What platform should I use?

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  • Bell Sport Sales
    Junior Member
    • May 2014
    • 2

    What platform should I use?

    Hello all, thanks in advance for the guidance. I own a small marine business and was told I need to get some additional tools for testing amp/voltage=draw on my electric fuel pumps/injectors and ignition coils. I sell Mercury and Evinrude outboards and Mercruiser Stern Drives. Any suggestions??

    jason
  • Witsend
    Banned
    • Nov 2012
    • 2942

    #2
    Diagnostic equipment for a marine shop

    This looks like a knock off of a Pico-scope. I'm sure it doesn't have guided diagnostics for any makes of cars like a Vantage Pro or has support for non automotive equivalent marine equipment. Price sounds really cheap for what you get. Just getting all the probes that you can use on a pico scope you buy later should the scope itself turns out to be a piece of Sh@t. I need a Guinea Pig to test out the South China Seas and rate it, I'm afraid I'll get hosed, LOL

    Last edited by Witsend; 05-14-2014, 06:51 AM.

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    • Bell Sport Sales
      Junior Member
      • May 2014
      • 2

      #3
      Appreciate the advise but not sure if I want to be a field tester. I have been burned before and my money tree in the backyard was blown over by all the wind storms here lately. I will do some more digging for a generic tester though. I presume any of the tool brands (snap on, cornwell, etc) is going to be good...just basically down to price??

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      • Witsend
        Banned
        • Nov 2012
        • 2942

        #4
        lookng for reviews

        Well I found one review so far on Amazon , non wireless connected version of the same scope.
        I was too scared to buy a DS 708 scanner for at least a year until I knew I could get one shipped out of a location in USA,and it's been well worth the return of investment for what I got for the money so far.

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        • maven
          Senior Member
          • Mar 2014
          • 269

          #5
          Fluke 28-II

          Excellent meter that will do all the tests I believe you need to be able to do and is very accurate. Runs on three AA batteries for 800hours so has low operating cost, Made in USA, Lifetime warranty, and is IP67 rated for dust/drop/water resistance.

          I just got mine to replace my old DMM. I grew up in/around marinas in South NJ, I started my career in pleasure craft yards (blow boats of all sizes, and gas/diesel powered sub 40'ers) and now am a full time automotive technician and do after hours work for individuals and as a consulting diagnostic tech for a few local marinas, Focusing mainly on Merc I/O engine electrical/mechanical and 12v accessory issues.

          As a younger tech in marinas, and now as professional hobby Ive never felt the need or desire to bring a scope to a slip when working, and the 40years my father spent in marinas I think he only ever owned one digital meter of any kind.

          Flukes official page for the 28-II:


          An awesome video review of the durability of the meter:


          If for some strange reason Merc is requiring you to have a scope Id pick up a Fluke 123 (2ch about $1500) I cant imagine they are, or why they want you to have one but 4channel options would be the Tektronix THS3000 or Fluke 190. All of these are the best value but even still would be overkill IMO.
          Last edited by maven; 05-14-2014, 02:14 PM.

          Comment

          • Joe Rappa
            Snap-on DSD
            • Aug 2007
            • 2050

            #6
            See if you can't get a local rep to demo a Vantage Pro or Vantage Ultra with a low amps probe for you. It would be the easiest thing to use for that type of testing. The built in database wouldn't help you much, but that would only save you from having to update it.

            Joe
            "You don't build a reputation on what you're going to do"
            Henry Ford

            Comment

            • Witsend
              Banned
              • Nov 2012
              • 2942

              #7
              Budget challenged ?Want a Decent meter to measure parasitic draw

              I got this Cen Tek meter I bought from harbor freight for less than $50 that even measures Luminosity and Decibels. I pointed it at myself to check my IQ with the Luminosity meter, but it kept beeping that I had my temp probe in the wrong hole.

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              • maven
                Senior Member
                • Mar 2014
                • 269

                #8
                Besides the fact that I never choose to buy Chinese when there is a readily available American option there are numerous reasons why I do not and can't recommend one rely on a Harbor Freight DMM professionally.
                1: Speed, its rate of update is only 4/10th of a second, this isn't fast enough to catch glitches nor is it fast enough to monitor a data communication circuit. A Fluke 28 (or 87 or other options too) operate at 1/40th of a second. That's 16 times faster.

                2: Accuracy, the flukes offer 14 times better DC voltage accuracy, more than 10 times the DC amperage accuracy, and over 6 times more accurate resistance readings.

                3: Fluke offers a significantly wider temperature operating range on its meter

                4:SAFETY....HF claims their meter is CATII rated to 1000volts. The Fluke has a superior CATIII rating but that's not the real story.....as I said HF claims its safe to 1000v max yet it only installs a 250volt fuse?!..... How could it possibly be rated 600 or 1000 volts with a 250volt fuse? Ever seen a fuse carry an arc after blowing because it was wrong voltage? Or a meter otherwise burn in use? Its scary...not in my hands. Especislly not in a bilge. Point is if they can't even put in a fuse to match their claimed safety rating how can you rely on anything else they claim for the meter.

                If you need a handheld DMM,PGM, or DSO stick with the known entities, Agilent, Fluke, Tektronix.

                Comment

                • maven
                  Senior Member
                  • Mar 2014
                  • 269

                  #9
                  Besides the fact that I never choose to buy Chinese when there is a readily available American option there are numerous or as one why I would not rely on a Harbor Freight DMM professionally.
                  1: Speed, its rate of update is only 4/10th of a second, this isn't fast enough to catch glitches nor is it fast enough to monitor a data communication circuit. A Fluke 28 (or 87 or other options too) operate at 1/40th of a second. That's 16 times faster.

                  2: Accuracy, the flukes offer 14 times better DC voltage accuracy, more than 10 times the DC amperage accuracy, and over 6 times more accurate resistance readings.

                  3: Fluke offers a significantly wider temperature operating range on its meter

                  4:SAFETY....HF claims their meter is CATII rated to 1000volts. The Fluke has a superior CATIII rating but that's not the real story.....as I said HF claims its safe to 1000v max yet it only installs a 250volt fuse?!..... How could it possibly be rated 600 or 1000 volts with a 250volt fuse? Ever seen a fuse carry an arc after blowing because it was wrong voltage? Or a meter otherwise burn in use? Its scary...not in my hands. Especislly not in a bilge. Point is if they can't even put in a fuse to match their claimed safety rating how can you rely on anything else they claim for the meter.

                  If you need a handheld DMM,PGM, or DSO stick with the known entities, Agilent, Fluke, Tektronix.

                  Comment

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