- Joined
- Jul 19, 2002
- Location
- WPAFB, OH
I put this in this section because measuring current amplitudes of our high current PSU's and DC PSU's is tough. Those with TEC's and those who want to measure power outputs of their PSU's (or if you just like having good electrical equipment around) read on.
I just bought myself a B-Day present. Thought Id share it with you guys becuase its a really good deal.
For a while Ive wanted to measure high currents, but really havent had the equipment. Most GOOD digital multimeters will only go up to 10A DC current before you fry them or bust the fuse. So what do you do to measure currents over 10A? Well you could turn to a bench piece of equipment (bench ammeter), but some of us dont have access to well equipped electronics labs. There are also "clamp on" meters.
Clamp on meters are NON-CONTACT meters that actually measure flux and electric fields surrounding wires to determine current and voltage measurements. Problem is these meters are pretty specialized and can get really expensive, really fast if you want to measure DC currents and voltages (which we do). If you look for clamp meters, 80% of them will have lots of AC measurements and almost no DC measurements. Why? Because AC measurements are easier in this implementation due to the high frequency at which the current changes directions (AC - Altenating Current - power changes + to - at a high frequency to increase the range at which power stations can transmit power), giving solid flux measurements. DC measurements are harder and therefore generally make DC clamp on meters rather expensive.
In my search for a clamp on DC meter I ran across this guy:
Its made by Extech (model 38394) and measures AC and DC currents up to 600A!!!, for just under $100! Those who know anything about clamp meters know thats pretty good.
What I think of the meter: In addition to the currnt measurements, it measures AC/DC voltage, doubles as a multimeter, has a diode tester, autoranges, zeros, has data hold features and comes with test leads and a case. Its pretty robust and is splash resistant. Overall its a pretty damn good deal for $100. You will see comparable meters go for in upwards of $300.
Heres some more pics:
Last pic, I'm measuring the positive AC current to my Eheim 1048 pump. Kind of at the bottom of the resolution for what the meter was meant for but it does well picking up the 50mA current.
What do I plan on doing with it?
I plan on using this meter in conjunction with a custom piece of testing equipment to test PSUs for their actual maximum power ratings. Computer PSUs can push well above 40Amps when loading 5v and 3.3v lines. So I needed something like this. I also plan on using it to dial in exact currents for TEC Peltiers and Dale resistors, giving a more exact power load/output.
Kinda neat huh?
I just bought myself a B-Day present. Thought Id share it with you guys becuase its a really good deal.
For a while Ive wanted to measure high currents, but really havent had the equipment. Most GOOD digital multimeters will only go up to 10A DC current before you fry them or bust the fuse. So what do you do to measure currents over 10A? Well you could turn to a bench piece of equipment (bench ammeter), but some of us dont have access to well equipped electronics labs. There are also "clamp on" meters.
Clamp on meters are NON-CONTACT meters that actually measure flux and electric fields surrounding wires to determine current and voltage measurements. Problem is these meters are pretty specialized and can get really expensive, really fast if you want to measure DC currents and voltages (which we do). If you look for clamp meters, 80% of them will have lots of AC measurements and almost no DC measurements. Why? Because AC measurements are easier in this implementation due to the high frequency at which the current changes directions (AC - Altenating Current - power changes + to - at a high frequency to increase the range at which power stations can transmit power), giving solid flux measurements. DC measurements are harder and therefore generally make DC clamp on meters rather expensive.
In my search for a clamp on DC meter I ran across this guy:
Its made by Extech (model 38394) and measures AC and DC currents up to 600A!!!, for just under $100! Those who know anything about clamp meters know thats pretty good.
What I think of the meter: In addition to the currnt measurements, it measures AC/DC voltage, doubles as a multimeter, has a diode tester, autoranges, zeros, has data hold features and comes with test leads and a case. Its pretty robust and is splash resistant. Overall its a pretty damn good deal for $100. You will see comparable meters go for in upwards of $300.
Heres some more pics:
Last pic, I'm measuring the positive AC current to my Eheim 1048 pump. Kind of at the bottom of the resolution for what the meter was meant for but it does well picking up the 50mA current.
What do I plan on doing with it?
I plan on using this meter in conjunction with a custom piece of testing equipment to test PSUs for their actual maximum power ratings. Computer PSUs can push well above 40Amps when loading 5v and 3.3v lines. So I needed something like this. I also plan on using it to dial in exact currents for TEC Peltiers and Dale resistors, giving a more exact power load/output.
Kinda neat huh?