[volt-nuts] A Fluke 732A: Return it or keep it?

[Charles Steinmetz]

Joe wrote:

>What size batteries did you use for your external pack and where are you
>located?  In other words, how long can your external battery pack 'survive'
>keeping the 732A 'hot'?  Is the external pack recharged at Fluke or does it
>have to make a round trip on the initial charge?

We're all pretty much the same time from Everett -- from FedEx "last 
pickup" time to "first thing" delivery time.  Then there is probably 
some delay before the Fluke techs get it unboxed and plugged 
in.  Call it 18 hours from the East Coast, 15 hours from the West 
Coast.  Just to be sure, I put the crate and a 2500VA UPS in the car 
and drive to the FedEx depot so the 732A and the external battery are 
on AC right up to the time I seal it up and hand it over (around 9 or 10 pm).

I assume that Fluke plugs the 732A into the AC mains when it is 
received, so the internal battery is recharged.  The Fluke 732A-7003 
external charger has an AC line input and accepts four of the 732A 
battery modules, for 18-20AH auxiliary (depending on whether the 
battery modules have 4, 4.5AH batteries or 2, 5AH batteries).  I used 
two, 12v 20AH batteries and built an AC charger into mine, as 
well.  I presume they plug it in to recharge the external batteries.

>How did you make your case?

It is 1/2" birch plywood with birch plywood dividers (compartments 
for 732A, charger, and cables), padded with 3/4" closed-cell foam 
covered with heavy cotton ticking.  Corners, latches, and other 
hardware are common road case items.

>I ordered two of the connectors from Fluke using a P/N that one of the Fluke
>folks in their eCal facility gave me, noting that someone else had asked the
>same question a couple of weeks earlier, with Fluke Item# 2181497, described
>as '100-166, PLUG - MALE, HYPERTRONICS'.  They were $12.31 each (plus tax
>and shipping) and arrived as the shell only, no contacts.
>
>If Fluke solves their supply chain problem, I sure would like to get the six
>female contacts I need to make my connectors 'complete'.

I think what you'd probably get is four male contacts.  Male, because 
that is what comes with P/N 2181497.  Four, because the products that 
use that part only use two of the contacts and that is what Fluke 
supplies.  (The same is true of the 732A, so when they have a part 
number for that plug, it may also come with only two female 
contacts.  But two are all you really need.)

Best regards,

Charles