Thread: Half the amps?
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Stephen Trapani Stephen Trapani is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Default Half the amps?

On 5/5/2011 12:44 PM, Stephen Trapani wrote:
On 5/5/2011 10:43 AM, Wayne B wrote:
On Thu, 05 May 2011 10:02:55 -0700, Stephen Trapani
wrote:

I think Larry once explained why the amps get cut in half, but I forgot.
I have an amp meter installed in line between the alternator and the
battery switch. Last weekend I had a borrowed Fluke clamp meter. When I
put the clamp on the line coming out of the alternator it read exactly
half of what the in line amp meter was reading. Why is that?


Sounds to me like an inaccuracy in one of the meters. Do I
understand correctly that you are clamping the Fluke around the one
and only wire delivering power from the alternator?


Yes.

Do you have the
Fluke switched to DC amps, and on the correct scale?


Yes. I'll ask the guy who loaned me the Fluke to be sure.


I called Fluke. The setting I used was supposed to give me straight DC
current. So...mystery NOT solved. Where's that damned Larry when you
need him???

Stephen