# Fluke T5-600



## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

I read somewhere that they have an upgrade accessory kit, try Grainger.com.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

I'f I'm think right the leads are replaceable and any Fluke leads should work.


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## TheIrishSparky (Oct 11, 2008)

How would you take them off gonna give fluke a email too


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

TheIrishSparky said:


> How would you take them off gonna give fluke a email too


huh.


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## TheIrishSparky (Oct 11, 2008)

How would you take off the rubber thats holding the leads in to the meter


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

TheIrishSparky said:


> I recently bought the T5-600 is there away to take off the stock leads and use the fluke leads. I use the Fluke TL223 SureGrip I use them on my other meters. Thanks for the help


The tips just slip of so something else can be used. :thumbsup:
Thats Why it's made by Fluke......interchangablility.

View attachment 1049



When You have a real problem....just let me know.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

Watch it when you start mixing brands of test leads, clips, etc. like in the picture above. I used some M/M couplers with AEMC testleads and they wouldn't make contact! Always test them first using continuity before using them to measure voltage.


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

they also make a set of longer leads for the t-5 series i believe.


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## TheIrishSparky (Oct 11, 2008)

Figured it out I didn't know you can pull the probes off the leads thank everyone


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

mattsilkwood said:


> they also make a set of longer leads for the t-5 series i believe.


Fluke doesn't show any longer test leads for the T-5, infact the originals are listed but shows N/A for them. I wonder what do you do if you damage your leads???

You can use M/M couplers and another set of leads for a longer reach. You can use different standard types of probes or clips with the original test leads.

I called Fluke and the test leads are available for $15.25.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

When the T5 first hit the streets, I can remember reading some of the marketing material about how easy it was to change the leads for new one's, even though they appear to be a permanent part of the meter. I guess the leads are "captured" but easily replaced when you open up the meter. Never really puzzled on it much, myself.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> When the T5 first hit the streets, I can remember reading some of the marketing material about how easy it was to change the leads for new one's, even though they appear to be a permanent part of the meter. I guess the leads are "captured" but easily replaced when you open up the meter. Never really puzzled on it much, myself.


If I remember correctly, it uses a M/F blade type of connection. It's easy if you have a spare handy.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

is the T5 true RMS?


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> is the T5 true RMS?


 
Nope


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## CNC (Dec 20, 2008)

I love my fluke t5 , but guys I work with say it's not as good as their old fashion knopp or wiggy, because they put an actual load on it, has this ever caused mis readings? They only trust their knopp or wiggy, I like seeing the true voltage reading myself


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

CNC said:


> I love my fluke t5 , but guys I work with say it's not as good as their old fashion knopp or wiggy, because they put an actual load on it, has this ever caused mis readings? They only trust their knopp or wiggy, I like seeing the true voltage reading myself


 
Try a new T+Pro and blow their old crap away.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

CNC said:


> I love my fluke t5 , but guys I work with say it's not as good as their old fashion knopp or wiggy, because they put an actual load on it, has this ever caused mis readings? They only trust their knopp or wiggy, I like seeing the true voltage reading myself


The T5 is a high impedance tester, so stray/ghost voltage can be a problem. The newer T+(Pro) is a low impedance tester so it puts more of a load on a circuit, no problem with that issue. You wouldn't want to use a T+(Pro) on control circuits because its low impedance can affect the circuit's operation.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

wptski said:


> The T5 is a high impedance tester, so stray/ghost voltage can be a problem. The newer T+(Pro) is a low impedance tester so it puts more of a load on a circuit, no problem with that issue. You wouldn't want to use a T+(Pro) on control circuits because its low impedance can affect the circuit's operation.


 
I have heard that so many times and haven't seen it actually happen in the field. I carry the T+Pro whenever I am just testing voltage or troubleshooting and don't need an amp reading. I have used it to test control fuses hundreds of times since I have had it, NOT ONCE has it ever caused anything to start when going across a blown fuse. Can anyone give an actual example of ever seeing this occur?


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> I have heard that so many times and haven't seen it actually happen in the field. I carry the T+Pro whenever I am just testing voltage or troubleshooting and don't need an amp reading. I have used it to test control fuses hundreds of times since I have had it, NOT ONCE has it ever caused anything to start when going across a blown fuse. Can anyone give an actual example of ever seeing this occur?


i think fluke had some pdf file that spoke about the dangers of solenoid testers. they said the old wiggys that are not cat 3 rated so they might close opened circuits. the T+pro is designed not to do that but its a low enough impedance not to cause phantom voltage to appear but high enough not to damage or put your life in harms way. i have the T+pro and love it. best tester of the kind. the knopp is pretty good too but now i cant live without the flashlight

i have one of those black wiggys still i nthe package still. i bought one when i heard they stopped making them hoping someday it will be worth money


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> i think fluke had some pdf file that spoke about the dangers of solenoid testers. they said the old wiggys that are not cat 3 rated so they might close opened circuits. the T+pro is designed not to do that but its a low enough impedance not to cause phantom voltage to appear but high enough not to damage or put your life in harms way. i have the T+pro and love it. best tester of the kind. the knopp is pretty good too but now i cant live without the flashlight
> 
> i have one of those black wiggys still i nthe package still. i bought one when i heard they stopped making them hoping someday it will be worth money


I like all the features of the T+Pro and use it often with no problems. I just get so tired of some guys that sound like broken records when it comes to the "low impedance can start a motor,etc". I can't even imagine the times over the years that I have used a solenoid tester across a fuse to see if it was good or not.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> I like all the features of the T+Pro and use it often with no problems. I just get so tired of some guys that sound like broken records when it comes to the "low impedance can start a motor,etc". I can't even imagine the times over the years that I have used a solenoid tester across a fuse to see if it was good or not.


i never seen it happen but im sure its possible. i dont know. i just make sure my test things are cat 3 or 4. those low impedance meters do allow some current through. take a wiggy brand tester or knopp even LOZ function on the fluke 117 and go from hot to ground on a GFCI receptacle and it will trip it


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> i never seen it happen but im sure its possible. i dont know. i just make sure my test things are cat 3 or 4. those low impedance meters do allow some current through. take a wiggy brand tester or knopp even LOZ function on the fluke 117 and go from hot to ground on a GFCI receptacle and it will trip it


True, but when GFCIs first came out that was exactly the way we tested them.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> True, but when GFCIs first came out that was exactly the way we tested them.


thats how i stll test it. i just use the gfci button on the t+pro. if i had my knopp still (gave it to the helper) i would use that


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> thats how i stll test it. i just use the gfci button on the t+pro. if i had my knopp still (gave it to the helper) i would use that


 
For the last few months I have had more GFCI outlets that won't reset so there is no way to test them, just pull, toss, and replace. The benefits of getting crap made in third world countries.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

the best gfci tester is the slater one. mdshunk had a thread about it on here. its about 20+ years old and you dial in the trip current. i have it in my truck and it works nice


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> I like all the features of the T+Pro and use it often with no problems. I just get so tired of some guys that sound like broken records when it comes to the "low impedance can start a motor,etc". I can't even imagine the times over the years that I have used a solenoid tester across a fuse to see if it was good or not.


What's the reason for having a high impedance tester/meter? Maybe what you've worked on just isn't in the class where a low impedance tester could be a problem? If your type of work is generally leans towards electrical, you probably wouldn't ever run into a problem. If your type of work leans towards more electronics like some electricians do today, it may be a issue.

I remember a low impedance tester issue in another forum, I'll see if I can 
find it.

Oaky I found the post!

>>>
was working with a vender today on a 2000 HP 4160 volt motor control circuit. The control voltage is 120VAC and the best way I can discribe the circuit is a propitary PLC type circuit (Machine spicific).
What we were trying to do is bump the motor before it was alined.
To start the motor normaly there are several conditions that must be satisfied for our test today it WAS NOT necessary that all of these conditions be satisfied.
What we were doing was jumping out the permissives with a OPEN toggle switch this is a equipment manufacturer APPROVED procedure.
I did verify the switch that the switch was open and taped it OPEN and attached it to the approate terminals in the control panel.
Then we powered up the equipment. I was asked to chech the voltage on the terminals where the jumper was applied so I put my meter (Fluke 7-600) across the OPEN switch . The low impedence of the 7-600 completed the circuit and the motor started. 
I never would have suspected that placing the meter accross the OPEN switch would have completed the control circuit.
WE WERE ABOUT 10 SECONDS AWAY FROM CLOSING THE SWITCH TO BUMP THE MOTOR SO EVERYONE WAS CLEAR AND NO ONE WAS HURT!!!
>>>>


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

wptski said:


> What's the reason for having a high impedance tester/meter? Maybe what you've worked on just isn't in the class where a low impedance tester could be a problem? If your type of work is generally leans towards electrical, you probably wouldn't ever run into a problem. If your type of work leans towards more electronics like some electricians do today, it may be a issue.
> 
> I remember a low impedance tester issue in another forum, I'll see if I can find it.


In your first post you said it wasn't good for "control circuits", well that's about 98% of what I would be using it on. When I say controls that includes DDC and PLC controllers. Circuit voltages from 24vac to 208vac and 5vdc to 15vdc. Have yet to have an issue.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> In your first post you said it wasn't good for "control circuits", well that's about 98% of what I would be using it on. When I say controls that includes DDC and PLC controllers. Circuit voltages from 24vac to 208vac and 5vdc to 15vdc. Have yet to have an issue.


What's the reason for a high impedance meter/tester?


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

wptski said:


> What's the reason for a high impedance meter/tester?


To keep those little chinese women in the factories working?


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> To keep those little chinese women in the factories working?


I can post links where they suggest not using low impedance tester/meters on control circuits but you appear to be set in your ways since you've never ran into the problem yet. Since you won't supply a straight answer to my question, I give up.

Just wondering if you were taught this way?


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## 5486 (Feb 18, 2009)

Maybe you should respond to his statement to you and not aviod answering. Everyone here knows what a meter and a tester are used for. It is a professional forum.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

bigmikeb said:


> Maybe you should respond to his statement to you and not aviod answering. Everyone here knows what a meter and a tester are used for. It is a professional forum.


You didn't include a quote, so who's this for? Did I miss a directed question? My question is about the "type" of tester/meter.


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## Lz_69 (Nov 1, 2007)

wptski said:


> What's the reason for a high impedance meter/tester?



Here's the jist of it...

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_8/3.html


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

Lz_69 said:


> Here's the jist of it...
> 
> http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_8/3.html


I knew the answer, the question was for RK.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

wptski said:


> I can post links where they suggest not using low impedance tester/meters on control circuits but you appear to be set in your ways since you've never ran into the problem yet. Since you won't supply a straight answer to my question, I give up.
> 
> Just wondering if you were taught this way?


 
Ahh,another one bites the dust.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> Ahh,another one bites the dust.


You lack being open minded and learning skills. Very poor qualities for teaching a apprentice.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

wptski said:


> You lack being open minded and learning skills. Very poor qualities for teaching a apprentice.


 
I'm very open minded but having used these testers for over 20 years in the way described in my other posts and never having an issue I put little faith in them bringing on a piece of equipment under test. I use a meter rather than a tester for critical measurements and testing as opposed to troubleshooting. I was also trained that when you use a wiggy type unit to check a circuit you only touch the probes long enough to get a result, not leave them on the circuit more than a couple seconds. I am very old school in many ways but ask any younger guy in my company who has taught them more in the field and I think you would be very surprised.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> I'm very open minded but having used these testers for over 20 years in the way described in my other posts and never having an issue I put little faith in them bringing on a piece of equipment under test. I use a meter rather than a tester for critical measurements and testing as opposed to troubleshooting. I was also trained that when you use a wiggy type unit to check a circuit you only touch the probes long enough to get a result, not leave them on the circuit more than a couple seconds. I am very old school in many ways but ask any younger guy in my company who has taught them more in the field and I think you would be very surprised.


Give me a link to anything that says that it's proper trouble shooting practice to use a low impedance meter/tester on control circuits. Just saying that it hasn't happened to me yet is just a plain stupid answer! If you were taught that way, it was wrong and if your telling somebody else to do it this way, it's wrong.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

wptski said:


> Give me a link to anything that says that it's proper trouble shooting practice to use a low impedance meter/tester on control circuits. Just saying that it hasn't happened to me yet is just a plain stupid answer! If you were taught that way, it was wrong and if your telling somebody else to do it this way, it's wrong.


 
We all have our own way of doing things, if you choose not to do it that way then good for you.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> We all have our own way of doing things, if you choose not to do it that way then good for you.


I choose the correct way!


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## signalguy407 (Mar 17, 2009)

I grabbed one of these units for a quickie carry around tester rather than carry my 21.
The PDF does not indicate the function of the small LED (red)
Is this an over voltage light or polarity indicator?


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

i always thought randomkiller was a younger guy but he said he was doing this for 20 years


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## Lz_69 (Nov 1, 2007)

signalguy407 said:


> I grabbed one of these units for a quickie carry around tester rather than carry my 21.
> The PDF does not indicate the function of the small LED (red)
> Is this an over voltage light or polarity indicator?


 It doesn't say at what voltage it activates but it's just a warning light that tell you there is harmful voltage present. I think mainly for safety if you happen to leave it on the hold mode.


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## wptski (Jun 30, 2008)

Lz_69 said:


> It doesn't say at what voltage it activates but it's just a warning light that tell you there is harmful voltage present. I think mainly for safety if you happen to leave it on the hold mode.


I think that it's 30V RMS, 42V Peak or 60VDC because there's a warning abount voltages above this in the manual.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> i always thought randomkiller was a younger guy but he said he was doing this for 20 years


 
I have it from a reliable source that he's 54.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> I have it from a reliable source that he's 54.


 i thought you were in your 30s


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> i thought you were in your 30s


 
Thanks, I guess that's a good thing. I have three sons (31, 29, 13) and two daughters (22, 10) and several ex wives that make me feel pretty old sometimes.


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