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On 2/24/2018 at 1:11 AM, audiofanaticz said:

BEWARE

It will only measure AC voltage, AC current, and DC voltage.

It does NOT measure DC amperage.
So if you wanted to test how much amperage is running through a power wire, test how much amperage your alternator is putting out, or test how much amperage your amp is using this meter WILL NOT work for any of those and you would need the CL800 from Klien to do that.

So if your in the market for a clamp meter, you might as well spend the extra money now on a clamp that will do the following, or else you maybe buying new down the road. Be cautious and read all the specs because every clamp meter is advertised as"AC/DC clamp meter" even when they dont measure DC current.

 

 

Must haves imo:

True RMS
Auto ranging (which most are)

AC voltage
AC amperage

DC voltage
DC amperage of at least 500 amps (more if you have a larger system)
Minimum/average/maximum auto hold (some meters will only do min, or max)
Hold button (not to be confused with the above hold features, this one will hold whatever is on the screen when you push hold)
Lighted display is also a nice feature if your in the dark, or a dark spot
Capacitance tester can also come in handy from time to time

The Craftsman Professional 73756 is a decent clamp for around $50-75 depending where you find it that checks off most on the must have list like DC Amperage, but its not the most accurate and smaller current readings and is a bit slower than a quality brand such as a fluke (but then your paying several hundreds for something with the same features). The craftsman is what Singer uses on his alt tests.

I bought this one back in 2012 for $99 but haven't used it much. The ratings says it's not too accurate.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-true-rms-ac-dc-clamp-ammeter/p-03473756000P

DC Audio - Singer Alternators - Knukonceptz - XS Power - Hybrid Audio - Rockford Fosgate - Second Skin Audio - SMD - Sundown Audio - Elemental Designs

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My order come in at my local shop. Skar RP 75.4 4 channel, Rockford Fosgate Punch 6.5 component set, Rockford Fosgate Punch 6x8 3 ways, Stinger install accessories/ dist block/ Anl holder, RCAS/ Y splitters and some wire. Will be my first time owning & installing a nice set of mids/highs powered by 4 channel rather than just the head unit. Also have a Northstar agm sms80 and some more 1/0 in route now..

046D00E6-210A-469C-AEDF-6AA17757FC0C.jpeg

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On 2/26/2018 at 1:45 AM, moh.vze.com said:

I bought this one back in 2012 for $99 but haven't used it much. The ratings says it's not too accurate.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-true-rms-ac-dc-clamp-ammeter/p-03473756000P

I mean, I even said its not to accurate, mostly at lower dc amperage. 
Its a Crapsman meter, the word professional means nothing more than a higher tier brand of tools, over their normal crap. By no means does professional mean its something a season electrician will buy and use.

So the real question is what do you need to do with it that it has to be so accurate, because its accurate enough for anything a hobbyist car audio person would need.
If accuracy is a must, than IMO fluke is a must, and to get a comparable Fluke with similar options your looking at $520 for a current generation clamp.
 

To be blunt, a clamp meter that can only measure AC/DC voltage, and only AC amperage is pointless for car audio and a traditional style multimeter will serve you just fine.

The only good thing you can do with an ac amperage meter is clamp and amp, which is proven time and time again to not provide real output "wattage" from an amp, and those "wattage" numbers can be easily inflated by clipping the amp and if thats your goal then just buy an AMM-1.

 

 

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So since said Klien mentioned before cant do DC current and that is the only thing that the Craftsman Professional clamp is inaccurate at with low amperage loads so where else is this meter inaccurate?

Here is a pic of mine that I just took side by side with 2 Flukes reading voltages, and the AMM-1 reading voltages.

Seems accurate enough to me for anything car audio related...

20180228_195106.jpg

 

But yea lets buy a cheaper meter that will do less and cost less because it must be more accurate..... 

 

 

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Klein CL800 on amazon for $120ish.  Just saying... better than a +$500 Fluke (for car audio) and reads DC current.  Best bang for the buck clamp meter out there IMO.

Chevy Sonic Wall (4) 15's on 10k Build Log

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Better than fluke maybe pushing it, thats like comparing the audio control mic to a termlab sensor, but it is a great meter if you can get buy with only needing 600 amps or less (which will be fine for most people).

My whole point is buying something that will do less than you already have is kind of pointless.
 

 

 

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