Fluke 8020B Teardown

This Fluke 8020B DMM dates from somewhere in the early to mid-80s and is an updated version of the 8020A, Fluke’s first handheld DMM. The eBay seller’s description said this one “would not power up”. However, when I installed a battery, it worked perfectly. Overall, the unit is in very good cosmetic shape, especially after a thorough cleaning. The button for the AC/DC selector switch was missing, but thanks to a friend at the EEVBlog.com forum, a spare has been fitted, making the unit complete.

Discussion of this topic can be found at EEVBlog Forum.

About modemhead

Fixologist and multimeter junkie.
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7 Responses to Fluke 8020B Teardown

  1. Rahul says:

    Hi,
    I’ve one 8020B with me. Was lying in my garage and its been a long time I guess since someone used it. Put in a new battery and powered it on. I was happy to find it turned ON and the display said BT at left corner with 0.00 reading. The continuity and 200M ohm resistance seems to be working. Unfortunately it takes no reading for voltage, ampere or diode test. Its shows zero in these case. What could be the possible issue? Thought I did ask first and see if its salavagable before binning it.
    Cheers.

    • modemhead says:

      At the heart of these models is a large ASIC chip responsible for analog-to-digital conversion and driving the LCD. All functions depend on it. If any one function works perfectly, then there is a good chance the chip is functional and the fault lies in an external component. Most likely causes are front-end components like the power resistors near the input, the PTC thermistor, and in this case, maybe the switches.

  2. Roger Bourdel says:

    Had an Oops with my 8020B. A troubleshooting result is the famous R2 1K WW resistor. Do you know of a source for that part? Thanks for your help on this matter.

  3. Leon Wright says:

    My 8020B has been my primary meter for 15 Years, always wondered what they looked like inside! I’ll have to hang it from the wall when my 121GW arrives!

  4. Gary Johnson says:

    I’m using your display replacement instructions for the 8020A on my 8020B. Is there any difference between the A and B on the 30 CCA solder pads connected to the display?

  5. John Sowadski says:

    Any tips on how to remove the buttons from the switches without breaking them? I’ve got the same missing AC/DC select button. I purchased a used meter for parts and I want to grab the button off of it but it seems locked on there.

    • Chip says:

      Found your post about a fluke 8020 and that you purchased one for parts.. I was wondering if you would be interested in selling a couple of the dark gray buttons. I am missing one and can’t find a replacement.

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