Great video, spot-on advice as always. I couldn't agree more about the Klein CL800 meter being the best overall choice for the boat. It's clamp-on amp meter measures both AC and DC current very accurately from 600A down to about 50mA. It will read down to 10mA, but it's not very accurate or consistent under 50mA. It has a critical feature called Lo-Z voltage measurement where it applies a 3kΩ resistance in parallel with the measured load to cancel stray voltages that show up due to capacitive coupling with nearby current carrying conductors. Multimeters have very high impedance inputs, like 10MΩ, for electronics use, but in marine use that can lie to you. Try measuring a circuit you know is OFF near several others that are ON, such as the back of a breaker panel using the typical high-Z input meter. You will often read low voltages that are not part of to the circuit under test. Switch to low-Z and it'll read zero as it should. Second, you really need to spend real money on good test leads for your meter. Buy the Fluke TL223 SureGrip Electrical Test Lead Set. Cost almost as much as the meter and worth every penny. Finally, if you really want a high end, super accurate handheld multimeter that is tough as nails, I agree Fluke is a great choice, but my personal favorite is the Keysight U1282A in the no-compromise, who cares about money category.
Electricity - The orderly movement of electrons from negative to positive. I can't remember but somehow I passed my exams for my GMDSS and Amateur radio.
Come from the automotive side, tho mostly DC (can you say “Voltage drop” ) the AC side of your fluke is a good way to diagnose an alternator diode tree (Rectifier) on the way out. I greatly enjoy the educational content the two of you put out, thank you.
45 years ago I was rewiring a house I bought and moved to my property without a meter (I thought I couldn’t afford one). I had the breaker off but still received a hard long shock because I was sitting on the floor and couldn’t fall away. I went straight to the electrical supply house and bought a Fluke (back then it was $110) and made a promise that I would not work with electrical without first checking with that meter. That’s a promise I’ve kept until today. That Fluke lasted over 35 years and when it stopped I bought another one. Both have helped me add and correct both AC & DC wiring of 4 different houses, numerous trailers and equipment. Great tutorial! I frequently use the ohm meter to confirm whether a switch and bulbs are working or broken. I have other meters as backup but the Fluke is my go to meter.
Yes. I had a fluke years ago but have been buying cheaper offerings lately. Got to say the trust I have for the numbers coming out of the fluke is worth a lot when trying to solve a problem.
One thing for Hz on a boat is if you have a generator. You can measure the Hz right at a plug. You can then set the RPM of your generator just by looking at Hz. 60 Hz = 1800 rpm. Usually set to 62.5 or so under no load and maybe 59.5 or so with the gen near max load since the load will drag down the Gen rpm some. Great videos as usual Clark. I landed on nearly all the Same meters you have. Recently picked up a Fluke 177 very slightly used as well.
Yes I said the same thing to myself every editing pass. I'm not a generator guy so didn't think of it while filming. Also AC voltage setting tells you about alternator diodes. On the other hand this is a beginners course, have to leave a few things out.
My understanding of OL is when testing for voltage and current "OL" means Over Load, or over Voltage Above full-scale setting for the meter, when testing for resistance "OL" means Open Loop (no circuit, no continuity)
Still loving this electrical series! I'm especially interested in your next one on how to use multimeters. This is a topic I'm trying to learn and your explanations (and especially demonstrations) are excellent!
You are very right. I wish I had thought about that when I recorded this. Thought of it a lot during editing but it was a bit too late by then. Hopefully anyone watching this that didn't already know that will just buy the Klein.
Good ones can be bought now that go both ways. I now know why the thing needs to be reset each time you use it for DC. Ran into that with the BankManager. I use the same kind of hall effect sensor. To make it accurate I have to calibrate it each time I connect the lithium batteries. It was an interesting problem to detect and solve.
Personally I would never buy a meter that doesn't have a clamp-on meter, they're really handy. I have an ancient Simpson meter that I think I should donate to a museum somewhere and since I bought a clamp-on I have never used it. In fact I'm not sure it even works any more. Keep the good stuff coming Clark.
You might also like the Ideal 61-747 which goes on sale at Lowes for around $90. AC/DC Amps, Volts, Capacitors, Diodes, Ohms, Continuity, Non-Contact Voltage, Temperature, Frequency plus has dual displays and a built in flashlight. The additional display on the heel of the meter is very handy when working in tight spaces especially when trying to use the clamp to read amperage. The flashlight and extra display has become more useful than I thought they would and I miss them when using other clamp meters especially in tight spaces such as lockers you have to crawl into and perform a Martha Graham contortionist maneuver in order to access the wires in question. Best
Call me old fashion if you want. I still live and die by the Simpson 260. I seldom grab the digital meters (I own 3 Flukes and one Mack). I also prefer analog amp meters; especially if working with pumps! The biggest problem with analog amp meters is no one offers any quality ones anymore. I have a Pokit meter that I have been working with a little bit. I did use the oscilloscope feature two days go to check an invertor output. The Simpson is so nice to work with. Super fast display of information. Often times I don't even have to look at the numbers to determine what I need to know, I just go by the needle location on the display. I almost got the Pokit out the other day while working on the boat. I was going to connect it at the mast step, then read the display on my phone while at the DC control panel flipping switches.
I was going to make a similar comment. I have an analogue meter and a digital model too. The analogue gives you a visual reading of what is happening - not just an end result. I think today it is almost impossible to buy a quality analogue meter for testing electricity.
@@adelarsen9776 being able to see the needle move is very helpful when trimming circuits or looking for poor connections. The hunting with digital meter displays and the time it takes for them to land on a number is annoying and non productive. The fresh out of industrial electricity school guys would show up to work for me with Fluke meters. They thought I was crazy for using Simpson 260. Within 6 weeks they would be using the Simpson too by their own choice. With starting and run capacitors the R100 and R10,000 scale can provide enough reference to determine if they are ok to use. Maybe if I started using the Fluke meters more I could find myself a sailor girl like Clark has!
Yep chicks love digital... I so often wish I had a needle. I have a little handheld scope I use then but often just a needle would be so much easier to set up.
@@Clarks-Adventure I have a handheld Fluke oscilloscope. That should really lure the ladies to my boat. It has two channels....twice the fun perhaps? The R-10,000 scale is nice for checking coax. If the cable is dry it has a tiny amount of capacitance. Reversing the meter polarity the needle will show the charge and discharge. I once tested 200' of LMR 400 with a 1,500 volt meggar. Charged it right up, then discharged it through my fingers as I removed from the bench vise....did twice; as in, once for each end before I figured out how I was getting zapped....Duh!
@@Clarks-Adventure yes on both. Though I see this profile was on the default notifications, 'personalized'. I have been amazed how not even 'all' gets all in a timely manner. Not enough time to comment and view on both presently.
I am not a pro but I swear by Fluke… main reason for me is their basic model needs no adjustment. It can tell itself if it’s DC or AC etc. Has a continuity tester too. I aim to get a clamp one too once I get a new (to me) boat.
Looking forward to the next video cause I have a meter, but would like to know how to use it better. Yes, the Horrible Freight company has some deals, but some of this stuff isn't a good deal. I bought torque wrenches from them and was torquing brake bolts on my motorcycle to the manufacturer's spec. I think it was 20 ftlbs. I thought I was putting way more than that on there, but the wrench NEVER clicked. And then the bolt snapped. Fortunately there are a piece of the bolt above the threaded hole and I had a spare. Threw the wrenches away and bought better ones.
I had two meters on my boat when I developed the BankManager. I needed to get a VERY accurate voltage reading and both meters had their own opinion. My circuit was based on simple voltage divider feedback so I decided to trust the math and not follow either meter. Months later I bought the Fluke. I rechecked the board, it said my BankManager was perfect. I trust the Fluke. But of course most of the time that level of accuracy just isn't necessary for boat repairs.
At work we use fluke, because of the calibration requirements for aviation. But at home I have a few cheap meters, under 50 bucks that I use for everything. I have not needed to read down low and a little inaccuracy is not important to me. At work we have to measure potentiometers down pretty low, but at home I am just doing normal stuff and the cheap ones are close enough
off subject.........I have been doing hvac for a while. I started looking for leaks with co2 with high pressure and a co2 sniffer works very well with the pressures that you can turn it up to for leaks with out wasting Freon
Dear Emily and Clark, Thank you for the videos. I have a special canister of co2 from my Uncle Leon to go on my boat when I set out. I am sure I have more to learn about battery powered air conditioning. Think I saw that here first too. And other cool stuff. Just bought my first sailboat about 4 months ago. Hope to be ready to cruise soon. And The Boat Will Nor Tip Over. Thank you for all the hard work and awesome videos.
Well if you see Temptress anchored out there stop by. You might find this useful if you haven't looked into it yet. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XDLK5CuGQPo.html And the marine AC kits are available at MarineDCAC.com
Thank you. The website is well done. Great resource. I have started a mind map for my boat/sailing. I think I will add that in for sure. I'm thinking of rewiring everything and doing a battery bank that is 48v to 220v(230v). Thinking that will be more efficient and have some benefits? Any thoughts , pros, cons, would be appreciated.
I would stay 12 or 24v. First 48 can easily shock you. And it's hard finding devices that voltage. I know building the power supply section for the BankManager was so much harder once I made it work for 48v systems. Make sure you can find navigation electronics and direct DC computer chargers that won't require an inverter to run Also pumps are harder to find.
Agreed. I do think the HF junk has its place, though only with a qualifying meter. Flukes not worn permanently adipose grow legs of their own. I treat HF like a carbon cell, limited adequate disposable. A few made it to a battery replacement even. Really like having supper compact, or pocket meters. Clamp on remote display will Really help on a boat. Have you changed your mind on the previously recommended Fluke Asian copy for a bargain?
I like mine and it comes in a flavor that has temperature as well as everything else. Love the bigger screen and backlight now that I'm getting older. And needed something in the DR that was accurate for BankManager development and calibration. I still recommend it but it's price has gone up since I bought mine. Well everything has.
In a DC world, if you are not considering a Power Probe you are missing a brilliant tool with a bunch of intelligence & capability built into a meter form factor. It cuts waaaaay down on diagnostic time
Clark, Great video as usual. But a word of warning, buying a multimeter as a gift for a loved one (12:12) would be a clear violation of the "appliance rule." Never buy an appliance for a loved one. A gifted appliance -- think vacuum clearer -- implies you want the recipient to do work and are generally not well received. I'm just trying to help!
As an IBEW electrician building the biggest battery bank in the world out here in California, (750 Mega Watts) ... I concur with everything you said. Good Job Clark.
Hello C & E, great video. I have been looking for a good meter for some time now that’s has an auto off feature. The fluke 17B+ has this so just purchased one and should be here for Christmas. I broke my last meter fixing a high voltage fly trap/ zapper. Have a fab Christmas, hope your ovens big enough for the turkey.
A homemade test light is more reliable than a H.F. meter. I actually grabbed one one time just for giggles and new out of the box it read -5v on a 13.2v DC output.
Who's going to take boat advice from a trailer nomad?!!! But seriously, I'm a trailer sailor, no serious systems. I like Klein, they seem accurate enough. Home Depot carries a line of them starting at $29. I believe most people won't be willing to spend over $100. For them, Home Depot has the baby brother to your meter (400 A.) for $66. I might be willing to go for that when my Southwire dies. As you said, they are easy to use but few people can interpret/troubleshoot the data they provide. I worked as a distribution and transmission operator so I knew some stuff but, I always paid particular attention to our next level engineers, such as yourself. Thanks for your insight!
I'm also software recently moved to hardware. I learned most of it on RU-vid. Combine Arduino howtos with kicad tutorials and take your first boards to jlcpcb. It worked smoothly for me.
Clark, when I click on your link for the Klein @130 one of the suggested alternatives is a fluke 323 clamp on for 150 but the clamp won't do DC current and it doesn't come with a temp probe so maybe not as useful
I started with "living on 12v with ample power". But that was so long ago I'm sure it's out of print. Sorry I don't have a clue as I haven't had that need for decades.
Nice video. from somebody working in electronics , this is very good advise. (I already had the idea your background involved electronics) Klein is indeed decent gear. An other very good affordable brand is Brymen (Makes also meters for other brands). I hate Unit-T, Extech is a label but overall decent. Fluke is bullit proof but to expensive if you not plan to torture your instruments and drop them from the top of the mast on the deck (they probably survive this, the top models probably not the low price models) . I personally also think people with not much knowledge/experience need a good safe meter, not a 50 dollar cheapy. I will not by accident measure 230 with the leads still set up for current, but I have seen a guy working on a motorbike who did not know, and blew up his meter and injured his hand. 12V can deliver a lot of current. It is so important that I have 15 or so meters on board 🙂(11 meter steel ketch). A few clampmeters, 2 scopemeters, few analog meters bunch of DMM and a 6,5 and 7,5 digit benchmeter. But I repair electronics (Measurement and calibration gear) for a living and my shop is on board. I sacrificed a bench and turned it in to a workbench and have a lot more gear then meters on board. There is a channel (Joe Smith) who tests the robustness of meters and the 869s is his golden-standard. Even safer as Fluke. Mine was killed in action (about 20kV on terminals that should have 1kV and that happened several times before it started smoking) My most used is a Keysight but that is a very expensive meter (>700 euro, More aimed towards lab use) One tip if you use cheap meters, if the battery is low the measurements start to get wrong (like showing 16V instead of 12V) Better meters have a low battery sign but go also wrong if it shows. Good meters will measure correct until the display becomes so faint you can not read it anymore or they shut down.
