"Err 1" on Fluke 1652

[JohnW2]

Have you considered sending it to a repair company. May save you having to scrap your tester.

I considered doing that, but, judging by what I've read, even if it were repairable (which, theoretically, I strongly suspect it is), it looks as if that would be likely to cost at least as much as a replacement. However, I'm still thinking about what to do!

One pragmatic way of looking at this is that, over the period I've had my couple of 1562s to date, the cost of having them has worked out at only around £20 per year, which is not bad, even if I 'write off' the present one.

Kind Regards, John

 

[SFK]

This lot do Fluke repairs.
Might be worth a call
https://isswww.co.uk/

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

This lot do Fluke repairs.
Might be worth a call
https://isswww.co.uk/

Might they repair both, cheaper than just one, which then will maybe allow you to sell the spare one on?

 

[JohnW2]

Might they repair both, cheaper than just one, which then will maybe allow you to sell the spare one on?

That's an interesting thought, which hadn't occurred to me -although when I discussed the nature of the fault with the first one (it not recognising the presence of leads, and therefore refusing to work) with a number of repairers, they all said things that suggested that repair, if possible for them (and some said it probably wouldn't be), would not really be cost-effective.

More for me to think about! If I did do as you suggest, I might have to be (be advised to be!) a little 'economical with the truth' as regards what I have done in terms of board-swapping, replacement of ribbon cables etc!

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Might they repair both, cheaper than just one, which then will maybe allow you to sell the spare one on?

I may have sort-of fallen on my feet. I've just been talking to a friend who says that he has a 1652 (identical to mine) which was working fine when he took it out of service, fairly soon after it had been calibrated, about a year ago (when he bought some new-fangled MFT) and that he has no reason to believe won't still be working OK now. He's going to check and, if it is OK, and given that he owes me a good few favours, this could prove to be a pretty cheap solution

As for your comment above, I've now put both of my machines back together. As I suspected would be the case (in view of the discover about 'tables' etc.), the 'old one' no longer shows the same problem as it did before (failing to recognise the presence of leads) but now also displays "Err 1". I therefore now have two testers, both of which exhibit that same error.

If the company that SFK mentioned are telling the whole truth when they write ...

Step 1: Send your tester to us at the address below. Please make sure the below information is supplied in the box ....
Step 2: We will then send you a Repair Estimate once your tester has been evaluated. You will then be required to choose one of the following:

• Have the instrument scrapped (no charge)
• Have the instrument returned un-repaired (£15 inspection charge)
• Have the instrument repaired ( repair quote cost accepted)

If the tester is beyond economical repair we will offer you a new tester as a suitable alternative at a special discounted price.

... it sounds as if the most I could 'lose' (if I sent both the machines, and they proved not to be economically repairable) would be the outgoing shipping cost - I need to get them to confirm that. If they could turn them into one or two functioning machines, at a sensible cost, that would be a bonus - whether I decided to keep it/them as 'reserve(s)' or sell it/them.

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

Some wholesalers do calibration days, I wonder maybe if you could spare the time and rocked up at the place maybe they could sort them or advise, then again your time is probably worth more than cost of sending it away.
Our local repair shop also do the same just charge to look at it, then you decide, i believe i gave you there contact some time ago, however there miserable sods when ive took the company stuff there so probably not very helpfull.
http://www.capitalcalibration.co.uk/sales.asp

Then again the wholesalers we use have contacts at Fluke, so if you wanted to email me any questions you need answering that may assist you fixing them, message me them and I may be able to get some answers for you.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

... it sounds as if the most I could 'lose' (if I sent both the machines, and they proved not to be economically repairable) would be the outgoing shipping cost - I need to get them to confirm that. If they could turn them into one or two functioning machines, at a sensible cost, that would be a bonus - whether I decided to keep it/them as 'reserve(s)' or sell it/them.

I think I would be inclined to tell them what you know about the error and the need to do a full recalibrate and ask what that might cost is the did two, at the same time.

 

[JohnW2]

Some wholesalers do calibration days, I wonder maybe if you could spare the time and rocked up at the place maybe they could sort them or advise, then again your time is probably worth more than cost of sending it away.

I think I would be inclined to tell them what you know about the error and the need to do a full recalibrate and ask what that might cost is the did two, at the same time.

I don't think its as simple as that. My swapping boards etc. may well have created a need for 're-calibration'(or more), but don't forget that both machines developed faults, which could well be hardware faults, before I touched them - the first in not being able to recognise the presence of leads, and the second in suddenly producing the 'Err 1' without anything having been done to it.

As for "... if you could spare the time and rocked up at the place ...", I have to try to be pragmatic - at 'my usual hourly rate', that coulkd well end up 'costing' more than buying a replacement machine. Mind you, that's a fairly flawed argument since the amount of time I have already spent playing thinking and writing about this problem would probably 'at my usual hourly rate' be enough to buy a brand new machine and/or a numnber oif usedv ones

Kind Regards,

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mind you, that's a fairly flawed argument since the amount of time I have already spent playing thinking and writing about this problem would probably 'at my usual hourly rate' be enough to buy a brand new machine and/or a numnber oif usedv ones

Yebbut, where is the fun in that?

 

[JohnW2]

Yebbut, where is the fun in that?

Very much so. These exercises often rapidly cease to be 'financially rational' when they turn into intellectual challenges (or frustrations!).

You may have noticed (if you frequent the DIYnot 'Appliances' forum) that, a few months back, I spent a ludicrous amount of time playing with, thinking about and writing about a faulty old and cheap fridge, with at least one person pointing out that I was crazy so to do! However, the intellectual challenge not only 'took over' but was eventually successful (hence very satisfying), and that aged fridge is now still working fine, despite the fact that I could have literally bought several brand new replacements with 'my usual rates' for the large amount of time expended on the exercise!

Of course, the flaw in the 'cost of my time' argument is that it assumes that if I were not spending time playing with an MFT (or fridge or whatever), I would be devoting the same amount of time to work for which I could charge 'at my usual rate', which is very rarely the case - so, in practice, the only actual 'cost' is the loss of some 'leisure time' ... and I don't really regard that as a 'loss', since what better to do with one's 'leisure time' than address an intellectual challenge?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Of course, the flaw in the 'cost of my time' argument is that it assumes that if I were not spending time playing with an MFT (or fridge or whatever), I would be devoting the same amount of time for which I could charge 'at my usual rate', which is very rarely the case - so, in practice, the only actual 'cost' is the loss of some 'leisure time' ... and I don't really regard that as a 'loss', since what better to do with one's 'leisure time' than address an intellectual challenge

It is still a leisure activity, in as much as you are being entertained, but it's at very low cost and can be profitable - if not now, then in the future. At the end, you get the warm, cosy glow of satisfaction from having solved a technical puzzle.

 

[JohnW2]

It is still a leisure activity, in as much as you are being entertained, but it's at very low cost and can be profitable - if not now, then in the future. At the end, you get the warm, cosy glow of satisfaction from having solved a technical puzzle.

Exactly. It's a 'leisure activity' which I very much enjoy and which, as you say, can be very educational, potentially saving time, effort and 'cost' in the future (as well as being 'good for the soul'!).

The fridge episode was particularly satisfying (albeit extremely frustrating at times), and resulted in my learning an awful lot about how these things work (electrically), which could be valuable to me in the future. The ultimate resolution also reminded me of something that I had learned a good few times before (but clearly did not 'remember' well enough!) - namely that one should not assume that a brand new replacement part is necessarily faultless!

Kind Regards, John