Can clamp ammeter replace multimeter?
Clamp ammeter and multimeter are both necessary "equipment" for electrician technicians, and they are different in function emphasis. Clamp ammeter focuses on measuring high-current lines, while multimeter focuses on measuring low-voltage and low-current, so it is sometimes necessary to use them together when maintaining circuits, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, electrical control equipment and other high-voltage combined electrical equipment.
The main "specialty" of clamp ammeter
Clamp ammeter we know its main "specialty" from its common name, and we sometimes call it current measuring pliers. It is an electrical instrument for measuring large current, which can measure up to 1000 amperes of alternating current, and can only measure 1 ampere of current at the minimum, and it will be impossible to measure accurately if it is lower. Therefore, its accuracy is only 2.5 to 5, and there are many things to pay attention to when measuring large current, which need to be memorized for beginners.
The main "specialty" of multimeter
Multimeter is also commonly known as "universal meter". Its main specialty is its strong comprehensive ability, such as "18 martial arts can be held up and put down". It can measure not only AC current but also AC voltage, DC current and voltage, resistance, inductance, capacitance, audio level, diode, transistor magnification, transistor type and so on. Moreover, its measurement accuracy is much higher than that of clamp ammeter, and its accuracy can reach 0.1, especially for digital multimeters. For large current, it can measure the current value as high as 10A, which is enough for general equipment. I use the multimeter nine times out of ten times when I am repairing and debugging equipment. Therefore, from the frequency of use, the usage rate of multimeter is far greater than that of clamp ammeter, so I think multimeter is easy to use when maintaining electrical equipment.
Multimeter with clamp ammeter
With the popularization of digitalization and the research and development of new products, more and more instruments have adopted digitalization and become a development trend, and analog instruments have gradually withdrawn from the "stage" of use. Now the clamp ammeter has also appeared digital, and its function is no longer a single measuring instrument. The measurement accuracy of digital clamp ammeter is improved, and at the same time, its physical quantities are "enriched", such as current, voltage, resistance, active power, frequency, phase angle and power factor. It has dual functions of multimeter and clamp ammeter. I think this kind of instrument will be favored by the majority of electrical technicians in the future.
