AC 150A Digital Ammeter

[CrazyKenKid 64]

so i am looking into one of these for my next build. my idea is to have this installed so when i am bumping i can see how much rms is going to my subs.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350286314830&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

i think this would be pretty cool to have as i could monitor how much rms the subs are getting and if the amps start to clip i will see it on the clamp meter. well i think i will see something but i could be wrong.

so i would like some input:

1. would this we a useful tool

2. would you use one

3. yes i know this wouldn't tell me rms it would only tell me current but current multiply by the voltage i get wattage!

my next build is going to be 2-15'inch subs (NS) and 2-saz2000, with 2 nsb90's and a 200amp alt along with the big3 and what not. if you need any more information please let me know.

thanks for your input!

Kenneth

Edited December 7, 2009 by CrazyKenKid

[Adrian_D 520]

1. This won't mean jack shiz on music. This won't help you determine rms. Knowing the actual power going to the subwoofers doesn't tell you anything. On music no meter will be useful. You won't know if you are clipping. It measures amperage and only that.

2. NO. It more than likely measures the voltage drop on a shunt, and the voltage drop on that is A LOT, redering the circuit pretty much useless.

3. It's useless.

[Impious 1,476]

1. This won't mean jack shiz on music. This won't help you determine rms. Knowing the actual power going to the subwoofers doesn't tell you anything. On music no meter will be useful. You won't know if you are clipping. It measures amperage and only that.

2. NO. It more than likely measures the voltage drop on a shunt, and the voltage drop on that is A LOT, redering the circuit pretty much useless.

3. It's useless.

It would do nothing useful for you. As said, it wouldn't tell you if you were clipping. With music it would be jumping numbers so quickly you probably wouldn't even be able to read it anyways. And even if you did know how much power were going to your subs at any given moment (you wouldn't, but hypothetically speaking), how actually useful is this information? Not very.

[SpeakerBoy 64]

[socialstealth 0]

If you get a voltage meter, I think it would be pretty helpful. Defiantly not useless.

If you plug a dmm into an amp and play music on it, you can see the numbers jumping, and it gives you an idea of how much power the subs getting.

If you know that your 1000 watt amp pushes its max 1000 watts at 32v, and your music is jumping between 10 and 20 volts, then your ok. If its jumping from 30-40 volts, then the song is probably recorded at +3 db, and you should turn the volume down.

I think this would be very useful because, personally I have over 10,000 songs, most of which were illegally downloaded from torrents. So sometimes I do come across songs recorded at higher DB's.

[///M5 2,833]

If you get a voltage meter, I think it would be pretty helpful. Defiantly not useless.

If you plug a dmm into an amp and play music on it, you can see the numbers jumping, and it gives you an idea of how much power the subs getting.

If you know that your 1000 watt amp pushes its max 1000 watts at 32v, and your music is jumping between 10 and 20 volts, then your ok. If its jumping from 30-40 volts, then the song is probably recorded at +3 db, and you should turn the volume down.

I think this would be very useful because, personally I have over 10,000 songs, most of which were illegally downloaded from torrents. So sometimes I do come across songs recorded at higher DB's.

?

So this would be useful for looking at what to determine where you are at with your different songs? DMM's have time constants in what they record and play (ie they really aren't meant for transient measurements). Your music transients will surely be quicker than this constant causing a HUGE inaccuracy in your measurement. It will gain you NOTHING.

And NO when you play music on a DMM you do NOT get any idea of how much power the subs are getting.

Summary: Useless indeed

[CrazyKenKid 64]

okay never mind then! it was just an idea i was playing around with and my idea was similar to what socialstealth was getting at. but M5 has set me striaght!

thanks for your input guys and thanks for saving me $30+!!

Kenneth

and i did contact the seller before hand to ask if it was shunt or a donut style and this is a donut (ring) style so you put the wire though the ring and it measure it similar to how a clamp meter works i guess

Edited December 7, 2009 by CrazyKenKid