The Botswana Bureau of Standards recently purchased a Fluke model 8508/01 reference multimeter from Comtest Technologies. John Wilson of Comtest visited the Bureau to install the new reference standard and to train the metrologists on how to use it in their laboratory.
Comtest's John Wilson (left) hands over the Fluke model 8508A/01 reference multimeter to Ronnie Orlando, the senior engineer for industrial metrology at the Botswana Bureau of Standards Industrial Metrology Unit.
“Metrology, of course, is the science of measurement; a science where the only certainty is uncertainty,” commented Wilson on the occasion. “Most of a metrologist’s time and effort is spent characterising, understanding and trying to reduce or remove some of those uncertainties. Most times, characterising is about as far as they get.
“Whilst new tools often promise to help, they rarely deliver. Little understood disclaimers, footnotes or specification compromises only obscure measurement integrity and get in the way of understanding the realities of the measurement. Compounding the problem is the scarcity of products designed specifically for metrologists.
According to Wilson, metrologists must too often use products intended for general purpose use and struggle to use them effectively in the demanding science in which they engage. “Fluke Calibration is made up of metrologists who understand these issues thoroughly,” he said. “The 8508A Reference Multimeter is designed specifically to address these challenges.”
He went on to explain that one of the features that made the instrument attractive to the Botswana Bureau of Standards, in addition to its ability to provide the necessary performance, is that it is specified in a way that allows for understanding the uncertainties of those measurements.
Ronnie Orlando, the senior engineer for industrial metrology at the Botswana Bureau of Standards Industrial Metrology Unit, said he was looking forward to achieving more accurate measurements for his defence force, telecommunication and industrial customers.
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