I'm happy to hear the comments at 17:20 about the "back-rotate-till-click" approach to avoid making another set of threads with self-tapping screws. When playing "take-apart and fix" with kids and "broken stuff", that is usually the second lesson I teach. The first lesson is "the thing is already broken . . . what have you got to lose by opening it up and looking around." Keep up the good work!

1K open is the most common fluke fault. I've fixed at least 10 flukes over the years with the same problem, so when a fluke shows wrong numbers, the first suspected component is the 1k resistor.

Early HP calculators had studs for fairly long screws but were assembled with shorter ones. That way repair folks could use a longer one if the short ones stripped out.

Working at a local school I got a tea-chest full of non working Fluke 10, 11s and 12s out of the Fluke repair shop in Watford UK when they closed down. I got the vast majority working by cannibalising a few really bust up ones. The commonest fault was a misaligned silk screened lacquer layer on the back of the board that left a trace up the very edge of the board uncovered, along with a fault in the etching of that one trace that left a minute part of it extremely narrow compared to the rest. One leaky battery and the trace corroded through. It took a lens to see the break. once found easily fixed. I ended up with a class set, one for every pupil in my electronics class.

You just need to replace the old reflective sticker behind those lcd. Careful not to scratch the plastic polarizer too much while removing it and cleaning glue residue. I use thin aluminum tape as reflective material and they're just fine and nice. Needs to be applied carefully and cleanly though.

I am the proud owner of a wonderful Fluke 77 that my wife gave me for Christmas 1984. I had it repaired in the mid-1990s by Fluke after I tortured it with ~ 1500 volts input, but other than the occasional battery or fuse, it has served me well, and just like your 23, has held its calibration for all these years. Still my favorite multimeter...

I've had my fluke since early 80's and is still my go to meter and after watching this video now has the fluke 77 touch hold feature. Cheers Dave !!

I got my Fluke 23 back in 1993. Still use it today.

You're a braver man than I to take apart a 30 year-old zebra strip ;). This one looks like it was done right with big pads and shouldn't cause a problem, but I'm terrified of old LCD interfaces; if they don't fail on their own, simply breathing on them seems to give them enough excuse to fail, leaving some segments to never work again.

My Fluke 79 from 1984 still working! :-)

Hi David, have been watching your videos for already 4 years. Thanks for educational and entertainment videos. Have a good day!

I am still using my Fluke 75. Works fine.

Best he repair them, Fluke refuses to repair them. Our shop sent 3 DMMs to Fluke for repair and they all got sent back as non-repairable. I fixed one by removing the + lead socket from one and installed on the other. Been using it for 5 years now.

Let me repair that again, so you can see that this was in fact a fluke. Click out of Volts, Click out of Amps, bit of resistance on the Ohms, Beep on diodes, and we're in!

I received a Fluke 77 for my 17th birthday, and I still use it constantly. I'm 50 now.

"Shoulda been a 2-minute video, but... this is the EEVBlog."

Great meters those. Almost impossible to kill them except for getting them wet (used to use a 23 outdoors) but opened up and 15 mins on the van dashboard above the heater vents sorted that! Sadly lost my 77 last yer, left it on the car roof and drove off I think :(

Nice work Dave! Glad to see this vintage quality meter back in action.

I have Fluke 79 series 2 thats 35 years old now and been all over the world with me and still going strong on the same battery !(made that up) but they were built well....cheers.

Still got my 23, that had from my first job post apprenticeship. It was a parting gift when I was made redundant in 1987. Doesn't get used that often. I think I am on only the 3rd battery!

Yep still got my 23 fluke. And it still works well. Thanks for the look, good session.

Dave you’re a diamond, I have had a Fluke 70 series II for around 25 years, it failed and I purchased a Fluke 115 true RMS to replace it, anyhow I saw this video and guess what it was the 1k that failed on the 70 series and it’s now working again many thanks Dave da man 👍

My father’s 77 still works a treat, and has only recently been replaced in my tool box by a second hand 179 I picked up, mostly to spare the 77 from further field use where it might get damaged, it even still has the original probes and is in almost perfect condition.

Related... meter boots can somewhat easily cleaned. Remove from the meter, remove the tilt stand... then toss in the washing machine along with a load or two of work clothes! Don't put in the dryer. They won't come out looking new; but there'll be a most noticeable improvement! Also, if needed replacement 'Zebra' strips can usually be had on eBay. Cool videos, thumbs up, Thanks!

Incredible accuracy after so much time....very impressed..

Thanks for another great video. Back in the day, I bought a Simpson 260. Graduated to a Fluke 23, then a 87 and now a 233. All good and still working. I trust them, that's important.

Rookie mistake Dave, leaving batteries in stored unused gear. Good to see an old Fluke fixed, I love my old Fluke 25's. How many new meters come with schematics & service manual and can be easily fixed? Grand video....DA.

Yes, I am the proud owner of a Fluke 73 meter, and it works perfectly!

Hello Dave! I have bought fluke 78MD. It is still good, fast and precision. Thank you for your work! It is very big great and important!

i bought my Fluke 23, 20 years ago from a used electronics distributor, its still bang on, was my first real multimeter, does everything i ask for and is still in use on my bench every day

Cool! I love the NI Virtual Bench Multimeter overlay!

I still have my original Fluke 77/BT from 1987 when I joined British Telecom straight from school. Was allowed to keep it when I left, and it’s still going strong all these years later and sits in one of the tool boxes.

Awesome video! I had just got the service data for the Fluke 23 Series II and was starting into it when I came across your video. Mine was 26th week of 1993 so a couple of components were different. The 630mA fuse was blown but other wise was exact same repair, I followed along with your video, put in a 1K 2W resistor :D and bam all was good. Thanks for the video.

Also, although it could have been a 2 minute video, systematic troubleshooting is a great skill to have and teach. Don't just shotgun replace stuff until it works, figure out why it doesn't work!

Sweet vid! My first Fluke 23, that I still have, had a problem with the continuity function. It would latch on and not release after touching the leads together. Found a broken leg on a thermistor. Called Fluke and they sent me 3 for free! Winner winner! She still sits on my bench and gets plenty of use. 👍

Still use my Fluke 77 from 1988 every day. Shes done some miles but still works as good as new.

Nice to see the robustness and years and years stability of these kind of meters. This particular one (in this state) would be ideal for a general purpose tool-box. Nice job repairing it and extended it's life. 👍

Yup ! My ol 77 is still cranking out the correct numbers ! I'll bet it will still work for another 40-50 years !! As for the reamed out screw damage... Get a old wire coat hanger or use a small drill bit shank, that's the same size as the screw's shank to use as a mandrel . And wrap several layers of some plumbers teflon pipe tape, so it just fit's into the bad screw hole. Then remove the drill or wire while holding the tape in the hole, it should slip rite off because it's teflon !! Love this channel !!!

Among my collection of Flukes is a 29, which looks very similar to that one. Lovely meters way ahead of the rest when they came out.

My 1985 Fluke 77 is still my go to meter. I just know I can rely on it. I've always looked after it and it's still mint. I even have the original box and booklet somewhere.

Had the same fluke 23 meter since the mid to late 90’s. Still going strong and I blew the same 1k resistor when I connected it to the output of a variable frequency drive instead of the input. Accuracy is awesome when comparing it to modern meters. I’m pretty sure Big Clive has got one too

The 5:th of October (!) 1984 I bought my Fluke 77 for 1450SEK (inc VAT), in today's value it would be around 3427SEK which is about 392USD. My version of the Fluke 77 had an unfused 10A input and, despite this, I managed to keep it (and myself!) healthy through these years.

I have and still use a 73 which I won in a prize draw back in about 1991. I don't do all that much electronics so it has only needed a new battery once in all that time and no fuses but I do use it to test and check household wiring and the occasional bit of electronics diagnosis. No rubber bumper on it which always bugged me a bit but it is a truly reliable bit of kit.

Been using a 23 Series II for quite some years now. About 10 years ago I managed to blow the 1K resistor, forget what I did, so I figured I better reinstall a fusible resistor. I did order a fusible 1K from Mouser, but was in a hurry and whacked it in right over top of the dead 1K, lol. 10 years later still like that. I don't really do much electronics work / repair anymore, so it doesn't see as much use as it once did, but still works well. I actually got this Fluke for free, obviously second hand. My dad did automotive repair, and whenever he mentioned I tinkered with electronics, his co-workers always had something they hoped I could repair (everything from CRT TV's when they were common, treadmill, tube amps, sauna, all kind of stuff, lol) so he'd always be bringing stuff for me to work on. Occasionally they'd have old stuff laying around they'd give me for parts / reuse. One lot of items had this Fluke 23, which worked fine and I still use it many years later, think I got it with some old analog clamp meters and a voltage detection probe, which I also got some use out of and still do occasionally.

I'm loving the new lower thirds inserts in the video, great multimeter, my uncle has had one going strong forever, he had it for donkeys year.

One way to fix a stripped out hole for a self-tapper is to install a threaded metal repair insert. They are made specifically for replacing a stripped out thread.

30 years ago I got a fluke 73 for a pound (English) at a boot sale because it didn't work. it had the exact same fault as yours. stuck a 1K resistor in and I still use it.

I have a Fluke 73 original that I still use at least a few times a week and have for at least the last 30 years. Always used on the bench with the kickstand case. Looks like the day it was made.

You just saved my multimeter. When I saw the title of the video, I thought what are the chances that would be the same failure. Exactly the same 1k resistor

Nice fix =D I still use my Fluke 77!!

I bought my 77 back in 1983/4 and it's still my go-to meter :-)

I'll post it in case anyone is interested. It's nothing new, but if baking soda cleans my teeth, I thought why not clean the screen of my multimeter? Because it was somehow dulled. I could not see nF and uF, they were not selected. I sprinkled some baking soda powder into a wet wipe. I took the handkerchief in my palm and rubbed the screen. Unbelievably cleared up.

I had one of these Flukes I used in a large Toyota dealership, and it was my go-to tester and never let me down. Someone probably used it improperly and blew the protection circuit. Good to know that functioned as it should have and protected the meter from user error! I always liked the way you could rotate the selector dial with your thumb while holding the meter in your left hand. Meant you didn't have to use both hands to select a range. And I kind of liked the bar display below the digits for getting info fast kind of like an old analog needle meter like the Simpsons my dad had.

Beady mate! Love the Flukes and old 1k resistor!!!

Good old Fluke's, got like 3 of which a couple are 20+ years old. I've had to make a minor repair or two and maybe a blown fuse swap but they just keep ticking and just as accurate as the first day I got them.

can't beat FLUKE, I have several in various conditions, their always reliable if used properly. Good vid Thanks, from Kentucky

Hi Dave Ray Burke here. I have built lots of Heath kits with that simular input protection circuit. The Heathkit IM-16 with NPN transistors on the input with the collectors back to back and the bases were floating. The manual says the transistors were used as input protection. This circuit were used in the late 1960's to late 1970's/ This was in a Transistor VOM, I built it back then.

I pulled mine out of the drawer yesterday to check the accuracy off my 23, and yep dead on still.

I think the screen damage would be in the polarizing film - which is replaceable. The sun damage to the case can likely be fixed by applying peroxide and leaving in the sun for a day. The screw thread could be improved by chucking some super glue down there.

Yes they used ceramic bussman type fuses even back then

I have a small collection of heathkit meters, from bake lite to when the imports started, whenever that was. I like the Bakelite multimeters the best, accuracy is in the eye of the beholder.

I might have one of those meters. Maybe two. I still use some of my 70 series meters. Original fuse is ceramic. (EDIT: fuses for older models were glass, but filled with a material that appears to me to be silica) One meter I purchased had a small piece of heat shrink stuck in the screw hole to allow it to tighten. A bit "How ya doin'" but it worked. I haven't bought an LCD lately, but all I've seen are genuine. I found a guy selling large quantities a long time ago, and bought all I need. (and more, LOL)

I have been in the game for a very long time. I have never seen a meter like that, but that little resistor fixed the problem and it is accurate. No need to fix it any more.

To repair the stripped threads just put a bit of oil on the screw and fill the hole with hot glue and insert the screw, the oil allows the screw to back out when needed.

Use dry wipe marker to clean the permanent marker off, it often works.

I still use my Fluke77 series 2 but it was last calibrated in 1996. The case has a broken bit near the top and the rotator switch sometimes gets stuck. I got an EEVblog BM786 (which feels nicer to use) to replace it but now I use them both.

I have an old ex air-force Fluke 25 bought second-hand with a slightly damaged case - it is still the most accurate multimeter I own. I mostly use a second-hand 75 IV and 87 III though. All fantastic multimeters. eBay bargains. All needed cleaning up and the 25 needed the zebra strip to be cleaned to make the display clear.

The ohms path with the 10M resistor is a constant current source. The voltage across the probes is then proportional to the resistance under test.

Thanks to this video, I'm learning key repair points! Everything according to spec: no wukkas An electrical component : jobbie According to relevant BS/IEC standards: good enough for Australia

Can't wait to see the followup repairs to the Sir Sinclair electric chair

"31 years or more" - yeap, actually 32 years ;-) "or more" ;-) SUPERB

Great stuff 👍

Cool vidya mate, Cheers! 🍺

Very satisfying...

Hi Dave, nice video ! One of the lucky repairs !! You could try apply hydrogen peroxide in cream to the parts damaged by UV and then give it a shower of UV light... works like a charm !! Grettings from LU1XBO

in the mid-late 1970's we always used our needle nose pliers to scrape component leads before installing. Apparently, they all needed it back then.

Got the same type meter here on the bench, has issues where it keeps thinking a new battery is low and is failing, the shell is falling to pieces and when a good bit of gaffer tape clamps the shell together, it comes good. Also, this one seems to be made in 1992 (a year after I were born). Edit: mine's got the dual mov's instead of mov+spark-gap

Yes, still using my Fluke 73. My inverter was putting out 285v and blew the fuse.

For the stripped threads you can fill the pillar with metal loaded epoxy, drill out and re-form the thread (carefully, easy to snap the pillars if you are too gung ho). The pillars are probably too small to push a brass insert in with a soldering iron, you'd likely need to use a smaller diameter machine screw, and then you may need a washer on the head etc.

Going back to thru hole rotary switches would solve most of the range switch failures of PCB etched contact types.

I use my early 77 all the time, works well and no reason to replace it for 90% of the things I do now. Its funny when you said we all have a box of meters, as I glance at my box of meters in my office next to my scope. Now that I think of it, I have box in the house, a box of them in the shed, a few at work, and one in each car glove box with ODB-II scanners. I think I may have a problem. :)

I have a Fluke 70 II BNIB. I still use my Fluke 25 regularly, it's nearly 40 years old now with cracks starting to appear in the case.

Amazing job.. thank you for the video..

I still use my fluke 12 (series 10). Gorgeous piece of kit and none of this turny-knob rubbish ;)

i have one of these i bought from ebay years and years ago still great piece of kit same as this one . plus tbh there are still worth a right few quid more than you would think

I have that same meter that I bought sometime in the '80's for $169. It actually came with a yellow "rubber" holster to protect it from drops and bangs. Still works but I have a newer Fluke to read RMS which that one won't..

I still use my 73 that I bought while studying for my degree. I bought it around the time of the Back to the Future movie.

My 73iii still looks brand new

Some of our technishions still use their FLUKE 8060A. If the shielding is OK they are always in tolerance! We managed to source some cases. So they will live on for many Years!

i got several of the charcoal version like 20 of them that i sold on ebay for 50$ still got a few here. one thing the lcd screen dont like the canadian winter it break if send by mail by intense cold.

Nice piece of moldimeter

Nice video, thanks :)

'Everybody has a box of mustimeters don't they'! . Hey Dave a reality check I think, We don't all have boxes full of multi meters period. Don't forget there are people who don't have lots of money, But still have aspirations towards electronics, and are probably your main audience. So keep it real! regards Phil

I've got a US Army issue Fluke 27, bought cheap on surplus, with a similar (maybe identical) issue. Thanks for this; now I have a chance in hell of finding the fault. Then I'll not only have a nice Fluke multimeter, but a personal defense weapon! 🧱👍

great video

Came to watch Dave fix stuff, learned my Fluke 75 is a 77 in disguise. Mine looks to have all it's original ceramic fuses, including a spare of the smaller one.

nice video!

Could you use an insulation tester to test the MOVs? Seems like that would work and display the breakdown voltage also.

Dave you crack me up so much: all the electrons are gonna fall out. 29.95 that's good enough for australia.

Fantastic