Fluke 87V Si - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Keosintal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 10:01:55 am
content: After years of dozens of cheap multimeters letting me down with various different issues, I've decided to get myself a Fluke 87V. I saw a Japanese seller on a site selling "Si" version of Fluke 87V. From what I've learned, Si means the temperature function will only read in degree Celcius and no Fahrenheit option. The Si model sells for much lower than the regular 87. Regular 87V priced at around 830 usd (I think this is the cheapest I can find in my country), while the Si around $450. Note that they are sold by different sellers.My question is, are the insides still the same? I suspect they change the inside like the chip or whatever (I'm not well versed in board level electronics) to make it much cheaper. 450 is still a lot of money and I don't want to spend that much only to find that I experience something bad that are not experienced by other users of "regular" 87V.

author: Keosintal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 10:07:27 am
content: I just realized that it says °C/°F on top of range button. So I guess that's not the difference between Si and regular?

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 10:30:34 am
content: Does it say made in USA on the meter?

author: NE666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 11:57:54 am
content: Manufactured in Asia, under license from Fluke, for sale only into Asian markets.By some accounts, whilst you may have a °C/°F key, it won't allow anything other than Celsius measurements.

author: 0xdeadbeef
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 01:37:05 pm
content: Itisweird though to remove such a trivial feature. I.e. isn't removing it more expensive than keeping it?Or do they actually use a cheaper chipset / different PCB and this is just the most visible difference?

author: Keosintal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 02:31:49 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 26, 2025, 10:30:34 amI haven't buy the meter yet so can't have a look. It says in the description "Assembled in USA". Not sure if there's a deeper meaning from the weird wording. Regardless, I suspect they just copy and paste the 87V description from the web.

author: Keosintal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 02:44:08 pm
content: Quote from: NE666 on September 26, 2025, 11:57:54 amOne thing I notice from this seller is that from various US-made Flukes he listed, only those that come with temperature are listed as Si, namely 87V and 179. 175, 177, 83V are not Si.

author: Keosintal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 02:47:44 pm
content: Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on September 26, 2025, 01:37:05 pmI know right! It's just so weird. Why delete a stupidly small feature just for a country? But I'm wondering if getting back to the drawing board to fit a cheaper chipset is even more ridiculous

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 02:56:39 pm
content: Quote from: Keosintal on September 26, 2025, 02:31:49 pmMine 87V said Assembled in USA and it's about 3 or 4 years old.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 04:11:00 pm
content: Fluke multimeters with SI are only sold in Japan.

author: Keosintal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 04:49:19 pm
content: Any difference from non Si? Why special denotation?

author: Keosintal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 04:52:29 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 26, 2025, 02:56:39 pmInteresting. Is it similar to Made in USA with global components? You know, for legal reasons. I assume the old 87V said Made in USA.

author: Arhigos
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 10:44:36 pm
content: Quote from: Keosintal on September 26, 2025, 02:47:44 pmI believe that some Japanese laws required Fluke company to delete Fahrenheit feature.

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 01:25:00 am
content: Quote from: Keosintal on September 26, 2025, 04:52:29 pmI don't know my 287 which is newer still (about 2 years old) was assembled in USA too. However my 289 which is older (made around 2016) didn't say where is was made. My oldest which is the 189 made around 2004 or so said made in USA.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 05:39:58 am
content: I'm sure it's 100% Fluke, no need to lose any sleep worrying about what's on the inside.My guess is the "SI" means itonlyuses SI units, ie. Centigrade.(Maybe to make it impossible to misinterpret a temperature reading.)FWIW There's other Fluke models with "SI" marking:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-289-_si_/

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 05:45:45 am
content: Quote from: NE666 on September 26, 2025, 11:57:54 amCheapskate Fluke, saving pennies by not using a different paint mask.PS: What scale do ordinary 87Vs default to? F or C? Maybe it's just the power-on default that changes.

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 01:20:09 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on September 27, 2025, 05:45:45 amMine defaults to F and there is no setting to change this. So may be the SI defauts to C?

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 01:27:45 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 27, 2025, 01:20:09 pmIf you press RANGE button, it does not switch back and forth? 87 V ?

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 05:53:04 pm
content: Quote from: 2N3055 on September 27, 2025, 01:27:45 pmSure you can switch it to C but whenever you enter the temperture mode for the first time it's always in F. Just like the current with the 87V it always defaut in AC current.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 06:44:13 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 27, 2025, 05:53:04 pmOh sorry, silly me!! You meant you don't have option to change default...

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2025, 01:17:55 am
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 27, 2025, 01:20:09 pmThat might be it.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 28, 2025, 02:05:14 am
content: If they have a meter that is "SI" and eliminates Fahrenheit then it should also eliminate Celsius right?TheSI standard for temperature is the Kelvin scaleI believe.Edit:Japan's Measurement Act forbidsthe use of any "non-legal" scales.They define it as SI compliant but realize that Kelvin is the SI standard so rely on Celsius being commonly used to provide its availability on instruments.Talk about weird.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2025, 03:52:57 am
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on September 28, 2025, 02:05:14 amThe law must also take people's convenience into account.The unit for amount of substance is the mole, but you wouldn't use moles to describe how many ears you have.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 28, 2025, 04:20:54 am
content: Quote from: gamalot on September 28, 2025, 03:52:57 amI get that, I just don't get why it is designated "SI" when that's obviously irrelevant. I think it would make more sense to refer to it as JIS.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2025, 04:35:52 am
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on September 28, 2025, 04:20:54 amPerhaps the term "JIS" cannot be freely used in product model names.

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2025, 11:04:29 am
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on September 28, 2025, 02:05:14 amWhat is an authority source that said Celcius is a SI unit? I Google but as you know Google can be wrong.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 28, 2025, 02:24:46 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 28, 2025, 11:04:29 amCelsius isn't SI as far as I know. Kelvin is the standard unit of temperature measurement within the SI system.Did you see something in what I wrote that implied Celsius is SI? I'd want to fix it if that's the case.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2025, 07:11:37 am
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on September 28, 2025, 02:24:46 pmCelsius is a "derived unit", officially recognized by SI.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI_derived_unit

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2025, 07:15:06 am
content: The "SI" on the front of themetermight not refer to SI units, that was just a guess by me.(If you have any other theories about what it stands for I'm all ears...)

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2025, 11:18:14 am
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on September 28, 2025, 02:24:46 pmI am sorry I meant is there any official document that said Celcius is NOT and SI unit? Wikipedia said that it is but of course Wikipedia is not offical.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 29, 2025, 02:42:34 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 29, 2025, 11:18:14 amAh, ok. I'm not sure which Wikipedia article you read but as Fungus points out above, Celsius is considered "derived" not a base standard unit.As far as I know, all measurements are legally and officially based on the SI base standards. Fahrenheit and Celsius are defined today as how they relate to Kelvin which is the SI unit of measurement for temperature.

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2025, 04:45:57 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on September 29, 2025, 07:15:06 amGiven that the "i" is lower case, it might be short for "Sino"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2025, 05:47:54 pm
content: I asked and got answer from Fluke"Thank you for reaching out with your question. From what I have seen, the main difference between the Fluke 87V and the 87V Si is that the 87V Si model is designed with Japanese language settings and measures temperature in Celsius rather than Fahrenheit."

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2025, 09:33:01 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on September 30, 2025, 05:47:54 pmI wonder what that means? Does the LCD have Japanese symbols?

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2025, 04:13:02 am
content: Quote from: Fungus on September 30, 2025, 09:33:01 pmIt might just be some macro definitions and conditional macro statements in the firmware projectCode:...#define JAPANESE...#ifndef JAPANESEswitch_temp_unit();#endif...