How to use and precautions for clamp ammeter
Clamp-type AC ammeter is mainly composed of current transformer and rectifier system instrument. The measured current-carrying conductor is equivalent to the primary winding of the current transformer. On the iron core is the secondary winding of the current transformer. The secondary winding is connected to the rectifier system instrument. According to a certain change ratio between the primary winding and the secondary winding of the current transformer, the rectifier instrument displays the current value of the circuit under test.
Clamp-type AC and DC meter is an electromagnetic instrument. The measured current-carrying wire is placed inside the jaws and serves as an excitation coil. The magnetic flux forms a loop in the core. The electromagnetic measuring mechanism is located in the middle of the iron core gap and is deflected by the magnetic field to obtain readings. Since its deflection is not affected by the measurement current, AC and DC currents can be measured.
How to use clamp ammeter
To measure current, simply clamp the trace you want to measure into the core of the clip-on ammeter and read the reading on the digital display or indicator board. It's easy to use. Just clamp the measuring line tightly. However, with the widespread use of digital clamp ammeters, many functions have been added to the clamp ammeter, such as voltage, temperature, resistance, etc. (sometimes called a clamp multimeter, as shown in the picture on the right, there are two probe sockets on the instrument) . Different functions can be selected by turning the buttons, and the usage is similar to that of an ordinary digital multimeter. Please refer to the corresponding description for the meaning of some special function buttons.
When using a clamp ammeter, you should pay attention to the following issues:
When the measured current is small, the current-carrying wire can be wound several times and put into the clamp for measurement. However, the actual current value can be obtained by dividing the reading by the number of coils. After the measurement is completed, put the adjustment switch to the maximum range position (or off position) for safe use next time.
Do not switch gears during measurement.
Note that the voltage on the circuit should be lower than the rated value of the clamp ammeter. Do not use the clamp ammeter to measure the current of a high-voltage circuit, otherwise it may easily cause an accident or electric shock.
