Clamp meter

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Gvellia

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I am purchasing a C-30 CB new. What is a recommended AC/DC clamp meter for use on the boat.
 
I have the Blue Sea Systems 8110 clamp meter and I really like it. It's compact and does everything I need. It is highly recommended as a good quality meter, but comes at a high price.
 
I don’t have a DC clamp meter, although I would like to justify the purchase. I watched an online Seattle Boat Show “university” ed program last month on electrical trouble shooting. An excellent presentation (From the Skagit County Community College Marine Maintenance Technology program). The instructor, not surprisingly, recommended a Fluke as the Cadillac of clamp meters. But his second choice was a Reed R5030. As much as I’d love a Fluke, if I decide to spring for one, I may settle for the Reed. Here’s the amazon link, FWIW: https://www.amazon.com/REED-Instrum...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
 
The accuracy required for testing current draw on our boats is minimal. This aIn’t rocket science folks. Any one of the (roughly) $50 clamp meters listed on Amazon or at Harbor Freight, etc. will do everything you will ever need.

Yeah, I have Fluke, Tektronix, etc. stuff on my electronics bench. But, the stuff I throw into the go-box in the back of the pickup for going to the fields, or the marina, comes mostly from Harbor Freight and is considered expendable..

For instance their $5 multimeters test against my Fluke to within .05 Vdc for measuring battery voltage. And if the China Shack AC meter measures 119.2ÿv against against the Fluke at 119.34 v the difference won’t change the fact that the shore power is ON. A clamp reading of 17.4 amps versus a Fluke at 17.3 amps won’t change the fact that the battery charger is working..
 
Levitation is right on the target! It is not rocket science.
I have a Craftsman meter from Lowes. I forget, but it might have been around $40.

Just make sure it does "DC amps" not just AC amps.
Measuring DC amps with a clamp-on is something that is fairly new.
 
Absolutely agree with the above. Expensive meter not needed. For temperature, a handheld infra-red often works better.
 
Thanks everyone, all good information makes it a little easier to make my purchase.
 
I have the reed ACDC clamp meter. Works well. The issue with DC amps is getting a good low reading. I want to know where current is going and measuring 1 to 5 amps is needed.
 
The instructor for Skagget Valley College realized that a Fluke is expensive for the home DIY'er, and he didn't push it over less expensive options, like the Reed.

But Flukes do have a couple of valuable features, such as their level of accuracy and being bullet proof for drops and hard knocks (so no loss of accuracy after falling several few feet into the bilge). And the 375 in particular has bluetooth capability. I usually solo when I'm fiddling with electrical and other systems on the boat, and bluetooth would come in handy sometimes to read the meter "remotely". If I needed a good multimeter, I might be able to justify (rationalize?) the Fluke 375 because it would serve that purpose well too. But I already have a Fluke multimeter. And I get a bad case of sticker shock when I look at the pricing on the 375. :shock:

For anyone interested, the seminar produced for the Seattle Boatshow that I mentioned ("Marine Electrical Systems Troubleshooting"), is available on the college's Youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdDwaWsT3jQ

The program was one of the best that I watched during this year's virtual boat show. The instructor walked through troubleshooting techniques for everything from a non-working appliance like a pressure water pump (to sort out whether the problem is in the wiring vs. the switch vs. the appliance itself), to handling a malfunctioning relay (such as for the windlass), to diagnosing a tripping fuse or breaker, and testing the alternator output. Good tips on useful tools, including one or two he fashions himself. I got a lot out of it and plan to rewatch it to better document the troubleshooting work flows for future reference.

Gini
 
I'm looking at this as well (after watching the same Seattle Boat Show seminar that others mention). I didn't have a clamp meter for electrical work on my last boat, but the system was simpler and I made do without.

I'm generally a fan of Klein Tools -- been using their products for electrical work around the house for years, and find them high quality. You can drop them, and they don't break. For those who don't know, they've been around for over 100 years and have extensive manufacturing operations in the US. They're highly regarded in the professional electrical market.

The two models that look most applicable for marine/DC use are the CL390 and the CL800. As near as I can tell, the biggest difference is that the CL800 has a few convenience features (backlight, worklight, IP40) is RTMS auto-sensing, and has a low-impedance feature -- but the CL390 measures microamps DC current. The 390 is also cheaper (under $90 vs. $130).

Anybody want to opine if the CL800 is worth it for marine applications, and that the microamp feature is/isn't helpful?

CL390: https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/clam ... ng-400-amp
CL800: https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/clam ... e-loz-auto

Handy clamp meter comparison chart from Klein Tools: https://data.kleintools.com/sites/all/p ... uide_C.pdf
 
To each his own; everyone may not need or want extreme accuracy, but to me it's just as much about the workmanship of a good quality meter. Marine environment and hard knocks are tough on electronics, and when you are troubleshooting an electrical problem at a remote anchorage and your cheap chinese meter quits working, accuracy becomes a moot point. Just my 2 cents worth.
 
Gvellia":24zs365s said:
I am purchasing a C-30 CB new. What is a recommended AC/DC clamp meter for use on the boat.
Click to expand...
You’re investing a quarter of a million dollars on a great boat. Don’t skimp on tools and equipment. You will likely spend more stocking the bar on that boat than a good clamp meter like a Blue Sea Systems 8110 will cost. I have one and highly recommend it.
 
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