Fluke 289 User Manual

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True-rms Digital Multimeters

Users Manual

®

June 2007, Rev. 1, 7/08

© 2007, 2008 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.
All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Lifetime Limited Warranty

Each Fluke 20, 70, 80, 170, 180 and 280 Series DMM will be free from defects in material and workmanship for its lifetime. As used herein,
“lifetime” is defined as seven years after Fluke discontinues manufacturing the product, but the warranty period shall be at least ten years from
the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover fuses, disposable batteries, damage from neglect, misuse, contamination, alteration, acci­dent or abnormal conditions of operation or handling, including failures caused by use outside of the product’s specifications, or normal wear
and tear of mechanical components. This warranty covers the original purchaser only and is not transferable.

For ten years from the date of purchase, this warranty also covers the LCD. Thereafter, for the lifetime of the DMM, Fluke will replace the LCD
for a fee based on then current component acquisition costs.

To establish original ownership and prove date of purchase, please complete and return the registration card accompanying the product, or
register your product on http://www.fluke.com
product purchased through a Fluke authorized sales outlet and at the applicable international price. Fluke reserves the right to charge for
importation costs of repair/replacement parts if the product purchased in one country is sent for repair elsewhere.

If the product is defective, contact your nearest Fluke authorized service center to obtain return authorization information, then send the
product to that service center, with a description of the difficulty, postage and insurance prepaid (FOB Destination). Fluke assumes no risk
for damage in transit. Fluke will pay return transportation for product repaired or replaced in-warranty. Before making any non-warranty
repair, Fluke will estimate cost and obtain authorization, then invoice you for repair and return transportation.

THIS WARRANTY IS YOUR ONLY REMEDY. NO OTHER WARRANTIES, SUCH AS FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. FLUKE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAM­AGES OR LOSSES, INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OR THEORY. AUTHORIZED RESELLERS ARE NOT
AUTHORIZED TO EXTEND ANY DIFFERENT WARRANTY ON FLUKE’S BEHALF. Since some states do not allow the exclusion or limita­tion of an implied warranty or of incidental or consequential damages, this limitation of liability may not apply to you. If any provision of this
warranty is held invalid or unenforceable by a court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction, such holding will not affect the validity
or enforceability of any other provision.

. Fluke will, at its option, repair at no charge, replace or refund the purchase price of a defective

5/07

Fluke Corporation
P.O. Box 9090
Everett, WA 98206-9090
U.S.A.

Fluke Europe B.V.
P.O. Box 1186
5602 BD Eindhoven
The Netherlands

Table of Contents

Title Page

Lifetime Limited Warranty............................................................................................... ii

Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1

Contacting Fluke ............................................................................................................ 1

Safety Information .......................................................................................................... 1

Hazardous Voltage......................................................................................................... 3

Symbols ......................................................................................................................... 4

Features ......................................................................................................................... 5

Understanding the Push Buttons............................................................................... 5

Using Auto Repeat .................................................................................................... 6

Understanding the Display ........................................................................................ 7

Bar Graph ............................................................................................................. 8

Status Bar Elements ............................................................................................. 8

Page Area............................................................................................................. 9

Softkey Labels ...................................................................................................... 9

Adjusting Display Contrast.................................................................................... 9

Understanding the Rotary Switch .............................................................................. 10

Using the Input Terminals.......................................................................................... 11

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Controlling Meter Power ................................................................................................ 12

Powering the Meter On and Off Manually ................................................................. 12

Battery Level Indicator .............................................................................................. 12

Automatic Power-Off................................................................................................. 12

Battery Saver Mode .................................................................................................. 12

Controlling the Backlight ........................................................................................... 13

Selecting the Range ...................................................................................................... 13

Understanding Function Menus ..................................................................................... 13

Input Alert™ Feature...................................................................................................... 15

Using the Info Button ..................................................................................................... 15

Hold and AutoHold Mode............................................................................................... 15

Measuring Crest Factor ................................................................................................. 16

Capturing Minimum and Maximum Values .................................................................... 16

Capturing Peak Values .................................................................................................. 18

Low Pass Filter (Model 289 only)................................................................................... 20

Making Relative Measurements..................................................................................... 21

Making Measurements................................................................................................... 22

Measuring AC Voltage .............................................................................................. 22

Using LoZ for Voltage Measurements (Model 289 only) ........................................... 23

Making dB Measurements ........................................................................................ 23

Measuring DC Voltage.............................................................................................. 25

Measuring AC and DC Signals ................................................................................. 26

Measuring Temperature............................................................................................ 28

Using the Y Function (Model 289 Only) ............................................................... 31

Testing for Continuity ................................................................................................ 31

Using Conductance for High Resistance Tests......................................................... 34

Measuring Capacitance ............................................................................................ 35

Testing Diodes .......................................................................................................... 36

ii

Contents

Measuring Current..................................................................................................... 38

Measuring Frequency................................................................................................ 42

Measuring Duty cycle ................................................................................................ 43

Measuring Pulse Width.............................................................................................. 45

Changing Meter Setup Options ...................................................................................... 47

Resetting Meter Setup Options.................................................................................. 47

Setting Display Contrast ............................................................................................ 47

Setting the Meter’s Language.................................................................................... 47

Setting Date and Time............................................................................................... 48

Setting Backlight and Auto Off Timeouts ................................................................... 48

Setting a Custom dBm Reference ............................................................................. 48

Disabling and Enabling the Beeper ........................................................................... 48

Enabling and Disabling the Smoothing Mode ............................................................ 49

Using Other Setup Options........................................................................................ 49

Using Memory ................................................................................................................ 49

Storing Individual Measurement Data........................................................................ 49

Naming Saved Data .................................................................................................. 49

Viewing Memory Data ............................................................................................... 50

Viewing Snapshot and Summary Data ................................................................. 50

Viewing Trend Data .............................................................................................. 50

Zooming in on Trend Data .................................................................................... 51

Deleting Stored Measurement Data .......................................................................... 51

Recording Measurement Data ....................................................................................... 52

Setting up a Recording Session ................................................................................ 53

Setting the Event Threshold Value ............................................................................ 54

Starting a Recording Session .................................................................................... 54

Stopping a Recording Session .................................................................................. 54

Using Communications .................................................................................................. 55

(continued)

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Error Messages ............................................................................................................. 56

Maintenance .................................................................................................................. 57

General Maintenance................................................................................................ 57

Testing the Fuses...................................................................................................... 57

Replacing the Batteries ............................................................................................. 59

Replacing the Fuses ................................................................................................. 59

Test Lead Storage..................................................................................................... 59

In Case of Difficulty........................................................................................................ 61

Service and Parts .......................................................................................................... 62

General Specifications................................................................................................... 66

Detailed Specifications................................................................................................... 67

AC Voltage Specifications......................................................................................... 68

AC Current Specifications ......................................................................................... 69

DC Voltage Specification .......................................................................................... 70

DC Current Specifications......................................................................................... 71

Resistance Specifications ......................................................................................... 72

Temperature Specifications ...................................................................................... 72

Capacitance and Diode Test Specifications.............................................................. 73

Frequency Counter Specifications ............................................................................ 74

Frequency Counter Sensitivity .................................................................................. 75

MIN MAX, Recording, and Peak Specifications ........................................................ 76

Input Characteristics ................................................................................................. 77

Burden Voltage (A, mA, μA)...................................................................................... 78

iv

List of Tables

Table Title Page

1. Symbols................................................................................................................................. 4

2. Push Buttons ......................................................................................................................... 5

3. Display Features ................................................................................................................... 7

4. Rotary Switch Positions......................................................................................................... 10

5. Input Terminals...................................................................................................................... 11

6. Battery Level Indicator........................................................................................................... 12

7. Trend Data Display................................................................................................................ 51

8. Recording Display ................................................................................................................. 53

9. Stopped Recording Display ................................................................................................... 55

10. Error Messages ..................................................................................................................... 56

11. Replacement Parts................................................................................................................ 62

12. Accessories ........................................................................................................................... 65

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vi

List of Figures

Figure Title Page

1. Push Buttons ......................................................................................................................... 5

2. Display Features ................................................................................................................... 7

3. Rotary Switch ........................................................................................................................ 10

4. Input Terminals...................................................................................................................... 11

5. Function Menu....................................................................................................................... 14

6. MIN MAX Record Display...................................................................................................... 17

7. Peak Record Display............................................................................................................. 18

8. Low Pass Filter...................................................................................................................... 20

9. Relative Mode Functions....................................................................................................... 21

10. AC Voltage Measurements.................................................................................................... 22

11. dBm Display .......................................................................................................................... 23

12. DC Voltage Measurements ................................................................................................... 25

13. AC and DC Display................................................................................................................ 26

14. Temperature Measurement ................................................................................................... 28

15. Resistance Measurement...................................................................................................... 30

16. Continuity Indicator................................................................................................................ 31

17. Continuity Testing.................................................................................................................. 32

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18. Conductance Measurement.................................................................................................. 34

19. Capacitance Measurement ................................................................................................... 35

20. Diode Testing........................................................................................................................ 37

21. Current Measurement Setup................................................................................................. 40

22. Current Measurement Circuit Connection............................................................................. 41

23. Functions Allowing Frequency Measurement ....................................................................... 42

24. Frequency Display ................................................................................................................ 43

25. Duty Cycle Measurements.................................................................................................... 44

26. Duty Cycle Display................................................................................................................ 45

27. Pulse Width Measurements .................................................................................................. 46

28. Testing the Current Fuses..................................................................................................... 58

29. Test Lead Storage ................................................................................................................ 59

30. Replacing Batteries and Fuses ............................................................................................. 60

31. Replaceable Parts................................................................................................................. 64

viii

Introduction

XWWarning

Read “Safety Information” before using this Meter.

The descriptions and instructions in this manual apply to the
model 289 and model 287 True-rms Digital Multimeters
(hereafter referred to as the Meter). The model 289 appears in all
illustrations.

Contacting Fluke

To contact Fluke, call:
USA: 1-888-993-5853

Canada : 1-800-363-5853
Europe : [phone]
Japan: [phone]
Singapore : [phone]
Anywhere in the world: [phone]

Visit Fluke's web site at: www.fluke.com

Register your Meter at: http://register.fluke.com

Safety Information

The Meter complies with:

• ANSI/ISA 82.02.01 (61010-1) 2004

• UL 61010B (2003)

• CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 61010-1-04

• IEC/EN 61010-1 2

• EMC EN 61326-1

• Measurement Category III, 1000V, Pollution Degree 2

• Measurement Category IV, 600 V, Pollution Degree 2

In this manual, a Warning identifies hazardous conditions and
actions that could cause bodily harm or death. A Caution
identifies conditions and actions that could damage the Meter,
the equipment under test, or cause permanent loss of data.

To avoid possible electric shock or personal
injury, follow these guidelines:

• Use this Meter only as specified in this

manual or the protection provided by the
Meter might be impaired.

• Do not use the Meter if it is damaged. Before

you use the Meter, inspect the case. Look for
cracks or missing plastic. Pay particular
attention to the insulation surrounding the
connectors.

nd

Edition Pollution Degree 2

XWWarning

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• Make sure the battery door is closed and

latched before operating the Meter.

• Remove test leads from the Meter before

opening the battery door.

• Inspect the test leads for damaged insulation

or exposed metal. Check the test leads for
continuity. Replace damaged test leads before
you use the Meter.

• Do not apply more than the rated voltage, as

marked on the Meter, between the terminals or
between any terminal and earth ground.

• Never operate the Meter with the cover

removed or the case open.

• Use caution when working with voltages above

30 V ac rms, 42 V ac peak, or 60 V dc. These
voltages pose a shock hazard.

• Use only the replacement fuses specified by

the manual.

• Use the proper terminals, function, and range

for measurements.

• Avoid working alone.

• When measuring current, turn off circuit power

before connecting the Meter in the circuit.
Remember to place the Meter in series with the
circuit.

• When making electrical connections, connect

the common test lead before connecting the
live test lead; when disconnecting, disconnect
the live test lead before disconnecting the
common test lead.

• Do not use the Meter if it operates abnormally.

Protection may be impaired. When in doubt,
have the Meter serviced.

• Do not operate the Meter around explosive

gas, vapor, or dust.

• Use only 1.5 V AA batteries, properly installed

in the Meter case, to power the Meter.

• When servicing the Meter, use only specified

replacement parts.

• When using probes, keep fingers behind the

finger guards on the probes.

• Do not use the Low Pass Filter option to verify

the presence of hazardous voltages. Voltages
greater than what is indicated may be present.
First, make a voltage measurement without the
filter to detect the possible presence of
hazardous voltage. Then select the filter
function.

• Only use test leads that have the same voltage,

category, and amperage ratings as the meter
and that have been approved by a safety
agency.

2

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Hazardous Voltage

• Use proper protective equipment, as required

by local or national authorities when working
in hazardous areas.

• Comply with local and national safety

requirements when working in hazardous
locations.

WCaution

To avoid possible damage to the Meter or to the
equipment under test, follow these guidelines:

• Disconnect circuit power and discharge all

high-voltage capacitors before testing
resistance, continuity, diodes, or capacitance.

• Use the proper terminals, function, and range

for all measurements.

• Do not remove batteries while the Meter is

turned on or a signal is applied to the Meter’s
input jacks.

• Before measuring current, check the Meter's

fuses. (See "Testing the Fuses" in the Users
Manual on the accompanying CD.)

• Do not use the LoZ mode to measure voltages

in circuits that could be damaged by this
mode’s low impedance (≈3 kΩ). (Model 289
only)

Hazardous Voltage

To alert you to the presence of a potentially hazardous voltage,
when the Meter detects a voltage ≥30 V or a voltage overload
(OL), the

Ysymbol is displayed.

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Symbols

Table 1 lists and describes the symbols used on the Meter and in this manual.

Table 1. Symbols

Symbol Description Symbol Description

B
F

X

E

R

P

t

CAT III

~

AC (Alternating Current or Voltage)
DC (Direct Current or Voltage)

Hazardous voltage
Battery (Low battery when shown on the

display)

Continuity test or continuity beeper tone

Conforms to European Union directives

Underwriters Laboratory listed product

IEC Measurement Category III – CAT III
equipment is designed to protect against
transients in equipment in fixed equipment
installations, such as distribution panels,
feeders and short branch circuits, and
lighting systems in large buildings.

Do not dispose of this product as unsorted municipal waste. Go to Fluke’s website for recycling
information.

I

T

W

J

$

;

N10140

s

CAT IV

Fuse
Double Insulated

Important Information; refer to manual

Earth ground

Conforms to relevant Canadian and US
standards

Conforms to relevant Australian standards

Inspected and licensed by TÜV Product
Services

IEC Measurement Category IV – CAT IV
equipment is designed to protect against
transients from the primary supply level,
such as an electricity meter or an overhead
or underground utility service.

4

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Features

Features

Tables 2 through 5 briefly describe the Meter’s features.

Understanding the Push Buttons

The 14 push buttons on the front of the Meter activate features
that augment the function selected using the rotary switch,
navigate menus or control power to Meter circuits. The buttons
shown in Figure 1 are described in Table 2.

est02.emf

Figure 1. Push Buttons

Table 2. Push Buttons

Button Function

O

12
34

H

R

M

I

G

Turns the Meter on or off.

Selects sub-functions and modes related
to the rotary switch function.

Cursor buttons select an item in a menu,
adjust display contrast, scroll through
information, and perform data entry.

Freezes the present reading in the
display and allows the display to be
saved. Also accesses AutoHold.

Switches the Meter range mode to
manual and then cycles through all
ranges. To return to autoranging, press
the button for 1 second.

Starts and stops MIN MAX recording.

Displays information about the present
function or items on the display at the
moment the info button is pressed.

Switches the display backlight between
off, low, and high.

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Using Auto Repeat

For some menu selections, holding down a softkey or cursor
button will continuously change (or advance) a selection until the
button is released. Normally, each press of a button causes the
selection to change once. During some selections, the selections
will change faster if the button is held for two or more seconds.
This is helpful when scrolling through a list of selections, such as
a list of stored measurements.

6

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Features

Understanding the Display

Display features shown in Figure 2 are described in Table 3 and
the following sections.

9

87 11 12

6

8:10pm

5
4

123.45

3

2

AutoHOLD

1

Figure 2. Display Features

10

123.45 VAC

100 200 300 400

Save Setup

06/13/07

AutoSAVEHOLDREL

mVAC

Crest Factor

5 mVDC

Auto Range

500 VAC0

Hz60.000

13

14

15

16

est01.eps

Table 3. Display Features

Item Function Indication

A

Softkey labels Indicates the function of the button

B

Bar graph Analog display of the input signal

C

Relative Indicates the displayed value is

D

Minus sign Indicates a negative reading.

E

Lightning bolt Indicates hazardous voltage present

F

Remote
communication

G

Battery level Indicates the charge level of the six

H

Time Indicates the time set in the internal

I

Mode
annunciators

just below the displayed label.

(See the “Bar Graph” section for
more information).

relative to a reference value.

at the Meter’s input.

Indicates activity over the
communication link.

AA batteries.

clock.

Indicates the Meter’s mode.

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Table 3. Display Features (cont.)

Item Function Indication

J

Mini­measurement

K

Date Indicates the date set in the internal

L

Beeper Indicates the Meter’s beeper is

M

Units Indicates the units of measure.

N

Auxiliary Units Indicates unitless measurements

O

Range indicator Indicates the range the Meter is in

P

Secondary display Displays secondary measurement

Displays the lightning bolt (when
necessary) and the input value
when the primary and secondary
displays are covered by a menu or
pop-up message.

clock.

enabled (not associated with the
continuity beeper).

like Crest Factor.

and the ranging mode (auto or
manual).

information about the input signal.

Bar Graph

The analog bar graph functions like the needle on an analog
meter, but without the overshoot. The bar graph updates 30
times per second. Because the graph updates faster than the
digital display, it is useful for making peak and null adjustments
and observing rapidly changing inputs. For frequency, duty cycle,
pulse width, dBm, and crest factor functions, the bar graph
represents the amplitude of the input signal (volts or amps) and
not the value in the primary display. The bar graph is not shown
for capacitance, temperature, LoZ, AC+DC, AC over DC, peak,
or min max functions.

For dc voltage, dc current, and all relative percent modes, a
zero-centered bar graph is displayed. For dc voltage and current,
the bar graph range is the maximum of the selected range. For
relative percent mode, the bar graph goes to ±10 %.

The number of lit segments indicates the measured value and is
relative to the full-scale value of the selected range. In the 50
Vac range, for example, the major divisions on the scale
represent 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 Vac. An
input of 25 Vac turns on segments up to the middle of the scale.

For off-scale values, f appears to the right of the normal bar
graph. For the zero-center bar graph, a e appears at the left end
of the bar graph for negative off-scale values and fappears on
the right end for positive off-scale values.

Status Bar Elements

The status bar at the top of the Meter’s display contains
indicators for battery level, time of day, mini-measurement
display, present date, and beeper on/off icon.

8

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Features

The mini-measurement display shows the measurement value of
the primary function, if it is not already shown in the page area of
the display. For example, when the display is frozen for a HOLD,
the mini-measurement display continues to show the input signal
(Live) measurement and a mini z. In addition, the mini­measurement display will flash, if z (for inputs above 30 volts)
would normally appear in the primary display but is obscured. To
warn of the possibility of blowing a current fuse, the mini­measurement display also flashes when current measurements
exceed the maximum continuous current levels (see
specifications).

Page Area

The page area of the display is where the main meter content is
displayed. The primary display (upper half of the page area) is
where the most important value of the selected function is
shown. The secondary display contains the bar graph and values
that may be measured in addition to the primary function value.
For example, with frequency measurement selected in Vac, the
frequency value will appear in the primary display with the ac
voltage value in the secondary display.

Softkey Labels

Labels for the four function softkeys (F1 through F4) appear in
the bottom row of the display. These labels will change based on
the function and/or menu selection.

Adjusting Display Contrast

When not selecting items on a menu or inputting data, pressing
7 increases display contrast and pressing 8 decreases it.

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Understanding the Rotary Switch

Select a primary measurement function by positioning the rotary
switch to one of the icons around its perimeter. For each
function, the Meter presents a standard display for that function
(range, measurement units, and modifiers). Button choices made
in one function do not carry over into another function. The
model 289 offers two additional functions: low ohms (Y) and
low impedance (LoZ) ac volts. Each position shown in Figure 3 is
described in Table 4.

est03.emf

Figure 3. Rotary Switch

Table 4. Rotary Switch Positions

Switch

Position

L

V

T

U

N

S

P

A

X

Y

AC voltage measurement using a low input
impedance (model 289 only)

AC voltage measurements

AC millivolt measurements

DC and ac+dc voltage measurements

DC millivolts, ac+dc millivolt, and
temperature measurements

Resistance, continuity, and conductance
measurements

Diode test and capacitance measurements

AC, dc and ac+dc amps and milliamps
measurements

AC, dc and ac+dc microampere
measurements up to 5,000 μA

Resistance measurements with 50e range
(model 289 only)

Function

10

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Features

Using the Input Terminals

All functions except current use the W and COM input
terminals. The two current input terminals (A and mA/μA) are
used as follows:

Current from 0 to 400 mA, use the

Current between 0 and 10 A use the A and COM terminals.

Figure 4. Input Terminals

€ and COM terminals.

est04.emf

Table 5. Input Terminals

Terminal Description

Input for 0 A to 10.00 A current (20VA

A

€

COM

overload for 30 seconds on, 10 minutes off),
frequency, and duty-cycle measurements.

Input for 0 A to 400 mA current
measurements, frequency, and duty cycle.

Return terminal for all measurements.

Input for voltage, continuity, resistance,
diode test, conductance, capacitance,
frequency, temperature, period, and duty­cycle measurements.

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Controlling Meter Power

The Meter is powered by six AA batteries and controlled through
a front panel power switch and internal circuits designed to help
conserve battery power. The following sections describe several
techniques for controlling Meter power.

Powering the Meter On and Off Manually

With the Meter off, press O to turn on the Meter. Pressing O
while the Meter is on causes it to turn off.

Note

Collected data is retained when the Meter is turned off
while in record, MIN MAX record, or Peak record
modes. When the Meter is next turned on, the dispay
shows the collected data in stopped mode. Pressing
the softkey labeled Save will save the data.

Battery Level Indicator

The battery level indicator in the upper left-hand corner of the
display indicates the relative condition of the batteries. Table 6
describes the various battery levels the indicator represents.

Table 6. Battery Level Indicator

Indication Battery Capacity

B

C

D

E

F

[1] When critically low, a “Replace batteries” pop-up message

appears 15 seconds before the Meter shuts down.

The Meter will display a “Batteries low” message whenever the
battery level will not support a selected function.

Full capacity

¾ capacity

½ capacity

¼ capacity

[1]

Almost empty (less than one day)

Automatic Power-Off

The Meter automatically turns off if the rotary switch is not moved
or a button is not pressed for 15 minutes (default). Pressing O
will turn the Meter back on after it is powered off automatically.
To change the timeout period or completely disable automatic
power-off, refer to “Setting Backlight and Auto Off Timeouts” later
in this manual.

Battery Saver Mode

If Auto off is enabled (set to a time period), and MIN MAX record,
Peak record, Recording, or AutoHold is enabled, the Meter will
enter a battery-saver mode if a push-button is not pressed or the
rotary switch is not moved for a set period of time. For the

12

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Selecting the Range

recording mode, the time period is five minutes. For MIN MAX,
Peak and AutoHold modes, the time period is the same time the
Auto Off feature is set for. See the “Setting Backlight and Auto
Off Timeouts” section later in this manual. Battery saver mode
conserves battery power by shutting down circuits not necessary
for the selected function, including the display. However, the LED
surrounding the power button (O) will continue to flash to
indicate the Meter is still collecting data.

The Meter “wakes up” from battery-save mode under the
following conditions:

• A button is pressed

• The rotary knob is moved

• A lead is removed or inserted into a current input jack.

• The Meter changes range

• IR Communications begin

These condictions only awaken the Meter and does not change
the Meter’s function or mode of operation.

Controlling the Backlight

If viewing the display becomes difficult in low-light conditions,
press G to activate the LCD backlight. The backlight button
cycles the backlight through three states: low, high, and off. The
Meter displays a message if the battery level will not support the
backlight operation.

To conserve battery life, a user-adjustable timeout controls how
long the backlight stays on. The default timeout is 5 minutes. To
change the timeout, refer to “Setting Backlight and Auto Off
Timeouts” later in this manual.

Selecting the Range

The Meter’s selected range is always displayed above the right­hand end of the bar graph, as the range indicator. Pressing R
switches the Meter between manual and autoranging. It also
cycles through the Meter ranges when manual ranging is
enabled.

Note

You cannot use R in conductance, diode test, LoZ,
Low Ohms, and temperature functions. These
functions all use a fixed range.

In autorange, the Meter selects the lowest range to display the
highest available precision (resolution) for the input signal. If
Manual range is already enabled, press and hold R for one
second to enter the autoranging mode.

If autorange is enabled, press R to enter manual ranging.
Each additional press of R sets the Meter to the next higher
range, unless it is already in the highest range, at which point the
range switches to the lowest range.

Understanding Function Menus

Each primary measurement function (rotary switch position) has
a number of optional sub-functions or modes accessed by
pressing the softkey labeled Menu (F1). A typical menu is shown
in Figure 5.

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Menu

VAC
REL
Peak, CF

Hz, %, mS
dBm
dBV

REL REL% Close

Figure 5. Function Menu

est05.eps

Menu selection is indicated by the filled-in black square
(hereafter the menu selector) to the left of a menu item. Use the
four front-panel cursor buttons (5 6 7 8) to position the menu
selector next to a menu item. As the menu selector moves
between menu items, the four softkeys and their labels change to
reflect the available functions and/or modes available for the
selection menu item.

The example menu in Figure 5 shows the REL (Relative)
function as the current selection. The function selected when the
menu opens is the function selected the last time the menu was
used. To get to the Hz menu item from the REL item, press 6
once, followed by one press of 7. As the menu selector moves
between the menu items, the softkey labels change to indicate
each softkey’s function. Once the desired function or mode
appears in one of the softkey labels, press the appropriate
softkey to activate it. The pop-up menu closes and the display
changes to reflect the selection just made. Pressing the softkey
labeled Close closes the pop-up menu, leaving the Meter in the
state it was in before pressing the Menu softkey.

In most cases, the softkeys revealed by the menu selection act
like toggles. The example menu shown in Figure 5 shows REL,
REL%, and Close softkeys. In this example, the Meter is not in
the relative mode, so pressing the softkey labeled REL would
activate, or toggle, the relative mode. If, on the other hand the
Meter is already in the relative mode, pressing the same softkey
would disable the relative function.

In some cases, pressing a function that can not be used with
other functions appearing in the menu turns off the previously
selected function. For example, in Figure 5, if the Meter is
already in the relative function, pressing REL% causes the Meter
to turn off relative and display relative percent.

In cases where multiple modes have been selected, selecting the
first (top-left) menu item always turns off all other functions and
modes, and returns the Meter to the primary function selected by
the rotary switch. For example, assume that the Meter is setup
for frequency (Hz) and is displaying in relative mode as selected
through the menu in Figure 5. Moving the menu selector to the
menu item labeled VAC and pressing the softkey labeled VAC,
clears both frequency and relative selections, leaving the Meter
in volts ac only.

Menu selections are remembered for each rotary switch position.
For example, selecting REL for the volts ac position causes REL
to be selected the next time the menu is opened in volts ac, even
though in the interim, Hz,%,ms was selected from a similar menu
for the millivolts ac function.

Up to two columns of four items each are displayed at any one
time. If more than eight menu items are available for a primary
function, g appears in the lower right-hand corner of the page
area of the display, indicating more menu items are available.
With the menu selector on one of the items in the left column,

14

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Input Alert™ Feature

press 5 to scroll the screen horizontally and reveal the off-screen
menu items. Conversely, with the menu selector on an item in
the right-hand column, press 6 to reveal the off-screen menu
items.

Input Alert™ Feature

XW Warning

To avoid circuit damage and possibly blowing the
Meter’s current fuse, do not place the probes
across (in parallel with) a powered circuit when a
lead is plugged into a current terminal. This
causes a short circuit because the resistance
through the Meter's current terminals is very low.

If a test lead is plugged into the mA/μA or A terminal, but the
rotary switch is not set to the correct current position, the beeper
warns you by making a chirping sound and displays “Leads
connected incorrectly”. This warning is intended to stop you from
attempting to measure voltage, continuity, resistance,
capacitance, or diode values when the leads are plugged into a
current terminal.

Using the Info Button

While operating the Meter, more information about a selected
function, a front-panel button, or a menu item may be necessary.
Press I to open an information window that lists topics
covering the functions and modifiers that are available at the time
the button is pressed. Each topic provides a brief explanation on
a Meter function or feature.

The information revealed through I is not meant to replace
the more detailed information found in this manual. Function and
feature explanations are brief and only meant to refresh a
person’s memory.

The number of information topics displayed at any one time may
exceed the display area. Use the softkeys labeled Next and Prev
to move from topic to topic. Use the softkey labeled More or 7
and 8 to scroll through the information a full screen at a time.

Pressing the softkey labeled Close, or I will close the
information window.

Hold and AutoHold Mode

To freeze the display for any function, press H. Only the mini­measurement display and hazardous voltage icon (z) continue to
indicate the actual input. The battery level indicator is also active.
The Meter’s softkeys are relabeled for saving the frozen reading
or activating the AutoHold mode.

If H is pressed while MIN MAX record, peak record, or a
recording session is in progress, the display freezes but the data
acquisition continues in the background. Pressing H again
updates the display to reflect data that was acquired during the
hold.

Pressing the softkey labeled AutoHOLD activates AutoHold if
the Meter is not in the Peak, MIN MAX, or Record modes.
AutoHold operation monitors the input signal and updates the
display and, if enabled, sounds the beeper, whenever a new
stable measurement is detected. A stable measurement is one
that does not vary more than a selected adjustable percentage
(AutoHold threshold) for at least one second. The Meter filters

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Users Manual

out open lead conditions so the Meter leads can be moved
between test points without triggering a display update.

Note

For temperature measurements, the AutoHold
threshold is a percent of 100 degrees. The default
AutoHold threshold is 4% of 100 degrees, or 4 degrees
Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Pressing H while in AutoHold mode, forces the Meter’s
display to update with the present measurement, just as if a
stable measurement had been detected.

To set the AutoHOLD Threshold Value, press the softkey labeled
Setup to access the setup menu. Using the cursor buttons, move
the menu selector next to the menu item labeled Recording and
press the softkey labeled Recording to open the recording setup
screen. Using the cursor buttons, move the menu selector next
to the menu item labeled Event Threshold for AutoHOLD and
then press the softkey labeled Edit. Press 7 or 8 to scroll
through the AutoHold threshold values. With the desired value
selected, press the softkey labeled Close.

Measuring Crest Factor

Crest factor is a measure of signal distortion and is calculated as
a signal’s peak value over its rms value. This is an important
measurement when looking at power quality issues.

The Meter’s crest factor function is only available for the ac
measurements: Vac, mVac, Aac, mAac, and μAac. With the
Meter in one of the ac measurement functions, press the softkey
labeled Menu. Next, move the menu selector next to the menu
item labeled Peak,CF and press the softkey labeled CF. The

crest factor value is displayed in the primary display while the ac
measurement appears in the secondary display. Frequency, duty
cycle, and pulse width are not allowed during crest factor
measurements.

Capturing Minimum and Maximum Values

The MIN MAX Record mode captures minimum, average, and
maximum input values. When the input goes below the recorded
minimum value or above the recorded maximum value, the Meter
beeps and records the new value. The Meter stores the elapsed
time since the recording session was started at the same time.
The MIN MAX mode also calculates an average of all readings
taken since the MIN MAX mode was activated.

This mode is for capturing intermittent readings, recording
minimum and maximum readings unattended, or recording
readings while equipment operation precludes watching the
Meter. The MIN MAX mode is best for recording power supply
surges, inrush currents, and finding intermittent failures.

Response time is the length of time an input must stay at a new
value to be captured as a possible new minimum or maximum
value. The Meter has a 100 millisecond MIN MAX response time.
For example, a surge lasting 100 milliseconds would be captured
but one lasting only 50 milliseconds may not be captured at its
actual peak value. See the MIN MAX specification for more
information.

The true average value displayed is the arithmetic mean of all
readings taken since the start of recording (overloads are
discarded). The average reading is useful for smoothing out
unstable inputs, calculating power consumption, or estimating
the percentage of time a circuit is active.

16

True-rms Digital Multimeters
Capturing Minimum and Maximum Values

Note

For input signals that are noisy or change rapidly, turn
on the Smoothing mode to display a steadier reading.
See the “Enabling and Disabling the Smoothing Mode”
section later in this manual.

To extend battery life during MIN MAX recording, the Meter will
enter a battery saver mode. See the “Setting Backlight and Auto
Off Timeouts” section for more information on the battery saver
mode.

To activate the MIN MAX mode, press M. As shown in
Figure 6, the Meter displays e at the top of the
measurement page, and the MIN MAX start date and time along
the bottom of the page. In addition, the recorded maximum,
average, and minimum values appear in the secondary display
with their respective elapsed times.

8:10pm

06/07/07

Min Max

VAC

119.81

Maximum

Average

Minimum

Restart

Figure 6. MIN MAX Record Display

To stop a MIN MAX recording session, press M or the softkey
labeled Stop. The summary information in the display freezes,
and the softkeys change function to allow saving the collected
data. Pressing M again or the softkey labeled Close exits the
MIN MAX record session without saving the collected data.

Turning the rotary switch before saving the MIN MAX
recording data will cause all the accumulated data to
be lost.

To save the MIN MAX screen data, the MIN MAX session must
be ended by pressing the softkey labeled Stop. Next, press the
softkey labeled Save. A dialog box opens where the default
saved name can be selected or another name assigned. Press

127.09

119.50

110.23

Start : 06/07/07 7:00 pm

Note

VAC

VAC

VAC

Auto Range

500 VAC

00:03:17

01:10:09

00:59:59

Stop

est42.eps

17