amp clamping vid

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

let me know what you think. More importantly, lmk if i even did it right

Click to read more...

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

Errr.. well, you really should be using true RMS meters... Unless you've got a couple nice Fluke meters (or equivalent) I wouldn't waste your time...

Also, why did you multiply the voltage by two? You should have had the same voltage on both channels. Assuming you did have true RMS meters the calc. should have simply been 30.5V x 10.7A...

Finally, what most people don't understand is that even with true RMS meters you will not be measuring the 'true power' unless you have the amp hooked up to a non-inductive dummy load... what you are measuring with the amp hooked up to a speaker or sub is the apparent power which is in Volt-Amps (or VA)... THAT IS NOT THE TRUE POWER IN WATTS...

 

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

Errr.. well, you really should be using true RMS meters... Unless you've got a couple nice Fluke meters (or equivalent) I wouldn't waste your time...
Also, why did you multiply the voltage by two? You should have had the same voltage on both channels. Assuming you did have true RMS meters the calc. should have simply been 30.5V x 10.7A...

Finally, what most people don't understand is that even with true RMS meters you will not be measuring the 'true power' unless you have the amp hooked up to a non-inductive dummy load... what you are measuring with the amp hooked up to a speaker or sub is the apparent power which is in Volt-Amps (or VA)... THAT IS NOT THE TRUE POWER IN WATTS...

All noted. The only thing I wasn't sure on was the if I was to multiply voltage. Ill probably note that somewhere

 

[gunz4me2 10+ year member]

I prefer to measure power like this:

Fluke Meter - AC measurement on amplifier output

Crapsman meter - DC voltage on amplifier input

Oscilloscope - to measure clipping

Edit - I also used these:

and this was the final impedance of the non-inductive dummy loads:

 

[thegreatestpenn 5,000+ posts]

That's truly the best way no doubt. I just gave the cheapest way possible pretty much.

 

[cdimic25 10+ year member]

its still a fairytail peak number... multiply that by .66 and that is more likely what your getting..

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

^ where do you get .66 from ?

Gunz, those are some nice resistors... but you need a bucket of oil, and a clamp meter!!

I've got the Velleman HPS40... but what is better is a laptop and jig setup to run speakerworkshop...