# Test Meter ratings



## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Cat 4 is outside, Cat 3 is inside only. ( i believe this is based on low voltage which is under 600v)

No idea about cat 1 or 2 but its probably less than 600v


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Fluke has a good article that covers the CAT ratings, pictures and everything

The solenoid tester is controversial LOL but some do have a CAT rating, for example the Knopp.


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

gpop said:


> Cat 4 is outside, Cat 3 is inside only. ( i believe this is based on low voltage which is under 600v)
> 
> No idea about cat 1 or 2 but its probably less than 600v


Ok.. I see this on my old Ideal meter and it says CAT.4 at 600V and CAT 3 at 1,000V Who wants to work 1k in a wet locations anyways. Looking for some floaties for my meter. LOL


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Easy said:


> Ok.. I see this on my old Ideal meter and it says CAT.4 at 600V and CAT 3 at 1,000V *Who wants to work 1k in a wet locations *anyways. Looking for some floaties for my meter. LOL



I guess you never work on roof top or exterior equipment in foul weather?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> I guess you never work on roof top or exterior equipment in foul weather?


Los Angeles. What foul weather? Oh, you mean smog...........


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Easy said:


> Ok.. I see this on my old Ideal meter and it says CAT.4 at 600V and CAT 3 at 1,000V Who wants to work 1k in a wet locations anyways. Looking for some floaties for my meter. LOL


The cat rating is the max Transient Spike it can withstand and NOT the working voltage. 

Read the Fluke pages that were mentioned.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Easy said:


> What are the regulations for hand held test meters? Also who regulates the requirements? What is CAT ratings about? I use a Cat 4 meter but I still have a solenoid tester as well. It's not like I'll be looking at a 12kv system with a wiggy but I still have one that I use from time to time.


Keep in mind that a sub station can blow 30 miles away and send a spike screaming down the line. It sounds impressive when it hits a buildings transformer.


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

This graphic explains it better than just inside or outside of a building. I guess it's saying that down stream from the meter regardless of the fact that it is outside or inside would be Cat 3 and on the line side of the meter would be Cat 4. But when I look at Fluke's description it says"Three-phase at utility connection,any outdoor conductors" = Cat 4 ... When in doubt always use a CAT 4 meter. I would imagine that the test leads are also an important safety consideration as well. Thanks for these good examples.


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## michel (Jul 16, 2019)

Easy said:


> This graphic explains it better than just inside or outside of a building. I guess it's saying that down stream from the meter regardless of the fact that it is outside or inside would be Cat 3 and on the line side of the meter would be Cat 4. But when I look at Fluke's description it says"Three-phase at utility connection,any outdoor conductors" = Cat 4 ... When in doubt always use a CAT 4 meter. I would imagine that the test leads are also an important safety consideration as well. Thanks for these good examples.




Yeah it looks like it's not just inside or outside, but also whether or not it's downstream from the meter. Inside but upstream from the meter is still CAT4, and outside but downstream is also CAT4 (feed to outbuilding).

It has to be both downstream from the meter AND inside to be dropped from CAT4 to CAT3.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Easy said:


> This graphic explains it better than just inside or outside of a building. I guess it's saying that down stream from the meter regardless of the fact that it is outside or inside would be Cat 3 and on the line side of the meter would be Cat 4. But when I look at Fluke's description it says"Three-phase at utility connection,any outdoor conductors" = Cat 4 ... When in doubt always use a CAT 4 meter. I would imagine that the test leads are also an important safety consideration as well. Thanks for these good examples.


Quality leads are with the money spent. 
They should be rated for the working voltage of the meter used.


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

The whole CAT thing has nothing to do with environmental ratings and the chart is useless in say an industrial environment which is precisely what on that chart? And if you are working on an actual utility environment only going to 600 to 1000 V is not very encouraging.

All the ratings have to do with is that UL hits the meter with a high voltage surge with a certain impedance for a certain number of seconds to simulate the meter getting hit with a surge. Generally speaking going up in CAT rating means going up one level in surge rating so that for instance CAT IV/600 V which used to be the end of the chart is the same as CAT III/1000 V. See the following:

https://www.protoolreviews.com/news/electrical-measurement-categories-cat-iii-iv/3717/

All that the meter manufacturers do is modify the circuit board to move the inputs farther apart so that it can’t arc over;


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## Bonnie54 (Nov 19, 2019)

What I Would like safely worked


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