Thank you for making this video. I have never used a device like this and need to troubleshoot a furnace issue I am having. This video added to my understanding and confidence level going in. Good stuff. A+
Non-technical comment ... but important than that is a person knowledge of music :-) At 03:55 , "You gotta keep the wires separated". Which is the line from the 1994 song "Come Out and Play" by The Offspring No sooner did you say what you did about the wires and I chimed in "You Gotta Keep Them Separated!". To which you immediately after me chimed in the same thing. Thank You! It feels good when someone has the same reaction as you :-)
That's pretty much standard, the clamp measures the field created by the current flowing through the wire. If we put it around both wires, one would essentially cancel out the other wires field giving you a zero reading. Same with a Fluke
thanks for the video. this multi-meter is great. I was very surprise by its fit and finish. the probes have indents which is very helpful. if one was to compare it to the freebie they look and feel worlds apart, all be it the freebie is a 7 function meter. there are two downsides (nothing major). the manual is not helpful, I mention this because the typical buyer will likely not have much electrical experience or use for a high end model that comes with a detailed manual. so they'd definitely have to wade through information online (much which is wrong) to learn to use it. then it uses 3 button cell batteries, the biggest pain in the ass batteries to keep stocked. still it is a must buy even if just a supplemental multi-meter.
I’m glad you’re Harbor freight Clamp meter worked the only function that works on mine is the 300 V DC everything else don’t work on mine I even bought new batteries but it’s not worth $13 driving all the way back there
Thank you for the facts, I didn't know you needed to isolate a single wire, was worried I bought a half a lemon at HF, also showing me helpful household uses 👍
The funny thing is the batteries cost almost as much as the meter, when you are finished be sure to turn off the meter,it kills batteries quickly. I've bought two of them, they are great for jobs in a pinch.
Just bought one of these a while ago and for some reason I thought I could just use common sense to use it, I even through away the instructions. Then today I need for a oven igniter coincidentally lol you killed two birds with one stone, great video!!
Bought the same model from HF yesterday, it's going back for a exchange. Work's fine checking AC current and voltage, but is way off on DC. I checked about four 12v batteries I knew was fully charged because I've got another multimeter and the highest reading on the HF was 11v. my other meter measured like 12.9v checking the same batteries. Also tried it on a AAA battery which showed 1.55v on my other multimeter, but the HF meter would not register any voltage at all, showed all 000.0. That's the story of my buying stuff new, I'd say at least 80% of the stuff I buy has to be returned for exchange or my money back. It's not just HF that's anywhere I buy. I guarantee you there could be a 1000 items laying on a table with only one that is defective and I'd choose that one every single time, lol.
Yeah just bought one and got the same issue. Seems to read about 2 volts low and it doesn't have a decimal place on DC..which is kinda idiotic to design it that way on top of being 2V low. No point in even having DC on if if that's the case. I'm taking this back and just buying two more of the crappy $6 ones that I wanted to upgrade out of since they don't last..
This meter isn't intended for checking standard batteries. This meter is designed around AC circuits in the range of typical household wiring. It's a somewhat specialized device that offers safe, convenient and sustained current measurement in a way that traditional multimeters cannot offer. Clamp meters include features of a basic multimeter because those are cheap to implement, but even those features are designed around higher voltages. That's why the VDC range is limited to only the 300V setting. Measuring a battery should instead be done at something like a 3V setting, which this meter doesn't even offer. A 300V setting for a AA battery is like trying to count ants using binoculars.
Tomorrow I have to check why my son's motorcycle isn't starting. To get to the spark plugs you nearly have to strip the whole bike apart. (Damn BMW's) So I can't even get to the spark plugs to see if he's getting a spark or current to the plugs themselves. I was wondering if I could clamp this meter around the spark plug wires, one at a time, to see if at least a charge is running through the wires. That would eliminate some guess-work on the stator is bad. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
What about an inductive spark tester ? Lisle Tools make one . If someone has a timing light with an inductive clamp , that will work . But you won't know if the spark is strong . You need some exposed plug wire to test . There are more advanced tools but they cost plenty .
+Chris Parker (CP Builds) I prefer to consider the 10's of views that each of my videos receive as catering to a niche market🍻 Actually I'm just too damn lazy to do anything but upload them, have you checked out the effort I put into the descriptions or in many cases the lack of any keywords. On a positive note at least my 15 Twitter followers get notified when I upload a new video. Thanks for the heads up though cause I'm doing another HFT video today.
@@116falconer I’ve tried it on AC wall sockets and it worked fine. So I thought I would see how it would do on DC with some batteries that I know are good and I got no reading. I just went out and put it to my truck battery and it showed 10V and 13V with it running. So yes it is working, just not on the AA&AAA
😂😂 I’ve had breathing problems since I was a kid, when the humidity is high I damn near drown from my sinus discharge. Even with my breathing problems I still managed to achieve 11B with P & G qualifiers in my youthful days 🍻🍻🍻
You select the 300v option, the curvy line denotes alternating current and the solid line with 3 dots underneath is direct current. If you’re working on residential electrics (North America) then you’ll use alternating unless you have a phase converter.
That is standard with a clamp type meter, even a Fluke 337 clamp meters will read only the one wire. The clamp mechanism measures the electromagnetic field created by the current flowing though the wire. If we place both wires, current in and current out, one wires field will cancel the other wires field as the field is created in the opposite direction hence the meter will read Zero. A Fluke meter to read DC current costs over $100.00. I am calculating current on appliances in the van with my clamp meter to determine the potential power requirements for a new Van conversion. for on roof solar power. some appliances surprised me. Even when on stand by. WARNING these meter ae designed to read a true sign wave current. CFL, LED lighting and perhaps other loads will not give a sinewave current flow. The meter shown is good for most applications but be aware some loads are a distorted wave and will need a True RMS meter.
This meter is practically worthless because it has no decimal reading for volts. So it is useless for testing batteries. I returned it and bought the Ames, which is 100x better in function and quality. The CM600A is your best deal (unless you are a pro who has to measure very powerful circuits). It cost $45. The 20% coupons don't work for the Ames line.
@@goguyted it's not like the probe police are going to ticket you if you leave them off. just don't put them in your front pocket you're likely to perforate your junk.
You have to be fastidious about taking the batteries out of this meter after use. If you don't you'll be buying a new set every time you use the thing.
That was why I didn't give it 5 ⭐️ on HF because that and the manual took me back, 3 x 3v button cells equals 1 x 9 volt am I right? Well China made and $15 bucks that's what it will get ya.
I fucking hate this thing. When your doing microelectronics it doesn't read any .anything. just 1 volt 2 volt etc.. Doesnt even register batteries under 9v
Budget electrical meters is similar to budget jack stands... As far as things go in the comment section... The amount of inexperienced individuals stating things about this or their own budget meters scares me.
116falconer , thank you for the informative, to the point and word precise video! Looking forward to the next one...( and make it an hour long, just to piss off these fucktards)!
Freakin' Awesome!! I gotta show this to my Ol' Lady!!
Thank you for making this video. I have never used a device like this and need to troubleshoot a furnace issue I am having. This video added to my understanding and confidence level going in. Good stuff. A+
Non-technical comment ... but important than that is a person knowledge of music :-)
At 03:55 , "You gotta keep the wires separated". Which is the line from the 1994 song "Come Out and Play" by The Offspring
No sooner did you say what you did about the wires and I chimed in "You Gotta Keep Them Separated!". To which you immediately after me chimed in the same thing. Thank You! It feels good when someone has the same reaction as you :-)
Thanks learned a lot from this vid keep em coming
Lol "Ol, Lady"! My wife loves being called that
Thanks nice video appreciate your time in making it
+Tim Davis Thank you for taking the time to say thanks 👍👍
Great commentary- helpful as well , good job sir
Very much appreciated my good man
Thank you
Thank you for the great video. Very helpful for an average person.
Very informative, thanks!
I bought one today and didn’t know I needed to isolate one wire to measure Amps - your video was great 👍 thanks
That's pretty much standard, the clamp measures the field created by the current flowing through the wire. If we put it around both wires, one would essentially cancel out the other wires field giving you a zero reading. Same with a Fluke
When the "Old Lady" finishes cooking for you on the gas stove, tell her: "Get me another beer Woman!".
thanks for the video. this multi-meter is great. I was very surprise by its fit and finish. the probes have indents which is very helpful. if one was to compare it to the freebie they look and feel worlds apart, all be it the freebie is a 7 function meter. there are two downsides (nothing major). the manual is not helpful, I mention this because the typical buyer will likely not have much electrical experience or use for a high end model that comes with a detailed manual. so they'd definitely have to wade through information online (much which is wrong) to learn to use it. then it uses 3 button cell batteries, the biggest pain in the ass batteries to keep stocked. still it is a must buy even if just a supplemental multi-meter.
This is a great great video for knowledge !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m glad you’re Harbor freight Clamp meter worked the only function that works on mine is the 300 V DC everything else don’t work on mine I even bought new batteries but it’s not worth $13 driving all the way back there
excellent video! like how you keep it real and are yourself. Thanks i like mine to.nothing like a fluke but like ya said for $13 its worth it,
WOW! I thought I was tripping for a minute. My uncle Luis Cabada passed away just recently in Lima Peru. Thanks.
Thank you for the facts, I didn't know you needed to isolate a single wire, was worried I bought a half a lemon at HF, also showing me helpful household uses 👍
The funny thing is the batteries cost almost as much as the meter, when you are finished be sure to turn off the meter,it kills batteries quickly. I've bought two of them, they are great for jobs in a pinch.
Just bought one of these a while ago and for some reason I thought I could just use common sense to use it, I even through away the instructions. Then today I need for a oven igniter coincidentally lol you killed two birds with one stone, great video!!
Love the guy and the vocabulary
Bought the same model from HF yesterday, it's going back for a exchange. Work's fine checking AC current and voltage, but is way off on DC. I checked about four 12v batteries I knew was fully charged because I've got another multimeter and the highest reading on the HF was 11v. my other meter measured like 12.9v checking the same batteries. Also tried it on a AAA battery which showed 1.55v on my other multimeter, but the HF meter would not register any voltage at all, showed all 000.0. That's the story of my buying stuff new, I'd say at least 80% of the stuff I buy has to be returned for exchange or my money back. It's not just HF that's anywhere I buy. I guarantee you there could be a 1000 items laying on a table with only one that is defective and I'd choose that one every single time, lol.
Yeah just bought one and got the same issue. Seems to read about 2 volts low and it doesn't have a decimal place on DC..which is kinda idiotic to design it that way on top of being 2V low. No point in even having DC on if if that's the case. I'm taking this back and just buying two more of the crappy $6 ones that I wanted to upgrade out of since they don't last..
Im actually having the same issue
This meter isn't intended for checking standard batteries. This meter is designed around AC circuits in the range of typical household wiring. It's a somewhat specialized device that offers safe, convenient and sustained current measurement in a way that traditional multimeters cannot offer. Clamp meters include features of a basic multimeter because those are cheap to implement, but even those features are designed around higher voltages. That's why the VDC range is limited to only the 300V setting. Measuring a battery should instead be done at something like a 3V setting, which this meter doesn't even offer.
A 300V setting for a AA battery is like trying to count ants using binoculars.
How do you check DC volts
Paying $11 today for mine with 20% coupon
Wondering if this amp clamp will work on DC circuits because it only says AC current. Did you try measuring current on a car battery cable?
+Zeus Carver yes it works for both AC and DC. It's not as precise as my Fluke but it's close enough 👍👍👍
AC only
Nope it won't work
Tomorrow I have to check why my son's motorcycle isn't starting. To get to the spark plugs you nearly have to strip the whole bike apart. (Damn BMW's) So I can't even get to the spark plugs to see if he's getting a spark or current to the plugs themselves. I was wondering if I could clamp this meter around the spark plug wires, one at a time, to see if at least a charge is running through the wires. That would eliminate some guess-work on the stator is bad. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
What about an inductive spark tester ? Lisle Tools make one . If someone has a timing light with an inductive clamp , that will work . But you won't know if the spark is strong . You need some exposed plug wire to test . There are more advanced tools but they cost plenty .
You have double lugged neutrals and grounds in that panel.
General question: On a DC clamp meter, does shielding around the wire influence the measurement?
+ThomasHaberkorn I’m sure that to some degree it does but as long as you only clamp one wire you’ll be good.
I do a lot of HFT videos and I'd suggest posting this to their Facebook page. You'll get more views and hopefully more subs.
+Chris Parker (CP Builds) I prefer to consider the 10's of views that each of my videos receive as catering to a niche market🍻 Actually I'm just too damn lazy to do anything but upload them, have you checked out the effort I put into the descriptions or in many cases the lack of any keywords. On a positive note at least my 15 Twitter followers get notified when I upload a new video. Thanks for the heads up though cause I'm doing another HFT video today.
+116falconer I hear ya. Just a suggestion if you want to get more 10's of views lol.
+Chris Parker (CP Builds) Thanks. I'm assuming you have to have a Facebook page to upload to HFT?
Just have to have a Facebook account and you can post the URL to your video on their page.
+Chris Parker (CP Builds) Thanks again! I'll have to look into it.
According to what I read, this meter is NOT to be used for DC Amps.
That thing sucks because you have to use those flat disc tab batteries that cost so much
will this work for a parasitic draw
I have looked at 5 other videos this one made since Well done
Will this meter test small DC batteries such as AA & AAA?
It’ll show the voltage but it won’t load test them
@@116falconer I’m not getting it to show the voltage
If it’s set to DC volts you should get a reading, has the meter worked on other things?
@@116falconer I’ve tried it on AC wall sockets and it worked fine. So I thought I would see how it would do on DC with some batteries that I know are good and I got no reading. I just went out and put it to my truck battery and it showed 10V and 13V with it running. So yes it is working, just not on the AA&AAA
I’ll have to find mine and give it a try, I’ll let you know 👍👍
Is this. Guy going to have a heart attack doing this video?
Climbing under your oven with a camera, multimeter and flashlight I don't blame him one bit
Where is the pizza from? 🍕
Sounds like your having or had a stroke.
Good demo,but dude you have to do more floor exercises to keep that breathing level
😂😂 I’ve had breathing problems since I was a kid, when the humidity is high I damn near drown from my sinus discharge. Even with my breathing problems I still managed to achieve 11B with P & G qualifiers in my youthful days 🍻🍻🍻
Does it have an on off switch?
Yes 👍
Which setting do I put it on to check for 220 volts?
You select the 300v option, the curvy line denotes alternating current and the solid line with 3 dots underneath is direct current.
If you’re working on residential electrics (North America) then you’ll use alternating unless you have a phase converter.
What battery size does it use?
CR2032 (looking at manual)
weird looks just like my hyper tough digital clamp meter
Same exact thing just different name.
@@melvinmcgregor2673 I tried to use it on my car battery no luck no reading no nothing
You set the meter to 20A~
No longer $13, it is now @ $19.99
Will buy to check for parasitic drain on automobiles
...it won't work in your car's alternator...the meter only checks AC current no DC current.
Isn't an alternator called an alternator because it converts a battery's DC current to AC?
@@5jjt the other way around. the generator makes AC and the rectifier converts it to DC. there is no way to "clamp" the rectifier.
...those were not 20 volts you were measuring,you selected 20A, in other words 20A (current) AC max...just saying.
+177bandit well when I'm drunk I have a habit of saying the wrong things 🍻🍻🍻🍻
Ole lady….
That is standard with a clamp type meter, even a Fluke 337 clamp meters will read only the one wire. The clamp mechanism measures the electromagnetic field created by the current flowing though the wire. If we place both wires, current in and current out, one wires field will cancel the other wires field as the field is created in the opposite direction hence the meter will read Zero. A Fluke meter to read DC current costs over $100.00. I am calculating current on appliances in the van with my clamp meter to determine the potential power requirements for a new Van conversion. for on roof solar power. some appliances surprised me. Even when on stand by. WARNING these meter ae designed to read a true sign wave current. CFL, LED lighting and perhaps other loads will not give a sinewave current flow. The meter shown is good for most applications but be aware some loads are a distorted wave and will need a True RMS meter.
Sound like AvE...
This meter is practically worthless because it has no decimal reading for volts. So it is useless for testing batteries. I returned it and bought the Ames, which is 100x better in function and quality. The CM600A is your best deal (unless you are a pro who has to measure very powerful circuits). It cost $45. The 20% coupons don't work for the Ames line.
Someone with some actual fucking sense. Thanks for confirming I'm not an idiot and cant do any DC electronics with this thing
Very helpful big guy I'm trying to trouble shoot a furnace issue and this is going to really help me out at the breaker panel
I believe the plastic tips on the probe leads are threaded.
Not on mine, plus mine were simple to remove 11/8/22 just bought it the other Day so I might have a (slightly) upgraded version model 96308
@@goguyted it's not like the probe police are going to ticket you if you leave them off. just don't put them in your front pocket you're likely to perforate your junk.
You have to be fastidious about taking the batteries out of this meter after use. If you don't you'll be buying a new set every time you use the thing.
That was why I didn't give it 5 ⭐️ on HF because that and the manual took me back, 3 x 3v button cells equals 1 x 9 volt am I right? Well China made and $15 bucks that's what it will get ya.
I fucking hate this thing. When your doing microelectronics it doesn't read any .anything. just 1 volt 2 volt etc..
Doesnt even register batteries under 9v
Budget electrical meters is similar to budget jack stands... As far as things go in the comment section... The amount of inexperienced individuals stating things about this or their own budget meters scares me.
Go back to sleep
@@malcommooney8086 Your point?
Economy of words and editing man. I can't watch this crap. 15 min to get 2 1/2 min of info. Have some respect for your viewers time.
+Jefferson Sharp damn I'm lucky you didn't watch the 45 minute version 🍻🍻
116falconer , thank you for the informative, to the point and word precise video! Looking forward to the next one...( and make it an hour long, just to piss off these fucktards)!