Atomic 5000.1 Clamp Testing

[SeanDub 10+ year member]

craftsman clamps, especially the cheap ones, arent really that accurate. figured id throw that out there.

Take the results however you want. The owners manual says it has +/- 5% uncertainty for the AC current measurement. That means the current reading would be between 53.865 and 59.22 (+/- 5% from 56.4). That means the power could be between 3819 watts and 4199 watts, not considering the uncertainty of the AC voltage reading because I don't have that manual.

But let's assume it is also around 5%. Therefore, that reading could be between 67.355 and 74.445. Therefore, coupled with the uncertainty of the AC current reading, the power could have been anywhere between 3609 watts and 4409 watts.

Then we can look at the impedance the power was produced at. That calculation is voltage/current. So that impedance could have been anywhere between 1.14 and 1.38 ohm, which isn't much of a difference.

So, the meter does have uncertainty, as does any meter, especially a meter to be purchased by a consumer/enthusiast. Your comment begs the question - how many of these clamp tests are worth anything? Because then you get into real power vs. imaginary power, power triangles, and the issue of impedance rise introducing imaginary power.

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

I use a Fluke TRUE RMS meter for my testing.Very accurate....

Nice results.

 

[braggpawn 10+ year member]

is there a sticky or something i could read up on how to figure the wattage coming out of my amp . been meaning to ask that for a while? thanx

 

[SeanDub 10+ year member]

Meh, I don't think there is a sticky or anything. You need a true rms clamp meter and a dmm. Hook the DMM up to the pos and neg leads coming from the amp and set it up to measure AC voltage. Clamp the true rms meter around the pos lead coming from the amp and set it to measure AC current. Multiply the two numbers together to get power. Divide voltage by current to get impedance.

 

[SeanDub 10+ year member]

And how do you take a screen shot? I did some more testing, but not too much because the cone was getting warm.

 

[braggpawn 10+ year member]

thank you very much ....that should be a sticky though

 

[RAB 10+ year member]

i have a true rms fluke clamp but dont have the option for ac current do i need another clamp?

 

[Skip01 5,000+ posts]

And how do you take a screen shot? I did some more testing, but not too much because the cone was getting warm.

Press Print Screen, than open up paint and press CTRL+V

Save as .jpg

 

[SeanDub 10+ year member]

Where is this print screen button? Lawl

 

[JG903 10+ year member]

it should be in the top right corner.

 

[njaykaplan 10+ year member]

Where is this print screen button? Lawl

If your on a laptop, you might have to push the fn button and one in the top right corner.. it says "prtsc" on mine right on top of sysrq.. I have a toshiba cheapy laptop, right next to pause and break which is one button.. and insert and delete

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

i have a true rms fluke clamp but dont have the option for ac current do i need another clamp?

It clamps but has no AAC setting??Weird but yeah if you can't read AC amps you will need one that does.Howeer that one should work for voltage.

 

[lil_italy773 10+ year member]

i have a true rms fluke clamp but dont have the option for ac current do i need another clamp?

a fluke that dosnt read both wow thats a shocker all the ones we have at work have both.

 

[RAB 10+ year member]

it does have the ac amps option is this the same as ac current?

 

[lil_italy773 10+ year member]

amps is dif then the voltage if thats what ur saying but still should read it