Great info. Did not realize that the positive and negative would cancel each other out when using a clamp meter. Thanks for making this video. NO such information in the instruction manual that came with the meter.
So glad I watched this first!! I was putting the whole cable (black, white, green) through the amp meter's clamp.I was about to return the device. Rechecked the wires and now they read what I expected. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the video. It is surprising how many people did not think about this and reached a false conclusion about current by measuring the whole multi-conductor wire.
Thank you!!!. I thought my brand new clamp-on ammeter was broken! now I realize I need to make a little 3-wire extension cord with the 3 inner wires separated, so I can clamp on to the black or white wire.
I bought the full thumb hole 22 version in 2009. I was stunned with accuracy straight out the box. Your review is spot on. I went on to buy the bull pup then the 110 laminate which had a manufacturing fault but I sorted myself.All top quality German engineering. 👌
Well that explains it. Bought one of these specifically to measure the amperage draw on my new pressure washer and I basically get just zero. In other words, I’d have to cut up my new pressure washer power cord to get an accurate amperage reading. Very frustrating. Thanks for the explanation.
@@simonwilson7581 Ended up just buying a different style for $10 on Amazon that plugs into the wall and then you plug your item into that and it gives you the reading
They aren't exactly intended for "home/casual" use, but rather industrial applications such as large systems/machinery/etc. I'm pretty sure he just stripped the extension cord as a demonstration tool, really. :-P However, I must admit that I'm putting together a very short cord, essentially just a plug and socket with the separated wires being accessible but of course still insulated, not too vulnerable to damage. Then I'll be able to test anything plugs into a socket. Not typical usage, no.
For DC, what you do is run it through the wire leads of the meter. The current then actually flows through the multimeter, giving you a reading. At least, that's what is typically done. I'm not sure if a magnetic field type ammeter such as this could be used to read DC amperage with different circuitry or not...
Yes I have one on order that supposedly will do this, but accuracy sounds like it isn't as good as what you say, still quicker then what you specify to do. I'll give it a go on my car once I get it.
I have a cheap little clamp meter I got of the bay and today after years I tried it on dc and it appears to work, I have 2 battery chargers running in the garage and the clamp agrees with what the ammeters on the chargers are saying even shorted out the little one's leads and it read 16 amps till the internal breaker cut out, same as the dial on the charger. I always thought you couldn't measure dc with these units. It is a MT87 clamp meter.
there should be a clampmeter that you can put around the whole cord and then since the negative cancels out the positive to show zero, there should be a button you press that j ust shows the negative or the positive. There must be a meter like that somewhere do you know of one?
So you cannot check an extension cord for amps, what else can you do? check the wire that is plugged into it? Not like I am going to cut into an extension cord.
Only if the clamp-on ammeter has a "AC" AND "DC" setting, or if it blatantly says "measures DC" on the package or "AC/DC" on the face of the ammeter. btw ac/dc is a good rock band too.
I clamped the jaws directly onto the insulated 3 core power cable supplying 220 volts to a bar heater that was pulling 800 watts and got a reading of 0.7 amps. Does that amp reading make any sense?
I measured amp on a conduit of our building, it shows 7amp which presents there is fault wiring. How to trace where is the fault wiring or maybe neutral wire goes to a different circuit? Is there any tool to find where the fault wiring occurs without tearing down the wall?
Thanks for the video, although the part at 1:10 about the white wire's current being "opposite" to the black is something I'll have to give some thought and study to. Having to clamp around one conductor certainly makes the process difficult if not impossible. Do people make, or buy if available, a short gadget with three wires separated, with a receptacle and plug, so they can plug in the device and test one wire?
Uni-t UT210E.its 2800 rupees cost .it has ac,dc current ac,dc voltage , capacitance, ohmmeter,magger,diode check, continuity,back light,non connect voltage detection,vfc for variable frequency drive voltage testing.holding for reading.and it works on two AAA size battery.im using it from last 1 year .....it's highly accurate
it has to specify that it has a DC ammeter. I made the mistake of thinking that it read AC and DC amperage becuase it read AC and DC voltage, but I was wrong.
+RU-vid Tv The white wire had the same (but in opposite direction) current as the black wire. The green wire (normally) carries no current. The purpose of the green wire is a safety feature. If for some reason a metal casing becomes "live" the green wire will ground the case.
If you're asking why all 3 wires wouldn't show current, it's because the ground wire wouldn't be used for anything in this case. I think he explained the other 2 wires quite thoroughly.
Except many appliance power cords aren't terminated in a plug, but yeah maybe in mobile power if you set it up that way. However if you have a plug, I'd sooner use a kill-o-watt meter because not only does it show current but also logs power consumption through the various power states to reach a total power supply budget.
What can't you handle? The fact that a meter for measuring amps is actually called an "ammeter"? I'll admit the English language is funny but you can't blame the video for an amp meter being called an ammeter!
