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Thermocouple connection question

G

Gavin Melville

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi,

Just got a Fluke 189, but cannot get the thermocouple adaptor locally
-- my question is can I make one ?. I have a Fluke thermocouple, type
"K", and this has two flat pins, one wider (-ve) than the other. Can
I just connect this to a meter, or do I hit metal problems. I guess
the cold junctions are inside the small yellow plug where the
thermocouple wires are welded to the metal pins.

Alternatively does anyone know what is inside the 80AK adaptor. I
can find references on the 'net showing meters connected to these
small plugs both with and without the adaptor.

Any bright ideas ?

TIA,
 
P

Pooh Bear

Jan 1, 1970
0
Gavin said:
Hi,

Just got a Fluke 189, but cannot get the thermocouple adaptor locally
-- my question is can I make one ?. I have a Fluke thermocouple, type
"K", and this has two flat pins, one wider (-ve) than the other. Can
I just connect this to a meter,
No

or do I hit metal problems.

Yes etc....
I guess
the cold junctions are inside the small yellow plug where the
thermocouple wires are welded to the metal pins.

No. 'Cold junction' is inside the thermocouple meter ( or adaptor
presumably ).

Alternatively does anyone know what is inside the 80AK adaptor. I
can find references on the 'net showing meters connected to these
small plugs both with and without the adaptor.

Any bright ideas ?

Buy a cheap Asian multimeter with a thermocouple input for $30 or less ?
They're perfectly acceptable and leave your Fluke to do better things !


Graham
 
C

CBarn24050

Jan 1, 1970
0
-- my question is can I make one ?. I have a Fluke thermocouple, type
you can but the tc wires don't solder.

the pins of the plug are made of the same alloy so there is no cold juction, a
juction occurs when the metals change usually atthe socket in the meter. If you
use "ordinary" metal for you adapter pins then you will create a cold juction
at that point and some more in the socket itself. This is not a problem as long
as all the juctions are at the same temperature.

Some tc adapters have all the signal conditioning circiutry inside them so they
can be used with a standard meter, I dont know if that applies to the 80ak.
 
C

CFoley1064

Jan 1, 1970
0
Subject: Thermocouple connection question
From: Gavin Melville [email protected]
Date: 9/13/2004 5:20 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id: <[email protected]>

Hi,

Just got a Fluke 189, but cannot get the thermocouple adaptor locally
-- my question is can I make one ?. I have a Fluke thermocouple, type
"K", and this has two flat pins, one wider (-ve) than the other. Can
I just connect this to a meter, or do I hit metal problems. I guess
the cold junctions are inside the small yellow plug where the
thermocouple wires are welded to the metal pins.

Alternatively does anyone know what is inside the 80AK adaptor. I
can find references on the 'net showing meters connected to these
small plugs both with and without the adaptor.

Any bright ideas ?

TIA,

I believe it's a standard miniature T/C connector, available from numerous
sources. If you can't find 'em anywhere else, try the Omega Engineering NMP
line, specifically NMP-K-M

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=NMP&Nav=temg03

They're $2.20 USD ea.

Good luck
Chris
 
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