PCE Instruments PCE-ERT 10 Users guide

© PCE Instruments

PCE-ERT 10 Earth Resistance Tester

User Manual

User manuals in various languages (français,

italiano, español, português, nederlands, türk, polski,

русский, 中文) can be found by using our

product search on: www.pce-instruments.com

Last change: 29 August 2022

v1.0

English

© PCE Instruments

Contents

1 Safety notes ........................................................................................... 1

1.1 Safety symbols ................................................................................................................. 2

2 Delivery contents .................................................................................. 3

3 Technical specifications ...................................................................... 3

4 Device description ................................................................................ 4

5 Operating instructions ......................................................................... 4

6 Maintenance and cleaning ................................................................... 6

6.1 Battery replacement ......................................................................................................... 6

6.2 Cleaning ........................................................................................................................... 6

7 Contact ................................................................................................... 7

8 Disposal ................................................................................................. 7

© PCE Instruments

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1 Safety notes

Please read this manual carefully and completely before you use the device for the first time. The
device may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments personnel.
Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our liability and
not covered by our warranty.

• The device must only be used as described in this instruction manual. If used otherwise,
this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.

• The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative

humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in the technical specifications. Do not expose

the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.

• Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.

• The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.

• Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.

• You must not make any technical changes to the device.

• The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner,

no abrasives or solvents.

• The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.

• Before each use, inspect the case and test leads for visible damage. If any damage is

visible, do not use the device.

• Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.

• The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under

any circumstances.

• If the battery is flat (e.g. indicated by the battery indicator), the meter must no longer
be used as incorrect measured values can cause life-threatening situations. When full
batteries are used again, the measuring operation may be continued.

• Before each use, check the meter by measuring a known quantity.

• This meter is suitable for measurements in circuits with an overvoltage category CAT

III up to a voltage of 1000 V.

• To ensure safe operation before starting the measurement, always check whether the
correct measurement range is selected and whether the test leads are plugged into the
sockets intended for the respective measurement.

• Measurements of resistance, capacitance and temperature as well as diode tests may
only be carried out in voltage-free state.

• The bare measuring tips must never be touched because there is a risk of electric
shock.

• Be extra careful when measuring high voltages.

• Before opening the housing to replace the battery or fuse, remove all test leads,

otherwise there is a risk of electric shock.

• If you do not want the meter to be used for a long time, remove the batteries to avoid
damage caused by battery leakage.

• Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to
the user.

We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of

business.

© PCE Instruments

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1.1 Safety symbols

General warning.

Consult the documentation

Warning of dangerous electrical voltage

Continuous double insulation or reinforced insulation

Earth (ground)

DC (direct current)

Operating voltage below target

Replace batteries, otherwise incorrect measurements can occur

© PCE Instruments

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2 Delivery contents

1 x earth resistance tester PCE-ERT 10
1 x set of test leads (approx. 15m)
4 x ground spikes
6 x batteries
1 x carrying case
1 x instruction manual

3 Technical specifications

Measurement ranges
Earth resistance
Earth voltage
DC voltage
AC voltage
Resistance

20 Ω / 200 Ω / 2000 Ω
200 V
1000 V
750 V (40 Hz - 400 Hz)
200 kΩ

Resolution
Earth resistance
Earth voltage
DC voltage
AC voltage
Resistance

0.01 Ω / 0.1 Ω / 1 Ω

0.1 V
1 V
1 V

0.1 kΩ

Accuracy
Earth resistance
Earth voltage
DC voltage
AC voltage
Resistance

±(2 % + 10 dgt) / ±(2 %+3 dgt) / ±(2 %+3dgt)
±(3 % + 3 dgt)
±(0.8 % + 3 dgt)
±(1.2 % + 10 dgt)
±(1 % + 2 dgt)

Sampling rate

2.5 / second

Display

LCD with backlight

Power supply

6 x 1.5 V AA batteries

Environmental conditions

0 ... +40 °C / <80 % RH

Dimensions

200 x 92 x 50 mm

Weight

700 g

Standards

IEC10101, CAT III 1000V

© PCE Instruments

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4 Device description

1. Display

2. „HOLD“ key

3. Zero adjustment wheel

4. Backlight key

5. „TEST“ key

6. Measuring function selector

7. V/Ω/C socket

8. P socket

9. COM socket

10. Holder for carrying strap

11. Battery compartment cover

5 Operating instructions

Measurement of the effective resistance of earth electrodes

Warning: Before you start the measurement, read the safety instructions above.
Note: Low batteries can falsify the measurement results. Therefore, pay attention

to the battery level and replace the batteries before starting the measurement if
necessary.

1. Short-circuit the test leads and press the "TEST" key. Use the zero adjustment wheel
to set the value to 0 Ω.

2. Move the measuring function selector to the "EARTH VOLTAGE" position and press
the "TEST" key. The ground voltage is shown on the display. If the voltage is more
than 10 V, this can lead to an incorrect measurement of the earth resistance.

3. To make a precise measurement of the earth resistance:
(1) Connect the green, yellow and red test leads to the device connections E, P and

C.

(2) Connect the crocodile clips of the test leads to the earth electrodes (according to

the figure below). The auxiliary electrodes attached to P and C must form a
straight line with the electrode to be tested (attached to E).

(3) Set the measuring function selector to a suitable measurement range, press the

"TEST" key and read the measured value.

© PCE Instruments

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1. To use a simplified measurement procedure, proceed as follows:
(1) This method is recommended where the earth resistance is higher than 10 Ω

and where it is not possible to drive auxiliary electrodes into the ground. An
approximate value can be determined by the two-wire system which can be seen
in the figure below.

(2) Move the measuring function selector to the "EARTH VOLTAGE" position and

press the "TEST" key. Make sure that the ground voltage is below 10 V.

(3) First, move the measuring function selector to the measurement range 200 Ω,

press the "TEST" key and read the measured value. If the display shows "1"
(measurement range exceeded), switch to the range 2000 Ω and read the value.

(4) The read value (Re) is an approximate earth resistance value. In this

measurement, the test leads P and C do not have to be shot-circuited before the
start of the measurement as the special included test lead is used. Tis test lead
already has a connection between the two sockets (red test line, see figure).

(5) Actual grounding resistance = read value – earth resistance of earth electrode

RX = Re - re

© PCE Instruments

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DC/AC voltage measurement

1. Set the measuring function selector to DC/AC (1000 V DC or 750 V AC).

2. Plug the black test lead into the negative COM port.

3. Plug the red test lead into the positive port V.

4. Contact the tip of the black test lead with the negative side of the circuit.

5. Contact the tip of the red test lead with the positive side of the circuit.

6. Read the voltage value in the display.

Note: If the polarity is reversed, there is a minus sign in front of the measured value.
Resistance measurement

Warning: To avoid electric shock, check that the circuit or electrical component is

voltage-free before starting the measurement.

1. Set the measuring function selector to 200 kΩ.

2. Plug the black test lead into the negative COM port.

3. Plug the red test lead into the positive port Ω.

4. Contact the tips of the test leads with the component/circuit to be tested.

5. Read the resistance value in the display.

„HOLD“ function

The "HOLD" function "freezes" the measured value on the display. Press the "HOLD" key at the
desired moment to capture a displayed reading. Pressing again terminates the function.

Backlight

Press to enable the display backlight. The backlight will switch off automatically after 15
seconds.

6 Maintenance and cleaning

6.1 Battery replacement

A low battery level is indicated by the icon in the display.

Warning: Before opening the earth resistance tester, disconnect it from the
measuring circuit, remove the test leads from the meter and carefully remove
the fold-down device stand.

To insert the batteries when restarting or to replace the batteries with insufficient voltage, loosen
the four screws of the battery compartment cover on the back of the device, remove the lid, insert
the batteries or remove the old batteries, replace them with new ones, insert the lid and screw it
back in.

6.2 Cleaning

Clean the device with a dry cloth. Do not use any abrasives or solvents.

© PCE Instruments

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7 Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions or technical problems, please do not hesitate to contact
us. You will find the relevant contact information at the end of this user manual.

8 Disposal

For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the European Parliament
applies. Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as household waste.
They must be given to collection points designed for that purpose.

In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back. We either re-use
them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of the devices in line with law.

For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in accordance with
your local waste regulations.

If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.

© PCE Instruments

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PCE Instruments contact information

Germany France Spain

PCE Deutschland GmbH PCE Instruments France EURL PCE Ibérica S.L.
Im Langel 26 23, rue de Strasbourg Calle Mayor, 53
D-59872 Meschede 67250 Soultz-Sous-Forets 02500 Tobarra (Albacete)
Deutschland France España
Tel.: [phone] Téléphone: [phone] Tel. : [phone]
Fax: [phone] Numéro de fax: [phone] Fax: [phone]
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]
www.pce-instruments.com/deutsch www.pce-instruments.com/french www.pce-instruments.com/espanol

United Kingdom Italy Turkey

PCE Instruments UK Ltd PCE Italia s.r.l. PCE Teknik Cihazları Ltd.Şti.
Unit 11 Southpoint Business Park Via Pesciatina 878 / B-Interno 6 Halkalı Merkez Mah.
Ensign Way, Southampton 55010 Loc. Gragnano Pehlivan Sok. No.6/C
Hampshire Capannori (Lucca) 34303 Küçükçekmece - İstanbul
United Kingdom, SO31 4RF Italia Türkiye
Tel: [phone] Telefono: [phone] Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone] Fax: [phone] Faks: 0212 705 53 93
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]
www.pce-instruments.com/english www.pce-instruments.com/italiano www.pce-instruments.com/turkish

The Netherlands United States of America Denmark

PCE Brookhuis B.V. PCE Americas Inc. PCE Instruments Denmark ApS
Institutenweg 15 1201 Jupiter Park Drive, Suite 8 Birk Centerpark 40
7521 PH Enschede Jupiter / Palm Beach 7400 Herning
Nederland 33458 FL Denmark
Telefoon: [phone] USA
[e-mail] Tel: [phone]
www.pce-instruments.com/dutch Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.pce-instruments.com/us