Parasitic draw fuse 11 IOD

[RamDiver]

What scale were you using on the multimeter when it dropped to 0 amps?

I would expect if you reduced the scale, there would always be a small current draw.
Now I'm wondering about the quality of your multimeter. Did you spend more than $20?

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[elving3]

The pos lead is in the 10 A socket and scale on 10 A. When the amps showed 0.00 I turned the scale down, to 200m and 20m while still having the pos lead in the 10 A socket. Still showed 0.00 when I switched scale. 1 time in 20 secs maybe it jumped to 0.01 amp and then down to 0.00 again. Happend so a few times

 

[elving3]

And yes, its a very cheap one.

But this jump from 1.68 to 0.6-0.4, is this normal after like 20 sec?

 

[Dean2]

I don't want to do all the typing it would take so, short form. The lower the range, the more accurate. The better the gear the more accurate. Multi meters are more accurrate than clamp meters in the low ranges, given the same purchase prices.

Most of the claimed accuracy on cheap gear is pure fantasy and marketing slight of hand. I have tested many makes against quality equipment and most aren't even close to what they claim.

A good multi meter will measure milliamps in the soil. Put one lead in the dirt and the other on a pipe, nail etc. pushed into the dirt near by. There will always be output. Start with the 10 amp scale. If you meter reads zero then its accuracy or abilty to read one that scale is below 1 amp, now select 200 MA (1000 MA= 1 amp), no reading accuracy is below .2 amps. Finally try 20 ma scale. If no reading your multi meter is very poor accuracy wise.

 

[RamDiver]

I don't want to do all the typing it would take so, short form. The lower the range, the more accurate. The better the gear the more accurate. Multi meters are more accurrate than clamp meters in the low ranges, given the same purchase prices.

Most of the claimed accuracy on cheap gear is pure fantasy and marketing slight of hand. I have tested many makes against quality equipment and most aren't even close to what they claim.

A good multi meter will measure milliamps in the soil. Put one lead in the dirt and the other on a pipe, nail etc. pushed into the dirt near by. There will always be output. Start with the 10 amp scale. If you meter reads zero then its accuracy or abilty to read one that scale is below 1 amp, now select 200 MA (1000 MA= 1 amp), no reading accuracy is below .2 amps. Finally try 20 ma scale. If no reading your multi meter is very poor accuracy wise.

All true!


I like to think that with advancing technology, the accuracy of the lower-quality stuff has improved from when we were younger. I believe that is realistic for some items.

I tried out a few tests with the clamp meter, and I'm happy with how it functions.

When I get more time, I'll set up a test bench with a variable current-limited power supply and run a few tests alongside a Fluke multimeter, for comparison.

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[Dean2]

RD be interested to see your results. Something that has suprised me is that many of the older analoque gear has turned out to be far more accurate than the current digital gear that replaces it. Digital is easy to read, but it just isn't nearly as precise unless you get good stuff. I have analoque multimeters, calipers and micrometers that are far more accurate than their newer difigital replacements. My 1" micrometer is accurate to .00001. A digital micrometer with that level of accuracy would cost 3 grand, I paid 300 for the old style one.

Same with a really old multimeter I own. It will read .0005 amps, or half a miliaamp, and it was not all that high end a unit.

 

[RamDiver]

RD be interested to see your results. Something that has suprised me is that many of the older analoque gear has turned out to be far more accurate than the current digital gear that replaces it. Digital is easy to read, but it just isn't nearly as precise unless you get good stuff. I have analoque multimeters, calipers and micrometers that are far more accurate than their newer difigital replacements. My 1" micrometer is accurate to .00001. A digital micrometer with that level of accuracy would cost 3 grand, I paid 300 for the old style one.

Same with a really old multimeter I own. It will read .0005 amps, or half a miliaamp, and it was not all that high end a unit.

I'll post screenshots to show results.

I could easily believe that for old mechanical measurement gauges.

Our collections are likely similar.
I have several old analogue VOMs and an ancient DeVRY VTVM that my Grandfather built.





I have a few older mechanical micrometres that leave the new digital crap far behind.
Mind you, I likely paid far less for the digital stuff when it was on sale at CTC.

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