Fluke 8060A Somewhat Functional  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2024, 06:35:08 pm
content: Hello Everyone,This is my first post here!I have an old 8060A that was given to me many moons ago because it appeared to be DOA, and it's been sitting in my junk box for at least 15 years untouched. When I received it, it probably had less than 20 hours of use, and since we moved on to something else in the shop, it was discarded.It turns out that if you power it with the cable, it fires right up, although there are some issues. It looks like a nice meter. My question is should I try to repair it, or toss it.I've worked on lots of equipment, so getting in there isn't a problem, and I have good tools, but I'm not all that familiar with working on test equipment. I was in broadcast, and when the test equipment broke down, we just sent it out for repairI have the users manual with the schematics and such, and have read some of the blogs/Youtube repair videos on repairing these units, but I could use some help navigating the lay of the land so to speak when it comes to repairing it.Here's what I know, and what I've done so far. I've got it to fire up. Display is good, passes the ratio test, and the switch logic test. Resistance somewhat works. Accuracy diminishes as the resistance increases. In the M ohm area it's out of whack by at least 20%. The continuity and buzzer button works. DC/AC voltage functions do not work at all, just gibberish, and the meter does not zero out. HiZ DC volts function operates/tracks normally following a variable supply on the 200mv and 2V scale as it should. I have not yet checked the ammeter section. I took the unit apart and it appears very clean on the inside and no capacitors are leaking, but I will do a more through investigation later to confirm. Leaking capacitors seem to be an issue with these units so I'll probably just shotgun them all when I do the repairs.So to summarize:Battery has a bad connection to the board.AC/DC voltage function not working.Amps, Hz, dB, REL functions are untested.Voltages at the test points have not been checked.Unit probably needs a total calibration after the repairs.If anyone has seen these issues and can point me in the direction of some discussions that address the problems I would most appreciate the help! Also, I see the owners manual mentions several times about being careful about handling the boards because of sensitive components and static discharge, but I regularly see in the videos people with little or no protection handling them. Are they touchy? I always use a wrist strap, work on a wood benchtop, and have a good soldering station.Well that's it for now, and thanks for your help!Christine

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 01:25:42 am
content: My first thought is check the 1K fusible resistor R2.Beyond that, I would suggest checking every function and range since then you will have a really good idea of which part of the schematic is the likely culprit.

author: lowimpedance
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 02:36:57 am
content: As it has been sitting for years without use the switches could have oxide build up , so a good 'exercise' of each button is in order.Also definitely replace those electrolytic caps.Odd the battery connection was bad after only 20h operation , check the continuity from the battery tabs to the pcb. perhaps the power switch or the ext power in jack are iffy too.

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 11:01:53 am
content: Getting some deoxit or similar in the switches is for sure a good start. When you compile a BOM for recapping, bear in mind later versions have a separate TRMS daughter-board, and this means 1 less crapacitor to replace.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 11:43:38 am
content: Welcome to the forum.Fluke 8060A meters are still quite useful in the field, so definitely don't toss it.If possible, could you post hi-res photographs of its interior? This could help further with any diagnosis.As for the symptoms, as others have said switch contacts might be a problem.Quote from: Christine1953 on May 08, 2024, 06:35:08 pmI don't know your level of expertise, so that might be useless but it is a common error. When doing hundreds of kΩ or MΩ measurements, please do not touch both leads, so you don't add your body resistance to the measurements.

author: rodcastler
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 11:57:24 am
content: There's this thread that may help as well:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/old-fluke-multimeters/

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 01:18:18 pm
content: Thanks everyone!I'd say my expertise level is OK. I was a pretty good trouble shooter back in the day, but I've been away from it for a long time, so let's call it "a diamond in the rough". I think the issue with the battery clip is nothing more than a bad connection somewhere along the line. I'm suspecting the switch in the power jack. When I first started playing with it, I put a battery in and nothing. Then I just hit the side of the case with my knuckles, (impact maintenance), and it came to life. I can trace that out, but for now I'll just use the jack for power. I have some deoxit so I'll clean the switches. I can open it up separate the boards and take some pictures to post, and then we can get a cap list together. I probably have most of what I need on hand. And, I'll go ahead and test the rest of the functions, and check R 1 and 2. Give me a day or two on the results.The meter is in nice shape and I'd like to get it up and running if possible. If I remember correctly, it was quite pricey for the time. Thanks! C-

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 10:01:27 pm
content: Quote from: rodcastler on May 09, 2024, 11:57:24 amThanks! It's a long thread with lots of history, but I'll work through it. Maybe I need to ping the designer personally! LOL

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 10:05:59 pm
content: First off thanks for the help. And, I'm not used to this style of forum so I probably need some help in posting my progress. ( I'm such a Luddite)! I'll just reply to someones comment in the meantime until I get things under control.

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 10:14:40 pm
content: I took a few shots of the board and display. The board and the display look great! I see no leaking capacitors (at least from the top view) I inspected the board thoroughly and there is zero corrosion anywhere. It looks like this is rev. H S/N is 3620934. The display is very clean! If we need any pics of a certain area, just let me know.

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2024, 10:45:24 pm
content: I made some progress. Battery clip was bad. Loose rivet. I replaced it thinking that was the problem, but no dice. I'm still suspecting the switch in the side power jack. I cleaned all the switches and that helped. Ohms (all settings) now working and I'm getting reasonable readings. DC readings are now working on the 200mv and 2v positions. 20/200/1000 not working see the picture. I seem to remember seeing something about that in the troubleshooting section. It sounds like this is a common problem. If anyone has some suggestions please let me know. As I said, I'm unfamiliar with the "design language" used in test equipment, so when I look at the schematic it can be a bit puzzling. I'm guessing by the time I'm done I'll have a much better idea of what it is about. And, it doesn't help that I'm somewhat dyslexic LOL! Whenever there are a lot of switches and parallel wires on a schematic it's somewhat problematic for me. I can work through it, but it takes some time.Also I have some broken buttons. two of the tan ones. The plastic must be brittle and I'll have to glue them in place or something.I'm not sure how to test the AC functions. All I can think of is to use a variac with a current limiting resistor, and maybe making a voltage divider with some resistors??? I'm pretty unsure there and I really don't like playing around with line voltage. So if anyone has an idea that would be great.I'm pretty encouraged at this point. After doing a close inspection, the meter is in excellent condition considering it's age. The caps all look good and there's no leakage or corrosion that I can see. I'm planning on replacing all of them as soon as I get things a little more under control.I'll see if I can the readings from the test points tomorrow, for some more clues. I just ran out of time today. Thanks again for the help!C-

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 12:47:08 am
content: Quote from: Christine1953 on May 09, 2024, 10:01:27 pmYou might like to link this thread into the one member rodcastler brought your attention to.Scroll to the top of page and copy the URL and paste it in a new post there, maybe with a wee mention about this thread. Don't use the first post link but the one higher up:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-8060a-somewhat-functional/In years to come as others are researching these DMM's it's helpful to have links to other threads.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 01:07:31 am
content: Just to double-check, you're removing the barrel connector when trying it on battery?A variable transformer would be great for running some AC tests. For voltage, of course the setup should be self-explanatory, but for current I would use an incandescent light bulb in series with the Fluke as well as another known-good DMM. You should be able to check all the ranges with that setup.Some high voltage safety tips are make connections with the power switched off, only use one hand at a time, wear rubber-soled shoes....

author: blue_lateral
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 02:00:54 am
content: DONT put deoxit in the switches as someone suggested earlier. That is a mistake. I did that once many years ago. It's apparently too conductive for the high-Z circuitry. It is very hard to get rid of. Several washings with isopropyl did eventually make the meter functional again.The "old fluke multimeters" thread referenced in rodcastler's post is the one you want.

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 10:45:11 am
content: Quote from: blue_lateral on May 10, 2024, 02:00:54 amGood to know!Quote from: Christine1953 on May 09, 2024, 10:45:24 pmPP3 battery clips are an abomination, no surprise this was one of the problems.The buttons can be 3D printed, if you have a printer, and it's a safe bet there's the models for it on thingiverse (I got the model for the battery door for mine from there), or here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/replacement-knobs-feet-and-fittings-for-test-equipment/You might be better using an old-school function generator for AC tests, as one of the reasons the 8060 is so beloved is its very wide TRMS bandwidth, 100kHz iirc. Realistically for a full calibration you need quite expensive gear, but for a sanity check, just comparing it in parallel with another decent meter should be good enough for hobby use.The pics show it doesn't have the TRMS daughter board, so you'll have the full set of caps to do.

author: vindoline
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 11:27:16 am
content: Check the input protection MOVs. They look like little colored resistors in the bottom right of the PCB. I have found that if the meter is briefly overloaded (easy to imagine in a broadcast setting) they increase in resistance and cause all kinds of weird and wonderful accuracy problems.By the way, this meter is far and away my favorite model. I have several. No autoranging is great! I don't know how people can stand that little delay when using “modern” meters. Good luck!

author: vindoline
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 11:36:53 am
content: Quote from: AVGresponding on May 10, 2024, 10:45:11 amCompletely agree! And Fluke seems to have used cheaper ones than usual on the 8060A. I think I've had to replace them on every sample I've worked on.

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 01:50:30 pm
content: Hello Everyone! I think I'm struggling more with learning the SMF Forum software an I am with the meter I'm working on LOL! Other groups I belong to don't use it. So my apologies in advance if I mess things up from time to time! I'm using the help section for guidance, but there is a small learning curve. Thank you for your understanding. C-

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 02:07:44 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on May 10, 2024, 12:47:08 amI think I see what you are asking me to do. Combine this thread with the other one so all the associated information is in one place for someone who is having the same problem? If that's correct, great idea. The small problem I have at the moment is I'm still getting used to the SMF Forum format used here and I'm pretty gimpy, although the more I use it, the more it's making sense. If you can help a bit, I'll do it. I'm just pretty unsure of how it's done. Thanks!

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 02:25:31 pm
content: Quote from: vindoline on May 10, 2024, 11:27:16 amAre these guys the ones you're talking about in the protection circuit? I think I read something about when you're on the 200mv or 2v settings this circuit is bypassed??? Could we just jumper around the protection circuit to test? As I said in my last post, both the 200mv, and 2v sections are working correctly, at least with DC. As for checking the MOV's if they're good/bad, I'd have no idea how to do that.To be honest, I've suspected something might be amiss here, as I remember another tech telling me the meter stopped working while he was poking around in the high voltage section of a CRT monitor. The DOA part came right after as we were trying to figure out what happened to the meter. It just completely quit working. My guess it was two unrelated problems. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 02:35:55 pm
content: Quote from: blue_lateral on May 10, 2024, 02:00:54 amOopsie, That's exactly what I did. The switches do slide nicely now however! One more thing to do I guess. How do I clean it? Do I just dunk the whole main board in some solvent? I have lots of them around. CRC switch cleaner, Freon, Naptha, Acetone, and I have a bottle of Everclear. It's probably better for making martini's but it's pure grain ethanol.

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 02:48:57 pm
content: Quote from: J-R on May 10, 2024, 01:07:31 amYes the barrel is not in the socket. Could I just jumper across the switch? I'd never use an external supply anyway. BTW that power jack looks like another one of those 29 cent parts...Great ideas. For the lower voltage tests I was thinking a simple voltage divider, just so I have a little better control on the variac.As for the current, I like the bulb idea, but should I use a current limiting resistor in line with the bulb for the lower current tests? I seem to remember something about a bulb not having much resistance until its glowing. Measuring current is not my long suit by any means. Thanks for the tip!

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 03:05:10 pm
content: The buttons can be 3D printed, if you have a printer, and it's a safe bet there's the models for it on thingiverse (I got the model for the battery door for mine from there), or here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/replacement-knobs-feet-and-fittings-for-test-equipment/You might be better using an old-school function generator for AC tests, as one of the reasons the 8060 is so beloved is its very wide TRMS bandwidth, 100kHz iirc. Realistically for a full calibration you need quite expensive gear, but for a sanity check, just comparing it in parallel with another decent meter should be good enough for hobby use.The pics show it doesn't have the TRMS daughter board, so you'll have the full set of caps to do.I don't know anyone around here with a function generator. (I live out in the middle of nowhere) LOL! If I can get this working, I'd be willing to send it out for calibration. (If anyone still does that on these old devices).3D printing. I'll have to farm that out. The buttons are OK for right now.Does anyone know of a BOM with part numbers from Digikey or another vendor for the capacitors used in this unit? That would save me a heck of a lot of time if one's available. Thanks!One other maybe/maybe not important question. Do I need a ESD mat for the work I'm doing here? I use a wrist strap, but I don't own a mat. I work on mostly audio gear which doesn't need one. Thanks!

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 03:10:02 pm
content: OK all I'm doing today is trying to get this stupid battery connection thing straightend out, and spending some more study time with the user manual. Then at 5PM, it's cocktail hour! Thanks everybody for the help. I'm feeling the love! Have a great weekend if you don't hear from me!Christine-

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 03:11:36 pm
content: Quote from: J-R on May 09, 2024, 01:25:42 amI forgot to mention this. R1 and 2 are both good. Thanks!

author: CatNinja
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 04:54:37 pm
content: If you’ve handled the board a lot, you may have got some oils from your hand on the board. These Fluke multimeters are very sensitive to current leakages between the traces.I was wracking my brains out trying to figure out why the readings were off and inconsistent when repairing mine, and it all went away after I washed the board in isopropyl. Try to use just enough alcohol to submerge the board, and not get it into the switches.Make sure to look very carefully under the caps. Sometimes the leakage is hard to see until you remove them.The switches are the same between all the multimeters in this series. You can get a broken 8062 very cheaply for parts.You probably do not even need to recalibrate after repairing. These things are dead accurate even after 30 years. My favorite multimeter by far.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 06:24:04 pm
content: If R2 is fine, then the other entry under the troubleshooting for"DC readings correct for200 mV, 2V-incorrectfor 20V, 200V, 300V"is: "Input divider or input divider switches" (table 5-7 in the manual)Also, if you can find other functions that aren't working, you could cross-reference the two in order to find a common failure point.

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 06:48:52 pm
content: Quote from: CatNinja on May 10, 2024, 04:54:37 pmI'll give that a shot. So it's OK if the IC's get wet? Might be a dumb question, but I work mainly on tube amps and you know LOL, you usually don't run into things like this. I'm learning a lot, and if I can get this meter going, I'll feel like I accomplished something big! I'm going to replace all the caps, I'm good at soldering, have all the tools I need for that, and the board looks super well made. I'm just waiting to see if someone might have a BOM for the caps. I'm thinking looking all those up is going to take some time, Thank you!

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 06:56:59 pm
content: Quote from: J-R on May 10, 2024, 06:24:04 pmI'm reading about that now in the service manual. The switches work properly for ohms, but, who knows for the other functions. I'm setting up a jig to test amps and AC voltages, but not until Monday. Someone else mentioned looking at the MOV's in the protection circuit. If I remember correctly (like almost 30 years ago), this meter broke down as someone was using it checking voltages in the hi voltage section of a CRT monitor. So more detective work is needed... Thanks!

author: CatNinja
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 10, 2024, 10:06:51 pm
content: PCB, IC's, passives are fine washed in isopropyl. Switches are OK too, but really need to be taken apart to clean properly, and you may have to re-lubricate for them to work properly, so best to leave them alone. Plastic parts tend to deteriorate if left in isopropyl too long, so OK for a quick wipe down, but I wouldn't soak them (test first!).Make sure you use 99%, as you do not want water left between the components, which will cause corrosion. Don't soak too long (just scrub with soft brush and rinse), dry off with a fan to speed it up, and don't reuse solution (it will just re-deposit whatever was dissolved).An ultrasonic cleaner is ideal if you have access to one.You can also use dedicated electronics cleaners, but those are very expensive and don't work that much better in this case.Here are my notes for the recap. I don't remember which ones I got, so double check the specs before ordering. The hard one to find is the 22uf, as the poly one recommended by drtaylor is discontinued. I ended up getting a non-polymer, high quality cap instead. I listed a few alternatives at the bottom.nichicon polymer 5000h (recommended by drtaylor)RS61C101MDS1 5x nichicon 100uf 20% 16v 105c 5000h 6.3x8x2.5 C1,C23,C24,C32,C34RNU1A100MDS1 3x nichicon 10uf 20% 10v 105c 5000h 4x5x1.5 C12,C21,C28UTT1C220MDD1TP 1x nichicon 22uf 20% 16v 105c 5000h 5x8x2 C36 obsoleteRNS1C470MDS1 1x nichicon 47uf 20% 16v 105c 5000h 6.3x10x2.5 C19alternatives (double check that size fits)493-6018-ND nichicon 100uf 20% 6.3v 2000h 6.3x7x2.5493-10382-1-ND nichicon 100uf 20% 6.3v 105c 2000h 6.3x7x2.5RS81C101MDN1JT nichicon 100uf 20% 16v 105c 2000h 6.3x8x2.516SEPC100M panasonic 100uf 20% 16v 105c 5000h 6.3x6x2.5 polymerAPSF160E101MF05S chemi-con 100uf 20% 16v 105c 20000h 6.3x5x2.5 polymerA750EK107M1CAAE18 kemet 100uf 20% 16v 105c 2000h 6.3x8x2.5USR1C100MDD-ND nichicon 10uf 20% 16v 2000h 4x7x1.5493-10390-1-ND nichicon 10uf 20% 16v 105c 2000h 4x7x1.5493-6027-ND nichicon 22uf 20% 16v 2000h 5x7x2493-10393-1-ND nichicon 22uf 20% 16v 105c 2000h 5x7x2EEA-GA1C220 panasonic 22uf 20% 16v 105c 1000h 5x7x2EKMA160ETD220ME07D chemi-con 22uf 20% 16v 105c 1000h 5x7x2226PGM016M cornell-debilier 22uf 16v 20% 105c 1000h 5x7x225ML22MEFC5x5 rubycon 22uf 20% 25v 105c 3000h 5x5x2 long-life16ZLG22MEFC5x7 rubycon 22uf 20% 16v 105c 1000h 5x7x2 low-esr 270mohm16MH522MEFC5x5 rubycon 22uf 20% 16v 105c 1000h 5x5x2 general-purpose493-6026-ND nichicon 47uf 20% 10v 2000h 6.3x7x2.5493-10396-1-ND nichicon 47uf 20% 16v 105c 2000h 6.3x7x2.535SEK47M panasonic 47uf 20% 35v 125c 1000h 6.3x6x2.5 high-voltageEEA-GA1C470 panasonic 47uf 20% 16v 105c 1000h 6.3x7x2.5 general-purposeEdit: cleaned up parts list and added a diagram I found in my notes folder

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2024, 09:46:27 am
content: Also, don't get IPA in the fuses; someone in another thread, on an Agilent 12-something or other did and it ruined them.

author: vindoline
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2024, 01:03:34 pm
content: Quote from: Christine1953 on May 10, 2024, 02:25:31 pmYes, components J1 to J4. They should be essentially short circuit under normal circumstances. They go permanently high resistance if exposed to high voltage. You should be able to jumper them to test, or just test the resistance with another meter.

author: robert.rozee
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2024, 02:06:08 pm
content: Quote from: vindoline on May 11, 2024, 01:03:34 pmif you are talking about RJ1 to RJ4 in the below schematic, these should all measureopen-circuit:cheers,rob :-)

author: vindoline
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2024, 02:56:40 pm
content: Quote from: robert.rozee on May 11, 2024, 02:06:08 pmMust be poor memory on my part! Thanks. Of course, if I actually looked at the schematic, that would have been obvious!

author: Christine1953
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2024, 04:50:34 pm
content: First off, thanks everyone! It looks like I have my work cut out for me over the next day or two. I'm taking today off (spring cleanup in the Northwoods). So tomorrow, I'll start working on the list I've created, which is long... Maybe we can all look at the results and a light bulb will go on. I keep getting the sensation that I'm overlooking something basic, but I've been down this road before many times, and all of a sudden you have this "a-ha" moment LOL!Here's my list and feel free to add to it if you see something missing.Clean the main board with the fuses removed with IPA.Check to see MOV's read like they're "open" (infinite resistance).Fix or bypass DC barrel.Check functions on, AC/DC volts, AC/DC current, and top row buttons, at least for LCD function at this point.Put together a BOM for the electrolytic caps and order from digikeyOrder a new set of probes. (Just because I deserve something out of this).Everyone have a great weekend, and I'll be in touch Mon or Tues. And, feel free to post, I'll be checking the thread through the weekend.Thanks for the encouragement and support!

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2024, 08:22:50 pm
content: In my opinion, for this design of switch you should be able to get away with cleaning them without removal. Hold the PCB vertically with the switches facing down, then spray some non-residue contact or other cleaner into the top and open end of the switches while working them. I usually give them all a quick spray, then work the switches a bunch, then spray again. Then you don't contaminate the PCB.