FLUKE TL2X4W PTII 4W test lead for 8846A / DMM 4050 - Manufacturing secrets

[Kiriakos GR]

   Among everything else, and Free of Charge ...

In a few hours from now, I am celebrating my birthday.  
56 years, 11 months, 29 days , I am getting 57 years old. 
 
I am also counting 14 years, be close at electrical T&M industry due the ITTSB Blog.
And I also count and another three years engaging with electrical T&M topics before the ITTSB Blog.

I have devoted 17 years of my life so far, studying and practicing electrical T&M and metrology topics.
And all my life, I am an active field technician, and also engaging with electronic repairs.

In conclusion, I have today a huge in size skills pack, but this were developed because I never had a stable working environment.
Even so, I did stayed in my coarse been an electrician, no matter if am constantly facing financial challenges.
In personal level I feel complete, and proud for my progress in life.

[Andrew-88]

Kiriakos made a gift to Kiriakos, for his upcoming birthday 10 of May.

A pair of TL2X4W-PTII this is on the way to Greece with SpeedPAK regular speed.
The journey begins today from Hong Kong.

If I were FLUKE Corporation, I would offer you such a gift much sooner.
One decade sooner at least.

Happy Birthday !!     

[overvolt]

I have devoted 17 years of my life so far, studying and practicing electrical T&M and metrology topics.

Stubborn Greeks.... they do not gave up easy. 
Happy Birthday !!   

[Kiriakos GR]

Thank you all for the incoming wishes and humor 

I am returning back at my active challenge, about exploring TL2X4W PTII product design and usability.

Prior getting in to writing down, my very own thoughts in the form of customer feedback, I thought to get in touch with FLUKE Corporation, so and I to find out if they have any information's which they never thought to share in public.

My very own list of Open questions:
a) Should we perform test leads Zeroing at TL2X4W PTII ?
b) Is there any tip of how us we might perform a PERFECT Zeroing at TL2X4W PTII ?

I never had challenge my self before that much, at trying to perform ideal Zeroing by using the conical tips of test leads.
 

With TL2X4W PTII test leads, the measurement of 20 Milli Ohm and higher this is EASY.
But if you think precision measurement down to 1 Milli Ohm, while its possible, its not easy to happen.
   
The unseen challenge, this is holding the leads properly (By using two hands), and at the same time, activating REL at 8846A.
This is a task for humans having tree hands.      
 
And so I decided giving at Fluke Corporation a chance, for them to explain of what ever they skipped doing in writing.

I have start suspecting, the truth. 
TL2X4W-TWZ  tweezers this had practical use from 0.5 Milli Ohm and higher.
TL2X4W-PTII  this had practical use from 10 Milli Ohm and higher.

[Kiriakos GR]

I just received an great tip from the Japanese intelligence of 2008 (TEXIO), about resistance measurements.

To prevent noise interference to the test leads, use shielded cables for resistance measurements of 120kΩ or higher.

While the 8846A has resistance ranges, 10 Ω to 1 GΩ.
I have a very long time to measure large resistances, and I came close to forget the challenges at the upper ranges.
HH multimeter display this could be flickering, measurement can become unstable, regular test leads they become antennas, and even by our hands be near to measuring circuit (DMM), this causes some sort of influence.

From the other hand, FLUKE 8846A this is a shielded DMM, when this is paired with TL2X4W PTII, you may expect ultimate stability and repeatability up to the highest range of 1 GΩ.

Fluke Corporation past written marketing documentation, this mention easy going measurements at 100 Ohm and bellow.
While my self, I did focused my attention, of how much detail I can measure down to 1 Milli Ohm.  As I have  thought of this as the ultimate challenge for the DMM hardware and the test leads.

I do feel here as I to be an astronaut, alone in the moon with a pair of TL2X4W PTII in my hands, and no one else here so to talk about it.

For a first time I present in public view, one test lead accessory this totally missing from the market.
Its my own prototype in the form of combination.
This special design aloud TL2X4W PTII this getting connected over Resistor decade boxes  along over voltage reference, helping at stable connection with the DUT. 

[Kiriakos GR]

After hours of testing, I am writing today the last page of this book.

8846A this has an excellent minimal noise floor, I have explore it several times, at voltage tests, but never that in-depth at resistance ranges.

Indeed TL2X4W PTII this is well designed tool,  but not perfect enough so this to fool 8846A circuits.
Even quality Coaxial shielded, this can feel a soft bump and turn it to a spike, this easily gets recorded if you do data log.

When you move around TL2X4W PTII test leads, so to get them in place, you should do it with gentle moves, for keeping down interference generated by coaxial cables movement.

TL2X4W PTII it does create 400 Micro Ohm of loading.
After 2 hours of recorded data log,  the average is 438 Micro Ohm.

Yes you can use  TL2X4W PTII with out activating ZERO/REL but I cannot imagine the application, that I would use such special test leads for simply measuring 1 Ohm resistors or larger.
Indeed with out activating ZERO/REL , you have a working window from 1 ~ 10 Ohms
Indeed at larger quantities 10 Ohm + , TL2X4W PTII this will appear as invisible.

If you are up to dive at Milli Ohms, activating ZERO/REL this is a necessity.
And its a true pain in the ass, to coordinate the movement of your hands, and to activate REL/ZERO.
If you are after 1 Milli Ohm resistor (1% tolerance) evaluation, you will need a helper, him activating ZERO/REL over the DMM. 

Zeroing TL2X4W PTII at the groove of the conical tips, this is easy to do, by one hand, while the other hand will push ZERO/REL button.
At this scenario the test leads they are ready to measure with detail,  anything at 15 Milli Ohm and under.

Temco observations:
Fluke note ...  if see 2000 micro Ohm of higher at Zeroing TL2X4W PTII?  This is test leads damage. 
At 23.5C TL2X4W PTII it does create 400 micro Ohm of loading
At 24C TL2X4W PTII it does create 440 micro Ohm of loading
At 25.2C TL2X4W PTII it does create 545 micro Ohm of loading
Temco this affects 8846A and test leads, now its clearly visible for its one added Celsius on top of 24C, there is 100 micro Ohm increase.
For example at 30C room temperature, micro Ohm loading it might become as high as 1000 micro Ohm, this equals to 1 Milli Ohm.
If I continue using examples, at 40C we might see 2000 micro Ohm, this equals to 2 Milli Ohm.

In real life, according to Greek weather standards, most of times 18C up to 28C indoor,  micro Ohm loading this will always be lower than 1000 micro Ohm.
After joining together, seen and discovered by my self details, Fluke note this now makes sense.  
   

In conclusion, TL2X4W PTII this does not deliver an easy workflow as they do the regular test leads.
This is a specialty tool, other than measuring resistors, this can get inside at narrow electrical connectors.
And you can perform 4W precision measurements, at narrow spaces that Kelvin clips they cannot get in.

This specialty tool, it can even assist at comparing multiple PCB traces to its other, and you can spot and verify if there is something wrong with them.
Now I get it too, as specialty tool, this could be found as useful, in a very small number of talented people, at PCB repairs.

I am happy that I did succeed getting one,  its not the first specialty tool that I own.       

[Kiriakos GR]

Last thing that I did confirm, FLUKE TL2X4W PTII 4W performance as voltage REF wiring.

The new question is, of what is the worst that your neighbors can do, so those to damage your 10V REF data log? 

TL2X4W-PTII a shielded fortress, 8846A another shielded fortress, 14 years old backed REF, and a few home appliances trying to sabotage my log.
Air-conditions, micro wave ovens, and who knows of what else.   

It seems that my fortress this is holding well, lots of shielding here, by the FLUKE way. 
 

[overvolt]

Last thing that I did confirm, FLUKE TL2X4W PTII 4W performance as voltage REF wiring.

I think that you are teasing the world 
1H 30 Minutes log, if we subtract these five spikes, at the last digit of the million, they are only 8 digits play up.

I can only suspect, that you did crazy amount of improvements at this voltage REF, at the last rebuild at 2017 
Excellent setup !!  congratulations.