# New meter for fire alarm



## malveaux27 (Nov 11, 2018)

I have been doing a lot of fire alarm work the past two years and figured it was time to bite the bullet and get me a good meter. any recommendations?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

It's about time somebody came out with a multimeter that spoke English. We gots Siri and we gots that other broad that comes in the cylinder that finds me some good Pink Floyd guitar solo's when I'm at customer's houses that have them....... Alexa. A talking multimeter. Now I'm not so cornfused about them pesky ohms and them even peskier microfarads. I just ask my helper multimeter and I get the exact answer. And the answer to voltage would be a blast. Hey Nipples , (I'm naming mine Nipples) what's the nominal voltage you are getting on the probes I'm sticking in right now? These type of conversations might even get the housewives turned on .......


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Fluke. More you spend, less you pretend.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

macmikeman said:


> Hey Nipples , (I'm naming mine Nipples) :vs_laugh::vs_laugh::vs_laugh:what's the nominal voltage you are getting on the probes I'm sticking in right now? .......


My daughter (23) has a friend named Alexa. Anytime she needs to say her name, she tilts her head and scoots her eyes in the direction of that always listening obelisk.


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## Signal1 (Feb 10, 2016)

Fluke 177 should serve you well for about $300. 

You may also want to consider getting a Simpson analog for finding ground faults and intermittent opens. Sometime guys will spend days looking for a problem, then I come along and find it in 15 minutes. They don't know about my secret Simpson meter.


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## B-Nabs (Jun 4, 2014)

Not specifically for fire alarm, but I use a fluke 376 and I have yet to run into a scenario in commercial construction that it doesn't do what I need. I had a 374 first, before I realized buying it was a mistake because it only reads resistance up to 6k. The 376 reads up to 60k. It's bloody expensive, but it's a great meter. 

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

I like my 117 Fluke


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

LARMGUY said:


> I like my 117 Fluke


I was going to recommend this^

The 117 is generally considered the "Electrician's Multimeter". It should do most of what a typical electrician will need.

Other recommendations like the 177 and 376 are great meters, but more expensive and probably not necessary. 

The 117 also comes as part of the "Electrician's Multimeter Combo Kit" along with a 323 clamp meter for a great price: https://www.tequipment.net/Fluke117-323.html?v=0

I actually bought the combo kit way back when it was the 112 and 322 and still use them today. The 117 and 323 are much better.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

The 117 meter will do more than enough in most case for the bang of buck .,

I am aware there is better one on market but how often you will have to resort it ? for me not too often unless I am aware of pain in arse location then get a back up meter along.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

if you want to show the other guys who's the boss, drag one of these around:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-VOLTMETER-WESTON-ELECTRIC-INSTRUMENT-CO-All-Original-/122350666397


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Signal1 said:


> Fluke 177 should serve you well for about $300.
> 
> You may also want to consider getting a Simpson analog for finding ground faults and intermittent opens. Sometime guys will spend days looking for a problem, then I come along and find it in 15 minutes. They don't know about my secret Simpson meter.



This may be covered elsewhere, but would you share how you do this with the Simpson?


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Signal1 said:


> Fluke 177 should serve you well for about $300.
> 
> You may also want to consider getting a Simpson analog for finding ground faults and intermittent opens. Sometime guys will spend days looking for a problem, then I come along and find it in 15 minutes. They don't know about my secret Simpson meter.



This may be covered elsewhere, but would you share how you do this with the Simpson?


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

The last fire alarm I had to troubleshoot I used a Fluke 179 and it worked fine.
As far as locating ground faults there is a simple circuit that you can build and add it on to a analog ohmmeter just for that. Dennis Krantz discusses this on his website.

http://www.firealarmsonline.com/2015/09/quickest-way-to-locate-ground-faults-on.html
LC


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