Is a clamp ammeter a multimeter replacement?
Both clamp ammeters and multimeters are essential equipment for electricians and technicians. There is a difference in the emphasis on their functions. Clamp ammeters focus on measuring high current circuits, while multimeters focus on measuring low voltage and low current. Sometimes, when repairing circuits, a combination of the two is needed, such as in repairing electrical equipment such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and electrical control equipment that combines strong current. Both of these instruments are sometimes used without distinction.
The main "advantages" of clamp ammeters
We can tell its main "strengths" from its common name, and sometimes we also refer to it as a current measuring clamp. It is an electrical instrument used to measure large currents, with a maximum measurement current of 1000 amperes for alternating current and a minimum measurement current of only 1 ampere. No matter how low it is, it cannot be accurately measured. So its accuracy is only between 2.5 and 5 levels, and there are many things to pay attention to when measuring large currents, which beginners need to memorize.
The main "strengths" of a multimeter
A multimeter, commonly known as a "universal meter", has the main advantage of strong comprehensive ability, such as being able to hold and hold all kinds of martial arts. It can not only measure AC current but also AC voltage, DC current and voltage, resistance, inductance, capacitance, audio level, diode, transistor amplification factor, transistor type, etc. Moreover, its measurement accuracy is much higher than that of a clamp ammeter, and its accuracy can reach 0.1, especially for digital multimeters. For high currents, a current value of up to 10A can be measured, which is sufficient for general equipment. I need to use a multimeter nine out of ten times to complete tasks when repairing and debugging equipment. So, in terms of usage frequency, the usage rate of a multimeter is much higher than that of a clamp ammeter, so I believe that a multimeter is more effective in repairing electrical equipment.
Multimeter with clamp ammeter
With the promotion of digitalization and the development of new products, more and more instruments are adopting digitalization and becoming a trend of development. Analog instruments are gradually being phased out of use. Nowadays, digital clamp ammeters have also emerged, and their functions are no longer just single measuring instruments. As the measurement accuracy of digital clamp ammeters improves, their physical quantities are also enriched, such as measuring current, voltage, resistance, active power, frequency, phase angle, power factor, and other physical quantities. It has dual functions of a multimeter and a clamp ammeter. I think such instruments will be favored by a large number of electrical technicians in the future.
