Tool of the Week (week 47) Digital Clamp Meter What is a clamp meter, and what can it do? What measurements can be made with a clamp meter? How do you get the most out of a clamp meter? Which clamp meter is best suited to the environment the meter will be used in? With technological advances in electrical equipment and circuits come more challenges for electricians and technicians. These advances not only require more capability in today’s test equipment, but more skills on the part of the people who use them. An electrician who has a good grounding in the fundamentals of test-equipment use will be better prepared for today’s testing and troubleshooting challenges. The clamp meter is an important and common tool found in the toolboxes of electricians and technicians alike. A clamp meter is an electrical tester that combines a voltmeter with a clamp-type current meter. Like the multimeter, the clamp meter has passed through the analog period and into the digital world. Originally created primarily as a single-purpose test tool for electricians, today’s models have incorporated more measurement functions, more accuracy, and, in some instruments, some very special measurement features. Today’s clamp meters have most of the basic functions of a digital multimeter (DMM), but with the added feature of a current transformer built into the product.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:07:12 +0000