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gregcampbellusa(at)gmail.
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 Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:42 am Post subject: Clamp On DC Multimeters... |
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I stumbled across this clamp on DC ammeter at:
http://www.powerstream.com/DC-clamp.htm
Does anybody have any experience with these
or similar ones?
Thanks in advance,
Greg
[quote][b]
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frank.hinde(at)hp.com
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| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:10 am Post subject: Clamp On DC Multimeters... |
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Your first clue is that it is expensive...that tells you its about what you should pay.
But answer me this...Why on Earth would you want to spend that kind of money?...HArbor freights $2.50 multimeter has a 10A shunt (namely will measure up to 10 amps) . This should be adequate for 1/100th of the cost.
Incidently the HF multimeter is very accurate...at least mine is.
Frank
From: owner-aeroelectric-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-aeroelectric-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Greg Campbell
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 11:42 AM
To: aeroelectric-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Clamp On DC Multimeters...
I stumbled across this clamp on DC ammeter at:
http://www.powerstream.com/DC-clamp.htm
Does anybody have any experience with these
or similar ones?
Thanks in advance,
Greg
[quote]
href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List
href="http://forums.matronics.com">http://forums.matronics.com
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jetboy
Joined: 22 Jul 2006
Posts: 233
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| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:47 pm Post subject: Re: Clamp On DC Multimeters... |
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Greg,
You might find a similar one for your needs at Newark / Farnell / Radiospares catalogues. ISO - Tec is a nice small low cost type or go for a Fluke. My one is 400 amps DC Sanwa and works well. If you are going to measure starter currents you will need this range. This is a required item for diagnosing Rotax 912 problems as described in their SB. Clamp meters are very handy for checking current drain and charging systems. A normal DMM with 20A range can do most things but many of the clamp meters include the DMM functions too.
Ralph
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klehman(at)albedo.net
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 4:21 am Post subject: Clamp On DC Multimeters... |
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For starter current diagnoses, I find that a very cheap automotive store
magnetic meter is sufficient. Not very accurate but for a couple of
dollars, good enough to detect excessive draw. You just hold it beside
the wire and the meter is directly deflected by the magnetism. With
$20. ac clamp on meters from China around now, I keep expecting to see a
cheap clamp on dc hall effect meter but I haven't seen one yet.
Ken
jetboy wrote:
| Quote: |
Greg,
You might find a similar one for your needs at Newark / Farnell / Radiospares catalogues. ISO - Tec is a nice small low cost type or go for a Fluke. My one is 400 amps DC Sanwa and works well. If you are going to measure starter currents you will need this range. This is a required item for diagnosing Rotax 912 problems as described in their SB. Clamp meters are very handy for checking current drain and charging systems. A normal DMM with 20A range can do most things but many of the clamp meters include the DMM functions too.
Ralph
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nuckollsr(at)cox.net
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:26 am Post subject: Clamp On DC Multimeters... |
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At 07:08 PM 4/20/2007 +0000, you wrote:
| Quote: | Your first clue is that it is expensive...that tells you its about what
you should pay.
But answer me this...Why on Earth would you want to spend that kind of
money?...HArbor freights $2.50 multimeter has a 10A shunt (namely will
measure up to 10 amps) . This should be adequate for 1/100th of the cost.
Incidently the HF multimeter is very accurate...at least mine is.
Frank
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The snap on ammeter permits a quick-n-convenient
look at the current in a wire (or multiples of wires)
without breaking into them.
It's true that the least expensive of multimeters
is more accurate for a small fraction of what
it cost us for the basic multimeter of 40 years
ago. But one can still go more dollars for features
and robustness.
I spent about $60 a few years back to acquire a
multimeter that reads capacitors. I already had
a dozen such instruments in various tool boxes
but I had a task that required the matching of
some capacitors. I needed the feature, bought
the instrument and finished the task. I don't
think I've needed that feature again since but
the critter is there . . . if I need it again.
I found a 400A snap-on Fluke adapter for multimeters
on Ebay a few months ago. Got it for about 2/3 the
cost of new. I've already used it to ease the
$time$ to do several tasks. I've replaced the
banana plugs with a BNC connector on it so that
I can go to my 'scope. I've got a bunch of BNC
to dual banana adapters so I can still stick the
critter onto a multimeter for single value
measurements.
I've got a job coming up at work where I'll use
my 'scope and the DC snap on ammeter to get some
sense of the dynamics in a current path on an
airplane.
The short answer is that one tailors a purchase
to present and future needs. I buy $3 multimeters
at HF by the dozens to give away at my seminars.
"Who in this room does NOT yet own a multimeter?"
Everybody leaves my seminars owning at least one
multimeter. But if the $3 feller lacks a feature
or general robustness/reliability, then one digs
deeper into the pockets. I don't pack a $3 HF meter
to go on a troubleshooting trip. The 20 year-old
Fluke is my travel companion.
Bob . . .
----------------------------------------
( IF one aspires to be "world class", )
( what ever you do must be exercised )
( EVERY day . . . )
( R. L. Nuckolls III )
----------------------------------------
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