Appreciation post: my old Klein coax tester finally gave up the ghost after 8 years

It just died mid-job in a Phoenix attic yesterday, and I had to finish the run using the tone generator from my truck. Anyone have a tester they swear by now that can handle the heat?

4 comments

4 Comments

ray_martinez822mo ago

Eight years in Phoenix attics is a good run for any tool. My old Fluke meter cooked itself in a Vegas crawlspace last summer, just went blank. The plastic casing actually warped. Had to finish the day using the continuity beep on a cheap backup multimeter, which was a pain. Heat out here just eats electronics.

charlescraig2mo ago

Feel your pain, my backup meter's beep sounds so sad and weak it makes me apologize to the wires. I dropped my good one off a ladder into a bucket of drywall mud once, which is a different kind of tool death. At least the heat just melts things quietly, my mistake sounded like a sad cartoon splat. Honestly, eight years in that oven is like a medal of honor for a piece of gear.

charlescraig2mo ago

Grab a small insulated cooler bag for attic work. Keep the meter in there when you're not using it. It blocks the radiant heat and keeps the plastic from baking. My current one has lasted three summers that way, even with the black case. What's the hottest you've seen your attic get?

mary_west1mo ago

Wait, did you actually hear a sad cartoon splat or was that just in your head? I swear every time a tool dies on me I imagine a little cartoon ghost floating up from it. Eight years is insane for Phoenix though, thats like dog years for electronics. My old Klein died screaming in a hot attic too but it was only three years in, so yours was a certified war veteran. Maybe the cooler bag trick works but I feel like the heat just creeps in anyway once you open it up.