Is Fluke 12e/12e+ China only. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: kkritsilas
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 09:20:24 am
content: Hi,I have seen a number of Chinese based eBay sellers offering the Fluke 12e/12e+, but none outside of China. I don't see any reviews on Youtube, and there are only a few postings here concerning the Fluke 12e/12e+, mostly having to with enabling added functions, and quickly got confusing as the postings went from the 12e to a 12B+ (?).Is this a China only unit? Does anybidy here have one, and can post some impressions? Seems like a low cost, presumably safe, multimeter with a uA range.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 09:28:30 am
content: Quote from: kkritsilas on January 17, 2019, 09:20:24 amA number of Fluke models seem to be intended for the Chinese market and they all seem to be built safely. What most share is a lack of true RMS functionality and I don't think any have a bar graph. If you really want to own a Fluke and can live with those limitations, they seem a fair choice. It seems that you can do better if you look at other options. Fluke doesn't match what you get in a Brymen BM257S anywhere near the same price bracket and you don't get a warranty either.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 09:32:43 am
content: Quote from: kkritsilas on January 17, 2019, 09:20:24 amYep, looks like it, just like the 15B.They might even be an updated 15B with a backlight as otherwise the form factor, feature set and layout is almost identical to 15B.Good cheap safe DMM but no warranty outside China.Here's an Aliexpress listing for one with a spec sheethttps://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fluke-12E-Auto-Range-Digital-Multimeter-AC-DC-Voltage-Current-Tester-with-Ohm-Capacitance-Resistance-Measurement/32864314515.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.2.586d6ff9JvI29K&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10065_10068_10547_319_317_10548_10696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_431_10307_537_536_5736111_5736011_10059_10884_10887_100031_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_52,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=56e84632-8a4d-44dd-92f9-410de59e2e9d-0&algo_pvid=56e84632-8a4d-44dd-92f9-410de59e2e9d&transAbTest=ae803_4

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 03:38:07 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on January 17, 2019, 09:32:43 amPeople have hacked them to turn them into into 15B+s.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 06:02:51 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 17, 2019, 03:38:07 pmAnd 17B.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 07:05:05 pm
content: As a fellow Canadian, if your budget is $100, check your local kijiji or equivalent in your area, for used Flukes. If lucky, you might be able to get a Fluke 83, 85 or 87 in the $100 CDN range. Expect to spend another $20 replacing the fuses as they are likely blown.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 07:39:00 pm
content: It looks identical to a 15B+ on the outside, same buttons, same ranges, etc. I wonder what the difference is.(and that seller even includes a free Uni-T case to store it in!)

author: Hydrawerk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 10:31:36 pm
content: It can only measure capacitors up to 1000uF. :-(

author: kkritsilas
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 11:20:14 pm
content: I don’t really “need” a Fluke Multimeter, as I already have an 867B, a 189, a 77 series 1, a 27/FM, and an 8020B. What I am looking for is a very small (physically) multimeter that I can use in tight spaces (like under the dash of a car). The backlight is essential as is uA, capacitance and TRMS are not (for capacitance, I use a Genrad/General Radio Digibridge), and the 867B, the 189, and the 27/FM have TRMS.I did get the 77 Series 1 for $30 shipped off of Kijiji.My interest in the 12e/12e+ is as a smal, pocket sized meter with higher quality/safety than say, an AN8008/8009.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2019, 11:42:24 pm
content: Quote from: kkritsilas on January 17, 2019, 11:20:14 pmThe 12E is hardly pocket sized at 180mm long x 90 wide.Maybe Daves little Brymen might be better:https://www.eevblog.com/product/bm235-multimeter/

author: kkritsilas
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2019, 03:37:36 am
content: My mistake. I took the 12e+ to be Fluke 101/107 sized, not 15B/17B+/18B sized. Back to the AN8009.

author: 001
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2019, 07:22:41 am
content: Quote from: kkritsilas on January 17, 2019, 11:20:14 pmIs 12e based on the same chip as anangs?

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2019, 08:07:02 am
content: Quote from: kkritsilas on January 17, 2019, 11:20:14 pmIt's almost as if you haven't looked at the dimensions.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2019, 08:08:26 am
content: Quote from: 001 on January 18, 2019, 07:22:41 amNope.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2019, 09:37:39 am
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 17, 2019, 07:39:00 pmI found a couple of minor differences, eg. The 15B+ has a higher diode test voltage and different AC volts ranges.The copyright on the 12E manual is 2008, the copyright on the 15B+ manual is 2014.Interestingly, the 15B manual is copyright 2012 so the original 15B was a step backwards. The 15B+ went back to the 12E again.

author: kkritsilas
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2019, 07:42:20 am
content: Dimensions I took to be roughly the size of the old Fluke 10/11/12 series, and my hope was that this was an uodated/improved Fluke 12.I guess what I was hoping for was a "Super 107". The 107 with DC mv, AC &DC ma and ua, even if they did away with the Frequency, Duty Cycle, and Capacitance functions. Just a solid, basic functionali meter that was built well, safe, and small. Seems like you can get all of that, but you have to give up basic functionality in the 107.I din't know when in time capacitance, frequency, duty cycle, and temperature became basic functions, and mA and uA stopped being basic functions.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2019, 12:39:09 pm
content: Quote from: kkritsilas on January 19, 2019, 07:42:20 amThat would be after marketing had a meeting to specify a meter that would sell for $100 but would be useless to electrical engineers.(although I'm not sure exactly who the 107 is targeted at - people who are too cheap to buy a 117?)