NIST calibration [Archive] - Mike Holt's Forum

nolabama

12-01-2008, 08:42 PM

what should NIST calibration cost on a meter - dont know if it is worth it - bought an old meter on the fleabay and was wondering

mdshunk

12-01-2008, 09:04 PM

Depends if it needs fixed or not. I send a lot of stuff to a place in Baltimore, and some things are as cheap at 10 bucks, and other stuff closer to 100. I'm sure the fancier the stuff you send them, the more expensive it gets.

Speedskater

12-01-2008, 09:25 PM

what should NIST calibration cost on a meter - dont know if it is worth it - bought an old meter on the fleabay and was wondering

What will you be using the meter for?
If you have to file reports that are part of a product / service documentation or might end up in a court of law then calibration would be a very good idea.

nolabama

12-02-2008, 01:10 AM

thanks guys - i will probably just see how it compares to some other meters that i have - provided it works - if not off to the lab it goes

chris kennedy

12-02-2008, 06:00 AM

What did you get?

bjp_ne_elec

12-02-2008, 06:49 AM

thanks guys - i will probably just see how it compares to some other meters that i have - provided it works - if not off to the lab it goes

That's a great approach. NIST traceable cals for a DVM could run as much a $100, and it's mostly the documentation and providing the Cal Cert. I think if you occassionly compare it to a few other meters, you should be fine. Maybe doing it once every two years isn't a bad idea. There are various levels for NIST traceable cals, and unless you're working military work, you don't have go with the 540 level.

mdshunk

12-02-2008, 06:56 AM

I used to work for a company that had their own corporate metrology lab to calibrate every type of meter and gauge in site. I sometimes joked that I was going to send my tape rule to them for calibration, but I never did it. I swear, everything you picked up practically had a calibration sticker on it.

JohnJ0906

12-02-2008, 07:04 AM