[volt-nuts] nA advice

Charles Steinmetz csteinmetz at yandex.com
Sun Nov 15 17:53:07 EST 2015


>the new multimeters with conductance measure are 87V and 189. No one fits the
>100 EUR range by far, but I can buy an used 80-series one, they are very
>cheap and I can bring them on the field while I would like to let the 34401A
>in the lab. I saw the 8060A resultion is only 0.1nS; I cannot find 
>the specs of
>the 8050A (neither the user's manual). Which one do you suggest?

I think any Fluke with an LSD of 0.01nS would be fine.  Some (like 
the 8050A) have full-range counts of 2000 (50M ohms), others have 
full-range counts of 4000 or 6000 (25M ohms and 16.7M ohms, 
respectively), which wouldn't make any difference for this 
application (5G ohms is 20 counts with an LSD of 0.01nS).  It may 
matter for other uses you find for the meter.

I'd say decide first whether you want a battery-only handheld (I have 
an 87 Series III) or a portable like the 8050A (line operated -- some 
have a battery option, but if that is important to you you're 
probably better off with a handheld).  I bought 4, 8050As in 1981, 
and they have all been perfectly trouble-free this whole time and are 
still about 10x better than their specs on all functions (they are 
checked annually but have never been adjusted).  The same is true of 
the 87-III, which I've had since 1997.  The 8050As have had easy 
lives as bench instruments, while the 87-III has been treated 
respectfully but has been bumped around a fair amount -- up and down 
dozens of towers and through hundreds of utility tunnels and 
inspection hatches on a belt clip, sometimes in inclement weather or 
noxious environments.

Fluke 8050A manual:  <http://assets.fluke.com/manuals/8050a___imeng0200.pdf>

Fluke 80 Series III 
manual:  <http://assets.fluke.com/manuals/8xiii___umeng0500.pdf>

Best regards,

Charles




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