Voltage Ohm Meters

[LibertyTC]

What kind do you have and do you use it often?
I leave a VOM & test light in the Jeep.
Sure comes in handy to test battery/ charging voltages even fuses, & can help others in diagnostics etc while on the road! :gr_grin:
Today while walking down the street I come across an electronic store and cant resist another VOM !
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I can't believe how inexpensive this one was $15. That is less than a cheap wristwatch!
For $2.50 extra they had the alligator connector /leads.
Has a decent on/off illuminated led screen, hold, reads temps etc.

 

[uss2defiant]

Tim,

You need a clamp meter.

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These probes also come in handy

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[LibertyTC]

I'm a bit old school. I would need to take a serious course on those new clamp meters.
The only thing I know about clamp meters is they are meant for reading current?
I wonder if it can provide current...as it sure does look like a stun gun!!! :icon_lol:

 

[Cardhu]

If your meter beeps when checking for continuity then you have everything you need.

Fluke makes some pretty decent leads that stand up to the cold if you don't want to buy a premium meter. They will work with any meter as the contacts are all very similar.

As for clampable current meters, if your not after precision, then your in luck.

 

[LibertyTC]

Thanks Brian, those Fluke test leads look a little pricey, but very good quality.
Were you able to purchase them from a local store?
Funny you should mention if it beeps...
I always test the display, continuity & voltage when buying, before I leave the store. :gr_grin:

 

[Cardhu]

years of pinning out cables for work trouble shooting stuff means i can't operate without one that does. A small sized connector for me has 4 wires, so thats 9 tests when your being OCD about connections.

The fluke leads will stay flexible in as cold as i've seen.

Whereas those mastercraft ones aren't worth shit as in 2 days your looking at bare wires.

The leads for the fluke are about 20 bucks at any electrical supply store(in mb thats westburn, eecol, or acklands if you don't care what your paying). They even make a set of aligator clips that work well with with the stardard leads for 10 bucks or so.

If you can find some junkyard plugs of what you tend to test lots you can make your own probes using small wire and a female extension plug run to the small connector spades/pins/ sockets etc. makes testing much quicker. Plus then your leads are firmly connected while you wiggle the wire to find intermittant connections.

Everytime i get a plug thats screwed I smash it in the vice to get the sockets or pins out of it to make a test lead for that type. Then when you seperate them on the bright or brass side of the female AC plug you can insert your leads into that to keep them in contact without buying one off pricey leads.

 

[ltd02]

Anyone out there ever use one of these:

Equus 3340 Innova Pro Automotive Digital Multimeter - Newegg.com

A bit pricey but looks interesting and can be used as a plain old voltmeter too.

Also considering:

Amprobe Digital Multimeter, 600V, 40 MOhms, 10A AM-510 | Zoro.com

The one from LibertyTC's post one is a consideration too. It has some very good reviews. Way too many choices out there! Mine is about 25 years old and probably cost less than 10 bucks when I bought it. Acting a little funny today as I was checking my battery and alternator.

 

[LibertyTC]

The UT33D been tested for a while now, works great, now almost 2 years old.
Have a little collection happening here..
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:gr_grin:

 

[profdlp]

...
Have a little collection happening here...

Bet you don't have one like mine:

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[LibertyTC]

^ Lol..that's a good one Prof...
Trying to get one of these next. Watts/Amps usage will work even with inverters.
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[turblediesel]

I have a Kill-a-watt. Used it on an electric radiator style heater set on low for a few days while I moved my fuel tank to the other side of my house. The plastic around the male plug had started melting and scorching.

 

[JasonJ]

Bet you don't have one like mine:

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Got one better.... this is circa 1968. Includes a National Hyper (later Panasonic) AA sized cell. .. which STILL HAS 1.5v!

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With original packaging!

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[Myke]

Ut139c has been my goto for the last 2.5yrs

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[LibertyTC]

Well the new P3 Kill-A-Watt arrived..
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Back of packaging specs..interesting..
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Will be great to discover what the real power consumption of items are in watts & or amps.
What is the OEM Jeep's block heater, computer on inverter?
I bet the AC is big and the coffee maker on for 2 hours? :Caffeine:
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I will try to publish more specs by this weekend after testing some stuff! :gr_grin:

 

[LibertyTC]

Jeep Block Heater Results!

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Ran OEM block heater for 15 minutes and it ls like running 5 X100 watt light bulb$! opcorn:

 

[boboborino]

Did not look but does that gadget (Kilawatt meter) come in a 20 amp rated model? now-a-days a lot of things are higher powered (yes a lot of it is gimmicky sales tactics) and I would be careful what you test with that, unless it's internally fused and that fuse is accessible to be changed out. Otherwise looks like an easy and FUN way to see what things draw, I guess.

Bert


Edit: even your coffee maker, drawing 8 amps, depending on how your household wiring is ran, using two appliances at the same time may read both, as total current on that line (Circuit) may be read as current adds up.

Bert Bert

Double Edit: thinking about how that meter works it's probably just reading the appliance that is plugged into it, so it should be fine, still providing that the appliance is >15 amps.

Bert Bert Bert

 

[LibertyTC]

You could test multiple items, by use of a power bar or short extension.
I have a 1.5 foot x3 sockets rated at only 1875 watts.
"The electronics in the meter are capable of 20 amps but the cord and receptacle have different ratings. Verify the rating on the cordset you are purchasing."
link:kill a watt device for more than 15A? - EcoRenovator