In this blog post, comprised of mainly the video we test a few of the environmental ratings of the U1461A meter,
why did I do this to my meter ?, well so you don't have to to know it works
Specifically, subjecting it to sub Zero temperatures
In the testing I left it in the snow drift for about 4 or more hours
then brought it back into the house and dropped it into the bucket of warm water
and a bit of water boarding, Honest, it didn't complain, if anything it was more of "Is that all you got pal...!", really, i can hold its breath for over an hour and still keep smiling, can you?
So of course in order to have the last laugh, I had to dissect it to see what made this all possible
Still it laughs in the face of the supposed torture, so what else was I to do but go further to see what made this thing so resilient to my tactics
Now I'm starting to learn its secret, its into Rubber, well Rubber is more in it to be correct, an abundant use of silicone rubber seals and gaskets sealing all possible points in ingress to the innards of the meter along with moulded in connectors (Banana Sockets) and more Silicone gaskets on the range dial sealed the deal. (Did you see what I did there... Did ya, "Sealed the deal ", no, ok, never mind 
)
So, after hours and hours of being buried neck deep in snow in sub zero temperature, water boarding and attempted drowning the meter won out, I gave up, it passed all the tests I was willing to throw at it without assuring its ultimate demise (I have to finish the road test after all). It passed with flying colours and I was a happy camper
I think anyone who needs a meter that they can take anywhere they can reasonably go will be very happy with the environmental protection this meter features but remember, while the meter is IP 67 rated, its accessories for example the Bluetooth adapter, the USB Cable and the remote probes are not and so should not be subject to the same extremes, especially the water and damp. Cold should not be a problem providing you use the correct batteries (Lithium). and be safety aware, testing insulation when your equipment is wet is not a good idea, actually using your equipment at all when it is wet is a bad idea,
It can survive the wet and dust but should not be used in it. always observe safe practices in the work place.
So for this post, I think it was a great success and another win for Keysight, this meter passed the IP67 and temperature tests I threw at it, I know I did not take it to the limits of IP67 or temperature but I did cover off a set of possible scenarios that a meter could easily find itself in if used out doors or many manufacturing environments, before this road test is over, I may decide to try a little harder but for now this is a good result.
Next up will be a closer look at its other more electrical related features