I want a watt meter, but the prices are all over the place. Some are too cheap to be good. The one that Big Clive uses is nice but maybe more expensive than necessary to get basic accuracy and reliability. I don't
see any that look like it anyway. At what price point do they transition
from good to worthless?
I want a watt meter,
but the prices are all over the place.
Some are too cheap to be good.
The one that Big Clive uses is nice but maybe more
expensive than necessary to get basic accuracy and reliability. I don't
see any that look like it anyway. At what price point do they transition
from good to worthless?
I want a watt meter, but the prices are all over the place. Some are too cheap to be good. The one that Big Clive uses is nice but maybe more expensive than necessary to get basic accuracy and reliability. I don't
see any that look like it anyway. At what price point do they transition
from good to worthless?
On 1/14/2022 16:06, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
I want a watt meter, but the prices are all over the place. Some are
too cheap to be good. The one that Big Clive uses is nice but maybe
more expensive than necessary to get basic accuracy and reliability.
I don't see any that look like it anyway. At what price point do
they transition from good to worthless?
I use this Kill-A-Watt meter for testing appliances. It displays the
current Wattage/Amperage draw and kWh. It is reasonably priced to
boot.
It is available from many retailers, but here's an example:
https://www.harborfreight.com/kill-a-watt-electric-monitor-93519.html
On 15/01/2022 8:06 am, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
I want a watt meter, but the prices are all over the place. Some are
too cheap to be good. The one that Big Clive uses is nice but maybe
more expensive than necessary to get basic accuracy and reliability.
I don't see any that look like it anyway. At what price point do
they transition from good to worthless?
**I use a couple of these on my bench:
https://au.banggood.com/PZEM-028-AC-40-400V-100A-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage-Current-Power-Meter-Electrical-Instrument-Power-Factor-Meter-p-1790201.html?imageAb=1&rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN&DCC=AU¤cy=AUD&akmClientCountry=NL
They're cheap and work fine.
On 15/01/2022 3:03 pm, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
Thanks but I forgot to mention it should have an outlet rather than a
terminal block.
**Ah. Since this is a technical group, I assumed....
Trevor Wilson wrote:
On 15/01/2022 3:03 pm, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
Thanks but I forgot to mention it should have an outlet rather than a
terminal block.
**Ah. Since this is a technical group, I assumed....
Thanks anyway, but if a device has a plug I'm not going to chop it off
just to be technical. :)
Trevor Wilson wrote:
On 15/01/2022 8:06 am, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
I want a watt meter, but the prices are all over the place. Some are
too cheap to be good. The one that Big Clive uses is nice but maybe
more expensive than necessary to get basic accuracy and reliability.
I don't see any that look like it anyway. At what price point do
they transition from good to worthless?
**I use a couple of these on my bench:
https://au.banggood.com/PZEM-028-AC-40-400V-100A-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage-Current-Power-Meter-Electrical-Instrument-Power-Factor-Meter-p-1790201.html?imageAb=1&rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN&DCC=AU¤cy=AUD&akmClientCountry=NL
They're cheap and work fine.
Thanks but I forgot to mention it should have an outlet rather than a terminal block.
I use this Kill-A-Watt meter for testing appliances. It displays the
current Wattage/Amperage draw and kWh. It is reasonably priced to
boot.
It is available from many retailers, but here's an example:
https://www.harborfreight.com/kill-a-watt-electric-monitor-93519.html
Thanks. I wanted confirmation that one of the inexpensive ones has been >tested and approved. The $17 models might still be crap but if this is
above that price point then that's what I needed to know.
**I use a couple of these on my bench:
https://au.banggood.com/PZEM-028-AC-40-400V-100A-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage-Current-Power-Meter-Electrical-Instrument-Power-Factor-Meter-p-1790201.html?imageAb=1&rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN&DCC=AU¤cy=AUD&akmClientCountry=NL
They're cheap and work fine.
Trevor Wilson wrote:
=================
>
**I use a couple of these on my bench:
https://au.banggood.com/PZEM-028-AC-40-400V-100A-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage-Current-Power-Meter-Electrical-Instrument-Power-Factor-Meter-p-1790201.html?imageAb=1&rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN&DCC=AU¤cy=AUD&akmClientCountry=NL
They're cheap and work fine.
** I note the ferrite ring used for current sensing.
With just one pass through, the unit is not very sensitive.
With 10 turns of 1sq.mm enameled copper instead or as well - it acquires a new purpose at mW levels.
**I use a couple of these on my bench:
https://au.banggood.com/PZEM-028-AC-40-400V-100A-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage-Current-Power-Meter-Electrical-Instrument-Power-Factor-Meter-p-1790201.html?imageAb=1&rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN&DCC=AU¤cy=AUD&akmClientCountry=NL
They're cheap and work fine.
** I note the ferrite ring used for current sensing.
With just one pass through, the unit is not very sensitive.
With 10 turns of 1sq.mm enameled copper instead or as well - it acquires a new purpose at mW levels.
**Good thinking. I'm pleased I bought two.
Best of all, none of those
horrible LCDs. Proper LED display.
Trevor Wilson wrote:
=================
**I use a couple of these on my bench:
https://au.banggood.com/PZEM-028-AC-40-400V-100A-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage-Current-Power-Meter-Electrical-Instrument-Power-Factor-Meter-p-1790201.html?imageAb=1&rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN&DCC=AU¤cy=AUD&akmClientCountry=NL
They're cheap and work fine.
** I note the ferrite ring used for current sensing.
With just one pass through, the unit is not very sensitive.
With 10 turns of 1sq.mm enameled copper instead or as well - it acquires a new purpose at mW levels.
**Good thinking. I'm pleased I bought two.
** That is how my two range " RMS Current Monitor" operates.
See EA magazine, May 1997.
Best of all, none of those
horrible LCDs. Proper LED display.
** You on drugs ?
the display is very clearly LCD - with an orange backlight.
Trevor Wilson wrote:
=================
**I use a couple of these on my bench:
https://au.banggood.com/PZEM-028-AC-40-400V-100A-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage-Current-Power-Meter-Electrical-Instrument-Power-Factor-Meter-p-1790201.html?imageAb=1&rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN&DCC=AU¤cy=AUD&akmClientCountry=NL
They're cheap and work fine.
** I note the ferrite ring used for current sensing.
With just one pass through, the unit is not very sensitive.
With 10 turns of 1sq.mm enameled copper instead or as well - it acquires a new purpose at mW levels.
**Good thinking. I'm pleased I bought two.
** That is how my two range " RMS Current Monitor" operates.
See EA magazine, May 1997.
Best of all, none of those
horrible LCDs. Proper LED display.
** You on drugs ?
the display is very clearly LCD - with an orange backlight.
[snip]
I use this Kill-A-Watt meter for testing appliances. It displays the
current Wattage/Amperage draw and kWh. It is reasonably priced to
boot.
It is available from many retailers, but here's an example:
https://www.harborfreight.com/kill-a-watt-electric-monitor-93519.html
Thanks. I wanted confirmation that one of the inexpensive ones has been
tested and approved. The $17 models might still be crap but if this is
above that price point then that's what I needed to know.
One issue is that most of their models reset
to "zero" if you unplug it, so you have to
place it inline with your load in a location
where you can see the display. SOme of them
do (or at least did...) have the ability to
"lock" those readings and hold them if you
moved it off the outlet and then plugged it
in elsewhere.
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