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  • Author Author: awinning
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Fluke 381 Clamp Meter

awinning

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The road test for the Fluke 381 will follow a different format than usual. Here’s how you can participate:


 

  • Tell us how you would use the Fluke 381 Clamp Meter.  What kind of situations would you use it in?  How would you use the removable display and flexible current probe (iFlex)?  Would these new features change the way you work? Post a few sentences about how you would use the new meter.


    • Fluke will evaluate all the submissions and select the best responses


    • The selected winners will receive the new Fluke 381


     

    Fluke 381 Clamp Meter

    The Fluke 381 is the first clamp meter with a detachable, remote display and iFlex™ flexible current probe for easier, faster, safer measurements.


    The new Fluke 381 does everything you would expect from a clamp meter, and then lets you remove the display for even more flexibility. Now one technician can do jobs that used to require two people. Clamp the Fluke 381 around a conductor, remove the display and walk across the room to operate controls or remove protective equipment, all while watching real-time readings.


    The new iFlex flexible current probe (included) expands the measurement range to 2500 A ac while providing increased display flexibility, ability to measure awkward sized conductors and improved wire access.  Review the specs here.


     


    		Have a Question About Test and Measurements
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    Jim Newell

    Jim has worked for Fluke for a little over 31 years working in Manufacturing production and Quality assurance for the first 15 years. In the last 15 years he has focused on technical support as a Application Engineer for all of the Electrical Industrial products such as Handheld Oscilloscopes, Digital Mulitmeters and Power Quality Analyzers.  He enjoys the challenge of helping people and the famous saying the only dumb question is the one you didn’t ask are often joked about among his customers.

    Ask Jim a Question Here!

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    Anonymous

    • good revue but i would have posted more pictures and a longer discription

    • Damn. Shame I missed this. Would've been nice to compare against the wireless 3-phase meter I have in use with rogowski coils.

    • Hi Ally,

       

      Got mine and I have already put up the review with my first thoughts about the meter. I should be able to follow up with some more input after the first few weeks of giving it a good thrashing!

      Cheers to Fluke and Element14 for the chance to review a great product.

    • Just got my 381 today!!!! Iam off work this week, but Iam going to put it to good use next week!! Then I will get a full review going on it soon!!

       

      Thanks Ally !!!!

    • in reply to WarrenW

      I sent all your details off that day. It shouild be with you any time./ If its not there in a week let me know and I will chase it up,


      Ally

    • in reply to awinning

      Hi Ally,

      Woo hoo I have a Fluke Clamp meter on the way by the look of it.

      Any idea of a delivery date? Bearing in mind I am in New Zealand?

      I am really looking forward to testing the beasty.

       

      Cheers

    • I can't believe I won!!!!! Thank you so much. I can't wait to recieve this! I will be writing a great review!!! I have a geothermal startup first thing monday morning! Thank you!!

    • in reply to Former Member

      Hi Julian,

       

      Due to the format of roadtest most users enrolled without seeing the rule that the suggested use should be posted in tis comment section, and instead posted in their application. We decided to allow these entries because there was one enroll button that bypassed the rule, so it wasn't the applicant to blame. In the interest of openness Here are the winners' suggestions,

       

      Pack Rat

      I helped to install a fuel cell system at Gills Onions in Oxnard California.It is a system that takes the left over onion peels and brakes them down into Methane Gas,them the gas is fed into  fuel cells (there  like a big battery). The DC power is then run into Inverters and back to the plant. This system is only one of two in the state of California (and the largest)!! It has wone the plant a number of differnt awards for its use of green energy.

       

       

      Right now I am using my Fluke 337 to test and monitor voltages up to 480v AC and amps up to 800. Also I use it to monitor DC voltages and amps between the fuel cells and the inverters and in the PLC systems that run the contols.

       

       

      This new Fluke 381 would be even better for me!!! On alot of the system so many of the wires are very close together and it is difficult to get to in the tight cabinets. I would also make my job alot safer because in a few of the cabinets there are also exposed live bus bars and I have to be very carful not to come in contact with them while trying to fit my large 337 into the cabinet.

       

       

      The NEW Fluke 381 with the flexible loop and small removeble display would realy make my job alot easier and safe!!! It will also help me keep the world green!!!!!!!

       

      Jeremy

      I am a Maintenance Tech. i have to maintain around 150 different machines. i also work on the shift alone. when i run into problems such as something tripping a contact or breaker, i always have to get someone to help me while i check the load amps and they really don't know much about the machine, but how to cycle start it. this would help me alot in this aspect. i also perform all the PM's. some pm's require me to check the amps on some fans and heaters every pm. this would help with this alot. like the furnaces in which i can only run the fan and heaters for a few seconds without starting up a program that might run for a few hours. i have to start the fan and get in the control cabinet and measure the amps on all three legs and then get out to shut the fan off. with this new device i could put it on one leg and bump the fan on, take my reading,go in switch legs and so on. it would make my job alot easier and safer. Thanks

       

       

      Stephen

      I work in the Mechanical/HVAC field and this meter would be the ULTIMATE  tool for my toolbag. The uses for this would be endless.

       

       

      I would use  the iflex around the compressor and fan motors of hvac systems and close  the entire system up (whether it being a rooftop (especially a rooftop)  and split hvac systems) and use the remote screen to check operation.  No more having to clamp the meter on the wires and try closing panels  and peeking in with a flashlight. This would give the ABSOLUTE accurate  measurement. I would use the iflex and remote screen when doing maintenances and troubleshooting backup generator circuits.  It would save me unbeliveable amounts of time and labor!

       

       

      I would use  this meter in every single electrical panel I come across? How could you  not with how safe it is. The least amount of time your body has contact  with anything in that panel the safer you are. This tool is definitely  essential and most likely would see action everyday. (unless it's a sick  day like today) I LOVE IT!!!!!

       

       

      Charles

      This looks like a great idea.  At my job we build theatrical lighting products that are incandescent, discharge, and high power LED based.  Most of them are motorized moving fixtures and when we need to make current measurments it can be quite a challenge.

       

       

      We deal with lamps ranging from 400W to 1500W and LED arrays up to 1000W.  Being able to remotely measure currents both AC and DC would be a real plus.  Frequency measurment would also be a plus as we use AC line, HID ballasts, and PWM LED current control.

       

       

      The inrush function is another nice feature.  This usually requires an oscilloscope with a clamp-on current probe.

       

       

      There are often times when it is impossible to fit in a clamp-on head without extending wiring.  This flexible probe would be a great thing to have in those cases.

       

       

      WarrenW

      Well I would be using the meter to provide me with a better understanding of the loading conditions present when I am using my Fluke Ti32 themal imager to pick up issues with electrical distribution systems. I quite frequently need to get a reading off building supplies which are large cables and we could than include the display in the visible image area to allow easy reference to the particular current load present at the time of the thermal image.

       

       

      This would make the reporting process far more accurate and faster than the current hand recorded values. It would also facilitate the main incommers to some of the buildings using the Iflex as our meters we use at the moment will not approach the cable size or current capacuity of this meter.

    • hi,

      why we can not see the comments of roadtest winners? only sdotremo... and one off them invited by fluke!! it's only a comment that comes to me. I hope that reviews are useful for which we have to decide to buy a fluke or other similar.

       

      Good luck for all in other roadtests!!!