HT Italia FLASHMETER User Manual

 Copyright HT ITALIA 2017 Version EN 1.00 - 28/02/2017

ENGLISH

User manual

FLASHMETER

EN - 1

Table of contents:

1. PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY MEASURES ............................................................... 2

1.1. Preliminary instructions ..................................................................................................... 2

1.2. During use ......................................................................................................................... 3

1.3. After use ............................................................................................................................ 3

1.4. Definition of Measurement (Overvoltage) category ........................................................... 3

2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................... 4

2.1. Measuring average values andTRMS values .................................................................... 4

2.2. Definition of true root mean square value and Crest factor ............................................... 4

3. PREPARATION FOR USE ........................................................................................... 5

3.1. Initial checks ...................................................................................................................... 5

3.2. Instrument power supply ................................................................................................... 5

3.3. Storage .............................................................................................................................. 5

4. NOMENCLATURE ........................................................................................................ 6

4.1. Description of the instrument ............................................................................................. 6

4.2. Description of the symbols shown on the display .............................................................. 6

4.3. Description of function keys .............................................................................................. 7

4.3.1. ON/OFF key ( ) ......................................................................................................................... 7

4.3.2. AutoHold/ ............................................................................................................................ 7

4.3.3. V/Ω/ key ................................................................................................................................... 7

4.3.4. Detection of AC voltage without contact ..................................................................................... 7

4.3.5. Auto-Power-Off function ............................................................................................................. 7

5. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ..................................................................................... 8

5.1.1. DC voltage measurement ........................................................................................................... 8

5.1.2. AC voltage measurement ........................................................................................................... 9

5.1.3. Resistance measurement ......................................................................................................... 10

5.1.4. Continuity test ........................................................................................................................... 11

6. MAINTENANCE ......................................................................................................... 12

6.1. General information ......................................................................................................... 12

6.2. Replacing the battery ...................................................................................................... 12

6.3. Cleaning the instrument .................................................................................................. 12

6.4. End of life ........................................................................................................................ 12

7. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................ 13

7.1. Technical characteristics ................................................................................................. 13

7.1.1. Reference standards ................................................................................................................ 14

7.1.2. General characteristics ............................................................................................................. 14

7.2. Environment .................................................................................................................... 14

7.2.1. Environmental conditions for use ............................................................................................. 14

7.3. Accessories ..................................................................................................................... 14

7.3.1. Standard accessories ............................................................................................................... 14

8. ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................................. 15

8.1. Warranty conditions ......................................................................................................... 15

8.2. Assistance ....................................................................................................................... 15

FLASHMETER

EN - 2

1. PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY MEASURES

The instrument has been designed in compliance with directive IEC/EN61010-1 relevant to
electronic measuring instruments. For your safety and in order to prevent damaging the
instrument, please carefully follow the procedures described in this manual and read all

notes preceded by symbol with the utmost attention.
Before and after carrying out measurements, carefully observe the following instructions:

 Do not carry out any measurement in humid environments
 Do not carry out any measurements in case gas, explosive materials or flammables are

present, or in dusty environments

 Avoid any contact with the circuit being measured if no measurements are being

carried out.

 Avoid contact with exposed metal parts, with unused measuring probes, circuits, etc.
 Do not carry out any measurement in case you find anomalies in the instrument such

as deformation, breaks, substance leaks, absence of display on the screen, etc.

 Pay special attention when measuring voltages higher than 20V, since a risk of

electrical shock exists

In this manual, and on the instrument, the following symbols are used:

Warning: observe the instructions given in this manual; improper use could
damage the instrument or its components.

High voltage danger: electrical shock hazard.

Double-insulated meter

AC voltage

DC voltage

1.1. PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS

 This instrument has been designed for use in environments of pollution degree 2.
 It can be used for VOLTAGE measurements on installations in CAT IV 600V.
 We recommend following the normal safety rules devised to protect the user against

dangerous currents and the instrument against incorrect use.

 Only the leads supplied with the instrument guarantee compliance with the safety

standards. They must be in good conditions and replaced with identical models, when
necessary.

 Do not test circuits exceeding the specified voltage limits.
 Do not perform any test under environmental conditions exceeding the limits indicated

in § 7.1.1 and 7.2.1.

 Check that the battery is correctly inserted.
 Before connecting the test leads to the circuit to be tested, make sure that the rotary

switch is correctly set.

 Make sure that the LCD display and the rotary switch indicate the same function.

FLASHMETER

EN - 3

1.2. DURING USE

Please carefully read the following recommendations and instructions:

CAUTION

Failure to comply with the caution notes and/or instructions may damage
the instrument and/or its components or be a source of danger for the
operator.

 When the instrument is connected to the circuit being measured, do not touch any

unused terminal.

 While measuring, if the value or the sign of the quantity being measured remain

unchanged, check if the HOLD function is enabled.

1.3. AFTER USE

 When measurements are completed, switch off the instrument by pressing the ON/OFF

key.

 If the instrument is not to be used for a long time, remove the batteries.

1.4. DEFINITION OF MEASUREMENT (OVERVOLTAGE) CATEGORY

Standard “IEC/EN61010-1: Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement,
control and laboratory use, Part 1: General requirements”, defines what measurement
category, commonly called overvoltage category, is. § 6.7.4: Measured circuits, reads:

(OMISSIS)

Circuits are divided into the following measurement categories:

 Measurement category IV is for measurements performed at the source of the low-

voltage installation.

Examples are electricity meters and measurements on primary overcurrent protection

devices and ripple control units.

 Measurement category III is for measurements performed on installations inside

buildings.

Examples are measurements on distribution boards, circuit breakers, wiring, including

cables, bus-bars, junction boxes, switches, socket-outlets in the fixed installation, and
equipment for industrial use and some other equipment, for example, stationary
motors with permanent connection to fixed installation.

 Measurement category II is for measurements performed on circuits directly

connected to the low-voltage installation.

Examples are measurements on household appliances, portable tools and similar

equipment.

 Measurement category I is for measurements performed on circuits not directly

connected to MAINS.

Examples are measurements on circuits not derived from MAINS, and specially

protected (internal) MAINS-derived circuits. In the latter case, transient stresses are
variable; for that reason, the standard requires that the transient withstand capability of
the equipment is made known to the user.

FLASHMETER

EN - 4

2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The instrument carries out the following measurements in full Autorange:

 DC voltage
 AC TRMS voltage
 Detection of AC voltage without contact
 Resistance and Continuity test

According to the quantity present at the input, the instrument automatically switches
between voltage and resistance measurement. The instrument is also provided with the
following function keys: AutoHold/ to enable freezing the measured value on the
display and to activate the white light torch, ON/OFF and a central V/Ω/ to manually
select resistance measurement and continuity test. The selected quantity appears on the
LCD display with the indication of the measuring unit and of the enabled functions. The
instrument is provided with a display backlight function which automatically deactivates
after approximately 2 minutes' idling. The instrument is also equipped with an Auto Power
OFF device which automatically switches it off approx. 15 minutes after the last time the
instrument was used.

2.1. MEASURING AVERAGE VALUES ANDTRMS VALUES

Measuring instruments of alternating quantities are divided into two big families:
 AVERAGE-VALUE meters: instruments measuring the value of the sole wave at

fundamental frequency (50 or 60 Hz).

 TRMS (True Root Mean Square) VALUE meters: instruments measuring the TRMS

value of the quantity being tested.
With a perfectly sinusoidal wave, the two families of instruments provide identical results.
With distorted waves, instead, the readings shall differ. Average-value meters provide the
RMS value of the sole fundamental wave; TRSM meters, instead, provide the RMS value
of the whole wave, including harmonics (within the instruments bandwidth). Therefore, by
measuring the same quantity with instruments from both families, the values obtained are
identical only if the wave is perfectly sinusoidal. In case it is distorted, TRMS meters shall
provide higher values than the values read by average-value meters.

2.2. DEFINITION OF TRUE ROOT MEAN SQUARE VALUE AND CREST FACTOR

The root mean square value of current is defined as follows: “In a time equal to a period,
an alternating current with a root mean square value of 1A intensity, circulating on a
resistor, dissipates the same energy that, during the same time, would be dissipated by a
direct current with an intensity of 1A". This definition results in the numeric expression:

G=



Tt

t

dttg

T

0

0

)(

1

2

The root mean square value is indicated with the acronym RMS.

The Crest Factor is defined as the relationship between the Peak Value of a signal and its

RMS value: CF (G)=

RMS

p

G

G

This value changes with the signal waveform, for a purely

sinusoidal wave it is

2

=1.41. In case of distortion, the Crest Factor takes higher values

as wave distortion increases.