For the worst clamp meter bin... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Blanketduck
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 04:33:32 pm
content: Note: I do not own this -> $35 @ KMS is in my city ( vancouver )... I'll just leave this here because of the description:"There’s nothing more annoying than a breaker that keeps tripping, at the most inopportune times. More annoying yet is not being able to figure out why, while the production line or site trades stand silent waiting for you to work your magic. Clamp meters are used to measure circuit loading. With a bit of ingenuity, you can also use clamps to tell you which breaker controls which outlets, as well as to measure individual loads. This can help you solve load problems quickly and preserve your reputation as an ace troubleshooter. This meter was designed for electricians, technicians, and servicemen, and is a handy tool for home electricians."http://www.kmstools.com/hawk-digital-clamp-meter-18323

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 06:40:11 pm
content: I have bought them new for $3. Good enough to use as a clamp meter, but not really trustworthy with mains voltage measuring. I modified it to connect the unused high resistance connector to the current coil so I could plug a scope into it.

author: Blanketduck
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 07:22:04 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on April 01, 2014, 06:40:11 pmHahaha $3 wow... I have no words. Maybe it secretly is the 400-600V clamp meter that ACE TROUBLESHOOTERS build their reputation on. I would think it would be at least a $100-$150 model or maybe a $300-$400 electricians model before it's useful in a power plant. I couldn't figure out if the description was some kind of chinese cross translation or if it was real. Vancouver is mostly chinese. I don't want to even buy this because I feel like I'd be asked if I was an ace troubleshooter, which I would feel like I'd drop the clamp meter and just run instead... IT'S A TRAP!!!I'm just kidding $3 is a pretty good deal, it must be way lower than BoM. I googled another version which was $24...

author: johansen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 07:23:35 pm
content: my 8$ meter is still working. its good to 5% with a resistive load.

author: Blanketduck
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 07:26:00 pm
content: Quote from: johansen on April 01, 2014, 07:23:35 pmAh yeah, those aren't bad as long as it's HRC fused + CAT II. I still have a hard time trusting it. I should send in all the "unusual" canadian tire models here. They go on sale for $20 every once in awhile... Well that's not 100% right, because the probes are never safe/good, and the plugs are prone to cracking. Most canadian tire models are built like this mastech MS8217 ( digital systems EE site, basically the xilinx version of terasic, mostly dev kits, tools, someone asked me to verify the links so they didn't have to put up with google analytics, etc )https://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,842,882&Prod=MULTIMETER-MS8217

author: johansen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 07:46:57 pm
content: Quote from: Blanketduck on April 01, 2014, 07:26:00 pmlol, you have to be a special kind of stupid to short out your 480v mains with a clamp meter.

author: Blanketduck
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 08:16:19 pm
content: Quote from: johansen on April 01, 2014, 07:46:57 pmI'm actually not scared because it happens on the "IT" type PC/computer-repair forums. This one is REALLY bad for that. Some people even have confessed to sticking screwdrivers into their power supplies, because the fan quit ( curse gaming runs this, which is probably one of the largest gaming networks available, over here people use dollar store meters to measure mains )...http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/( fertile soil for EEVBLOG )Note: They've very resistant to even using 80 plus standard PSUs. Most people prefer the $35 chinese passive-PFC models with glass fusing, terrible heatsinks, no isolation cutouts, poor ventilation, and also the trademark of a shit PSU: soldering all similar rails together and letting the inductors deal with it. Of course the crowbar diodes will be able to shut them down in an emergency, but eventually the fan dies, the caps leak, or you start to hear high pitched whining (it's usually the regulators and damage to the passives/reactives. Reminds me of those loud camera flash recharges back in the days of 35MM and other film) There are some good "channel well" PSUs, but everyone here thinks that when you buy the most expensive corsair brand model you can get, that it's not made by seasonic or FSP ( two biggest OEMs in the PC power supply market, which is surprisingly boring, and full of people who are impatient )...( Who's Who In Power Supplies, 2013: Brands Vs. Manufacturers )http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913.htmlA lot of the low end ones APEVIA, and other brands make actually come from this model (APEX AL-A400ATX 400W). They're just repainted and claim it's been upgraded. Arc welding is a hidden feature you can sell:http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817154013If you buy a corsair, thermaltake, ocz, or other model, it's usually got a notch on the PCB for each power rating ( 500, 550, 600, 650, 700 ). Not really important, but it at least shows the tooling is the same. So you can swap out the linear ICs, caps, the fan, or even the heatsink. Easily convert a $30 model into a $100 model for not too much. It is a time waster converting all the PCBs though. You can get better money out of just replacing the entire PCB. Most of the time they keep the tooling the same on all the boards, and use some strange U shaped metal prong with a heat shrink tubing over it, so they bridge the rails without having to worry about the wires they removed to gimp the PSU. Maybe that's not fair to say that, but this is an old OCZ model, before they went bankrupt, so I'm not mentioning something I've seen now ( probably still true today for most PC stuff. I'd much rather find a gimped seasonic with individual rails, and replace it how I see fit. I'm sure you could even just solder the entire thing to a separate PCB and split it inside the case to get the 80 plus gold performance, for awhile at least until you could afford to do your own runs. You could probably just relabel them and sell them to crazy people. Not that that's good, but it seems to be the norm these days... )

author: johansen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 10:08:44 pm
content: i'm guessing you have no idea what this thread was about...hint:"For the worst clamp meter bin..."

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 10:11:27 pm
content: Quote from: Blanketduck on April 01, 2014, 07:26:00 pmMost Canadian multimeters are made byhttp://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/l25520-0/Multimeters.htmlwhich are "UL" listed.

author: Blanketduck
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2014, 09:42:33 am
content: Quote from: retiredcaps on April 01, 2014, 10:11:27 pmThat would apply mostly to canadian tire models. Thanks so much for the link.Maybe the CAT II canadian tire DMMs (not a clamp meter, and much more pricey, they are UL listed also)I have a few of them myself. The latch continuity is very slow, but it's basically the same as the mastech in features...Canadian tire also does make a clamp meter, but it's nothing like this other one (I can't verify that yet since I'd have to buy it)I wouldn't say this "hawk" clamp meter would be quality. I haven't gotten ahold of it. It's most likely an import or something else...One thing though, that person above said he got the same model for $3 in bulk or some alternate setting.I'm quite far away from south africa though so the customs/shipping, and ordering tend to be different...Anyways if I do plan on getting one, I'll post pictures of the insides of all of them...Quote from: johansen on April 01, 2014, 10:08:44 pmI didn't address it specifically for you. You do realize this is a public forum! You don't need to sign up to read it.The second section is on WHAT people do with the WORLD'S WORST CLAMP METERS, which is measure mains and high voltage switching PSUs.Later on I talk about the design of the PSU. Most people here reading this are engineers, so it's easy to visualize the explosions, arc welding, etcWith enough creativity, one could create a video series on this. Of course, anyone can use this as they please!

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2014, 12:12:32 pm
content: Quote from: retiredcaps on April 01, 2014, 10:11:27 pmThat should sayMost Canadian Tire multimeters are made by