Fluke 8846A Explained: Specs, Uses and What to Check

Fluke 8846A Explained: Specs, Uses and What to Check

ByKen

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The Fluke 8846A is a 6.5-digit precision bench multimeter. This explainer sets out what the meter measures, what Fluke’s published documents say about its accuracy and safety rating, and how it differs from the 8845A. It draws on Fluke’s extended specification, its Spanish-language product page and its manual supplement. Where those sources disagree, the text shows both figures.

Quick answer

  • The Fluke 8846A is a 6.5-digit precision bench multimeter. Fluke publishes basic DC voltage accuracy of up to 0.0024 % for one year.
  • It is the larger-featured of the two models in the 8845A/8846A pair. The 8846A also measures capacitance and temperature, and it has a USB memory port.
  • Fluke’s published safety rating is CAT I 1000 V and CAT II 600 V.
  • Fluke’s own documents disagree on the warranty length. The extended specification says one year; the Spanish product page says three years. Confirm the term on the warranty card or the manufacturer page for your region before buying.
  • Fluke also publishes a current-input fuse table in the manual supplement. Use the fuse ratings listed there when you replace a blown input fuse.

What the 8846A is for

The 8846A is a benchtop digital multimeter. Its job is to measure volts, ohms, amps, frequency and period with more resolution and stability than a handheld meter usually gives. Fluke describes it for manufacturing test, research and development, and service work, which fits the way it is built: it stays on a bench, it runs from the mains, and it has interfaces for connecting to a computer or an automated test system.

The “6.5 digit” name means the display shows six full digits plus a leading digit that can only be 0 or 1. That gives more decimal places than a common handheld meter. More digits do not, on their own, mean a more accurate reading. Accuracy depends on the range, the time since calibration and the operating temperature, so read the accuracy table before you rely on the last digit.

What the published specifications say

Fluke’s extended specification for the 8845A and 8846A lists these headline features for both models:

  • 6.5-digit resolution
  • Basic V DC accuracy of up to 0.0024 % (one year)
  • A current range of 100 µA to 10 A, with resolution down to 100 pA
  • Four-wire ohms measurement, with resolution down to 10 µΩ on the 8846A
  • Frequency and period measurement on both models
  • Trend plot, histogram and statistics displays
  • Fluke 45 and Agilent 34401A command emulation
  • RS-232C, IEEE 488.2 and LAN (Ethernet 10/100BASE-T with DHCP) interfaces

The 8846A adds capacitance and temperature measurement, and a front-panel USB port for a memory module. Fluke lists the 8846A’s USB memory capacity as up to 2 gigabytes, with a separate memory module sold as an accessory. Both models store 10,000 measurements internally. The 8846A can also write measurements to the USB memory module.

The resistance range is where the two Fluke documents disagree. Fluke’s Spanish product page gives the 8846A’s ohms range as 10 Ω to 1 GΩ and the 8845A’s as 100 Ω to 100 MΩ, with 8846A resolution down to 10 µΩ. The shared feature list in the extended specification gives the 10 Ω to 1 GΩ range for both models. Treat the model-specific table as more reliable for the 8845A, and confirm the exact range in the manual before you buy.

Reading the accuracy table

The extended specification gives an accuracy table for each function and range. The DC voltage table for the 8846A lists accuracy as a sum: a percentage of reading plus a percentage of range. For example, the 10 V range on the 8846A is listed at 0.0018 + 0.0006 for one of its periods, and the 100 V range at 0.0013 + 0.0004.

To estimate the error on a reading, multiply the first number by the reading, multiply the second by the full-scale value of the range, and add them. A reading of 5 V on the 10 V range, at 0.0018 + 0.0006, has an error of about 0.0018 % of 5 V plus 0.0006 % of 10 V. That is a small number, but it is only valid under the conditions in the table. The spec notes that accuracy figures apply after at least one hour of warm-up with Auto Zero enabled.

The table also lists separate periods and temperature conditions. Fluke states that 24-hour specifications are relative to calibration standards and assume a controlled electromagnetic environment. Read the period that matches how often you calibrate.

Safety rating and what it means for use

Fluke’s published safety rating for the 8845A and 8846A is CAT I 1000 V and CAT II 600 V. The extended specification says the meter is designed to comply with IEC 61010-1, UL 61010-1A1 and CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 61010-1. The Spanish product page gives the same CAT I 1000 V and CAT II 600 V rating.

A measurement category describes the part of an electrical installation where the measurement is taken. A CAT II rating covers circuits connected directly to an appliance or an outlet. A CAT III rating covers the building’s fixed distribution wiring, such as a panel and its feeder circuits. Fluke’s rating for this meter does not cover CAT III work.

The manual supplement adds detail on the current-input fuses. Its table lists F1 as an 11 A, 1000 V fast-blow fuse, with Fluke part number 943121. F2 is a 440 mA, 1000 V fast-blow fuse. The supplement tells the user to remove the defective fuse and replace it with one of the rating listed in the table.

A separate Fluke safety sheet in the set we opened lists a higher category label for a related model: CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V. That sheet is not the 8846A’s rating, and it does not state which models it covers. Do not use it to decide where you can work with this meter. Use the manual for the exact model you buy.

Operating environment

The extended specification lists an operating temperature of 0 °C to 55 °C and a storage range of −40 °C to 70 °C. It gives an operating altitude limit of 2,000 meters and a storage limit of 12,000 meters. Relative humidity limits are tied to temperature: the meter is rated below 90 % non-condensing up to 28 °C, falling to below 50 % at 55 °C.

The meter’s power section lists four line voltage settings: 100 V, 120 V, 220 V and 240 V, with a line frequency range of 47 Hz to 440 Hz that the meter senses at power-up. The published dimensions are 88 mm high, 217 mm wide and 297 mm deep, and the listed weight is 3.6 kg (8.0 lb).

What to check before you buy

  1. Confirm the functions you need. The 8846A adds capacitance and temperature. If you only need volts, ohms and amps, check whether the 8845A covers your work at a lower cost.
  2. Check the warranty length. Fluke’s two documents disagree, so confirm the term with the seller or with Fluke for your country.
  3. Read the accuracy table for the range and the period you will use. Do not rely on the headline 0.0024 % figure alone.
  4. Plan for the fuses and leads. The manual supplement lists the input fuse ratings. Fluke’s accessory guide for these meters lists test leads and probe sets as separate items.
  5. Check the memory and interface needs. Both models store 10,000 readings internally. The 8846A also takes a USB memory module for larger data sets.
  6. Check the safety rating in the manual for the exact model before you use the meter on any circuit.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not treat the 8846A as a substitute for a mains safety test. It is a precision meter, and its rating covers CAT I and CAT II work. Work on fixed building wiring, panels and service equipment belongs to a licensed electrician.

Do not expect the last digit to be meaningful without the accuracy figure. The display can show more digits than the meter’s accuracy supports at that range.

Do not replace an input fuse with one that has a different rating. The supplement lists the correct ratings in its fuse table.

FAQ

What is the difference between the 8845A and the 8846A?

Fluke’s published documents say the 8846A also measures capacitance and temperature, and it has a USB memory port. Both models measure frequency and period and share the same basic voltage accuracy figure.

What is the 8846A’s basic DC voltage accuracy?

Fluke publishes basic V DC accuracy of up to 0.0024 % for one year. The full accuracy depends on the range and conditions in the table.

What CAT rating does the 8846A have?

Fluke’s extended specification and Spanish product page both list CAT I 1000 V and CAT II 600 V.

Does the 8846A have a three-year warranty?

The Spanish product page says three years. The extended specification says one year. Check the warranty document for your region.

What fuses does the 8846A use?

The manual supplement lists F1 as 11 A, 1000 V fast blow, and F2 as 440 mA, 1000 V fast blow.

Bottom line

Choose the 8846A if you need a 6.5-digit bench meter with capacitance and temperature measurement and a USB memory port, and you have read its accuracy table for your range. If you only need the basic functions, the 8845A covers much of the same ground. In either case, use the rating in the manual for the work you plan to do.

How we chose

This article covers one model in one post, because a reader who searches for the model needs its published figures and its buying checks together. We read the manufacturer’s own documents first. Where the original was not reachable to us, we opened a copy hosted elsewhere and say so in the source list. We did not use reseller listings, forums or used-equipment pages as a source for any figure. Every number quoted is one printed in a document we opened, with its revision or date where the document gives one.

What we could not verify

Fluke’s own documents disagree on the warranty term and on the 8845A’s resistance range. Both conflicts are shown in the text, not resolved.

The extended specification is a two-page document. We did not find a complete English user manual for the 8846A in the sources we opened.

The Fluke 8x safety sheet lists a higher CAT label for a related model. It does not name the 8846A, so we did not use it as the rating.

Sources

Related guides: Best Digital Multimeters, How to Read Multimeter Symbols and Dial Positions, Best Digital Multimeter for Voltage.

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