AC Energy Monitor

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Hope this link works


http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-Dual-Display-80-299V-0-60A-Amp-Volt-LED-Combo-Meter-Current-Transformer-/...

[pianotuna]

Hi,

So there is no direct connection to the wire carrying the current? Sorry to be so dumb.

[ken_white]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

So it uses a Hall Effect sensor?

No.

It's typically a toroid core with wire wrapped around the core. The current carrying conductor passes through the hole in the center.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

It's a plastic ring Don. It has two small wires sticking out of it. You pass the hot AC power wire through the hole. Jab! So easy to install.

Then connect a teeny pair of wires (like 18 gauge speaker wire) to the two little current transformer wires (polarity doesn't matter here). The speaker wire then gets run to the meter and attach to two little screw-down contacts on the rear side. The AC power wires to the meter and run separate. What they do is solely provide power to the meter and a voltage reference point that the meter will show digitally.

These things are so easy to connect it isn't funny. I would however strongly recommend putting a 1/2 ampere glass fuse in line with the power lead.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

So it uses a Hall Effect sensor?

[ken_white]

pianotuna wrote:
...It works fine, but what is a current transformer?

Whenever current flows it generates a magnetic field.

A current transformer couples to this magnetic flux and generates a voltage proportional to the current.

[pianotuna]

Hi Mex,

It works fine, but what is a current transformer?