Can anybody Recommend a good clampmeter?

[LlandrilloSpark]

As above can anybody recommend a good clamp meter?, does not have to measure DC, but would like it to read earth leakage , my old one has packed in.

 

[Guest123]

Depends how much money you want to throw at it......

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Hmmm say £150-£200 Lenny

 

[Engineer54]

This is about the best budget leakage clampmeter i've seen so far, that also measures upto 200A ....

Anyway ...have a look yourself here .....

Dilog DL6507 10uA to 60A AC Leakage Clamp meter. Buy online or call


EDIT... Oooops just checked again it looks like 100A that's marked on the meter...

 

[telectrix]

Clamp meter for Earth Leakage - New | eBay UK

 

[Engineer54]

Clamp meter for Earth Leakage - New | eBay UK

Don't know about you Tel, ....but would you honestly put any kind of faith in what that bit of kit indicates?? I'm dammed sure i wouldn't ...lol!!!

 

[telectrix]

got my alphatec from ebay. not sure of that make, but then who'd have bought the unheard of makes of mobile phone in preference to a nokia 10 years ago?

 

[Engineer54]

Here's another decent budget leakage clampmeter.... But this time, at the top end of what you want to pay....

Kewtech KEW 2434 Earth Leakage Clamp Meter

 

[Engineer54]

got my alphatec from ebay. not sure of that make, but then who'd have bought the unheard of makes of mobile phone in preference to a nokia 10 years ago?

Look at the so-called Spec, if you an call it that, tells you nothing, a resolution of 1mA on a 2A range, ....and then reckons upto 600A, ...Nah, sorry this bit of kit is a toy, and it's shown in the price, ....1st year Apprentice range test kit!! ...lol!!!

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Cheers fellas I will have a closer look at them,maybe not the eBay one!!??

 

[telectrix]

oops, didn't read the spec fully.

 

[nickblake]

Mike this is the one i use cracking little meter and small too Test4less Electrical & Gas Test Equipment Distributor - Details For TIS 550 Mini Leakage Clamp Meter

 

[Silly Sausage]

I dont think it has to measure earth leakege to work out the earth leakege.......clamp the phase take a value....clamp the neutral take a value take away the lower value from the higher one........thats the earth leakege ......i think this is correct but if not let me know...mA clamps are expensive but theres ways around it....

In theory, yes. But it would rely on the current being stable and you would need a meter with a resolution of at least, say, 5mA, preferably less.

 

[Engineer54]

GlennSpark,

That just isn't going to work, your looking at mA here and with it accuracy/resolutions levels. I would doubt very much, if you would even come close to being able to determine mA leakage levels using your method with a convention amp-clamp, even a decent one. It just won't have the range or resolution!!

That's why even budget Leakage clamp meters are more expensive than mid-range amp- clamp meters....

 

[Engineer54]

In theory, yes. But it would rely on the current being stable and you would need a meter with a resolution of at least, say, 5mA, preferably less.

Try micro amps!!! Certainly LESS than 1mA!!! .....A ramp test gives a far better indication of leakage than 5 mA mate!!!

 

[scotsparky]

Megger DCM300E High Resolution AC Earth Leakage Clampmeter

My company issue us with these

 

[Silly Sausage]

Try micro amps!!! Certainly LESS than 1mA!!! .....A ramp test gives a far better indication of leakage than 5 mA mate!!!

Yes, I agree. I was referring to a non-earth leakage meter, which people think are expensive (EL meters that is)!

How accurately would you want to measure leakage anyway?
With a 0.1mA meter I bet you'd get all sorts of calibration errors anyway, after some monkey's calibrated it and you've dropped it a few times!

+/- 1mA would do me just fine.
We're not talking (eg Pharmaceutical plant) 4-20mA measurements loops here.

 

[Engineer54]

Yes, I agree. I was referring to a non-earth leakage meter, which people think are expensive (EL meters that is)!

How accurately would you want to measure leakage anyway?
With a 0.1mA meter I bet you'd get all sorts of calibration errors anyway, after some monkey's calibrated it and you've dropped it a few times!

+/- 1mA would do me just fine.
We're not talking (eg Pharmaceutical plant) 4-20mA measurements loops here.

The better the resolution, the better the accuracy, across the whole range. You NEED a good or decent resolution to be confident of what your reading is as near as dam it correct, otherwise, ....why bother testing!!! +/- 1mA, is pointless on a leakage clamp meter!!!

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Got the TIS550 that nick recommended, very pleased with it, very very light and seems accurate

 

[Engineer54]

This is the Di-Log leakage clamp, and seems to be a pretty good budget model too... i'd certainly be happy with it...

Dilog DL6507 10uA to 60A AC Leakage Clamp meter. Buy online or call