Blue Sea Systems Introduces its Mini Clamp Multimeter
New portable meter makes the most common electrical measurements on a boat easy to perform
The Coast Guard requires boaters to have life jackets and flares on board for safety, but there are no requirements to have any tools for troubleshooting and repair. Many boaters do not have the most fundamental tools to test and monitor their boat's electrical system. Blue Sea Systems is bringing to the marine market one of the most important tools for boaters-an economically priced portable clamp multimeter. The new Mini Clamp Multimeter (product number 8110) includes features that Blue Sea Systems' technical service and engineering teams have determined offer the most value to boaters for troubleshooting AC and DC systems and for doing routine safety checks.
This is a complete multi-function meter with AC (true RMS*) and DC Voltage, resistance and continuity checks (Leads are included). The meter also performs convenient clamp metering that allows measurement of AC and DC current in wires without disturbing the circuits or contacting live terminals. Clamp meters measure current flow by clamping around a wire to measure the magnetic field. Sensitive measurements can be made of both AC and DC currents. These features make the meter a handy tool for diagnosing and managing a boat's electrical systems.
Here are some of the practical uses for this meter:
- Check available power at sources. Correct voltages at AC and DC sources can indicate that power is available. However, blown fuses, poor connections, and improper connections can keep adequate voltage from reaching its destination.
- Check generator, inverter, alternator output. Voltage output readings can indicate proper or improper operation of generators, inverters and alternator regulators.
- Check for faults. When clamped around cables which include both the outbound and inbound wires, the magnetic fields cancel out. When there is no fault, there is no current reading. When clamp meters do indicate a reading on such cables, it may indicate a fault where current going out on the hot or positive wire is not matched the by current returning on the neutral or negative.
- Check AC current flow through loads. Measure the AC current draw of each active load and how much current is flowing in any particular wire. Determine if wire sizes are adequate for each load, determine if loads may exceed available power from dock pedestal, inverter, or generator.
- Check current flow through DC loads. Measure the DC current draw of active loads. Plan for power conservation by knowing the amount of current that every light and instrument consumes. Avoid over-loading distribution panels.
- Troubleshoot engine. Check current drawn by glow plugs, lift pumps, and other system elements to assess if they are operating properly.
- Check battery banks. Measure the current flow to and from paralleled batteries to assure that they are being charged and discharged equally.
*A true RMS measurement is used to determine the AC voltage that can be used by a load. The power is proportional to the square of the measured true RMS voltage, independent of wave shape. An average-responding meter is calibrated to read the same as a true RMS meter for sine wave inputs only. For other waveform shapes (such as a square wave from an inverter), an average responding meter will exhibit substantial errors.
