Need recommendations for clamp on ammeter/multimeter

Morgan3820

Morgan3820

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Looking on Amazon, it seems there are the under $20 cheapies or the Fluka$. Can someone recommend a quality $40-60 unit for general and marine work? I have seen units with interchangeable accessories.
 
I bought this one and Amazon and like it. Under $50. Last time I used it, the detents on the main knob went away though. Still works fine. I have not looked at the issue yet.

Amprobe AM-510 Commercial/Residential Multimeter with Non-Contact Voltage Detection
 
If you need it to work on DC, be sure it is listed as DC capable. They have to use a Hall effect current sensor to read DC.
 
neither of those listed are a clamp on ammeter/multimeter. While I do some AC work most of it is DC. Often I need to find dc current drains. So detection of less than 0.5 amps DC would be helpful.

A question for the pros, are Flukes all that? What does one get when buying a Fluke that they do not get with other products?
 
I have a fluke 77 that I've had for over 20 years. Other than an occasional battery change, it has had zero issues until the LCD froze while left in a car trunk last year. Not sure why it finally was an issue, as it had been left out in freezing weather more than a few times before. It still works, just a bit more difficult to read. I've added some newer flukes more recently, and continue to have good experiences, but they are only a few years old.

One thing you get is knowledge that any cat II/III safety ratings are real, if you are working around AC power systems. And they use first rate components. While my 77 has never been recertified, it is well within spec when compared to my new 117. And the 337 clamp meter has always behaved as expected. Though I will say for DC clamp meters you get best results if you can take current to a known zero after installing the clamp, and then zero the meter.
 
Morgan3820 said:
A question for the pros, are Flukes all that? What does one get when buying a Fluke that they do not get with other products?
Click to expand...

Yes, they are well worth the money you spend on them. Their durability alone is enough to sell me on them.

For daily use I'd use nothing but a fluke. For an occasional home use type application you might consider a lower quality, less expensive unit. In addition to my personal fluke DMM I have at home I bought one of these amp clamps that I use for some automotive projects. It works fine but it's no fluke.

http://www.extech.com/display/?id=14546
 
Number 1 add for any boat that doesn't have it is a master disconnect switch.

Then you have the option (strongly recommended) if kept on water to wire the bilge pump always hot, and optionally the radio memory. Our boat is trailered, and the master switch kills 100%.

Some of the common culprits on newer boats are things like Sirius receivers, even if not used, or sometimes a separate amp for the audio fails to shut off completely.
 
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