ToolGuyd

Tool Reviews, New Tool Previews, Best Tool Guides, Tool Deals, and More!

  • New Tools
  • Reviews
  • Guides
    • Best Cordless Power Tool Brand
    • Tool Brands: Who Owns What?
    • Best Cordless Drills (2021)
    • Dewalt UWO Explained
    • Where to Buy Tools
    • Best Tool Kit Upgrades
    • Best Extension Cord Size
    • Best Tape Measure
    • Best Safety Gear
    • Best Precision Screwdrivers
    • Best Tool Brands in Every Category
    • Ultimate Tool Gift Guide
    • More Buying Guides
  • Hand Tools
    • Bit Holders & Drivers
    • EDC, Pocket, & Multitools
    • Electrical Tools
    • Flashlights & Worklights
    • Knives
    • Mechanics’ Tools
    • Pliers
    • Screwdrivers
    • Sockets & Drive Tools
    • Wrenches
    • All Hand Tools
  • Power Tools
    • Accessories
    • Cordless
    • Drills & Drivers
    • Oscillating Tools
    • Saws
    • Woodworking Tools
    • All Power Tools
  • Brands
    • Bosch
    • Craftsman
    • Dewalt
    • Makita
    • Milwaukee
    • Ryobi
    • All Brands
  • USA-Made
  • Deals
ToolGuyd > New Tools > Fluke Condition Monitoring Sensors

Fluke Condition Monitoring Sensors

Jul 22, 2016 Stuart 4 Comments

If you buy something through our links, ToolGuyd might earn an affiliate commission.

Fluke Condition Monitoring Family

Fluke Connect tools are very handy connectable tools that can share measurement data between various test and measurement tools and your smartphone. It’s an evolving system, and I believe Fluke has been heading in the right direction.

Earlier today I received an email introducing Fluke Condition Monitoring tools, which looks to be a side branch from the Tool Connect system.

Advertisement

The tools look to do much of the same things, but are more designed as left-in-place sensors.

This makes a lot of sense, from both functionality and cost standpoints. While there isn’t much technical or sales data available, I’m going to guess that the new sensors, which don’t look to have any built-in displays, will cost less than comparable multimeters.

Plus, you can use Fluke tech and sensors that you already own – such as iFlex current clamps, other current clamp leads, and probes.

Fluke Connect and Condition Monitoring Sensors

This diagram shows the intent differences between Fluke Connect and Fluke Condition Monitoring tools.

Whereas Fluke Connect tools can communicate with your smartphone, it looks like a gateway is needed to connect the monitoring sensors to the “Fluke Cloud.”

Advertisement

Here’s what you can measure:

  • AC and DC voltage
  • AC and DC current
  • Temperature

Measurements can be taken and recorded as frequently as once per second, for “over a month at a time.”

You can receive real-time alerts via text messages or emails when readings go beyond pre-set parameters.

For example, let’s say you have a motor that optimally runs at 85°. Having temperature, voltage, and current sensors, or a combination of sensors, can give you a picture of what’s going on.

Fluke Connect tools are useful for diagnosing problems as they arise, and for gathering routine measurements to establish a baseline, but it seems like the monitoring sensors could tell you when a problem occurs. To my understanding, it can also provide you with a short history of measurements, which might help to paint a clearer story.

This is how I’m understanding the system, forgive me if I’m wrong. I’m pairing together limited information with how I understand the current Fluke Connect system works.

You could potentially use Fluke Connect tools in a similar manner, to log measurements over time, but I don’t think that’s how they’re meant to be used.

Fluke also says:

Best of all, it installs in a matter of minutes so you can place the sensors, diagnose an issue, and move on to the next piece of equipment.

That part confuses me, as the purpose of pre-set parameters and alarms is more congruent with leave-in sensors, and not test-and-go sensors. Diagnose-and-move-on seems to be better suited for the Fluke Connect tools.

This part of their product discussion makes more sense to me:

Each wireless sensor sends measurements every second, giving you a history of equipment performance before, during and after an event, allowing you to make preventive maintenance decisions.

That’s exactly what I imagined Fluke Condition Monitoring was meant for when I first opened the announcement email.

Several sensors are launching with the new line, all being aimed towards industrial applications.

As an aside, wouldn’t it be interesting if Fluke followed Flir, one of their competitors, and entered the consumer equipment market? There is a lot of potential there, for various sensors around the home. I’d love to see Fluke water, temperature, voltage, and current sensors that could be placed around the home and set to ping my smartphone if conditions went outside normal limits.

Fluke Condition Monitoring Products:

  • AC voltage sensor, 3510 FC
  • DC voltage sensor, 3511 FC
  • AC current iFLex sensor, 3520 FC
  • DC 2000A current sensor, 3521 FC
  • K-Type temperature sensor, 3530 FC
  • Gateway, 3501 FC

The gateway can stream data from up to 10 Fluke 3500-series sensors to the Fluke Cloud, via a wired or wireless network connection. It can store up to 3 months of measurement data, for disconnected applications.

The gateway also has a WiFi interface and can communicate with Android and iOS devices via the Fluke Connect app.

It has a Li-ion battery backup, in case of power disruptions.

More Info(via Fluke)

Related posts:

Fluke PTi120 Pocket Thermal Imaging CameraFluke Pocket Thermal Imaging Camera Amazon Commercial Heavy Duty Digital MultimeterAmazon Commercial Electrical Tools – Multimeters, Testers, More

Sections: New Tools, Test & Measurement Tags: clamp metersMore from: Fluke

« The Kreg Clamp Vise
Dewalt FlexVolt vs. Milwaukee M18 High Demand, Which is Better? »

4 Comments

  1. N

    Jul 22, 2016

    Fluke tends to make great products but I wish other companies would compete with them in the high-end DC & low frequency test & measurement market. They have a monopoly now and their prices reflect that. It’s like TI still charging $100 for a ti-89 graphing calculator that hasn’t changed since the 90s just because they can.

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Jul 22, 2016

      Agilent and Flir post some competition at the higher end of things, and there other brands that compete with their lower and mid-range tools.

      Reply
      • N

        Jul 22, 2016

        Danaher Corp has bought up all of Fluke’s competition in the higher-tend T&E market, and Agilent (Keysight)’s products that compete in the same market are based on still superior 80’s/90’s sampling technology. There really hasn’t been any innovation in this space since the 90s and I believe that is probably due to lack of competition. Sure, they’ve added bells & whistles (wifi, connectivity), and digitization has allowed them to convey more information about the measurements the device makes, but the core technology hasn’t changed much.

        Reply
  2. Nathan

    Jul 25, 2016

    Interesting idea but I don’t so much like information going to someone else’s cloud. Our IT crew wouldn’t allow that here, but otherwise it’s not a bad idea.

    I’d prefer to buy just the sensors that send data over a standard format already known – and then distribute that as I need/desire.

    but I can see how for some people this is a far easier thing to live with. cost is steep though.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Newsletter

Sign up to receive the latest tool news.

ToolGuyd Forum

Recent Comments

  • Adam on Ryobi Let a Secret out of the Tool Bag: “Those factory blemished are just about always new, they just can’t say new. As I know you are well aware,…”
  • Steven+B on Another Ryobi Link System Expansion – Cabinet, Shelves, Tool Bags: “I have a few. 🙂 Ryobi was the only company that makes a 12″ lawnmower and my place is too…”
  • Potato on Another Ryobi Link System Expansion – Cabinet, Shelves, Tool Bags: “Disagree quite hard with the assessment that they creak and are subpar. I’ve got some oddball ryobi stuff and it’s…”
  • Jason on Ryobi Let a Secret out of the Tool Bag: “Zero chance on the USA plant, but those images look a heck of a lot like the Milwaukee dipped hand…”
  • Rx9 on Ryobi Let a Secret out of the Tool Bag: “I suspect that there is a much smaller difference (as perceived in the mind of most consumers) between hand tools…”
  • Stuart on Ryobi Let a Secret out of the Tool Bag: “Definitely not.”

Recent Posts

  • Ryobi Let a Secret out of the Tool Bag
  • Another Ryobi Link System Expansion - Cabinet, Shelves, Tool Bags
  • Kobalt vs. Ridgid Cordless Power Tools in 2023 is a Tough Choice
  • Engineer Mini Long Pliers - Affordable, Comfortable, ESD-Safe
  • Milwaukee USA Hand Tool Factory Tour - More Details
  • Woodpeckers Owns Blue Spruce Toolworks
  • New Dewalt USB-C Rechargeable LED Lights
  • Leatherman Micra Multi-Tool - 4 New Colors
ToolGuyd New Tool Reviews Image

New Tool Reviews

Buying Guides

  • Best Cordless Drills
  • Best Euro Hand Tool Brands
  • Best Tool Brands
  • Best Cordless Power Tool Brands
  • Tools for New Parents
  • Ultimate Tool Gift & Upgrade Guide
ToolGuyd Knife Reviews Image

Knife Reviews

ToolGuyd Multi-Tool Reviews Image

Multi-Tool Reviews

ToolGuyd LED Flashlight and Worklight Reviews Image

LED Light Reviews

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Stores
  • Videos
  • Gear
  • AMZN Deal Finder
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure