I just found the proper name for this contrivance. It's an "AC current line splitter". There is not much inside. Just some magnet wire: However, if you're dealing with devices plugged into an AC wall receptacle, it probably makes more sense to use a Kill-a-Watt or other AC power meter instead of a clamp meter:
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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
I have a commercial sheet metal AC spot welder. I don't recall the current but it's well past 400 amps. It draws enough current that it will probably demagnetize tools. If I wrap the clamp meter around the copper electrodes, it would probably be destroyed.
I also have several stick arc welders. One is a cheap junk 85A AC arc welder that is heading to the local thrift shop. AC welders spray metal and slag everywhere and produce some really ugly welds. While the clamp meter should work with this AC welder, I've never found a reason to do so. I can usually guess(tm) as to the arc current by its appearance or by measuring the 240v AC input current.
My other stick arc welder is a 100A DC model. Unlike the AC model, it doesn't sputter or spray metal and slag all over the work. It's also easier to strike an arc, maintain the arc, and penetrates better. The clamp meter only measures AC current, not DC and will therefore not work with this welder.
I also have a home made battery terminal spot welder. It's a CD (capacitive discharge) type, which is DC, and will therefore not work with an AC clamp ammeter.
"Measure Arc Welding Machine Current with clamp meter Deadshort 300+ Amps"
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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
I longed to have the functions of a Kill-a-Watt for a long time, but it's not available in India. Even if it were, the original Kill-a-Watt couldn't be used in our 230V system.
Then came the Chinese knock-offs for 220/240V. I got one as soon as the imported/smuggled ones had dropped from the initial exorbitant prices to a more reasonable level. It has served me well for the past several years.
Still, it's not always possible to plug in a device into a wall socket through the meter. And there are times when the measured load takes more than the rated 10A of the meter. In fact, I don't feel comfortable going to much more than 5A.
I never noticed that Kill-a-Watt wasn't available for 220-240VAC service. The device is very popular in the USA and is being sold retail at some hardware stores.
I haven't found any complaints online of Kill-a-Watt meters melting or exploding under excessive current conditions. Well, just this one, which seems to be a collection of dubious complaints:
There's quite a bit available that might do as a 230VAC power meter. For example: etc...
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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Many such AC/DC clamp meters have a Hall Effect sensor for DC.
I've had that happen with an AC clamp meter after I tried to measure either a battery charger with lots of ripple current or a DC stick arc welder. I don't know which one affected the meter. One of them magnetized the steel laminations in the clamp. The effect was that every time I moved the meter near something made of steel, the meter would show an indication. The zero also drifted somewhat.
I took apart the clamp meter, removed the jaws, and fed it to various demagnetizer devices to remove the residual magnetism. I tested the results with a compass needle. A tape head demagnetizer, tape bulk eraser, and a disassembled transformer did nothing useful. I finally got it to demagnetize with an auto shop "growler", which probably saturated the steel laminations. That fixed the zero drift problem and sensitivity to nearby metals.
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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
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