Fluke 53 & 54 Series User manual

®
53 & 54 Series II
Thermometer
Users Manual
September 1999 Rev.1, 6/01
© 1999-2001 Fluke Corporation, All rights reserved. Printed in USA
All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Limited Warranty & Limitation Of Liability
This Fluke product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for 3 years from the date of purchase. This war-
ranty does not cover fuses, disposable batteries or damage from accident, neglect, misuse or abnormal conditions of opera-
tion or handling. Resellers are not authorized to extend any other warranty on Fluke’s behalf. To obtain service during the
warranty period, send your defective tester to the nearest Fluke Authorized Service Center with a description of the problem.
THIS WARRANTY IS YOUR ONLY REMEDY. NO OTHER WARRANTIES, SUCH AS FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, ARE EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. FLUKE IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OR THEORY. Since some states or countries
do not allow the exclusion or limitation of an implied warranty or of incidental or consequential damages, this limitation of
liability may not apply to you.
Fluke Corporation
P.O. Box 9090
Everett WA
98206-9090
Fluke Europe B.V.
P.O. Box 1186
5602 B.D. Eindhoven
The Netherlands
To register your product, visit www.fluke-warranty.com
10/96

i
Table of Contents
Title Page
Safety Information.......................................................................................................... 1
Contacting Fluke....................................................................................................... 1
Getting Started............................................................................................................... 4
Components.............................................................................................................. 5
Display Elements...................................................................................................... 6
Buttons...................................................................................................................... 7
Using the Thermometer................................................................................................. 9
Changing Setup Options................................................................................................ 9
Entering and Exiting Setup........................................................................................ 9
Changing the Logging Interval.................................................................................. 10
Changing the Thermocouple Type............................................................................ 11
Changing the Offset.................................................................................................. 11
Enabling or Disabling Sleep Mode............................................................................ 12
Setting the Time........................................................................................................ 12
Changing the Line Frequency................................................................................... 13
Measuring Temperatures............................................................................................... 13
Connecting a Thermocouple..................................................................................... 13

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
ii
Displaying Temperatures........................................................................................... 14
Holding the Displayed Temperatures ........................................................................ 14
Viewing the MIN, MAX, and AVG Readings.............................................................. 14
Using the Offset to Adjust for Probe Errors ............................................................... 15
Using Memory................................................................................................................ 15
Initial Conditions and Data Entries............................................................................. 16
Starting and Stopping Logging .................................................................................. 16
Clearing Memory....................................................................................................... 17
Viewing Logged Readings......................................................................................... 17
Communicating with a PC.............................................................................................. 18
Maintenance................................................................................................................... 19
Replacing the Batteries ............................................................................................. 19
Cleaning the Case and Holster.................................................................................. 19
Calibration ................................................................................................................. 19
Specifications................................................................................................................. 19
Environmental............................................................................................................ 19
General...................................................................................................................... 20
80 PK-1 Thermocouple (supplied with thermometer) ................................................ 20
Electrical.................................................................................................................... 20
Replacement Parts and Accessories.............................................................................. 21

1
53 & 54 Series II
Safety Information
The Fluke Model 53 and Model 54 Thermometers (“the
thermometer”) are microprocessor-based, digital
thermometers designed to use external J-, K-, T-, E-, R-,
S-, and N-type thermocouples (temperature probes) as
temperature sensors.
Use the thermometer only as specified in this manual.
Otherwise, the protection provided by the meter may be
impaired.
Refer to safety information in Table 1 and the meter
symbols in Table 2.
Contacting Fluke
To order accessories, receive assistance, or locate the
nearest Fluke distributor or Service Center, call:
1-888-99-FLUKE (1-888-993-5853) in USA
1-800-36-FLUKE (1-800-363-5853) in Canada
[phone] in Europe
[phone] in Japan
[phone] in Singapore
[phone] from other countries
Address correspondence to:
Fluke Corporation Fluke Europe B.V.
P.O. Box 9090 P.O. Box 1186
Everett, WA 98206-9090 5602 BD Eindhoven
USA The Netherlands
Visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.fluke.com
To register your product, visit www.fluke-warranty.com

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
2
Table 1. Safety Information
WWarning
A Warning identifies conditions and actions that pose hazards to the user. To avoid electrical shock or
personal injury, follow these guidelines:
•Before using the thermometer inspect the case. Do not use the thermometer if it appears damaged. Look
for cracks or missing plastic. Pay particular attention to the insulation around the connectors.
•Disconnect the thermocouple(s) from the thermometer before opening the case.
•Replace the batteries as soon as the battery indicator (B) appears. The possibility of false readings can
lead to personal injury.
•Do not use the thermometer if it operates abnormally. Protection may be impaired. When in doubt, have the
thermometer serviced.
•Do not operate the thermometer around explosive gas, vapor, or dust.
•Do not apply more than the rated voltage, as marked on the thermometer, between the thermocouple(s), or
between any thermocouple and earth ground.

53 & 54 Series II
Safety Information
3
Table 1. Safety Information (cont.)
WWarning (cont.)
•Model 54: Measurement errors may occur if voltages on the measurement surfaces result in potentials
greater than 1 V between the two thermocouples. When potential differences are anticipated between the
thermocouples, use electrically insulated thermocouples.
•When servicing the thermometer, use only specified replacement parts.
•Do not use the thermometer with any part of the case or cover removed.
Caution
A Caution identifies conditions and actions that may damage the meter or the equipment under test.
•Use the proper thermocouples, function, and range for your thermometer.
•Do not attempt to recharge the batteries.
•To prevent explosion, do not throw batteries into a fire.
•Follow local laws or regulations when disposing of batteries.
•Match the +and −polarities of the battery with the battery case.

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
4
Table 2. International Symbols
WRefer to the manual for information about this feature. PComplies with European Union directives.
MBattery. Complies with relevant Canadian Standards
Association directives.
Getting Started
Everything in this Users Manual applies both to Models
53 and 54 unless otherwise indicated.
To become familiar with the thermometer, study the
following:
•Figure 1 and Table 3 describe the components.
•Figure 2 and Table 4 describe the display.
•Table 5 describes the functions of the buttons.
Then read the following sections.

53 & 54 Series II
Getting Started
5
Components
xx
3
4
512
6
7
aat01f.eps
Figure 1. Components
Table 3. Components
AThermocouple T1 input
B Model 54: Thermocouple T2 input
CHolster
DDisplay
EButtons
FBattery door
GBatteries

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Users Manual
6
Display Elements
xx
1
12
11
2345
7
6
8
9
10
aat02f.eps
Figure 2. Display Elements
Table 4. Display Elements
AThe thermocouple measurement includes an
offset. See "Changing Setup Options."
BThe displayed readings do not change.
CA shift function is in progress.
DReadings are being logged.
ESetup is in progress.
FLogged readings are displayed.
GLow battery. Replace the batteries.
HPrimary Display. Model 53: T1 reading.
Model 54: T1, T2, or T1-T2 reading.
IThe temperature units.
JSecondary Display: MAX, MIN, AVG, MEMORY,
or offset.
Model 54: T1 or T2 reading.
KThe thermocouple type.
LTime Display: 24-hour clock. Shows the
INTERVAL length in SETUP. Shows elapsed time
when AVG is on or before clock has been set.

53 & 54 Series II
Getting Started
7
Buttons
Table 5. Buttons
APress Ato turn the thermometer on or off.
G
(Shift function)
Press G, M(CANCEL) to stop displaying the minimum, maximum, and average readings in the
secondary display.
Press G, J(CLEAR MEMORY) to delete logged readings from memory.
Press G, r(PC/IR SEND) to toggle the IR port on and off.
QPress Qto turn the backlight on and off. The backlight turns off after 2 minutes without any button
presses. If the battery is low, the backlight is disabled.
MPress Mto step through the maximum, minimum, and average readings.
When viewing logged readings, shows the maximum, minimum, and average of the logged readings.
Press G, M(CANCEL) to turn off this display.
CPress Cto switch between Celsius (oC), Fahrenheit (oF), and Kelvin (K).

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
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Table 5. Buttons (cont.)
hPress hto freeze or unfreeze the displayed readings.
Press hwhen turning on the thermometer to test the display. All display elements appear.
T
Model 54: Press Tto toggle showing the T1, T2, and T1-T2 (differential temperature measurement) in
the primary or secondary display.
DPress Dto start or exit Setup. (See "Changing Setup Options.")
KPress Kto scroll to the Setup option you want to change.
Press Kto increase the displayed setting.
NPress Nto scroll to the Setup option you want to change.
Press Nto decrease the displayed setting.
EPress Eto enter a Setup option.
Press Eagain to store the displayed setting in memory.
JPress Jto start or stop logging.
During manual logging, the thermometer stores a single set of logged readings in memory each time you
press J.
rPress rto show logged readings and MIN MAX readings on the display.
Press ragain to stop.

53 & 54 Series II
Using the Thermometer
9
Using the Thermometer
1. Plug the thermocouple(s) into the input connector(s).
2. Press
Ato turn on the thermometer.
After 1 second the thermometer displays the first reading.
If no thermocouple is plugged into the selected input or the
thermocouple is "open," the display shows
"- - - -."
Changing Setup Options
Use Setup to change the logging interval, thermocouple
type, offset, sleep mode, time, and line frequency settings.
The thermometer stores the settings in its memory. Setup
settings reset only when the batteries are removed for
more than 2 minutes.
Entering and Exiting Setup
When the thermometer is in Setup mode, the display
shows s.
•Press
Dto start or exit Setup.
Notes
Press
K or N to scroll to the setup option you
want to change.
Setup is disabled in MIN MAX mode.

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
10
Changing the Logging Interval
The logging interval determines how often the
thermometer stores logged readings in memory. You
choose the length of the logging interval. See "Using
Memory."
The thermometer stores logged readings at the end of
each logging interval. You can select a logging interval of
1 second (1), 10 seconds (2), 1 minute (3), 10 minutes (4),
or user-defined (USef).
You can also set the logging interval manually (0). Each
time you press J, the thermometer stores the current
readings in memory.
1. Press Kor Nuntil the display shows INTERVAL.
2. Press
Eto display the logging interval choices.
3. Press
Kor Nuntil the display shows the logging
interval you want, and then press Eto select.
4. If you selected a user-defined logging interval:
•Press Kor Nuntil the display shows
hour:min or min:sec, and then press Eto
select.
The left two digits blink.
•Press
Kor Nuntil the left two digits you want
appear on the display, and then press Eto
select them.
The right two digits blink.
•Press
Kor Nuntil the right two digits you
want appear on the display, and then press E
to select them.
Holding down Kor Ncauses the number to
change more quickly.

53 & 54 Series II
Changing Setup Options
11
Changing the Thermocouple Type
1. Press Kor Nuntil the display shows TYPE.
2. Press
Eto display the thermocouple type choices.
The currently selected thermocouple blinks.
3. Press
Kor Nuntil the thermocouple you want
appears on the display.
4. Press
Eto store the thermocouple type in memory.
Changing the Offset
You can adjust the thermometer’s readings to compensate
for the errors of a specific thermocouple. See "Using the
Offset to Adjust for Probe Errors." The allowable
adjustment range is ±5.0 oC or K, and ±9.0 oF.
Model 54: You can store individual offsets for T1 and T2.
1. Press
Kor Nuntil the display shows Oand
T1 or T2.
2. Press
Eto indicate that you want to change the
offset setting.
The temperature measurement plus the offset
appears in the primary display. The offset appears in
the secondary display.
3. Press
Kor Nuntil the primary display shows the
correct reading.
4. Press
Eto store the offset setting in memory.
Remember to reset the offset to 0.0 when it is no longer
needed. The offset automatically resets to 0.0 when you
change the thermocouple type.

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
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Enabling or Disabling Sleep Mode
The thermometer enters sleep mode if no button press
occurs for 20 minutes.
Pressing any button wakes the thermometer and returns it
to its previous state.
1. Press
Kor Nuntil the display shows SLP.
2. Press
Eto indicate that you want to change the
sleep setting.
The display shows on if sleep mode is on and 0FF if
sleep mode is off.
3. Press
Kor Nas needed until the display shows
on or 0FF.
4. Press
Eto store the sleep setting in memory.
Sleep mode is enabled each time you turn on the
thermometer and is automatically disabled in MIN MAX
and logging modes.
Setting the Time
1. Press Kor Nuntil the display shows the time if it
is set or shows "- - : - -."
2. Press
Eto indicate you want to set the time.
The left two digits blink.
3. Press
Kor Nuntil the display shows the correct
hour (24-hour format), and then press Eto select.
The right two digits blink.
4. Press
Kor Nuntil the display shows the correct
minutes, and then press Eto store the time in
memory.
Note
Holding down K or N causes the number to
change more quickly.

53 & 54 Series II
Measuring Temperatures
13
Changing the Line Frequency
For optimum rejection of line noise, set the thermometer
for the local line frequency as follows:
1. Press
Kor Nuntil the display shows Li ne.
2. Press
Eto indicate that you want to change the
line setting.
3. Press
Kor Nas needed until the display shows
50 Vor 60 V(50 Hz or 60 Hz).
4. Press
Eto store the line setting in memory.
Measuring Temperatures
Connecting a Thermocouple
Thermocouples are color coded by type based on the
North American ANSI Color Code:
Type Color Type Color
J Black R Green
K Yellow S Green
T Blue N Orange
E Purple
1. Plug a thermocouple into the input connector(s).
2. Set the thermometer for the correct thermocouple
type.
To change the thermocouple type, see “Changing
Setup Options.”

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
14
Displaying Temperatures
1. Press Cto select the correct temperature scale.
2. Hold or attach the thermocouple(s) to the
measurement location.
The temperature reading appears in the selected
display.
3.
Model 54: Press Tto toggle between showing the
T1, T2, and T1-T2 reading in the primary or
secondary display.
Notes
The display shows "- - - -" when a thermocouple
is not connected.
The display shows
0L (overload) when the
temperature being measured is outside the
thermocouple’s valid range.
Model 54: If only thermocouple T2 is connected,
the T2 reading appears in the primary display.
Holding the Displayed Temperatures
1. Press hto freeze the readings on the display.
The display shows H.
2.
Model 54: Press Tto toggle showing the T1, T2, or
T1-T2 readings in the primary or secondary display.
3. Press
hagain to turn off the HOLD function.
Viewing the MIN, MAX, and AVG Readings
1. Press Mto step through the maximum (MAX),
minimum (MIN), or the average (AVG) readings.
The elapsed time since entering MIN MAX mode, or
the time at which the minimum or maximum occurred,
appears on the display.
2. Press
G, M(CANCEL) to exit MIN MAX mode.

53 & 54 Series II
Using Memory
15
Using the Offset to Adjust for Probe Errors
Use the offset option in Setup to adjust the thermometer’s
readings to compensate for the errors of a specific
thermocouple.
1. Plug the thermocouple into the input connector.
2. Place the thermocouple in a known, stable
temperature environment (such as an ice bath or a
dry well calibrator).
3. Allow the readings to stabilize.
4. In Setup change the offset until the primary display
reading matches the calibration temperature. (See
"Changing Setup Options.")
Using Memory
During a logging session the thermometer stores logged
readings in its memory.
At the end of the logging session you can view the logged
readings on the display.
You can also transfer the logged readings to a PC running
FlukeView Forms software. (See "Communicating with a
PC.")
FlukeView Forms displays the logged readings on an
online form, which you can print or store for later use.

53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
16
Initial Conditions and Data Entries
Logged readings include initial conditions and data entries .
The initial conditions are the thermocouple type and the
offsets for each thermocouple input. You can only view
initial conditions using FlukeView Forms .
The data entries are a time stamp, the T1 reading, and the
T2 and T1-T2 readings (Model 54) . You can view these
values by pressing ror using
FlukeView Forms.
Temperature readings display 0.1 degree resolution in
FlukeView Forms.
The thermometer has 500 memory locations. The
thermometer stores 499 sets of temperature readings and
one set of initial conditions when logging continuously. It
stores 250 sets of temperature readings and 250 sets of
initial conditions when logging individual points manually.
Starting and Stopping Logging
Setup, memory clear, and PC communications are
inaccessible during logging.
1. Set the logging interval. (See “Changing Setup
Options.”)
2. Press Jto start logging.
The display shows l.
3. Press Jagain to stop logging.
4. If you selected a manual logging interval, press J
each time you want to store logged readings in
memory.