Multimeter Suggestions and How Do I Measure?

[BodhiKarma]

Would like a suggestion on a pair of multimeters and also the best way to wire / take measurements.

I'll be wiring 4 QB boards in parallel off of one driver. I plan to use the 5 port Wago's ( there is nothing larger right? ) and wire each board back to the Wago and then the 5th connection being the driver. Like this:

I'll be using an ELG "A" driver and will want to be able to read the amps and volts at the same time ( hence asking for a suggestion for a pair of meters ) but not sure how I can measure. If I'm using a 5 port Wago, all ports will be in use. Should I run through two 5 port wago's? The first only has one out going to another wago that the 4 boards are connected to. That would leave three ports on it for my multimeters. I'm not sure if chaining wago's together is cool or if there is a better way to do it. Any ideas?

 

[JavaCo]

Get you one of these going to be cheaper then buying two meters. https://www.ebay.com/p/DC-100v-10a-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Blue-Red-LED-Dual-Digital-Volt-Amp-Meter-Gauge/595280927?iid=222595229103

 

[JavaCo]

from that link......Working voltage of the Meter: DC 4 - 30V(Do NOT exceed 30V) so it can not be powered by the LED driver.

You would need a PSU for it if the driver voltage is over 30. Old cell phone charger would work most people have a extra one or two laying around.

 

[Airwalker16]

They make 7lever wagos. Maybe even 10.

 

[BodhiKarma]

^ Really? I can only find the 5's! 7 port would be ideal! Am I correct in wanting to plug the multimeter into the wago for my readings? BTW, you had responded on my CREE build post. Talked me into Samsung. Bought 8 Rspec QB boards.

 

[Stray Dog]

I would recommend getting a single reasonable quality multimeter and learning how to use it properly especially if you are building a DIY light. I will not recommend a multimeter to you because I live in a small far away country with a different market and pricing.
I would recommend a little on line reading before you start. Learn the relationship between Voltage and amps in series and parallel circuits. Once you understand series, parallel, voltage and amps then correct driver selection and wiring will become easy. The information is widely available on the internet and really is quite simple.

 

[GreeneryBob]

Fluke meters are pretty much the gold standard for good, reliable meters, that being said, a mooshimeter can measure voltage and amperage at the same time AND datalog.

 

[1212ham]

They make 7lever wagos. Maybe even 10.

Wago doesn't. The 7's must be copies.

 

[diggs99]

Fluke meters are pretty much the gold standard for good, reliable meters, that being said, a mooshimeter can measure voltage and amperage at the same time AND datalog.

good thread OP, im doing the same search as you!

Im looking for a decent meter aswell, about to build a light, def gonna need the proper meters.
The flukes are a little outside what i was hoping to pay at the moment, i tried searchng the mooshimeter but wasnt sure what model id actually need lol. Do you have link to one?

Wago doesn't. The 7's must be copies.

hey bud, i see you mentioned wagos, so maybe you can help. Which of these wagos are needed for wiring up some Cutter 560mm strips in parallel on 480w drivers? will the smaller versions do?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0107SYYGU/ref=twister_B01N1253DJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.ca/222-415-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Compact-Connectors/dp/B01AF5M4E4/ref=sr_1_24?hvadid=74629409493934&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=wago&qid=1558712882&s=gateway&sr=8-24

 

[1212ham]

Either version are fine.

 

[GreeneryBob]

When measuring amperage, you need to have your meter as part of the circuit in series, whereas with voltage measurements you measure in parallel to the circuit.

NEVER check resistance on a live circuit. That makes cheap meters go BOOM, and blows fuses on good ones.

 

[GreeneryBob]

Digikey canada has mooshimeters but they are available various places like sparkfun in the US.
A basic fluke meter, el cheapo, super basic, will still be a great solid meter and for most home users will be fine.

That being said, virtually any meter by fluke, amprobe,flir, greenlee, milwaukee, klein, or others used by actual electricians should be reasonably accurate and properly fused.Stay away from cheapo analog meters and alibaba/harbour freight/canadian tire/etc. crap.

You likely dont need anything fancy but do check out the mooshimeters, they are great little meters that can do so much and are fairly cheap.

 

[GreeneryBob]

good thread OP, im doing the same search as you!

Im looking for a decent meter aswell, about to build a light, def gonna need the proper meters.
The flukes are a little outside what i was hoping to pay at the moment, i tried searchng the mooshimeter but wasnt sure what model id actually need lol. Do you have link to one?



hey bud, i see you mentioned wagos, so maybe you can help. Which of these wagos are needed for wiring up some Cutter 560mm strips in parallel on 480w drivers? will the smaller versions do?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0107SYYGU/ref=twister_B01N1253DJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.ca/222-415-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Compact-Connectors/dp/B01AF5M4E4/ref=sr_1_24?hvadid=74629409493934&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=wago&qid=1558712882&s=gateway&sr=8-24

moosh.im

 

[BodhiKarma]

Thanks for the suggestions on the meters but I still don't know hot to properly measure. Should I chain Wago's together as I had originally asked? A 5 port is filled with the 4 boards and the driver.

 

[JavaCo]

Thanks for the suggestions on the meters but I still don't know hot to properly measure. Should I chain Wago's together as I had originally asked? A 5 port is filled with the 4 boards and the driver.

To measure current with a multi meter you have to run one of the driver output leads threw the meter so not as easy as measuring voltage. Here is a video explaining how to measure amps

 

[CobKits]

They make 7lever wagos. Maybe even 10.

ive only seen rip-off wagos above 5-slots

 

[CannaBruh]

Thanks for the suggestions on the meters but I still don't know hot to properly measure. Should I chain Wago's together as I had originally asked? A 5 port is filled with the 4 boards and the driver.

All Seriousness don't hurt yourself.

If you have a harbor freight nearby their $50 dmm is hard to beat for the price, the green one. Hard to justify a Fluke for these kinds of measurements unless you have a customer that prefers to see it in your shop for some professional reason.

Current is measured in series, the meter is A PART of the circuit, while the circuit is setup to measure current AND with the meter out of circuit, the circuit will not operate as no current will flow aka the meter is acting as a wire as the current passes through it we can measure it in Amps.

Voltage is measured in parallel with the circuit, aka the circuit operates as normal without the meter probes, aka, ACROSS some terminals of some points within the circuit with one being a reference for the other.

If you attempt to measure a voltage while the meter is setup for current bad things can happen.

 

[Cana-bliss]

https://www.amazon.ca/DROK-Multimeter-6-5-100V-Backlight-Measuring/dp/B017FSED9I/ref=sr_1_7?crid=13DRWV5AY4CAV&keywords=drok+digital+dc+multimeter&qid=1560120728&s=gateway&sprefix=drok,aps,171&sr=8-7

Here's what I got similar to what's posted above by JavaCo but with a bit more detail. I'll never build a light without one in it now that I've got it. The real time data plus kw/h used is really great.

 

[BodhiKarma]

All Seriousness don't hurt yourself.

If you have a harbor freight nearby their $50 dmm is hard to beat for the price, the green one. Hard to justify a Fluke for these kinds of measurements unless you have a customer that prefers to see it in your shop for some professional reason.

Current is measured in series, the meter is A PART of the circuit, while the circuit is setup to measure current AND with the meter out of circuit, the circuit will not operate as no current will flow aka the meter is acting as a wire as the current passes through it we can measure it in Amps.

Voltage is measured in parallel with the circuit, aka the circuit operates as normal without the meter probes, aka, ACROSS some terminals of some points within the circuit with one being a reference for the other.

If you attempt to measure a voltage while the meter is setup for current bad things can happen.

Ok I'm confused by that. My experience with this so far is watching videos so.... I recall a LEDGardener one where he is talking about dialing in an A type driver in a parallel circuit. I'd like to be able to measure both at the same time. The A type driver has two adjustments correct? One for the voltage range and the other for the amperage.

 

[BodhiKarma]

https://www.amazon.ca/DROK-Multimeter-6-5-100V-Backlight-Measuring/dp/B017FSED9I/ref=sr_1_7?crid=13DRWV5AY4CAV&keywords=drok+digital+dc+multimeter&qid=1560120728&s=gateway&sprefix=drok,aps,171&sr=8-7

Here's what I got similar to what's posted above by JavaCo but with a bit more detail. I'll never build a light without one in it now that I've got it. The real time data plus kw/h used is really great.

Ok that looks awesome. A few questions... Is it accurate and granular? So I don't get the battery diagram. I have to have an external battery that I wire to it? There isn't a battery compartment and I just stick one in? It shows the load being downstream so I would come out of the driver, into the DROK, then into a Wago and to the boards? Does going through the DROK reduce downstream current?