Blew my fluke meter up last night

December 12, 2004, 09:39:35 AM

Microwave went bad, it would do everythng needed except make things HOT

All functions worked except for this so out to the workbench she goes. It went bad directly after heating up a frozen dinner for 35min. I thought ,humm, might be an easy problem to find.

I could not see anything burnt up and after checking switches i went to checkt he output of the transfromer which was connected to a .9uf capacitor. something told me to back off when the rating was 2100v but my meter was stamped to a rating of 2500v. the large capacitor charged / discharged with my meter set on ohms while i isolated it and read across both terminals. Im pretty certain the magnetron is bad cause the txfmr seemed to have output.

I gator clipped my ground lead to chassis ground and used the red to probe (ie-one hand troubleshooting keeps you safe). As my hot lead got close to the capacitor, a arch of electricity jumped from my meter to the cap.

Im not sure what is broke in my meter cause all the settings just show numbers that climb up then go back down. DC v setting just shows ZERO and does not change when hooked to a car bat. the diode function constantly goes beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep when diode setting is selected and meter leads not touching eachother.

you can pretty much tell the microwave was made during an era of pride in work. Manuf date 12/81, made by GE. Made in america,, full schematic specific to my model ect. inside had no rust along the seams like the newer ones get in just a couple years time. RIP oh great nucozapper, your gonna get stipped for all the cool parts you got.

hehe me gonna be playing around with that transformer to rig up a mini welder with the help of a high wattage recitifier and thats about it.

this sux cause im still chasing my bucking issue on the cougar and this is my only meter.
I need to check my tps again for an open, maybe ill use a small light bulb in place of the meter, it should be real dim but increase with intensity as i move the linkage or go out completely if there is a slight open.

just great,, and not chance of getting a new one anytime soon with money how it is around here for the past year and a half.