Page 7 - News

Last year saw a huge expansion of the Test-Meter range across our electrical, thermal, high voltage, gas and environmental categories with numerous new products from some of the most prominent manufacturers in test and measurement. After careful deliberation, we have picked our top five new releases from 2017:

PAT Training Services Ltd is pleased to announce the relaunch of PAT-Testers.co.uk to sit alongside its established Test-Meter.co.uk brand.

The Martindale HandyPAT range - consisting of the HandyPAT 500 and HandyPAT 600 with numerous kit options - has been designed with the requirements of offices and schools in mind. Both instruments are excellent low-cost options for anyone performing occasional, low-volume PAT testing thanks to their full set of test functions, user-friendly operation and portable design.

Anyone looking for a user-friendly, all-in-one solution to 17th edition testing need look no further than the Martindale ET4000 Multifunction Tester, now available for less than half its recommended retail price from Test-Meter.co.uk! This functional tester - priced at just £449 - has numerous features which allow it to test electrical installations to BS7671:2008 (Amendment 3) standard.

Until the end of October 2017, there are great discounts on three different models of Metrel multifunction tester on Test-Meter. We have collaborated with Metrel in order to give a discount of between 38% and 44% off the recommended retail price of Metrel MI3100S, MI3102BT and MI3152 Eurotest MFTs.

The British government and Ofgem have recently announced several changes to the National Grid which will transform how we use, store and generate electricity. Regulations will be eased, thus allowing private individuals and businesses with small-scale renewable generators to sell energy more easily, and public investment is set for the battery sector alongside several other rule changes. The headline-grabbing claim of these modifications is that consumers will save up to £40 billion by 2050¹ whilst they should also address fears about a lack of generator capacity but their effectiveness in practice remains to be seen.

The FLIR C3 is an excellent thermal camera for all manner of professionals and is currently available with a choice of two great free gifts! The camera’s impressive thermal capabilities are complimented either by a FLIR MR40 Moisture Pen or by a VP52 Voltage Detector. These additional instruments supplement the C3 by forming an excellent package for detecting moisture or for inspecting electrical systems.

Four new cameras from Testo are now available from Test-Meter! The Testo 865, 868, 871, and 872 Thermal Imaging Cameras share many useful common features whilst also offering handy additional options and varying thermal imaging specifications across the range. Priced from just £799 to £2199, these cameras offer brilliant value in terms of both image quality and practicality.

Test-Meter.co.uk has recently greatly expanded its C.Scope range to stock the latest in the company’s advanced cable avoidance technology. The complex infrastructure found in most major cities now presents a web of hidden obstacles to workers during the excavation phase of major projects and it is vital to avoid cable strikes when digging as electricity and gas lines pose a major threat to life in addition to heavy financial penalties.

Friday 21st April 2017 was an important date in the history of electricity production in the UK. For the first time since 1882, coal provided no electricity to the National Grid as West Burton 1 power station was taken off-line for 24 hours¹. Instead gas, renewables and nuclear power filled the gap to ensure the lights did not turn out. The percentage of British electricity produced by coal burning dropped from 23% in 2015 to 9% in 2016¹, a dramatic fall, but at a time of record low oil and gas prices, it remains to be seen whether fellow fossil fuels will see similar reductions compared to renewables and what effect this may have on the test and measurement industry.