Tester Calibration - Essex

[Jay Sparks]

I think that's all any electrician wants or is interested in for they're test equipment, ...lol!!

But as i've been saying, how can a traveling test technician warrant those environmental conditions stated on the test certificate?? The truth of the matter they can't!! So in essence the test Cert's they are issuing, don't comply FULLY with the National Standards they quote....

I get were your coming from but if im honest, I was never told about UKAS by my old tutors, or any of the firms I worked for.
I agree that a mobile calibration technician cant control the enviroment in which the mft is tested in and in future, I may look into UKAS for my next calibration.

But, its kind of like an MOT, I know a little bit of the process but ultimately, Im putting my trust in the MOT tester to test my car/van in the correct, controlled way. Same as I trust the none UKAS calibration technicians to make sure my test equipment is doing the job properly. But as you say, how can they control the enviroment in which its being tested. Surely if they were not doing it right and it was causing major problems, or if it was proven to be dangerous, then some one would step in and say "all cals SHOULD be done in a UKAS lab".

My previous calibrations were done in a lab, not sure if it was a UKAS one! But hopefully, they will have done it in a controled enviroment!lol

trev, do you send yours away for calibration? How long do they have it for?


Jay

 

[trev]

I get mine done in the UKAS lab because I know there's a paper trail going from my MFT probably all the way to the large hadron collider or something equally as complicated which guarantees the accuracy of the calibration. That way there's no possibility of it being called into question, I don't think they hand out UKAS accreditations like smarties (at least I hope they don't)
The place I go to gets it one evening and it's always been a 24 hour service apart from once when their receptionist forgot to ring me, I forgave her though because she was fit as a butcher's dog

 

[Engineer54]

Nothing wrong about having your test equipment tested by a non-UKAS lab, in fact i would say most testing labs wouldn't have UKAS accreditation. Doesn't mean that those non-accredited lab's wouldn't be testing/calibrating within a controlled environment. It's just these so-called mobile test equipment calibrators cannot comply with the standards they are issuing certificates against...


I'm sure most of these testing labs comply in all respects to the required practices of calibrating electrical and other test equipment. I'm pretty sure that all lab test equipment used in calibrating other instruments WILL/DO need a traceable UKAS calibration certificate!!

 

[Engineer54]

I get mine done in the UKAS lab because I know there's a paper trail going from my MFT probably all the way to the large hadron collider or something equally as complicated which guarantees the accuracy of the calibration. That way there's no possibility of it being called into question, I don't think they hand out UKAS accreditations like smarties (at least I hope they don't)
The place I go to gets it one evening and it's always been a 24 hour service apart from once when their receptionist forgot to ring me, I forgave her though

I applaud your diligence towards your test equipment Trev, not many would go out of the way to ensure the accuracy of their test equipment!! The contractor here has established it's own in-house testing lab, covering all of it's testing and measurement equipment. It holds full accreditation with the equivalent UKAS type accreditation, but with the Australian Standards body... It's a pretty big deal to get that accreditation too, the contractor had to jump through several hoops to gain it ...lol!! The place is virtually a sealed set of rooms with it's own humidity controlled central heating/cooling AC system...

 

[trev]

Aside from what I carry around indside my head imho it's probably the most important bit of kit E54 so the way I see it is if that's not right, how do I know anything else I do is.
Might just be me being anally retentive about stuff but I think it's worth the extra few quid.

 

[Engineer54]

Aside from what I carry around indside my head imho it's probably the most important bit of kit E54 so the way I see it is if that's not right, how do I know anything else I do is.
Might just be me being anally retentive about stuff but I think it's worth the extra few quid.

Agree entirely, you need to Know that you can trust what your test equipment is telling/showing you.

 

[Gravid]

I also use Mike, great service and cheaper than my wholesalers.