Fluke 87 II? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2023, 02:08:41 pm
content: I searched but couldn't fine a definite answer so I ask. Sorry if the question has been asked and answered before.I had the original 87 back in the late 80's. I have used the 87 III which belongs to the company I worked for. I replaced the 87 with the 189 which I believed rebranded 89 IV and there was the 87 IV. I used the 87V for many years and also used the 87V Max. But I have never seen or heard of the 87 II. Is there an 87 II?

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2023, 10:19:47 pm
content: I’m going by fuzzy recollection of some things I read online (the original 87 was before my experience), but I believe the very original 87 did not have CAT ratings - at least not marked on the meter. After some period, Fluke added CAT ratings; same meter otherwise. Some people refer to the rated meters as the 87 II. I don’t know if Fluke itself ever did, internally or externally.

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2023, 11:17:40 pm
content: I have a 1996 Fluke brochure that shows the 87 without any CAT markings. The earliest manual I know of for the 87-III is dated October of 1997. So there's not much time in there for an intermediate model and unless they quickly aborted the -II version before selling (m)any, I'd think someone somewhere would have one to show off and I've never seen one. The only meter I know of that acquired CAT ratings without a model change is the 27, although the meter internals did change when it got the rating. The 27 appears in the 1996 brochure without CAT ratings.CAT 1/II/III were definitely a thing by 1996 as other products in the brochure do mention and/or have CAT markings--Scopemeters, the 867, some current clamps and a lot of test leads, clips and adapters all specify it. I suppose they might have been considering releasing a CAT-updated 87 and then decided to change the model designation so as to sell more by convincing customers to trade in or replace their 'obsolete' unrated 87 models.

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 12:11:51 am
content: Here are pictures I cribbed from eBay that show what I mean. To be clear, I have no idea if Fluke themselves ever called the one with the CAT III printed on it a Fluke 87 II (and if they did, it would have been internally I suppose).But I found a post from 2020 (not as long ago as I had thought) that note some differences between an older 87 manual and a newer 87 manual.Quote from:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/i-need-to-know-the-history-of-fluke-87-(-1998-2010-)/msg3038380/#msg3038380

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 12:48:20 am
content: Quote from: mwb1100 on July 02, 2023, 12:11:51 amYes, it appears you are right. That is likely the elusive -II model. I found another one listed on eBay and that CAT III marking is hard to see behind the test lead, but it appears to be there. And the back of it lists the 44/100A and 11A 1000V fuses vs the 1A and 15A 600V fuses of the original. It would be interesting to see a teardown to see if they reworked the inside a bit like the 27.https://www.ebay.com/itm/266261426001And, like the 27, the updated manual states that is for the CAT III 1000V version but the model number stays. The manual is from January 1997 so it was less than a year before the 87-III apparently arrived.https://xdevs.com/doc/Fluke/83_1000_smeng0000.pdf

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 02:37:28 am
content: Quote from: mwb1100 on July 01, 2023, 10:19:47 pmI don't know but I can confirm my original 87 bought in 89 I think didn't have CAT rating.