Picked up a non-working model 12 at a yard sale. A fresh battery showed almost no display and the buttons did not function. Thanks to you, I now have a working model 12! I appreciate you sharing!
Nice work! I've been wanting to add a Fluke 12 to my collection for quite some time, but I couldn't find yet one that is well-preserved and at a reasonable price.
I have this meter. I like to use it for the Capacitance function. I've had in about 20 years. It had this problem a few years back. I cleaned up the rubber insert, which fixed it. The problem comes back often. I've thought to add solder as you did. However, I have found that squeezing the outer case near the location of the rubber inserts gets it to work quickly.
Thanks for the video, it inspired me to take care of my Fluke 10. I bought it new in the summer of 98 and some years ago (5-10 perhaps) my display begun to misbehave and my two buttons had already died at some point, i did not really care as it was still doing exactly what i use it for. Now i have cleaned the connectors an fiddle around with the zebra strips and it turned out to work as in its glory days. Cheers.
I've got the same device and mine was doing the same thing! I tried adding some more solder like in the video, and it didn't help, but in the course of checking the connections and functionality of the button component (the rubber part with the buttons on it that is featured starting at 8:45 in this video) I realized that I was scraping away some built-up crud on the connections with my other multimeter tips, so I gave each one a little extra scratching to remove any gunk I could see and after putting it all back together it works perfectly now! Thanks for this video.
Smashing :-D, zebra strips are a known problem to most multimeters. Maybe when you strip down spare/dead devices, saving the zebra strips would be a good idea. I bet the fluke is still pretty dam spot on with measurements.
A good source of this Zebra strips is on Ebay search for "16-Character x 2-Line LCD Module" they have 2 rows of them which fit the Fluke :-) I repaired my Fluke 12 by stripping these down and just cut them to the length you need. They are only a couple of bucks. Hope this helps.
The HP-41's sometimes developed similar problems. It's not a terribly durable way to connect two parallel surfaces, unless there's a way to alter the amount of pressure being applied. In some cases, some makeshift shimming will restore contact, but not with the 41's. I had one that worked only when the upper and lower halves were clamped together; I sanded the case halves, clamped it together and used 2-component epoxy to hold it together -- forever. That was about 15 years ago and it's still in service!
Glad i found this, my Fluke 12 has the same issue. I ended up in the same place, adding solder and also had to shave a 10th of a mil or less off each end of the elastomeric conductor strip. Still seems sporadic in use but at least i can now use the mode switch even if it takes a couple pushes
I got an HP DMM for free at a radio club swap meet. It read ohms just fine but when I measured the AC line as a quick test it read about 3 volts. Turned out that one of the 470 ohm input resistors was wide open. Replaced it with two 1k resistors in parallel pulled from an old Zenith ChromaColor II module and the volt range works just fine now. I don't expect it to be accurate down to the exact volt on higher measurements, but it's good enough for something I got for free.
You should tweak it with parallel resistors until you get the exact resistance you need. I did that with an old 1960s Heathkit capacitor tester I refurbished. I played with resistor values until I got what I needed instead of buying precision resistors. Just be sure to let them cool after soldering so they come back to room temp resistance value.
@@uK8cvPAq I suppose that is possible over time. Modern resistors are pretty good. If the temp it is used in extremely hot or cold environments it should be pretty good. It's better that one 470 ohm resistor that is way out. If you want/need lab grade gear than use the best of course. Most hobbyists do not need to measure a gnats fart in a tornado.
Also - the rubber button ripped off from the single piece, so I ended up gluing it with RTV (u could use whatever other glue) to the tactile board! That button doesn't have the "bounce back" feel to it, but it works just fine!
I have the same exact issue with the same exact meter, the good part is they are highly serviceable, the bad part is this happens on most of these. I have had zero luck as my Fluke 12 the ZEBRA Elastomeric Connectors are just deformed and bad I did fix the display that was missing digits but not all the buttons. So for me I am going to try and source a new strip which should get it all back and running I hope. Great vid ...
Had part of the display go blank on my DMM, same problem, so put a piece of polystyrene between the board and the back, so with the back screwed down it put just enough pressure on the board for it to make proper contact again with the strip.
It sucks when your favorite test gear "F"s up. I have a old DMM from the 80s and it is the type with piano key selectors. The locking mech for the resistor mode switch does not lock into place for selecting resistance mode any longer. Really ticks me off. Thinking about using velcro to hold it in place when I want resistance mode. I would try to repair the switch but it has like 30 pins on it that need to be desoldered. I am afraid I would do more damage trying to fix it.
Indeed, the conductive strips are an issue, but I once solved the problem with the selector switch in an other way, by resetting the meter. Press all the buttons at the same time, then switch the meter on. The meter electronically resets itself. Try this before opening the meter.
@@gerl9869 right but I had already tried long before doing the video. Tried when the meter started acting up and hence you saw my backup meter in a previous video that everyone commented on.
Why not replace the keypad zebra strip with some SMD pogo pins, like what Mill-Max sells (“spring loaded connectors” in the catalog)? I’d think they would fix the problem once and for all.
Not to be mean... but Fluke has been a "Standard" for so many years... an unreliable model or two opens the door for other vendors. There's plenty of decent meters out there. Heck, I still think that a Simpson 260 is invincible... so if my DMM flops, grab the Simpson.
ilove this model. easy to used and handled free. i have fluke 10 model but casing was crack now. but even if it was. it run smoothly and correctly by the way.. can i have that fluke..hehehe
5:50 ''None of the buttons are working'' lol, that's my issue NO BUTTONS work. I had a display problem a couple years back, I was able rectify that issue, but now my fluke 12 is useless again, as no buttons will function at all.
@@12voltvids Huh? Not sure if you're saying that you look up date codes all the time (and if so... so what?), or implying I don't have a life because I saw date codes (which is nonsense. I can read 4-6 digit numbers AND listen to a video at the same time!! :) ). But the main IC says "14 95" and the LCD says "940821", and the part numbers in this meter start with 855, so this is all indicative of an early 1995 manufacture for the meter.
@@tookitogo I didn't say it was 91, I said I got my ham licence in 91 and bought it at a flea market way back. I don't remember the exact date and don't bother myself looking up date codes or even looking at the chips because that was not the fault, and when someone has to go to the trouble to call me out because I didn't know the date the unit was manufactures stinks of troll and trolls really smell. Worse than my 19 year olds feet. 😁
12voltvids 1. At 13:00 you say you bought it at one of the first ham fests you went to, and expressly say “this woulda been 91-92, early 90s”. 1995 certainly doesn’t really count as “early”. Nothing about the ham license. 2. As a semi-pro youtuber, you should be smart enough to know the difference between commenting and trolling. Mine was a comment, an FYI, nothing more. Not “calling out”, not “trolling”. No idea why you are so incredibly on the defensive. I didn’t call you names or insinuate anything (as you have so petulantly done in response). Touchy, touchy... 🙄
@@tookitogo I got my license in 91 and went to several flea markets in those first few years and bought it at one of them for 10 or 12 bucks. Let's just say o bought it at least 25 years ago. Do you remember what date you bought something 25 years ago. There are some things that you remember and if you are old enough you will remember what you were doing. The day that Elvis died for example. I was in a motorcycle dealer buying my first bike. I remember the bald manager run out of his office and change the station on the radio in the showroom to the news station.
No hazard here. Just a failed connection on an interconnect between the select switch and the system. You are right there for tool condition though. If a tool is damaged it can be very hazardous.
You just helped me fix my Dad's Fluke 12. He passed away almost 21 years ago today. Thank you.
Time flies. I lost my dad in 2003
@@12voltvids Sorry to hear that. :-/
Picked up a non-working model 12 at a yard sale. A fresh battery showed almost no display and the buttons did not function. Thanks to you, I now have a working model 12! I appreciate you sharing!
I love the acoustics of your lab when plastic snaps are snapping back in place, it's just so satisfying.
Nice work! I've been wanting to add a Fluke 12 to my collection for quite some time, but I couldn't find yet one that is well-preserved and at a reasonable price.
That's a great fix..., never would thought building contacts with soldier!
You're always thinking outside the box.
I have this meter. I like to use it for the Capacitance function. I've had in about 20 years. It had this problem a few years back. I cleaned up the rubber insert, which fixed it. The problem comes back often. I've thought to add solder as you did. However, I have found that squeezing the outer case near the location of the rubber inserts gets it to work quickly.
Thanks for the video, it inspired me to take care of my Fluke 10. I bought it new in the summer of 98 and some years ago (5-10 perhaps) my display begun to misbehave and my two buttons had already died at some point, i did not really care as it was still doing exactly what i use it for. Now i have cleaned the connectors an fiddle around with the zebra strips and it turned out to work as in its glory days. Cheers.
I've got the same device and mine was doing the same thing! I tried adding some more solder like in the video, and it didn't help, but in the course of checking the connections and functionality of the button component (the rubber part with the buttons on it that is featured starting at 8:45 in this video) I realized that I was scraping away some built-up crud on the connections with my other multimeter tips, so I gave each one a little extra scratching to remove any gunk I could see and after putting it all back together it works perfectly now! Thanks for this video.
Smashing :-D, zebra strips are a known problem to most multimeters.
Maybe when you strip down spare/dead devices, saving the zebra strips would be a good idea.
I bet the fluke is still pretty dam spot on with measurements.
Thanks for this! The select switch on my 11 hasn't worked for years- the solder trick did the job for me.
Just brought my old fluke 10 back to life, thank you very much for this video!
It would be a fluke if it still works. It would be a fluke if it is accurate.
A good source of this Zebra strips is on Ebay search for "16-Character x 2-Line LCD Module" they have 2 rows of them which fit the Fluke :-) I repaired my Fluke 12 by stripping these down and just cut them to the length you need. They are only a couple of bucks.
Hope this helps.
I have the same issue with those zebra strips but it's my HP48G calculator that had issues.
What a PITA to take apart... Man.
Cheers,
The HP-41's sometimes developed similar problems. It's not a terribly durable way to connect two parallel surfaces, unless there's a way to alter the amount of pressure being applied. In some cases, some makeshift shimming will restore contact, but not with the 41's. I had one that worked only when the upper and lower halves were clamped together; I sanded the case halves, clamped it together and used 2-component epoxy to hold it together -- forever. That was about 15 years ago and it's still in service!
Cleaning with a cotton swab fixed my Fluke 12. Thank you for sharing!
I have 3 Fluke 12's. I bet I have cleaned the contacts and elastomeric strips a dozen tomes on them in the last 25 yrs.
Which is butter fluke 12 or 117?
I have tried to fix my C11 without success. Then I did as you did using solder. Success!! Thanks you so much.
$10? I paid $100 for mine (30 years ago). It's the best meter I've ever owned. Thanks for sharing...
Yes it is good and yes I paid 10.00 at a ham flea market. Only thing I have had to replace is the test leads.
I bought one in 1992 for $100 dollars.
Hehehe big deal.
Glad i found this, my Fluke 12 has the same issue. I ended up in the same place, adding solder and also had to shave a 10th of a mil or less off each end of the elastomeric conductor strip. Still seems sporadic in use but at least i can now use the mode switch even if it takes a couple pushes
I like the fix when you have to purchase nothing, good one.
Thanks for this. Cleaning the terminals fixed my select button failure!
I bought one in 1992 and it is still running great!
I got an HP DMM for free at a radio club swap meet. It read ohms just fine but when I measured the AC line as a quick test it read about 3 volts. Turned out that one of the 470 ohm input resistors was wide open. Replaced it with two 1k resistors in parallel pulled from an old Zenith ChromaColor II module and the volt range works just fine now. I don't expect it to be accurate down to the exact volt on higher measurements, but it's good enough for something I got for free.
You should tweak it with parallel resistors until you get the exact resistance you need. I did that with an old 1960s Heathkit capacitor tester I refurbished. I played with resistor values until I got what I needed instead of buying precision resistors. Just be sure to let them cool after soldering so they come back to room temp resistance value.
@@jp040759 Doesn't lots of resistors together cause more drift in precision circuits?
@@uK8cvPAq I suppose that is possible over time. Modern resistors are pretty good. If the temp it is used in extremely hot or cold environments it should be pretty good. It's better that one 470 ohm resistor that is way out. If you want/need lab grade gear than use the best of course. Most hobbyists do not need to measure a gnats fart in a tornado.
THANK YOU!. Fixed mine and learned something new following your method! Clever trick with adding more solder!
Also - the rubber button ripped off from the single piece, so I ended up gluing it with RTV (u could use whatever other glue) to the tactile board! That button doesn't have the "bounce back" feel to it, but it works just fine!
Man what an ingenious fix!
I did some research and that conductive strip is called a Elastomeric connector or zebra connector.
Yup. Commonly called a zebra strip. That's what I know them as. Great job.
I have the same exact issue with the same exact meter, the good part is they are highly serviceable, the bad part is this happens on most of these. I have had zero luck as my Fluke 12 the ZEBRA Elastomeric Connectors are just deformed and bad I did fix the display that was missing digits but not all the buttons. So for me I am going to try and source a new strip which should get it all back and running I hope. Great vid ...
Had part of the display go blank on my DMM, same problem, so put a piece of polystyrene between
the board and the back, so with the back screwed down it put just enough pressure on the board
for it to make proper contact again with the strip.
Thanks! This video helped me with a fluke 10 that had the same issues. Cleaned it up, and works again. Subscribed!
Great vid I was able to fix my meter from your instruction.Thank you
Good fix there. I wonder what the name of the rubber conductor is.
I have always called them Zebra Strips in the past...
It sucks when your favorite test gear "F"s up. I have a old DMM from the 80s and it is the type with piano key selectors. The locking mech for the resistor mode switch does not lock into place for selecting resistance mode any longer. Really ticks me off. Thinking about using velcro to hold it in place when I want resistance mode. I would try to repair the switch but it has like 30 pins on it that need to be desoldered. I am afraid I would do more damage trying to fix it.
Worked perfectly. A+ sir.
Wow $10 in 91 that's a good deal, was it end of the day everything must go pricing?
Google research shows its. Silicone Conductive rubber strip. Alibaba is where you can get them and cut them to size.
Indeed, the conductive strips are an issue, but I once solved the problem with the selector switch in an other way, by resetting the meter. Press all the buttons at the same time, then switch the meter on. The meter electronically resets itself. Try this before opening the meter.
That won't work if the conductive strip has lost its conductivity though. Reset will work if meter is locked up.
Indeed, about the conductive strips. But not always. A reset CAN help, like here when some knobs has lost their function.
@@gerl9869 right but I had already tried long before doing the video. Tried when the meter started acting up and hence you saw my backup meter in a previous video that everyone commented on.
Thanks, nice repair, that was creative.
Why not replace the keypad zebra strip with some SMD pogo pins, like what Mill-Max sells (“spring loaded connectors” in the catalog)? I’d think they would fix the problem once and for all.
Because that costs money and I am cheap. I like the no cost repairs.
Great job. How many years did this fix last ?
Still using the meter. Used it today.
Excuse me sir, do you have a case for that type of multimeter? if so, can i buy it from you? because I have the same unit but with a broken case.
Not to be mean... but Fluke has been a "Standard" for so many years... an unreliable model or two opens the door for other vendors. There's plenty of decent meters out there. Heck, I still think that a Simpson 260 is invincible... so if my DMM flops, grab the Simpson.
just got one $97 . Look brand new👍
Dave Your Mr. Fixit. 👍
ilove this model. easy to used and handled free. i have fluke 10 model but casing was crack now. but even if it was. it run smoothly and correctly
by the way.. can i have that fluke..hehehe
Fantastic.
5:50 ''None of the buttons are working''
lol, that's my issue NO BUTTONS work.
I had a display problem a couple years back,
I was able rectify that issue, but now my
fluke 12 is useless again, as no buttons will function
at all.
Wow a PCB made in the USA!
Fluke still makes most of its meters in USA.
YAY!
Nice Job
Nice
I love mine..
I doubt it was bought in 1991, since the component date codes are late 1994 to early 1995. ;)
Oh look we have someone that doesn't have a live looking up date codes.
@@12voltvids Huh? Not sure if you're saying that you look up date codes all the time (and if so... so what?), or implying I don't have a life because I saw date codes (which is nonsense. I can read 4-6 digit numbers AND listen to a video at the same time!! :) ).
But the main IC says "14 95" and the LCD says "940821", and the part numbers in this meter start with 855, so this is all indicative of an early 1995 manufacture for the meter.
@@tookitogo
I didn't say it was 91, I said I got my ham licence in 91 and bought it at a flea market way back. I don't remember the exact date and don't bother myself looking up date codes or even looking at the chips because that was not the fault, and when someone has to go to the trouble to call me out because I didn't know the date the unit was manufactures stinks of troll and trolls really smell. Worse than my 19 year olds feet. 😁
12voltvids
1. At 13:00 you say you bought it at one of the first ham fests you went to, and expressly say “this woulda been 91-92, early 90s”. 1995 certainly doesn’t really count as “early”. Nothing about the ham license.
2. As a semi-pro youtuber, you should be smart enough to know the difference between commenting and trolling. Mine was a comment, an FYI, nothing more. Not “calling out”, not “trolling”. No idea why you are so incredibly on the defensive. I didn’t call you names or insinuate anything (as you have so petulantly done in response). Touchy, touchy... 🙄
@@tookitogo
I got my license in 91 and went to several flea markets in those first few years and bought it at one of them for 10 or 12 bucks. Let's just say o bought it at least 25 years ago. Do you remember what date you bought something 25 years ago. There are some things that you remember and if you are old enough you will remember what you were doing. The day that Elvis died for example. I was in a motorcycle dealer buying my first bike. I remember the bald manager run out of his office and change the station on the radio in the showroom to the news station.
Great way to loose your life! Trusting a meter you knew at one point was not functioning correctly.
No hazard here. Just a failed connection on an interconnect between the select switch and the system. You are right there for tool condition though. If a tool is damaged it can be very hazardous.
I put the battery in backwards on one of them once. The blast was so big my dog ran away, and I never seen him since.