what will plug into a Fluke 87's test-lead jacks?

[Alan Horowitz]

I want to make up my own custom test leads for my Fluke 87.

What item, sold in mass-distribution at consumer type retail outlets,
will work as a plug?

Alternatively, I could do a simple fabrication What shop item would
be a good starting point to modify from, to plug into the jacks on
this thing?

 

[Leon Heller]

I want to make up my own custom test leads for my Fluke 87.

What item, sold in mass-distribution at consumer type retail outlets,
will work as a plug?

Alternatively, I could do a simple fabrication What shop item would
be a good starting point to modify from, to plug into the jacks on
this thing?

It probably uses 4 mm plugs, they are widely available.

Leon

 

[Tim Wescott]

Ordinary bananna plugs work just fine, as long as you don't mind them not
being sheilded. The extra ring-shaped hole in the thing is for the plug
shield which is optional if you're working with low voltages.

 

[Rich Andrews]

[email protected] (Alan Horowitz) wrote in

I want to make up my own custom test leads for my Fluke 87.

What item, sold in mass-distribution at consumer type retail outlets,
will work as a plug?

Alternatively, I could do a simple fabrication What shop item would
be a good starting point to modify from, to plug into the jacks on
this thing?

http://www.probemaster.com/

 

[Curtis]

If you're talking about what I'm thinking you are, you can buy normal
banana plugs at almost any electrical type store like Radio Shack.
You just take them apart, solder your wiring in, and you're done.

 

[Jerry Greenberg]

They are called "banana plugs", and are available from most any
elecronics supplier.

Jerry Greenberg
http://www.zoom-one.com

 

[RonKZ650]

Don't waste time with any leads other than the new Fluke "sure grip" Go to
www.fluke.com and tale a look. You can buy the TLK-225 set for $90. Sounds like
a lot, but after using these leads, you'll never go back to the other crap.
Ron

 

[Tom Grayson]

They are called "banana plugs", and are available from most any
elecronics supplier.

This advice is good............................. however................

after many years of using the fluke 87, I have learnt that the plastic
shield also seems to help with a little mechanical support against the body
of the
meter.
Using the 4mm banana plugs works fine .......electrically........, but if
the leads are bumped frequently ( which invaribably happens happens in an
industrial situation) , there is a fair chance that the extra leverage will
eventually cause the internal tube to break it's connection at the printed
circuit board, resulting in an intermittant connection there.
It is easy to check if this has happened, Just plug each end of a lead into
the "COM" and "V OHM" holes and with the meter on the ohms scale, wriggle
the plugs around, The bad connection wiill easliy be seen.

If you are handy with a screwdriver and a soldering iron this is easily
fixed ( as I have frequently done )

Using the correct Shielded plugs seems to reduce the instance of this and I
am guessing that the little extra mechanical support
against the meter body is the reason for it.

But that's only my humble opinion.

Tom Grayson

 

[Harry Conover]

They are called "banana plugs", and are available from most any
elecronics supplier.

Jerry Greenberg
http://www.zoom-one.com

I really don't believe that a Fluke 87 connector is a banana plug. See
this site:

http://www.jensentools.com/product/group.asp?parent_id=8385

Like most modern multimeters, the Fluke 87 employs safety connectors
so that if a test lead pulls out of the meter, it doesn't pose a
safety hazard with an exposed conductor.

It is rare to see banana plugs used on many multimeters since the days
of the Simpson 260 and Triplett 630, and these were circa 1965. This
is because they were responsible for too many accidents. Today, banana
connectors are rarely seen other than insrumentation targeted at
accomplishing audio measurments, where it is commonplace.

Wish that I could provide information on the connectors that mate with
the Fluke 87, but without a search I have no idea what these
connectors are, or who makes them.

Even my cheap little Wavetek 5XL employs connectors of the shrouded
gendre, and while you probably can jam a banana plug into them (or a
twisted paper clip for that matter), you would negate the safety
features of the shrouded connector design and in some applications
their use would not only be unsafe but illegal.


Harry C.

 

[RonKZ650]

The banana's will plug in, but it's not the right thing to do. I'm tellin' ya,
go get those Fluke "suregrip" leads and clips, they are fantastic. Ever had a
ground clip that falls off as soon as you let go of it, and you fight finding
another ground only to have it happen over and over again? Not with these
leads. You hook them up to anything from a 22 guage wire to a 3/4" pipe and
never worry about them falling off.
No kidding, these are the best invention since sliced bread.
Ron

 

[Jim Adney]

I want to make up my own custom test leads for my Fluke 87.

What item, sold in mass-distribution at consumer type retail outlets,
will work as a plug?

Standard Banana Plugs.

-

 

[James Sweet]

[email protected] (Jerry Greenberg) wrote in message

I really don't believe that a Fluke 87 connector is a banana plug. See
this site:

I have one, bananna plugs fit just fine, I have a few specialized test jigs
that use them.

 

[Bill Turner]

I really don't believe that a Fluke 87 connector is a banana plug. See
this site:

_________________________________________________________

I have a model 87 and it works fine with ordinary banana plugs. Mine is
about five years old however, perhaps later ones have changed?

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

[email protected] (Alan Horowitz) wrote in



http://www.probemaster.com/

Looks like a good place to get quality test leads. For day-to-day
use, _every_ tech needs a good set of test leads.


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[Alan Horowitz]

Standard Banana Plugs.


ok. Now, just out of curiosity, where to buy banana JACKS?

 

[Keith R. Williams]

ok. Now, just out of curiosity, where to buy banana JACKS?

How about: http://www.jdr.com/interact/item.asp?itemno=BJ-B

 

[James Sweet]

ok. Now, just out of curiosity, where to buy banana JACKS?

DigiKey has them in a full range of colors.

 

[cornytheclown]

I really don't believe that a Fluke 87 connector is a banana plug. See
this site:

http://www.jensentools.com/product/group.asp?parent_id=8385

Like most modern multimeters, the Fluke 87 employs safety connectors
so that if a test lead pulls out of the meter, it doesn't pose a
safety hazard with an exposed conductor.

It is rare to see banana plugs used on many multimeters since the days
of the Simpson 260 and Triplett 630, and these were circa 1965. This
is because they were responsible for too many accidents. Today, banana
connectors are rarely seen other than insrumentation targeted at
accomplishing audio measurments, where it is commonplace.

Wish that I could provide information on the connectors that mate with
the Fluke 87, but without a search I have no idea what these
connectors are, or who makes them.

Even my cheap little Wavetek 5XL employs connectors of the shrouded
gendre, and while you probably can jam a banana plug into them (or a
twisted paper clip for that matter), you would negate the safety
features of the shrouded connector design and in some applications
their use would not only be unsafe but illegal.


Harry C.

illegal under what authority ??? osha ??? They are shrouded banana
plugs,,,thats all.......I own several fluke meters along with other
brands and have many specialized test leads.....some shrouded , some
not and they work fine...even in an abusive industrial environment.
Yes, the shroud does help support the connection, this is good if the
meter gets laid down on its face or if it gets banged around in a tool
bag or tool box.......but I know of know "laws" or osha regs that
prevent the use of unshrouded banana plugs.

 

[Harry Conover]

[email protected] (Harry Conover) wrote in message

illegal under what authority ??? osha ???

That is one example.

Harry C.

 

[Daniel L. Belton]

That is one example.

Harry C.

My guess would be that if you are using it for personal use, the OSHA
has no authority.

Also, if you are using it for personal use, then plugging a banana plug
into the jack, while negating any safety features, would not be illegal.
The jacks are actually the same as the banana jacks, but added the
extra covering over the plug for safety, so you would not damage the
jack on any way by plugging in a standard banana plug.

All this would change if you are in fact using it in a commercial
environment, because then the OSHA regulations would come into the
picture, along with others as well.