Is it better to have a multimeter with or without a clamp?
Dedicated current clamp meter on the detection of line current and high accuracy, although a single function but enough to meet the line current detection. Simply look, clamp current meter is composed of current transformer and ammeter. Measurement process to switch gears, must be detached from the measured wire to switch gears. Because in the gear change will make the secondary side of the current transformer instantaneous open circuit, if the measured current is large, the secondary side of the current transformer will produce instantaneous high voltage, the clamp meter is likely to burn out.
Clamp meter is initially used to detect AC current measurement is running line current size instrument. As you can see, the current can be detected without breaking the power supply, and it is specialised in detecting high AC currents. Today's clamp-on meters are no longer mono-functional; they have all the functions that a multimeter has, but they also have the same functions.
Therefore, each has its own advantages, if you want to detect the current of the circuit is running certainly clamp current meter is good to use, do not disconnect the line directly for current detection. With a multimeter but also disconnect the line to measure, if the equipment in the continuous production process can not be arbitrarily disconnected, at this time the multimeter is not good.
Now the clamp meter has long been not decades ago the clamp meter, it uses the Hall induction principle, not only can measure the AC circuit, DC current; inserted into the pen into a digital multimeter, you can also measure the voltage, resistance, capacitance, frequency and other parameters. As for the accuracy, and digital multimeter is the same, there is no difference.
Their differences
If you have to say which one of the clamp meter and multimeter is good to use, their experience in the process of using them is still a little different.
1. Clamp meter it can be constantly measuring current, which the multimeter can not do. If you need to frequently measure AC and DC current, it is recommended to buy clamp meter; do not need to frequently measure the current on the purchase of the multimeter.
2. In order to measure the current without power, the clamp meter must have jaws, so its body shape is relatively long. Because there is no bracket on the back of the clamp meter, I feel that the clamp meter is more inclined to hold in the hands of measurement; multimeter has a bracket on the back of the more inclined to be placed on the table to measure. So if you are often sitting at the table next to the maintenance, or buy a multimeter is convenient, or stretch your neck to see the clamp table screen is very uncomfortable.
3. From the price point of view, the clamp meter it not only has a multimeter of large multi-function, but also more current transformer, so the price is relatively more expensive.
