I can't thank you enough for this. My Fluke 77 display became erratic a few months ago and so I bought a Klein meter that I disliked from the start. You switch it to volts and it goes to AC, arghh I always want DC. And on auto it is so really slow to read. So after all the frustration, I pulled my Fluke out of the drawer and got on TH-cam and found your video. 20 minutes later I have my Fluke back. I'll relegate the Klein to the drawer where it belongs until I need to check a capacitor. Thanks again.
A follow up on my comment from two weeks ago. After doing the cleaning procedure my beloved Fluke 77 display became erratic again. After trying numerous cleanings, I ended up carefully adding a dab of solder to each display tab on the circuit board. After doing this the display now seems rock solid operational. But time will tell.
Ive used isopropyl alcohol to clean these stips and board pads, evaporates instantly with no residue so doesnt seem to do any harm and so far has worked every time. Sometimes new strips are needed, sometimes you get an improved version from Fluke.
I was dubious about this fix. I have a fluke 79/29, but I followed the instruction to the letter. My screen was only showing 1/2 or less in the lcd display. Now it’s perfect , like new.👍, good job on the teach dude. P.S. I did use (almost dry )rubbing alcohol on the cotton bud. Thanks again.
my fluke 83 had that same problem, I am pretty sure the issue was the rubber reacting with the tin-lead solder on the LCD pads (why they weren't gold plated I don't know) and producing lead sulfate. The fix would last a year or two and the segments would start failing one by one again. Eventually I discovered you could get a permanent repair kit which had a better zebra strip which provides a lot more force and is white/black vs. the pink/black kind. 5 years later and it hasn't failed again.
@@aqib2000 look on ebay for "fluke display repair" or similar. that's where I got it from. It's usually two new zebra strips that are slightly taller and white/black instead of pink/black.
That fluke 12 is a good old meter, i know you have had it for a long time. Reliable and i bet still accurate. Those conductive strips are in every handheld multimeter i've ever seen. And they all play up, replacing the strip may help. The other meter you talked about is apparently typical for that plastic clamp going bad, i thought having the main processor held down in a clamp a very silly idea.
Good for you, having the patience to do this repair. My video about this meter would be me running over it with my truck to fix it, LOL. You are absolutely correct not to use any cleaners. I attempted the same repair on an old Radio Shack digital meter that I paid way too much for back in the day. I managed to clean up the contacts on the display, but then ruined the CMOS meter chip with static from the cleaning process. The static damage was probably from the cleaners I used.
The same thing happened to me with my Fluke 28 II about 3 years back when I had purchased it in like new condition from a second-hand store. It was even still in the box with the warranty papers and everything still included!. Even though I had purchased it from a second-hand store and believe that was the reason why it was there I could have had still sent it back to fluke for warranty but I did not feel like losing my meter for 4-6 weeks to do so I decided to try this fix on it and it not only worked fantastically it allowed me my excuse to go pervert on new piece of test gear anyways!.
Dave, Thanks a lot for this information. I've got an old Radio Shack meter with this exact same problem. It has received very little use. It would be great if I could get it working again. So, I'll have to try out your repair. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and have a happy 2019! Regards, Tom
Pink pearl eraser works great for cleaning those types of contacts. I keep one in all my tool bags. If I don't have my tool bag handy I look for a #2 pencil with a pink eraser. Used those for years and fixed many a problem by just erasing it, haha 😀 Looks like a fun upcoming project, looking forward to seeing that.👍
Right used to use those to clean edge connectors in the module days of TVs. Also to clean cards for computers before installing them. Be sure to use grounding strap on those jobs.
I like Yorx, they're underrated and un-appreciated...I had that clock radio with the cassette in it, used it at least 10 years...I have a Yorx Boombox that has amazing stereo separation and awesome AM DX. ~Jack, VEG
I spent all day fixing this one. Getting the display nice and bright again and adding bluetooth and an aux plug. (Can't have one without the other) put a new bulb on the tuning dial. Went up stairs to go to bed. The first one I did last year, the display went out on it. What a coincidence. So there will be 2 of them up soon.
Have the same issue with my outdoor digital timers for my Christmas lights. I worked on one this year but I did use some 70% alcohol. Seems to be ok but they will be getting replacing in the next few years with smart plugs.
They're often called "zebra strips" in LCDs, because of the dark/black and light/white striping in them. The dark sections are carbon loaded, which is conductive of course.
I've never run in to bother using ispropanol on the zebra-strips, and *gently* rubbing the pcb pads with a fiberglass pen. Lots of LCD displays suffer from these issues. I was surprised to see that fluke has solder on the pads rather than gold plating, but I guess since the pads are not wiped by other metal contacts, it is an adequate solution.
Nice tip, watching with Premium now. To what extent have you repaired Fluke equipment? Could you repair a Fluke DTX-1800 and or it's associated modules? I'm deeply interested in buying one but don't have the money to shell out for it so I'll probably have to end up buying a "not working for parts" unit and have it repaired. Dunno, just asking to what extent/knowledge you have with such Fluke equipment. :)
My Fluke T5-600 won't read one number on the display,everything was ok,just suddenly lost the number,,An interesting thing is that the Fluke Company has done a hermetic box,for protection against water,,it is impossible to open the instrument without damage and fix the display,unfortunately ended up in the trash. ,I write this as a professional, giving my negative experience to help others who intend to buy this instrument.Thanks Fluke and I finished with them
That’s crazy. Never knew the Fluke worked like this. Curious, did anything come off in the swab? In the video it didn’t look like it but I might have just been because of the light.
Do you know anything about what might cause all of the lcd segments to display at once? I can't find any information so far and repair costs put that out of the question.
I actually had 2 Beckman meters, both did the same thing. I should show it off. I started to make a video about it years ago but I don't think I finished it off because I didn't fix it.
@@12voltvids In my case, I need to figure out where to get parts - or find a "hack" to fix it. I can deal with electronic issue. Things involving mechanical ingenuity is a bit harder for me.
I used 99 % for years on tin type and gold connections on equipment that were in harsh environments and never had issues with it damaging connections or components. I didn't go excessive or aggressive around rubber for fear of drying it out.
@@12voltvids You misunderstood. I was wondering where you can buy them at? I think I need one for a thermometer/hygrometer that got damaged by battery leak and I think the strip got trashed. I really like the unit and would like to revive it. I cleaned it with alcohol also. Based on your comments in the vid it sounds like that might kill them also.
@@jp040759 I don't know now. Main electronics used to carry it but they closed their doors after the owner passed away. His son didn't want to carry the torch.
Lifetime of the device. So when it breaks they say sorry. Lifetime warranty is done. Unit at end of life. All manufactured have that out. I once tried to make a claim on a rewritable DVD ram disk that had a "lifetime" warranty. The disk was barely a year old and was being used in a security recorder that was constantly writing and erasing the disk. The manufacture was not told what the disk was used for when the claim for the 30.00 disk was made when it failed. They said the lifetime warranty was for the lifetime of the product and it had reached the end of its life and was not covered. They all have an out.
Lucky you. I haven't been so lucky when I have made claims. Actually the only time a manufacture replaced something under warranty was a defective CFL light bulb, and they shipped it Fed Ex. 3 weeks after the new bulb arrived I got a bill for 37.50 from Fed Ex for broker charges and tax on the broker charge. When I disputed it they refused to credit me, and sent it to collections so I had to pay more in charges for the replacement then the original cost. It was a big bulb that probably cost 15 but it burned out after 6 months and the free replacement wasn't free after all.
I don't think it even crossed their mind that there would be import duties on a warranty replacement. Had they shipped it by post there wouldn't have been any. Fed Ex, UPS and DHL all charge broker fees even on tax free items entering Canada. They charge a fee to do the paper work of typically 25.00. Then that 25.00 is subject to GST or 1.75, and PST of 1.25. So now there is 3.00 tax owing. So then they pay the 3.00 in tax and add an additional 10.00 loan fee, also subject to tax, so another 1.20. So now now you are at 39.20 in charges because they provided a "service" to clear the paperwork which is unnecessary. Canada post doesn't do it. Not unless the item is declared at over the limit. That used to be 20.00, but it is going up to 200. It doesn't matter with fedex, dhl or ups those as they will continue to do paper work and charge. That is how they make money. I have items now that were sent to me to do evaulation videos on, that the shipper sent by DHL and they have taxes owing. They are sitting at DHL not delivered as I am refusing the bogus fraudulent charges. I told them they can ship them back to china as I am not paying the charges.
I can't thank you enough for this. My Fluke 77 display became erratic a few months ago and so I bought a Klein meter that I disliked from the start. You switch it to volts and it goes to AC, arghh I always want DC. And on auto it is so really slow to read. So after all the frustration, I pulled my Fluke out of the drawer and got on TH-cam and found your video. 20 minutes later I have my Fluke back. I'll relegate the Klein to the drawer where it belongs until I need to check a capacitor. Thanks again.
A follow up on my comment from two weeks ago. After doing the cleaning procedure my beloved Fluke 77 display became erratic again. After trying numerous cleanings, I ended up carefully adding a dab of solder to each display tab on the circuit board. After doing this the display now seems rock solid operational. But time will tell.
I have done that before.
I followed your procedure and now my 73 works great Thank You.
Ive used isopropyl alcohol to clean these stips and board pads, evaporates instantly with no residue so doesnt seem to do any harm and so far has worked every time. Sometimes new strips are needed, sometimes you get an improved version from Fluke.
I was dubious about this fix. I have a fluke 79/29, but I followed the instruction to the letter. My screen was only showing 1/2 or less in the lcd display. Now it’s perfect , like new.👍, good job on the teach dude. P.S. I did use (almost dry )rubbing alcohol on the cotton bud. Thanks again.
I always learn something new from your videos.
my fluke 83 had that same problem, I am pretty sure the issue was the rubber reacting with the tin-lead solder on the LCD pads (why they weren't gold plated I don't know) and producing lead sulfate. The fix would last a year or two and the segments would start failing one by one again. Eventually I discovered you could get a permanent repair kit which had a better zebra strip which provides a lot more force and is white/black vs. the pink/black kind. 5 years later and it hasn't failed again.
Link or it didn't happen!
@@aqib2000 look on ebay for "fluke display repair" or similar. that's where I got it from. It's usually two new zebra strips that are slightly taller and white/black instead of pink/black.
That fluke 12 is a good old meter, i know you have had it for a long time.
Reliable and i bet still accurate.
Those conductive strips are in every handheld multimeter i've ever seen.
And they all play up, replacing the strip may help.
The other meter you talked about is apparently typical for that plastic clamp going bad, i thought having the main processor held down in a clamp a very silly idea.
Good for you, having the patience to do this repair. My video about this meter would be me running over it with my truck to fix it, LOL. You are absolutely correct not to use any cleaners. I attempted the same repair on an old Radio Shack digital meter that I paid way too much for back in the day. I managed to clean up the contacts on the display, but then ruined the CMOS meter chip with static from the cleaning process. The static damage was probably from the cleaners I used.
Aerosol cleaners actually produce some very high static induced voltages when they are released. They can damage sensitive equipment.
The same thing happened to me with my Fluke 28 II about 3 years back when I had purchased it in like new condition from a second-hand store. It was even still in the box with the warranty papers and everything still included!. Even though I had purchased it from a second-hand store and believe that was the reason why it was there I could have had still sent it back to fluke for warranty but I did not feel like losing my meter for 4-6 weeks to do so I decided to try this fix on it and it not only worked fantastically it allowed me my excuse to go pervert on new piece of test gear anyways!.
Dave,
Thanks a lot for this information. I've got an old Radio Shack meter with this exact same problem. It has received very little use. It would be great if I could get it working again. So, I'll have to try out your repair.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and have a happy 2019!
Regards, Tom
Awesome. Just fixed my Fluke 77 with the same problem. Thank you for the great tip.
Thank you for all your videos , great
Pink pearl eraser works great for cleaning those types of contacts. I keep one in all my tool bags. If I don't have my tool bag handy I look for a #2 pencil with a pink eraser. Used those for years and fixed many a problem by just erasing it, haha 😀 Looks like a fun upcoming project, looking forward to seeing that.👍
Right used to use those to clean edge connectors in the module days of TVs. Also to clean cards for computers before installing them. Be sure to use grounding strap on those jobs.
Old Nokia mobile phones had this same rubber strip, I repaired so many Back in the day, very common fault.
I was gonna comment on this in your last video. I noticed it was going out.
Yes I started noticing it a few weeks ago.
Great tip Dave,,, thanks man.
Merry Christmas!
I like Yorx, they're underrated and un-appreciated...I had that clock radio with the cassette in it, used it at least 10 years...I have a Yorx Boombox that has amazing stereo separation and awesome AM DX. ~Jack, VEG
I spent all day fixing this one. Getting the display nice and bright again and adding bluetooth and an aux plug. (Can't have one without the other) put a new bulb on the tuning dial. Went up stairs to go to bed. The first one I did last year, the display went out on it. What a coincidence. So there will be 2 of them up soon.
Great video, looking forward to the two dollar radio upgrade! Christopher from the UK
You saved my fluke 16 multimeter.
Thank you man
Have the same issue with my outdoor digital timers for my Christmas lights. I worked on one this year but I did use some 70% alcohol. Seems to be ok but they will be getting replacing in the next few years with smart plugs.
Good to know!!! Thanks!!!
Thank you for all the informative videos you produce! Happy New Year!
Nice fix on video as always
When it messes up, it's a fluke.
Interesting repair. I never had that brand. Maybe one day.
Well, that solved the problem I had with my trusty old fluke 12 thanks heaps sir.
Nice tip I have a 337 and a 87v thanx
They're often called "zebra strips" in LCDs, because of the dark/black and light/white striping in them. The dark sections are carbon loaded, which is conductive of course.
Love this ship thank you always like your videos keep them coming
That is good to know Dave, thank you. I own several meters but none are a fluke, same principle I'm sure.
I've never run in to bother using ispropanol on the zebra-strips, and *gently* rubbing the pcb pads with a fiberglass pen. Lots of LCD displays suffer from these issues.
I was surprised to see that fluke has solder on the pads rather than gold plating, but I guess since the pads are not wiped by other metal contacts, it is an adequate solution.
Had the same problem with the one i got from radio shack..
Nice tip, watching with Premium now. To what extent have you repaired Fluke equipment? Could you repair a Fluke DTX-1800 and or it's associated modules? I'm deeply interested in buying one but don't have the money to shell out for it so I'll probably have to end up buying a "not working for parts" unit and have it repaired. Dunno, just asking to what extent/knowledge you have with such Fluke equipment. :)
The only fluke meter I own is this one, and it is the only one I have repaired.
My Fluke T5-600 won't read one number on the display,everything was ok,just suddenly lost the number,,An interesting thing is that the Fluke Company has done a hermetic box,for protection against water,,it is impossible to open the instrument without damage and fix the display,unfortunately ended up in the trash. ,I write this as a professional, giving my negative experience to help others who intend to buy this instrument.Thanks Fluke and I finished with them
That’s crazy. Never knew the Fluke worked like this. Curious, did anything come off in the swab? In the video it didn’t look like it but I might have just been because of the light.
Excellent video. Great job
Do you know anything about what might cause all of the lcd segments to display at once? I can't find any information so far and repair costs put that out of the question.
merry Xmas dave and happy new year
I've got a different Fluke that's got the same problem that you described with your Beckman. Plastic clips are broken.
I actually had 2 Beckman meters, both did the same thing. I should show it off. I started to make a video about it years ago but I don't think I finished it off because I didn't fix it.
@@12voltvids In my case, I need to figure out where to get parts - or find a "hack" to fix it. I can deal with electronic issue. Things involving mechanical ingenuity is a bit harder for me.
So you don't recommended isopropyl niether?
Why would you need it?
@@SinsBird for cleaning and degreasing? You never know...
I used 99 % for years on tin type and gold connections on equipment that were in harsh environments and never had issues with it damaging connections or components. I didn't go excessive or aggressive around rubber for fear of drying it out.
Do you know if you can you buy lengths of new zebra stripes anywhere?
Yes I know you can buy it, but there is nothing wrong with this one, they just get oxidized.
@@12voltvids You misunderstood. I was wondering where you can buy them at? I think I need one for a thermometer/hygrometer that got damaged by battery leak and I think the strip got trashed. I really like the unit and would like to revive it. I cleaned it with alcohol also. Based on your comments in the vid it sounds like that might kill them also.
@@jp040759
I don't know now. Main electronics used to carry it but they closed their doors after the owner passed away. His son didn't want to carry the torch.
@@12voltvids Thank you. Happy New Year
I wonder if the boiling belt trick would work on those zibra strip rubbers
Typically wiping them off and wiping off the lead tinned connectors on the PC board fixes it for years.
I never liked those zebra strips on displays for this reason, and if they come out that's it(I may be wrong), I prefer hard wired displays.
Do u service a Fluke 77 the same way? Thanks again.👍👍
I just discovered information about the polorizing film replacement.
Happy New Year
Why are there two strips?
Alcohol will work?
I wouldn't put anything on it myself.
Maybe he meant if you drink some! ;-)
@@gartmorn
I'll try that and get back to you.
i used a pencil eraser and rub it slightly on the contact surface, then making sure the eraser debris removed afterwards.
OK is a red
All my Fluke stuff has a lifetime warranty why fix it yourself
Lifetime of the device. So when it breaks they say sorry. Lifetime warranty is done. Unit at end of life. All manufactured have that out. I once tried to make a claim on a rewritable DVD ram disk that had a "lifetime" warranty. The disk was barely a year old and was being used in a security recorder that was constantly writing and erasing the disk. The manufacture was not told what the disk was used for when the claim for the 30.00 disk was made when it failed. They said the lifetime warranty was for the lifetime of the product and it had reached the end of its life and was not covered. They all have an out.
I have just had a 35 year old pair of Lindstrom diagonal cutters replaced without question. so it does happen thank you Lindstrom !
Lucky you. I haven't been so lucky when I have made claims.
Actually the only time a manufacture replaced something under warranty was a defective CFL light bulb, and they shipped it Fed Ex. 3 weeks after the new bulb arrived I got a bill for 37.50 from Fed Ex for broker charges and tax on the broker charge. When I disputed it they refused to credit me, and sent it to collections so I had to pay more in charges for the replacement then the original cost. It was a big bulb that probably cost 15 but it burned out after 6 months and the free replacement wasn't free after all.
That I agree is not in the spirit of the warranty, and they should have advised you before shipping
I don't think it even crossed their mind that there would be import duties on a warranty replacement. Had they shipped it by post there wouldn't have been any. Fed Ex, UPS and DHL all charge broker fees even on tax free items entering Canada. They charge a fee to do the paper work of typically 25.00. Then that 25.00 is subject to GST or 1.75, and PST of 1.25. So now there is 3.00 tax owing. So then they pay the 3.00 in tax and add an additional 10.00 loan fee, also subject to tax, so another 1.20. So now now you are at 39.20 in charges because they provided a "service" to clear the paperwork which is unnecessary. Canada post doesn't do it. Not unless the item is declared at over the limit. That used to be 20.00, but it is going up to 200. It doesn't matter with fedex, dhl or ups those as they will continue to do paper work and charge. That is how they make money.
I have items now that were sent to me to do evaulation videos on, that the shipper sent by DHL and they have taxes owing. They are sitting at DHL not delivered as I am refusing the bogus fraudulent charges.
I told them they can ship them back to china as I am not paying the charges.