The Vishay Measurements 1300 Gage Installation Tester is a battery-powered portable instrument that verifies electrical integrity of strain gage installations before deployment in measurement systems. This compact tester rapidly identifies common installation defects—poor bonding, insulation resistance failures, and short circuits—ensuring measurement accuracy and reliability.
Technical Specifications
The instrument operates across five selectable modes via momentary push-button control: battery check, ±5% deviation, ±1% deviation, gage resistance (ohms), and insulation resistance (megohms).
Deviation Mode offers dual ranges at ±1% and ±5% Full Scale with 50 graduations per side of zero. The ±1% range delivers 0.04% ΔR accuracy (2 meter graduations); the ±5% range provides 0.2% ΔR accuracy (2 meter graduations). Excitation is 1.0 VDC per gage.
Insulation Resistance Mode spans 5 MΩ to 20,000 MΩ with 500 MΩ midscale, ±1 scale division accuracy, and 15 VDC open-circuit test voltage.
Ohm Mode ranges 5 Ω to 20 kΩ (500 Ω midscale) with 1 scale division accuracy. Test voltage is 2 VDC open circuit, or 0.4 VDC at 120 Ω loads.
The 3.5-inch analog meter features a 3.00-inch (76 mm) scale with integral mirror and ±1% full-range tracking accuracy. Input circuits support three-wire quarter-bridge (120 Ω and 350 Ω) and half-bridge gage configurations; custom quarter-bridge setups are accommodated via panel-accessible customer-provided reference terminals. Two-lead ohmmeter operation is also supported.
– Key Features
• Four 9V NEDA 1604 batteries (Eveready® 216 equivalent) deliver 1000–5000 installations per charge
• 4-conductor, AWG #26 twisted Teflon®-insulated leads (4 ft / 1.2 m) with ground clip and three tinned connectors
• Aluminum case with separable lid: 5 in. H × 7 in. W × 5 in. D (125 × 180 × 126 mm); 3.6 lb (1.6 kg) with batteries
• Operating range: +15°F to +125°F (–10°C to +50°C); up to 80% RH non-condensing
– Typical Applications
Pre-installation verification of strain gage bonding quality, continuity testing, and insulation assessment in structural health monitoring, materials testing, and transducer deployment workflows.
– Compatibility & Integration
Designed for strain gage installations requiring rapid electrical verification before integration into measurement systems.
