Dropped $350 on a Fluke cable analyzer and it paid for itself in one job

I was out at a regional airport in Wichita last month troubleshooting a coms issue on a King Air. The shop I contracted with had a Fluke DSX-8000 sitting unused and they let me borrow it after my old tester gave out. Within 20 minutes I found a bad termination in the wing root that was causing intermittent signal loss. Fixing that saved me from chasing ghosts for another day. Now I'm thinking about buying my own but that price tag hurts. Has anyone found a good middle ground tester that works for GA work without costing a fortune?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret2341mo ago

Have you checked around with any local avionics shops that might be upgrading their gear? I've seen a few DTX-1800s pop up on the used market around $400, and they're perfectly fine for GA work if you're not needing the latest specs. The trick is making sure you get one with a valid calibration cert, because a cheap tester without one is just a fancy paperweight. I'd also ask around at your local airport, sometimes guys will split the cost on a good tester if you're all working similar jobs. It's a lot easier on the wallet when you're not footing the whole bill alone.

harperschmidt1mo ago

Man, I feel you on that. I picked up a used Fluke DTX-1800 off a buddy who was upgrading, paid $450 for it, and it's been solid for two years now. I had a similar situation at a small FBO up in Minnesota, where a bad punchdown in the avionics bay was eating my lunch until the Fluke showed me exactly where the signal dropped. I'd say check eBay or local avionics swap meets for a used DTX or a DSX-5000, those usually run around $300 to $600 and are way better than the cheap testers. Just make sure you get one with a current calibration cert, or you'll be chasing false readings all day.