Do probes need to match the brand of the meter ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Dipnoous
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 05:47:30 am
content: Or are the plugs standard, and all probes are compatible with all meters, regardless of the brand of each part ?I'm aware of the existence of good quality and bad quality probes, and of the importance of having the former. Recommendations welcome for brands of good quality probes.

author: kmoonwalker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 06:11:19 am
content: Quote from: Dipnoous on June 27, 2025, 05:47:30 amwell you need to clarify a bit what probes are you thinking about?DMM?Kelvin for RLC super precision measurements?Other?

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 06:53:59 am
content: The only thing which is standard is the 4mm banana connector. The shroud requirements vary between manufacturers so not all shrouded banana plugs fit in all shrouded banana jacks.The shrouds are required for electrical safety, but even without incompatibility, they often break making them less safe than the original banana jack and plug combination.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 07:47:30 am
content: Quote from: Dipnoous on June 27, 2025, 05:47:30 amPretty much. They're just standard banana connectors.The shrouds around the plugsaredifferent. Some can be too long to fit in a meter but they're easy to trim.That's not a game plan but you shouldn't ever have to bin a probe because there wasno wayto make it work.Quote from: Dipnoous on June 27, 2025, 05:47:30 amGold plated is good. Silicone is good.After that it depends on budget and what you want them for.

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 08:00:29 am
content: Do the carpets match the drapes..Meh... not necessarily...Aesthetically they look good..Functionally it doesnt make much difference..

author: Aldo22
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 09:35:12 am
content: Quote from: Dipnoous on June 27, 2025, 05:47:30 amSome say "Probe Master".https://probemaster.com/dmm-multimeter-test-leads/But there are also inexpensive gold-coated ones on AE, which are certainly better than the ones you get with cheap DMMs.

author: shapirus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 09:52:20 am
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 27, 2025, 07:47:30 amNot necessarily, depends on the usage scenario. Silicone is supple (so the cables are easy to manipulate) and heat-resistant (withstands contact with the soldering iron), but its resistance to cutting is much lower than that of PVC. So in a clean lab or an electronics repair work bench silicone insulation may be preferrable, but in certain industrial conditions or out in the field PVC may be better.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 02:24:04 pm
content: Quote from: Aldo22 on June 27, 2025, 09:35:12 amThe Probe Master test leads are excellent. I bought a custom right angle shroudless set for my Beckman DM25L and they fit perfectly.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 02:36:58 pm
content: i would say noFind the ones you need, flexibility / options / kit or not / tips options / length / amps (i always select 20 amp)IE: some fluke with fluke are very stiff and not practicaleven on my Gossens i found out very good china ones, rated 20 amps, very flexible sillicone, very sharp tips, a joy to work with them. and i can REL / zero them if needed.

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 03:20:34 pm
content: I've bought 4 sets of these and they are excellent (the blue & grey ones):https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005004545774232.htmlI've also bought Pomona and Keithley probes, which are also good, but are 10x the price of these AE ones.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 05:54:24 pm
content: Quote from: BillyO on June 27, 2025, 03:20:34 pmYep. I've had some good ones off Aliexpress for about $8.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 08:56:12 pm
content: Quote from: shapirus on June 27, 2025, 09:52:20 amI’ll also add that there are huge differences in toughness within the silicone family. On one extreme, Stäubli test lead wire silicone is so tough that it is extremely difficult to strip; it just stretches! On the other extreme, I have some silicone power cable at work whose insulation is so frangible that I can strip it with my fingernails. (So totally fine for a completely rigid, low-vibration installation performed with care, but entirely useless for any portable application.)While toughness is definitely a concern in silicone test leads, especially small-gauge ones, I’ll also add that I have yet to encounter a name-brand silicone-wired multimeter probe whose silicone gave me any reason to doubt its suitability for heavy duty use.Also, many brands of probes now use double-insulated wire (typically white inside), specifically so that damage to the red or black outer layer exposes the inner layer, making it easy to spot damage before the insulation has actually failed entirely. (I don’t believe Probe Master has this feature, alas. But I know for sure that Fluke and Stäubli do, and numerous others.)

author: shapirus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 09:26:51 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on June 27, 2025, 08:56:12 pmThis is useful information. The cut resistance I was referring to was what I experienced with those well-known Chinese silicone-insulated cables (that RC-oriented flexible type with a lot of super thin strands). That one is very easily damaged. Admittedly I haven't tried to cut insulation on any of my probes, I just assumed they would be the same as those cables. Maybe they are different (but all of my silicone-cabled probes are Chinese too).

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2025, 07:27:16 pm
content: Quote from: shapirus on June 27, 2025, 09:26:51 pmI know the kind you mean. I use it to make DuPont test leads and other very thin test leads. Even within that general style, there are noticeable differences in toughness from manufacturer to manufacturer. This style of wire is designed fundamentally around high temperature installation, not as test lead wire, so even from top-quality western manufacturers it is not the toughest.Any Stäubli wire is superb, even the cheapest ones:https://www.staubli.com/ch/en/electrical-connectors/products/t-m-products/cables-and-multi-strand-wires.htmlI assume you can order from TME in Poland? They are the only distributor (anywhere!) that carries a large selection of Stäubli wire by the meter. (They are, by a wide margin, the best-stocked distributor of Stäubli’s electrical products, and have good prices on them.)Quote from: shapirus on June 27, 2025, 09:26:51 pmI don’t have any experience with Chinese silicone test leads, so I don’t know how they compare. :/

author: kmoonwalker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 03:42:27 pm
content: I use french brand silicone cables also not very pricey for low voltage typical applications I am dealing like PC, etc diagnostic:https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/pjp2119-100n/przewody-pomiarowe-pojedyncze/electro-pjp/2119-100n/and I have a possibility to not only connect another meter or complication but also to use a variety of things at the end:https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/pruef2rt/sondy-koncowki-pomiarowe/hirschmann-t-m/973368101/https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/mzs2sw/wtyki-bananowe-2mm/hirschmann-t-m/973600100/https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/ma1rt/krokodylki-2mm/hirschmann-t-m/930317801/https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/ma260sh-rt/krokodylki-4mm/hirschmann-t-m/973889101/etcTME is usually first choice here - they are pretty well stocked and shipment lefts warehouse in one/two days tops in most cases

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 04:10:12 pm
content: Quote from: kmoonwalker on June 29, 2025, 03:42:27 pmFYI, Electro-PJP is French, not Spanish. Their address isonRue de Madridin Tavaux, France, notinMadrid.Though given the practically identical pricing between Electro-PJP and Stäubli, I’d get the Stäubli.

author: kmoonwalker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 04:43:39 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on June 29, 2025, 04:10:12 pmauu corrected - thank you- I never checked their address myself before - someone told me or some bag was from Spain or I had too much stuff at hand

author: kmoonwalker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 04:49:06 pm
content: OK this looks similar to mine - will check it outhttps://www.tme.eu/pl/details/lk-4a-s10-10022/przewody-pomiarowe-pojedyncze/staubli/64-1033-10022/https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/lk-4a-s10-10021/przewody-pomiarowe-pojedyncze/staubli/64-1033-10021/

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 05:00:16 pm
content: Quote from: kmoonwalker on June 29, 2025, 04:49:06 pmCheck out the main catalog:https://www.staubli.com/global/en/electrical-connectors/products/t-m-products/t-m-downloads/catalogs.htmlThey have a lot of variants, and browsing the catalog is definitely easier than browsing TME’s site!

author: kmoonwalker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 05:29:55 pm
content: I recently ordered new ones to replace my over 10 years old current ones (only reason is that top layer is a bit peeling off and they had a harsh life with chemicals etc - other than that no complaints)