How to measure high current draw?

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mini14

Copper - Posts: 120

Joined: December 31, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: April 06, 2006 at 9:59 PM / IP Logged

I'm working on a project that involves some 12 volt car batteries and it will pull about 150 amps. We don't know for sure, but this contraption is pulling a lot of current. What is the best way to measure the exact or best approximation of the current draw? I thought a voltmeter wouldn't hold up so I wanted to ask before zapping one.

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stevdart

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Posted: April 06, 2006 at 10:06 PM / IP Logged

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-35,GGLG:en&q=ammeter

http://omnicontrols.com/lists/fluke4et.html

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DYohn

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Posted: April 06, 2006 at 10:51 PM / IP Logged

I use a clamp-on ammeter. THIS is the one I currently have; there are many different ones available. You want one that can detect DC amps. Oh, and NO, don't try to use a multimeter to measure high current! Most common multimeters can handle about 10 amps max (and even then require you to wire them in series which can be very dangerous.)

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nett

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Joined: April 07, 2006

Posted: April 07, 2006 at 1:30 PM / IP Logged

Sorry about the above formating issues.

You will need a clamp on Hall Effect probe that goes into you Multimeter. The Multimeter has to be compatible with this clamp.

Most inexpensive clamp on ammeter probes only measure AC, you need a Hall Effect one to measure DC current.

A good setup is the Fluke model 177 VOM with a Fluke Amp Current Clamp model I410.

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How to measure high current draw?

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