klein plug tester lcd screen free sample

I wanted to like this Klein RT250 circuit tester with voltmeter. It has a rugged build, fits nicely and feels good in the hand, and has bright indicator lights and blue backlit LCD status panel. What"s not to like?Well, the first day I got it I tested it on a few outlets (circuits) around the house, and it seemed to be operating well. Two days later, I took it out again to test a few more circuits and now, while the circuit configuration (Opens, Shorts, etc) appears to be working correctly, the voltage indicator is reading 150VAC where two of my multimeters are indicating 123-124VAC.I"ve tested the RT250 batteries with a multimeter while under device load and am receiving a nominal 3.2VDC reading, indicating that the batteries are fresh and not subject to undue loading by the RT250 electronics circuitry, so this rules out a low battery problem.But here"s where things get strange. When I plug the RT250 into a rheostat, I receive correct voltage (as verified by my multimeters) and correct circuit indication that I have an open ground (since the rheostat is isolated from ground). I also plugged the RT250 into an isolation transformer I recently purchased here on Amazon and modified so that ground is in fact, isolated, and again, I receive a proper reading on the RT250 showing proper circuit configuration (open ground) and proper voltage for a north-American residential supply.PUZZLING CONCLUSIONODDLY ENOUGH, I just ran around the house testing my receptacles one more time while trying to get a better understanding of the various readings I"ve been getting, and LO AND BEHOLD, the RT250 seems to be working perfectly once again. This is puzzling. I"ve done nothing different from when I was receiving the initial readings, except maybe removed the batteries for a period of time and reinstalled the same batteries (I am certain they are the same since they are the branded batteries that came included with the RT250, so there is no chance I replaced them with a set of my Duracell batteries that I have strewn about the area).So now I don"t know what to think. Could it be the hocus-pocus that goes on with these IC-chip based meters is overly sensitive to noise in the AC circuits? It"s been raining hard in SoCal, so maybe the Linemen are out there doing strange things to the power gride while they perform repairs? Is some device (e.g. my furnace) at my home feeding back into my circuits in some strange way? (I tested with furnace off and on during my second round of testing, and that does not seem to make a difference, so I am reluctant to suspect my furnace, but I do live near a hospital and in an area with Amazon distribution centers and a few industrial plants, but those didn"t seem to affect the (good) readings from two of my multimeters).I"m still within the return period, so I"m going to hang onto it for a while longer while I continue testing and will do my best to update this review with my final findings and conclusion.

Klein Tools Receptacle Testers are designed to detect the most common wiring problems in standard and GFCI receptacles. A convenient chart on the tester helps determine wiring condition in outlet,...

Klein Tools Multimeter Test Kit contains Cat. No. MM300 (Manual-Ranging Digital Multimeter), Cat. No. NCVT1P (Non-Contact Voltage Tester) and Cat. No. RT105 (Receptacle Tester). The...

The new Klein Tools’ ET20 Borescope can be quickly connected to your smartphone via the built-in WiFi signal, turning the smartphone in your pocket into a smart tool. Install the compatible...

The Klein Tools ET310 Circuit Breaker Finder with Integrated GFCI Outlet Tester is a digital circuit breaker finder used to locate the correct circuit breaker in a panel to which an electrical outlet...

The RT250 from Klein is an electrical receptacle tester that tests the wiring conditions at an electrical outlet and inspects GFCI devices. The LCD displays the voltage, identifies the wiring fault, and the time required to trip a GFCI device. It is designated for use with North American 3-wire 120V electrical outlets.

We’ll be focusing on Klein Tools’ 69355 kit, which currently retails for $50, and their 69149P kit, which currently retails for $40. Both kits come with a digital multimeter, outlet tester, and AC voltage detector.

I included this new Klein 3pc electrical testing tool set in my tool deals roundup page, as I though it was a particularly good value for what you get.

The RT105 only seems to be sold as part of electrical test kits. It looks to be a basic receptacle tester and does not have GFCI testing capabilities. It does have LED indicators and an on-tool diagnostic chart.

The NCVT3P tester has 2 detection ranges – 70 to 1000V AC and 12 to 1000V AC, while the NCVT1P detects from 50 to 1000V AC. Both have a CAT IV safety rating.

Klein describes the 3pc 69355 electrical tester kit as a premium kit. And, aside from the manual-ranging multimeter, you do Klein’s more premium voltage detector and a more-advanced-than-average outlet tester.

Between the two kits, the $50 gives you a marginally better multimeter, an outlet tester with GFCI tester (and LCD) – compared to one without this functionality in the $40 kit – and also a more premium voltage detector with built-in flashlight.

Note that both tests are “closed-loop” and will not tell you an “absolute” truth in terms of “color quality” or “color accuracy” as they may not show if your instrument is faulty/measures wrong (a profile created from repeatable wrong measurements will usually still verify well against other wrong measurements from the same instrument if they don"t fluctuate too much) or does not cope with your display well (which is especially true for colorimeters and wide-gamut screens, as such combinations need a correction in hardware or software to obtain accurate results), or if colors on your screen match an actual colored object next to it (like a print). It is perfectly possible to obtain good verification results but the actual visual performance being sub-par. It is always wise to combine such measurements with a test of the actual visual appearance via a “known good” reference, like a print or proof (although it should not be forgotten that those also have tolerances, and illumination also plays a big role when assessing visual results). Keep all that in mind when admiring (or pulling your hair out over) verification results :)

Your multimeter probably came with red and black wires that look something like the ones in Figure 4. These wires are called probes or leads (pronounced "leeds"). One end of the lead is called a banana jack; this end plugs into your multimeter (Note: some multimeters have pin jacks, which are smaller than banana jacks; if you need to buy replacement probes, be sure to check your multimeter"s manual to find out which kind you need). The other end is called the probe tip; this is the end you use to test your circuit. Following standard electronics convention, the red probe is used for positive, and the black probe is used for negative.

Although they come with two probes, many multimeters have more than two places in which to plug the probes, which can cause some confusion. Exactly where you plug the probes in will depend on what you want to measure (voltage, current, resistance, continuity test, or diode test) and the type of multimeter you have. We have provided one example in the images below—and you can check our gallery for a multimeter similar to yours—but since all multimeters are slightly different, you might need to consult the manual for your multimeter.

Most multimeters (except for very inexpensive ones) have fuses to protect them from too much current. Fuses "burn out" if too much current flows through them; this stops electricity from flowing, and prevents damage to the rest of the multimeter. Some multimeters have different fuses, depending on whether you will be measuring high or low current, which determines where you plug the probes in. For example, the multimeter shown in Figure 5 has one fuse for 10 amps (10A) and one fuse for 200 milliamps (200mA).

Figure 5. This multimeter has three different ports labeled 10A, COM (which stands for "common"), and mAVΩ. The fuse between mAVΩ and COM is rated for 200mA, which is a relatively "low" current. So, in order to measure small currents-or voltage or resistance (very little current flows through the multimeter when measuring voltage or resistance)—you plug the black probe into COM and the red probe into the port labeled mAVΩ. The fuse between 10A and COM is rated for 10A, so to measure high currents, you plug the black probe into COM and the red probe into the port labeled 10A.

Plug your black and red probes into the appropriate sockets (also referred to as "ports") on your multimeter. For most multimeters, the black probe should be plugged into the socket labeled "COM," and the red probe into the socket labeled with a "V" (it might also have some other symbols). Remember to check out our image gallery, the Multimeter Overview tab, or your multimeter"s manual if you have trouble identifying the right socket.

Figure 6. Measuring voltage across a lightbulb by attaching the multimeter probes in parallel. Current flow is represented by the yellow arrows. In voltage-measurement mode, the multimeter"s resistance is very high, so almost all of the current flows through the lightbulb, and the multimeter does not have a big impact on the circuit. Notice how the knob has been set to measure DC voltage (DCV) and the red probe is plugged into the correct port for measuring voltage (labeled "VΩ" because it is also used to measure resistance).

If your multimeter is not auto-ranging, you might need to adjust the range. If your multimeter"s screen just reads "0," then the range you have selected is probably too high. If the screen reads "OVER," "OL," or "1" (these are different ways of saying "overload"), then the range you have selected is too low. If this happens, adjust your range up or down as necessary. Remember that you might need to consult your multimeter"s manual for specifics about your model.

Plug your red and black probes into the appropriate sockets (also referred to as "ports") on the multimeter. For most multimeters, the black probe should be plugged into the socket labeled "COM." There might be multiple sockets for measuring current, with labels like "10A" and "mA". Note:It is always safer to start out with the socket that can measure a larger current. Plug the red socket into the high-current port.

Figure 7. Measuring the current through a lightbulb by attaching a multimeter in series. Current flow is represented by the yellow arrows. In current-measurement mode, the multimeter"s resistance is very low, so the current can easily flow through the multimeter without affecting the rest of the circuit. Notice how the knob has been set to measure direct current (DCA) and the red probe is plugged into the port for measuring current, labeled with an "A."

If your multimeter is not auto-ranging, you might need to adjust the range. If your multimeter"s screen just reads "0," then the range you have selected is probably too high. If the screen reads "OVER," "OL," or "1" (these are different ways of saying "overload"), then the range you have selected is too low. If this happens, adjust your range up or down as necessary. Remember that you might need to consult your multimeter"s manual for specifics about your model.

Plug your red and black probes into the appropriate sockets on your multimeter. For most multimeters, the black probe should be plugged into the socket labeled "COM," and the red probe should be plugged into the socket labeled with an "Ω" symbol.

Figure 8. Measuring the resistance of a lightbulb using a multimeter. Notice how the lightbulb has been disconnected from the circuit. The multimeter supplies its own small amount of current, which allows it to measure the resistance. Notice how the knob has been set to the "Ω" to measure resistance, and the red probe is plugged into the proper port to measure resistance (labeled "VΩ" since it is also used to measure voltage).

If your multimeter is not auto-ranging, you might need to adjust the range. If your multimeter"s screen just reads "0," then the range you have selected is probably too high. If the screen reads "OVER," "OL," or "1" (these are different ways of saying "overload"), then the range you have selected is too low. If this happens, adjust your range up or down as necessary. Remember that you might need to consult your multimeter"s manual for specifics about your model.

Plug your probes into the appropriate sockets. On most multimeters, the black probe should go into the socket labeled "COM," and the red probe should go into the same socket you would use to measure voltage or resistance (not current), labeled with a V and/or an Ω.

Touch two parts of your circuit with the probes. If the two parts of the circuit are electrically connected with very little resistance between them, your multimeter should beep. If they are not connected, it will not make a noise and might display something on the screen such as "OL," "OVER," or "1," which all stand for "overload." The easiest way to test this function with your multimeter is to check it with a single piece of conductive material (most metals) and a piece of non-conducting material, like wood or plastic. See Figure 9 for an example.

Figure 9. Using a multimeter to do a continuity test. If a conductive path is formed between the probe tips, the multimeter will beep. If the conductive path is broken (possibly due to a wire that has come loose in your circuit, or a bad solder connection), the multimeter will not beep. Notice how the knob has been set to the symbol for continuity and the red probe is plugged into the VΩ port (this port is not always labeled with the continuity symbol).

You might also need to take metric prefixes into account when reading the number from the multimeter screen. For example, suppose your screen reads "6.1" when you are measuring current with the "10A" setting. This means your current measurement is 6.1 amps. However, if the screen reads "6.1" when you have the current dial set to 20mA, this means you are measuring 6.1 milliamps.

If your multimeter is not auto-ranging, you might need to manually adjust your range. If your multimeter screen always reads "0," this might mean the range you have selected is too high. If it reads "OL," "OVER," or "1," the range you have selected could be too low. Each multimeter is different, so you might need to read your multimeter"s manual to find out what the display on the screen means. You can then adjust the range accordingly.