"Stephen Trapani" wrote in message
...
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



An alternator puts out Alternating Current which runs through a bridge
rectifier which rearranges it to pulsed Direct Current. Pulsed DC is not
real DC. That meter will only read right on loads from the battery. Try it
on a lead from the battery to the load and I bet it then reads correctly.

Larry wasn't as smart as me. . .

Wilbur Hubbard