what do you guys think of clamp testers?

[KWCFC]

I can take it off your hands if Mike doesnt Pete. More than happy to pay the postage

 

[Pete999]

I can take it off your hands if Mike doesnt Pete. More than happy to pay the postage

Mike's going to send me the postage

 

[Besoeker]

I've used a Fluke 1000 for many years. It was designed to be plugged into a Fluke multimeter current input. But I use it with a 10 ohm burden resistor that I can look across with a scope.

That gives me an isolated current waveform which is pretty handy for variable speed drives. And I can download the waveform from the scope for later number crunching. The scope I use gives me a good few measurement options. Average, RMS, peak, period, frequency.........all manner of jolly good stuff. If you need that kind of thing.

Which I do from time to time for power quality analysis. But it does the basics too. What I particularly like is the aperture.
It can get round more conductor sizes than you can shake a stick at.

 

[GMES]

Got 4 in total 2 x 200amp 1 x 400amp and 1 x 2000amp for the big boy stuff 1 x earth leakage.

 

[Engineer54]

As a starter, i would definitely go for an earth leakage clamp tester, especially if all you do is domestic and light commercial work. Most will go up to a 100A, but will have the now essential facility of measuring earth leakage mA currents, that you will be using far more often than the straight amp clamp side of things. Go check out the Test-Meter site that has a very good budget clamp meter, and get the forum discount to boot!! ...lol!!

 

[Guest111]

Dont go for the fork type,they're garbage.I ran comparison tests with 3 different types and got 3 vastly different readings on the same cable at the same time.

 

[shanky887614]

Dont go for the fork type,they're garbage.I ran comparison tests with 3 different types and got 3 vastly different readings on the same cable at the same time.

i was moving my clamp around cable and depending on where it was in the clamp slightly varied reading

 

[Guest111]

i was moving my clamp around cable and depending on where it was in the clamp slightly varied reading

In the tests I did the reading could vary by around half an amp depending on where in the jaw the cable sat,also there was about the same difference between the 3 meters,yet testing closed jaw types they were all near enough the same.

 

[northstar]

Dont go for the fork type,they're garbage.I ran comparison tests with 3 different types and got 3 vastly different readings on the same cable at the same time.

would you put the fluke t5 1000 on the garbage list ?

 

[Guest111]

would you put the fluke t5 1000 on the garbage list ?

Any fork ended meter is no match for a proper clamp.

 

[northstar]

Any fork ended meter is no match for a proper clamp.

what do you think about a fluke 322 clamp meter ? thanks

 

[shanky887614]

what do you think about a fluke 322 clamp meter ? thanks

you would be better off getting an earth leakage clamp meter.

the only thing that will tell you is how much power is being drawn and wont really help finding earth leakage cause it doesnt go low enough

 

[lnrelectrical]

I think it ok instrument for everyday use

 

[Guest111]

what do you think about a fluke 322 clamp meter ? thanks

as I said earlier ANY nomal clamp is better than a fork ended,if you are not sure how much use you'll give it or just want to try one then have a look at cpc farnell,they do some tenma for about £20 now they're not bad they do a good selection.In fact I have a tenma that does AC and DC current and it was only about £100 never let me down.

 

[shanky887614]

as I said earlier ANY nomal clamp is better than a fork ended,if you are not sure how much use you'll give it or just want to try one then have a look at cpc farnell,they do some tenma for about £20 now they're not bad they do a good selection.In fact I have a tenma that does AC and DC current and it was only about £100 never let me down.

if you want a cheap one getcthe handyman one from test meter.

there a sponser and it reads low enough to be useful to fault find nuisance tripping

(earth leakage clamp meter)

or there is a better alternative

buy a good multimeter and then a separate clamp when you need one