KEE tester troubleshooting

FIRST STOP

If you have never seen the instruction manual or have lost it or simply haven't read it for a long time, read it now.  It's quite short, it's very easy to read, do not use a KEE tester until you have read (or reminded yourself of) the instructions. 

MOST COMMON PROBLEM

Problem: can’t adjust calibration, the knob won’t turn far enough to turn the needle down.

Solution: you need a new pen-probe.

INACCURATE READINGS

Problem: the readings don’t match the markings on the gold...providing you are quite certain as to the carat (e.g. with a hallmarked item). 

Solutions:

- check the reading against your calibration sample or against any item with a full British hallmark, and if the reading is wrong, calibrate the tester. This must be done regularly (see the instructions). If it reads correctly on the calibration sample / hallmarked item then the tester is working correctly.

- file the item and make sure the area you are testing is clean, bright and shiny.

- you need to file the item  firmly. If you file a non-gold item very lightly and partly remove gold plating, the pen-probe will pick up both the plating and the non-gold underneath. The result it that the reading will be very low, e.g. at or near the bottom of the "10K" band but not quite in the "not gold" band. You don't have to file an area as large as the tip of the pen-probe, you just have to file a small area firmly.  

NEEDLE DRIFTS

Problem: needle slowly drifts upwards as you hold the pen-probe on the item

Solution:

- yes, it will.  Take the reading as soon as the needle settles, usually 2 or 3 seconds. If you just wait and wait, the needle will very slowly drift upwards and upwards.

SPORADIC READINGS

Problem: needle not steady, it jumps about.

Solutions:

- the pen-probe / item is not making contact. Make sure item is making contact with the plate and pen-probe is making good contact with the item. Hold the pen-probe on the items lightly, do not press hard.

- lumpy items such as coins and medallions are difficult to test because they don’t make good contact with the plate. Test them resting on their edge rather than flat on the plate.

NO POWER

Problem: no power / needle doesn’t move

It might be the battery but check everything else first since changing the battery is fiddly.  Note, the battery will go flat if you forget to turn it off!

Solutions:

- check that the needle flips to right when you turn the power on, that means it’s a good battery so don’t waste time changing it.

– press the power button down firmly and check that there’s a slight ‘click’

- are the leads plugged in fully? 

NEEDLE FLIPS TO THE LEFT INSTEAD OF THE RIGHT

You have plugged the leads in the wrong way round. The red plug goes to the red socket, the black plug goes to the black socket.