i have a mechanical bank that is wired for action on clapping of hands . A thin wire is running from the positive side of a d cell battery up to a electro magnet . I soldered it to the screw that holds the copper contact against the + side of the battery because i can not get any juice to show in it just wrapped around the screw . Now and before , touching the test probes of both + and - on the wire , gets no reaction on the meter when just touching the probes together sends the needle all the way over . Checking for voltage from the - side of the battery to the solder i put on that small wire at the + terminal touching the battery , gets the proper voltage reading 2 volt something , but again , touching the thin wire coming out of the solder running up to the electro magnet gets a zero reading !! WTF ! ........why not ....no matter what i do , i can't get any readings from the tiny wire.....

thanks in advance
Bob

 

The way you described "when just touching the probes together sends the needle all the way over" would indicate you have the scale set to resistance rather than voltage.

yes ..that right , showing no problem with the meter ....it should read the same when on the bare wire....

 

Your "bare wire" could be enameled copper wire. Get some emery cloth or a razor blade and scrape the insulation off the wire.

 

Your "bare wire" could be enameled copper wire. Get some emery cloth or a razor blade and scrape the insulation off the wire.

could be ....

 

could be ....

actually that makes perfect sense , probably the wire was longer and had a bare section to wrap around the screw.......must have got broken and no bare section left to let juice in.....

 

Hi,
is the d cell battery voltage level you get w/o the load is normal at your meter reading?
then placed your meter across the battery and one at a time placed each wire and see the meter reading.
any low reading against the battery level meant ...(shorted something like that,,, find where ).