Idea for a specialty multimeter probe tip. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: neverendingstudent
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 04:50:17 am
content: So I was playing a game of Magic: The Gathering on Arena while half watching/listening to a video on repairing a Fluke 343A DC Voltage Calibratorhttps://youtu.be/XVodeylw1NA?t=928, as one does.....when I was thinking about the physical process of probing different live component leads while paying attention to a multimeter, and the potential to inadvertently short what I'm probing to something the side of my meter probe might brush against, and I had the idea for this probe tip.As far as I can tell, it isn't made - I've searched with various search terms on Google, Google Images, Amazon, AliExpress.... it doesn't seem to exist.Now, we *do* already have the long needle probe that has most of the needle shaft insulated, and only about half a centimeter of the tip exposed, which is kind of the precursor concept to this idea, but I wanted something that I could rest on a component lead and need no physical effort or focus to keep it in place.Thus the idea of a two-pronged 'forked-tip' probe, with a very short needle-tip recessed in the center of the fork, and all of the outside of the fork as well as the needle shaft insulated. The 'fork' head would be very small, perhaps 2-3mm deep, and no more than 2mm wide at the mouth of the fork and perhaps half a millimeter of needle tip recessed in the center.Super artistically challenged drawing attached.What do you all think? Useful idea? Terrible idea? Does it already exist somewhere?

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 04:53:10 am
content: you can rip a small Y shape bronze thing out of a header female connector and solder it to the tip of something to make a non-slip probe.The problem is that the dimensions are always different so serrations don't slip but fit, and this will require a different probe for different partsand if you look carefully, usually the parts are stampings. not many things have round wires coming out of the package.If they acutally made parts right (not stampings) it would be very useful, I think its marginally useful sometimes with how todays parts are built.However, it still may be useful for probing through hole components that use wires, but usually multimeter probes have a 'ball' at the end that does the same thing, and through hole parts are never at a high enough density to really require itIt would be awesome of parts had wires, like old transistors, instead of stampings lol.

author: squadchannel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 08:02:33 am
content: like the scope probe ic insulating cap?

author: mawyatt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 01:40:30 am
content: You could use some heat shrink around each pin and bend the pins closer together on these cheap 4-wire milli-ohm meter cables where each pin/wire is separate within the single probe handle.The coaxial types might prove useful as well.Best

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 02:47:45 am
content: I used spring loaded needle tips once, they were great but are hard to find. Not sure if this source is any good.https://probemaster.com/spring-loaded-probes/Maybe those combined with helping hands would do what you want.https://www.amazon.ca/Soldering-Magnifying-Magnifier-Electronics-Desoldering/dp/B0DK4MB98D

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 09:49:29 am
content: Quote from: neverendingstudent on March 16, 2025, 04:50:17 amProbeing, then looking up to read the meter is a very real problem. What would really solve it for me is a talking meter so I could get a verbal reading while concentrating on keeping the probes stable.Is there such a thing?

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 11:11:35 am
content: never needed in 56 years of workFluke, Pomona , Hirschmann have every concievable meter lead/probe/clips.j

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 09:58:52 pm
content: Quote from: neverendingstudent on March 16, 2025, 04:50:17 amQuote from: neverendingstudent on March 16, 2025, 04:50:17 amYes, fluke already ship these and have done for a long time.Quote from: Kasper on March 17, 2025, 02:47:45 am"pogo" pins are readily available with these shapes of tips, or more conventional sharp conicals if needed. Super easy to find in a range of shapes and sizes.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2025, 08:21:39 am
content: Quote from: Kasper on March 17, 2025, 02:47:45 amThese are great; at least in Germany, Welectron is a reliable source for them.They are very pointy and seemingly made from pretty hard material, so you could easily just poke into component legs. Still the U-shaped form would not be that bad, especially when wiggling with a couple of probes at the same time, those could easily slip, as the poking requires constant force.