[Piffpaffpoltrie] had a problem. They found the InLine VA40R to be a perfectly usable multimeter, except for a couple of flaws. Most glaring among these were the tiny sockets for the test probes. These proved incompatible with the probes they preferred to use, so naturally, something had to be done.
The desire was to see the multimeter work with [Piffpaffpoltrie]’s connector of choice: the 4 mm Multi Contact banana plug from Stäubli. Swiss-made, gold-plated, and highly reliable, nothing else would do. The original sockets on the multimeter were simply too small to properly accept these, so to make them work, they were machined down, drilled, tapped, and then fitted with a short M3 screw which was then soldered in place. This short length of thread then allowed the new sockets to bolt right into the PCB in place of the original sockets.
Ultimately, many would just buy a new multimeter. This hack is a fiddly and time-consuming one, but it’s kind of neat to see someone go to such lengths to customize their tools to their own satisfaction.
We don’t see a lot of multimeter hacks, because these tools usually get all the necessary features from the manufacturer. Still, the handful we’ve featured have proven most interesting. If you’re tinkering away at customizing your own test gear, don’t hesitate to drop us a line!
It’s “Stäubli” not “Stabuli” (:
That’s their Italian branch.
(Fixed, thanks.)
Not Constantinobli?
[I’ll get my coat]
B^)
No, that’s Istanbuli.
It’s the “heavy metal” version. Umlauts make the word look angrier…
Safety freaks messed with bananas and tried to make them safe with molded on tubular ends and when you try to plug in a regular repairable banana plug it in goes in tight about 2mm. Thanks. Now I can’t get low ohms readings worth believing.
Umm well I’ve always just bought better probes on AliExpress. No need to modify the multimeter.
For the probes with sleeves, I just remove the sleeves from the probes.
The sockets themselves don’t require replacement as the meter leads I got from AliExpress fit nice and snugly.
I can confirm this for my vintage Micronta analog multimeter, my lesser vintage 90s Radio Shack digital table multimeter, and my late father’s super vintage Simpson multimeter
I still have no idea what happened, there are no pictures of the connection, and I’m unclear what the solder did, prevent corrosion of the brass threads?
“I had some brass M3 screws (3 mm dia.) in my junk box. […] After shortening (beheading) them I inserted them into the sockets no more as necessary and soldered them in place, for improved mechanical stability and reliable electrical contact”
I see some safety red flags here – that were there before the modification. Most notable is the fuse clip appears not to have an insulation barrier to keep an arc jumping to the 9 Volt battery.
I believe it is not worth the risk of trying to rescue this meter by redesigning the probe sockets. Meters are pretty inexpensive even for units with Category IIII or IV insulation ratings. You’re best off with recessed connectors designed to accept sleeved banana test leads. Those usually have to be molded into the shell of the meter.
The meter owner may be aware of the potential safety compromises, but someone else who uses the meter may not know. The owner could also be opened up to being liable if someone else uses the modified equipment and is injured.