Mike Holt Enterprises Electrical News Source

New Fluke T6-1000 Electrical Tester

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Mike HoltElectrical safety is our key concern and I'm always looking out for information that will help keep the industry safe. The following article is about a new product which was brought to my attention and I felt it was worth passing along. I hope you find it has value.

FLUKE has developed a new product. Click here or on the image to watch the product demo. Here's what they say about it:

You can't measure voltage without test leads
The new Fluke T6-1000 Electrical Tester

FieldSense technology lets you slide the open fork over a conductor and see the voltage level.1

Be safer: Measure voltage to 1000 V ac through the open fork, without test leads.
Be faster: No need to open covers or remove wire nuts.
Be more efficient: Simultaneously measure voltage and current.
Be everywhere: 17.8 mm open fork is widest in the industry; measure up to 200 A on 4/0 wires (120 mm2).

1 Requires capacitive path to ground, provided through user in most applications. Ground connection via test lead may be required in some situations.

• • •

Our Comment: We wonder if it can determine the difference between ghost and real voltages? We didn't see anything in the documentation that addressed that. We did see information that just like non-contact voltage indicators that this works on capacitance but unlike the non-contact indicators the person using this device has to put his finger on a metallic contact on the meter to read the voltage. It also said that in some cases, where the user is not grounded, that you need a jumper from the contact on the instrument to something that is connected to the electrical grounding system. We don't see how this device could put a load on the circuit to eliminate ghost voltage indication.

If anybody has any experience with this product, please give us your feedback by posting a comment - it could be of great service to our industry.
Comments

  • Grave concern of 'grounding' user for capacity coupling. Interesting how marketing shows insulated gloves with leather protectors on worker yet manufacturer's instructions dictates grounding of user in some cases (250 volts and less I believe). Ghost voltage is one concern. Don't make the user a ghost.

    What about stored energy, as in the case of capacitors in much of the new equipment. Can't use a capacitor to measure a capacitor, requires inductive or resistance devices.

    NFPA 70E phase/phase and ground/phase testing to ensure absence of voltage. Can't be used in that task. Like all proximity testers it is a pretense of voltage indicator not an absence of voltage tester/meter. Knowing the limitation of all test instruments is key to worker safety.

    Robert S LeRoy CESCP CUSP  February 26 2019, 1:22 am EST

    • Reply from: Mike Holt   February 26 2019, 1:27 am EST
    Good point...

    Reply from: Pete E   March 8 2019, 3:06 pm EST
    I agree with you. The user in the circuit stops me period. If you wear your gloves and you have to use one lead to ground to get a reference why not use another lead to take the reading with your gloved hand? Many comments talk about the voltage variance compared to a regular voltmeter DVM. You have been in enough service panels to know the quality of the ground and bonding. If you have seen a panel with some corrosion or odd connectors why would you not expect odd results?
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