Can you read a qb board current draw with A multimeter?
- Thread starter SaHt420
- Start date
Billy the Mountain
Well-Known Member
Depends on the meter, most multimeters can measure amps, but you have to put the meter "inline" with the current.
Safest and easiest way is to use a non-contact ammeter which uses hall sensors (magnets) to measure current:
dropshot
Active Member
This is the only answer
SaHt420
Well-Known Member
Thanks good to know!
Drop That Sound
Well-Known Member
These are pretty handy. Built in shunt, and good up to 20 amps. They got ones for higher voltage/amperage too, with the hall effect coil sensor, but you have to snake the line through it every time, unlike the portable clamp ammeters like the one above that opens up. Ore you can get bigger current shunts. For 15 bucks, I'd just assume install one right into the light fixture somewhere, and leave it in.
Rufus T. Firefly
Well-Known Member
It's oddly satisfying to see questions definitively answered in one post.
Hugo Phurst
Well-Known Member
-no
Jonesfamily7715
Well-Known Member
In my experience the Chinese cheapo multimeters aren't accurate enough for this. Go buy a used fluke or extech from the pawn shop, that's what I did. The clamp meters and some have a slot you slide wires into, those are the only ones that read amperage on a circuit without disconnecting wires
SaHt420
Well-Known Member
Didn’t even think of pawn shops hell yea
In my experience cheap multi-meters are fine for most things with the exception of the amp clamps. The one on my UNI-T UT203 ($30?) can be a little temperamental at low currents and I have to squeeze the clamp a little to be sure it's 100% closed. Always be sure you can get consistent readings...
These are great if you are looking to monitor watts and power usage of lights or other devices. It will log power draw, kilowatt hours, cost and run time and etc. I have a kill-a-watt, but there are cheaper ones.