AC/DC Clamp Meters & Clamp On Multimeters

There are many ways and methods to measure electrical current.  One method most commonly used is running current through a known resistor. Voltage drop over this resistor is determined by the current and the resistor value. Many clamp-on multimeters and clamp-on current measuring adapters that can measure AC current are built in this way.

Some clamp-on multimeters can also measure DC currents. But instead of trying to describe how they work believe me they do and if you want a fast reading on how much amperage is flowing through one of your vehicle’s components then this is a perfect match for a fast look. Gone are the days when you hook this wire here and that wire there and then all of a sudden there was a crackling sound with smoke coming up and you had a burned up multimeter.

Of course with traditional clamp-on current meters, measurements can only be made on single conductors. If you need to measure current in multipair cables this usually needs covers to be moved to gain access to individual wires. But now there are some new special clamp on multimeters that can measure current in multi-core cables and power cords without the need to split them.

A low cost AC/DC clamp meter will usually do most of the simple light duty jobs that you may encounter in your repair work but, of course, if you are a professional then you need the best and latest technology available. There are many clamp on meters to choose from so do yourself a favor and decide what is best for your needs.

Roots, Rock ‘n Blues – American Roots Music

I fell in love with American roots music while I was in college in the late 1960s. The irony of that is that I was born and grew up in the Washington, DC area and had to move to Minnesota to hear the blues for the first time!

I should say that it was in college that I first heard the blues played by the original artists. I’d been a big fan of the Rolling Stones and numerous other British Invasion groups who were all playing their versions of the blues, or derivatives thereof. I just had no idea at the time that they’d been so heavily influenced by a whole generation of musicians that I’d never heard of.

In the meantime, there were American musicians playing blues and blues-influenced rock to small, but devoted audiences. Three of my favorites (discovered for the most part years later) were Lonnie Mack, Albert Collins and Roy Buchanan. Lonnie Mack is best known for his radio hits, but is a killer blues player as I discovered much to my surprise when Alligator Records put out a video of a concert with Lonnie, Albert and Roy at Carnegie Hall in New York City from the early 1990s. The concert was called “Further On Down The Road” and was a real eye-opener for me when I first saw it. It’s still one of my favorite videos.

With the explosion of videos on the Internet, there is a wealth of blues video footage from the 1950s through today. It’s a blessing that so much still survives from the early days. Watching some of these legends perform helps make it clear just why they are legendary.

Energy Talk Blog