I have written a article about high-end multimeters, it is a good starting point for people that want to get a very good multimeter, but they are not cheap (The cheapest one is probably a couple of 100 dollars)!
Yes, in-rush mode is for clamp meters. Be aware that it is not a very well specified function, usually it try to find maximum rms value for a few cycles, how many cycles and how well it do rms varies between brands.
I have a decent Fluke ac/dc clamp meter that I have used for in rush on large hvac units and it seems to be pretty accurate. But, as stated above that function is not very well defined.
Mostly I use the above meters and few other Brymen and Fluke meters. The bench meters are also used often mostly with computer control and logging or to stuff the handheld cannot.
For AC starting amps you want an analog clamp meter. You get to watch exactly what happens when the motor starts. I use the Amprobe RS3. But it’s an older black model that’s been discontinued. The Jaws are smaller and fit into tighter places than the new RS3. You can still find them used on eBay. But if they don’t tell you that it’s been tested then don’t bother. If you don’t need the small jaws then the new one is probably better. You can find some other oddball brands that are half the price.
Agreed with you about the analog meter. I am not an HVAC tech, have real techs on staff but from time to time I do spot check things before a call out. The guys at our HVAC shop do carry analogs as well as very good digital meters. I have been lucky and the boss understands that a good meter is worth it’s weight in gold and allows me to purchase purpose built units to monitor my facilities. Most of my network engineers should not even hold a meter, let alone a good one.
Its from banggood. “FY219”:[US$39.99 25% OFF]FUYI FY219 Double Display AC/DC True RMS Digital Clamp Meter Portable Multimeter Voltage Current Meter Inrush Current V.F.C Frequency Conversion Low Impedance Voltage Measurement Measurement & Analysis Instruments from Tools on banggood https://banggood.app.link/K1PgPTXDWhb price has gone up a bit from when I got it, but it’s still a nice meter.
I wonder why this thread got into clamp meters, they are not exactly high-end multimeters.
I have some clamp meters (Probably around 10), but I do not use them nearly as often as the regular multimeters. Generally their multimeter functions is not any better than a $10 multimeter (I may exaggerate a bit) and the clamp current is not very precise (Within a few percent). In many cases this is perfectly fine and using a clamp may be superior to a normal ammeter, especially when measuring more than a few amps or working on mains voltage.
When working below 10A AC or DC the two clamps that I can recommend are UNI-T UT210E and Benning CM11 (Much more expensive and better). They do not have in-rush current, but are good are measuring lower currents (Even below 1A) without any burden voltage.
Clamps are best for current over 1-2 amps. I use a multimeter with thick wires inserted directly into the meter (no probes) for current measuring in micro or miliamps under about 1500 mA. The Fuyi is good accuracy, but not for curremt lower than 2A. You are right that for multimeter functions, you are better ofd with a mumtimeter, not a clamp meter. A $10 multimeter does just as good as a $100+ clamp meter!
It is not that simple.
You can use wired current measurement well above 10A with external shunts (A 100A shunt is not very expensive) and it will usually be more precise than a clamp meter.
The two clamp meters I mention can work below 1A, especially the CM11. There is also a group of AC clamp meters for measuring leakage current that works below 20mA.
When you want to estimate (i.e. a few % error do not matter) current above a few A a clamp meter is often the easiest solution (This is very frequently the case making a clamp meter a very useful tool).
As I point out in the article I prefer to use DMM’s that can measure from uA to 10A without moving any wires, this means in most cases I can measure the current with a DMM without any risk of blowing a fuse (Current limit on my power supplies is usually set well below 10A). I.e. if I use a DMM or a clamp in these cases depends on other factors (Like burden voltage).
fluke fanboy here. i've had my 289 since 2012 (got it for 385usd). the slow startup was annoying, but i'm used to it now. just have to adapt your workflow a little. it's easy to power it on while you take it out of your bag. unwinding the leads or thinking for a second about how you want to use it (or taking a sip of coffee or whatever) gives it more than enough time to start up.
is there really nothing new from fluke in all this time? i think this model was released in 2007-2008. 13+ years!
