360Youth
Senior Member
- Location
- Newport, NC
AC Clamp Adapter
- Thread starter 360Youth
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zog
Senior Member
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
Anybody use these or something similar. I have considered it in the past and am thinking so again because I like the design idea. My current (no pun intended) meter is an Ideal with the flip down display, but it has some design/layout issues that I do not like. Thanks.
I would never use that thing, CAT II 600V/CAT III-300V just dosent cut it.
- Location
- Massachusetts
That type of tool is very handy, I have a couple of Flukes but you can get better pricing on these ones http://www.aemc.com/
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
I have 3 different ones but not of that size - because that size jaw is on one one of my clamp meters. But the ones I have to add-on are like a 1" jaw for 20A max. Which is really handy for branch circuits in tight boxes. A real big 600A jaw - like 4" dia., and a 12" snake that fits around most buss work rated for 2000A. They all plug into one of my meters, and since it is a current transformer essentially and have different ratios and the reading you get on the meter has to be factored for that. (I suggest engraving that ratio right on the clamp if you can - in case you loose the instructions and for quick access.) Like the little 20a one you drop a decimal.
But yes they are very handy. Reaching into panels - or for that matter finding a clamp that does over the average intergral hand held clamp meter at 4-600. And I love my little 20a one - as it is more accurate than my clamp on meter, and I have a little trick for finding circuit breakers with it. That and I don't have to jamb my face in a panel to read what the meter says...
All of my meters and my clamps are Fluke - but I don't think they need to match.
But yes they are very handy. Reaching into panels - or for that matter finding a clamp that does over the average intergral hand held clamp meter at 4-600. And I love my little 20a one - as it is more accurate than my clamp on meter, and I have a little trick for finding circuit breakers with it. That and I don't have to jamb my face in a panel to read what the meter says...
All of my meters and my clamps are Fluke - but I don't think they need to match.
360Youth
Senior Member
- Location
- Newport, NC
My biggest hesitation is it being Sears brand. I have a gift card and my hand tools and such are pretty well accounted for so I thought about trying a new meter addition to my arsenal.
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Do you have a multi-meter to go with it? Most clamp meters dont have replaceable bannana leads for mA , and some not even V. They can be used in either, V has more range, mA is more accurate but since it is fused and normally at 10a a clamp can produce more than that in higher loads...
Since this is a knock of of this - download the manual. Take a peek at how it is used....
dbuckley
Senior Member
- Location
- Canterbury, New Zealand
I have a couple of clamp adapters, but they are for special purposes (like scope captures) rather than standard current measuring.
The integrated clamp is handy becuase it measures and displays amps, and has an inrush button. Plugging in an adapter to the meter means I have to figure out where the decimal point is...
The integrated clamp is handy becuase it measures and displays amps, and has an inrush button. Plugging in an adapter to the meter means I have to figure out where the decimal point is...
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Yeah - I lost my instructions - then I had a label with it right on there - it fell off, same situation - now I just engraved it right on the side of the clamp on two of them... 'mVx10' The snake already has it on there - I don't why they didn't put it on the other ones???
wptski
Senior Member
- Location
- Warren, MI
I find your reply rather confusing. The OP is asking about a current clamp and not a clamp meter. Some current clamps with a ma not mv output require ma input jacks to read directly.
You can't use a current clamp with a ma output on a scope if you want to capture inrush because most if any scopes don't have ma input jacks. You'd need one with a mv output for that.
You have to watch Fluke current clamps like the i400 and i400s. The i400 has a ma output and the i400s has a mv output.
SAC
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
The clamp the OP is asking about says this:
"1mV AC output per Amp"
A mA current input on the DMM is not required - mV input is.
As long as the 2% accuracy is good for your use, I wouldn't have any issue with the brand - this is basically just a coil...
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Which why I posted what I did - we don't know what he has for a meter for use with it - or what compatibility, or for that matter if it has any inputs at all apart from the leads attached...
SAC
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
Yes, but I didn't think the OP needed us to read to him what was in the link that he posted:
"1mV AC output per Amp"
"cable with banana plugs"
It should be pretty easy for one to figure out if this will work with one's DMM, or not. I thought he was asking more about the usefulness of such a tool, and his concern about the brand?
360Youth
Senior Member
- Location
- Newport, NC
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
That'll work... Hardly see the need though if you have bottom dispay and larger amerage range already???
Confirm circuits before I shut them of by changing/adding a load. Find them by changing the load on the phase, then once the leg is known the circuit. Usually I do this with a motor where the inrush can be seen clearly. Have someone cycle the load on/off with a nextel in hand. Sometimes tracers can be miss-leading and you can be ringing out a whole leg in the wrong panel, or even all phases. This ellimiates the 'ooops'... If you're on the wrong circuit amps may go down (VD) - but only the right one will go up...
360Youth
Senior Member
- Location
- Newport, NC
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Yeah - I could imagine my arm would be in the way all the time...
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