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#1
posted to rec.boats.electronics
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Ammeters
I'm looking to pick up a clamp-on ammeter/multitester on ebay. Are
these ammeters AC or DC specific or do they read both as a matter of course. |
#2
posted to rec.boats.electronics
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Ammeters
Marc wrote in
: I'm looking to pick up a clamp-on ammeter/multitester on ebay. Are these ammeters AC or DC specific Yes. Most clampon ammeters are the AC model made for checking out AC house wiring circuits. There are DC models available, made from a device called a hall effect generator by the way. You'll find these a little "pricey" for your application, probably. If you need to check alternator output or starter current, there are several flavors of DC magnetic "ammeters", which amount to a magnet mounted so it moves a pointer when it comes near the magnetism the alternator or starter current produces. Auto parts stores have them and they are quite cheap. They are useless for measuring some light DC load, but I suspect you're not interested in measuring to 3 significant digits like the "pricey" cousin can...(c; or do they read both as a matter of course. No, they do not. The AC clampon is a simple current transformer where the wire being tested is the primary winding (one turn). The DC model is a solid state magnetic sensor device so sensitive you can measure the "DC" magnetic field of the earth if you open up the jaws. Amprobe makes a nice dual AC/DC one: http://www.electrical-contractor.net...M-ACDC-400.htm $146 from here. http://tequipment.net/AmprobeClamp-onMeters.asp Here's a whole bunch of models.... How about a more permanent one for, say, $62...digital. http://www.backwoodssolar.com/Catalogpages2/meters2.htm Look down the page to "Digital Panel Meters". With a 100A or 500A shunt he wants $62...but, SHHHHH....don't tell boaters it wasn't $300 from a boat place like Waste Marine! Now, after you're through screwing around with the cheapies, get a Xantrex and move up to the Big Boy's club: http://www.affordable-solar.com/link-20-meter.html It's a true AH meter you can preset your AH capacity into. I measures volts/amps/AH/runtime-at-this-load, etc. Affordable Solar is a great source of a wide variety of panels/meters/regulators without the "marine markup" problem. http://www.affordable-solar.com/affordablesolar/ For the really power hungry solar enthousiast, they have the 6KW AC power system for a "hair" over $40K. I'm not sure this much solar is practical on a sailboat, especially if the crew wants to sit out in the sun a little without having to take the dingy ashore...(c; Hell, with 6KW of capacity, you could replace the diesels and sails and go electric all the way. http://www.affordable-solar.com/affo...d-tie-gts.html -- Larry Somehow having such capacity and FORCING the power company to buy my surplus electricity, has always had a certain masochistic appeal to me....(c; |
#3
posted to rec.boats.electronics
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Ammeters
"Marc" wrote in message ... I'm looking to pick up a clamp-on ammeter/multitester on ebay. Are these ammeters AC or DC specific or do they read both as a matter of course. As Larry says, they are specific. If you are mostly interested in measuring DC currents on the boat I would recommend one of the Hall effect units. I bought a Fluke version on eBay for less, I think, than $100. Very accurate and sensitive. Get a decent multimeter while you are at it. The Wavetek handheld units can be obtained at good ebay prices, Fluke somewhat more. |
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