition to questions about
RF interference, some other valid
questions arise when using this
meter in the field. “What if I’m
taking a reading and want to
remove the head to walk away
from the meter and operate a
switch at a control station. Will I
loose my reading?” The answer
is, “No.” If a reading appears on
the meter face, then removing
the meter display will not affect
the meter reading. In fact, the
only indication on the display
that you have removed the dis-
play from the meter base is that
you will see the wireless symbol
appear, indicating you are in the
wireless mode.
What if you want to see if the
relay drops out when the “stop”
push button is depressed? Here,
you would simply leave your
leads attached to the relay coil
terminals (with the alligator clip
accessories attached to the ends
of the test leads), and with one
hand easily remove the wire-
less display by depressing the
two release latches and slide
it away from the meter body.
Next, walk to the control station,
make sure your meter head and
body are communicating, and
either hold the removable head
or magnetically attach it to the
control station. Then depress the
pushbutton and observe on the
meter display what has just hap-
pened—up to thirty feet away.
If more than one technician in
the shop is using the new model
233, there will be no problem
confusing displays. The remote
display automatically syncs with
whatever meter body to which
it is attached. What’s more, the
meter automatically assigns
wireless channels, which virtu-
ally eliminates any possibility of
interference between different
meters in the shop.
Whether you have a need
for that “third hand,” a safety
concern, or simply crave
convenience, taking electri-
cal readings with a rugged,
category-rated, remote display
true-rms digital multimeter with
wireless remote capabilities just
makes sense.
Fluke Corporation
PO Box 9090, Everett, WA 98206 U.S.A.
Fluke Europe B.V.
PO Box 1186, 5602 BD
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
For more information call:
In the U.S.A. [phone] or
Fax [phone]
In Europe/M-East/Africa [phone] or
Fax [phone]
In Canada (800)-36-FLUKE or
Fax [phone]
From other countries [phone] or
Fax [phone]
Web access: http://www.fluke.com
©2010 Fluke Corporation.
Specifications subject to change without notice.
Printed in U.S.A. 1/2010 3610905A A-EN-N
Modification of this document is not permitted
without written permission from Fluke Corporation.
Fluke. Keeping your world
up and running.
®