ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area AC Current Clamp

I need to measure AC current using a Fluke i200 AC Current Clamp? The Fluke meter I have is a Fluke 189 multimeter. I need to measure the amount of AMPS that a specific power strip is pulling from the PDU it is connected to. What setting should I have the meter on? I have tried it on various settings and I do not get results.

exactly how are are you using the amp clamp? What are you clamping it around?
Don

You need to clamp it around only one conductor. It won't work if you clamp it around the entire cord with all 3 conductors in it.

I know it's probably not kosher to do this, but I built a little test adaptor using male and female connectors with three 12" individual conductors (black, white, green) connecting the two. I can temporarily insert this anywhere I need, then amprobe the black conductor. It's been very handy for checking current draw on sound and television equipment and stage lighting gear.

Mike (mamills)

[This message has been edited by mamills (edited 10-16-2003).]

I am clamping it around the cable insulated cable from the power supply to the twist-lock plug. We want to see the draw that this power supply is pulling off of the 20amp ckt. breaker.

As Don stated, you need to be measuring the ungrounded (hot) conductor only. This could be done, but I will not reccommend my way of doing it.

Amprobe makes a plug in splitter for this application. You use the line splitter with the energizer adapter .
don



[This message has been edited by resqcapt19 (edited 10-16-2003).]

Well, I can't be intrusive to the ckt, so I need something can measure this power strip from the point it plugs into the outlet. I geuss that if I open up the PDU and clamp on to the return coming from the outlet to the breaker, I can acomplish this... Ya think?

nykevins,
Only if you are "qualified' and have the OSHA required PPE.
Don

nykevins,

The item Don mentioned is the way to go. The splitter is the item in the middle that simply plugs into the receptacle and the load to be tested plugs into it. The clamp goes on one side of the splitter.