I don't get it... yet. Can anyone explain?
There are 'clamp on' meters out there that measure ac and dc current into the milliamp range.
But there are NO split core current sensors/switches available for less than three hundred dollars that can perform the trick that the clamp does on that meter.
Here's one from honeywell that is 18usd from digikey.
http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.cfm/ci_id/80365/la_id/1/document/1/re_id/0
PERFECT but unavailable in split core. Called honeywell... all they can tell me is that they don't make split core sensors. Can't tell me exactly why.
There are dozens of companies that produce split core toroids. About two bucks apiece.
There are dozens of discrete hall effect, MR, and hybrid sensors/switches out there. Bi directional ac/dc sensitivity. Enough onboard signal conditioning to make utilizing them a relative breeze. About a buck apiece. A couple of resistors, a comparator or two, one or two caps and diodes, and voila...
The two items above are about all, in addition to a little potting epoxy and a hinge and snap, that go into making the 300dollar switches.
There are dozens of split core sensors/switches available in the industrial (20amp on up) range that are reasonably priced.
I've got some of these ferrite cores and HE sensors coming in the mail and intend to do some experimenting. But I'm just frustrated as hell that I cannot just purchase, reasonably, a clamp on switch that is capable of operating at a nominal one amp ac/dc threshold (for instance).
I've looked for days now. Anybody tell me what I might have missed?
There are 'clamp on' meters out there that measure ac and dc current into the milliamp range.
But there are NO split core current sensors/switches available for less than three hundred dollars that can perform the trick that the clamp does on that meter.
Here's one from honeywell that is 18usd from digikey.
http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.cfm/ci_id/80365/la_id/1/document/1/re_id/0
PERFECT but unavailable in split core. Called honeywell... all they can tell me is that they don't make split core sensors. Can't tell me exactly why.
There are dozens of companies that produce split core toroids. About two bucks apiece.
There are dozens of discrete hall effect, MR, and hybrid sensors/switches out there. Bi directional ac/dc sensitivity. Enough onboard signal conditioning to make utilizing them a relative breeze. About a buck apiece. A couple of resistors, a comparator or two, one or two caps and diodes, and voila...
The two items above are about all, in addition to a little potting epoxy and a hinge and snap, that go into making the 300dollar switches.
There are dozens of split core sensors/switches available in the industrial (20amp on up) range that are reasonably priced.
I've got some of these ferrite cores and HE sensors coming in the mail and intend to do some experimenting. But I'm just frustrated as hell that I cannot just purchase, reasonably, a clamp on switch that is capable of operating at a nominal one amp ac/dc threshold (for instance).
I've looked for days now. Anybody tell me what I might have missed?
