Re: HV Probe

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>

Hi Matt,

The 6015 probe was originally filled with freon to provide electrical 
insulation in the internal divider capacitors.  The probe goes to 40kV with 
freon and is rated to 20kV (I think??) without it.  When freon became a 
concern, they switched to silicon oil that does not need filling.  The 
silicon oil version is what you "want" but they are usually far more 
expensive than the older freon versions that sell very cheap.  Once filled, 
the freon will last for a very long time like 10 years unless there is a 
leak.  You can't fill a freon probe with anything else since it is designed 
for the dielectric constant of freon.  So if you have the older probe 
without freon you pretty much stuck with using it at lower voltage.

If I had a freon probe without freon, I would try silicon oil anyway just 
to see, but it is not supposed to work.

The newer probes also have an improved compensation box at the BNC 
connector end.  So the old probes or "ok" but just don't pay much for 
them.  There are usually a zillion of them on E-bay at any given time.  If 
they have freon included, the price is far higher.

Cheers,

         Terry

At 12:27 PM 11/6/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi "TEK"-ophiles,
>        I am looking at an ad for an "almost-new" Tek P6015 HV probe. It 
> says, "Comes with all accessories except the can of Freon". I've never 
> used a probe that needed Freon before. Of what significance is this? Does 
> it's absence degrade the ratings? If so, can something be substituted? 
> What? How? etc.,etc.
>
>Experience-based replies appreciated.
>
>Matt D.