Dual AMP/ Volt meter wiring help

Hey Guys,

I found a dual amp/ volt meter on ebay that went with the colors of my PIDs.

After receiving this meter I'm not sure what I need to do to wire this up without bowing it up lol. So once again I thought that I would see what the ever so helpful minds of HBT thought.

So part of the reason I bought it was that I thought the transformer was built in, but it came with a small circular transformer pictured in wiring diagram with two wires coming from it.

So not being an electrician, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts based on these diagrams, I have built a Kal inspired set up but did not install the meter originally because I have a smaller enclosure and did not have room for both meters, but would like to add this dual one. Any advice would be appreciated and thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Cheers!

Are you using 220Vac or 110Vac?

If you want to measure incoming voltage and current, run jumper wires from the black and white wires coming from the plug/breaker to the "Input Voltage" connection and put the current transformer (The little doughnut thingy) around the incoming black wire. Connect the current transformer to the "Input Current" terminals.

Without seeing the system that's my best guess.

Sorry I forgot I'm running 240

Ok so I do run the wires through the doughnut thingy lol.

Sounds like a start. I'll take some pics of the setup tomorrow when I give it a try. Thanks

Your two voltage wires can be hooked across the two hot at the most convenient location. Length of wire, not an issue.

What are you wanting to read the amperage on?
Entire system?

Just the heating element?

Load on a circulation pump?

Basically there will be one wire passing through the current transformer.
If it's the element, pass one and only one of the hot wires through the loop. Try to keep the coil away from any other wires, especially high current ones. A few inches is best.

This too can be in a remote location with extensions on the loop OK.

'da Kid

Just out of curiosity, how will you use this information while brewing? Will it make your brewing easier, or your beer better?

processhead said:

Just out of curiosity, how will you use this information while brewing? Will it make your brewing easier, or your beer better?

Click to expand...

This will contribute absolutely nothing to my brewing process. It's more cosmetic and for monitoring the system and nothing to do with my beer.

When I built the system I didn't install one and found the meter I liked and decided to give it a try.

Thanks good question.

processhead said:

Just out of curiosity, how will you use this information while brewing? Will it make your brewing easier, or your beer better?

Click to expand...

As a tech support engineer, I feel obligated to answer this question.

If there's numbers showing on the Volts/Amps panel, he is brewing. Everyone who knows him recognizes this as the sign for impromptu free beer cause it's brewing day

If there's no numbers showing on the panel he's either thinking about brewing or has just finished

The current numbers will tell him if he's accidentally left an element on or off. The voltage numbers will tell him if his rig is making the neighbor's lights dim.

BigFloppy said:

As a tech support engineer, I feel obligated to answer this question.

If there's numbers showing on the Volts/Amps panel, he is brewing. Everyone who knows him recognizes this as the sign for impromptu free beer cause it's brewing day

If there's no numbers showing on the panel he's either thinking about brewing or has just finished

Click to expand...

Agreed.
But for the betterment of the entire brewing/drinking community, this data will need to be streamed in real-time to HBT's website.

processhead said:

Just out of curiosity, how will you use this information while brewing? Will it make your brewing easier, or your beer better?

Click to expand...

Assuming Everty is monitoring the element . . . . .
1) Verify the element is good. You can have a Zillion volts, but no current flow means no heating
2) While in operation, he can perform some math and tell us exactly what wattage those manufacturers are selling us.
3) The BLING factor is priceless.

'da Kid

The10mmKid said:

Assuming Everty is monitoring the element . . . . .
1) Verify the element is good. You can have a Zillion volts, but no current flow means no heating
2) While in operation, he can perform some math and tell us exactly what wattage those manufacturers are selling us.
3) The BLING factor is priceless.

'da Kid

Click to expand...

1 and 2 can be done with a DVM and clamp-on ammeter.

3... Well there is no arguing with the BLING factor

I wasn't trying to start an argument over something that I wanted to do with my system. I know there are a lot of guys with a ton of knowledge on these forums. Bottom line, I like the look of having a meter on my system. I found the meter I was looking for and want to add it.

Also It's another project to work on between brew days. Now that it's built I miss working on it and look for other things to tinker with between batches.

Thanks to everyone with the advice I tried hooking it up today, it works just need to play with it until I get the right amp draw from everything when it's running.

Cheers!

Sorry if my questions came across a provocative.
My personal design philosophy generally falls along the KISS principal.

If a component doesn't serve a purpose or add value to the project, then it just becomes an added expense or something else to break down later.

But that is just me. My intent was intended to stimulate thought and discussion on the relative merits. If you like it, absolutely go for it!

processhead said:

Agreed.
But for the betterment of the entire brewing/drinking community, this data will need to be streamed in real-time to HBT's website.

Click to expand...

If there were a facility to use external images as part of our signature line, this is really easy to do... it's not and I'm thinking about how to implement

I think volt/amp meters are nice to have if you want to know everything is going well. If you have float switches to keep from dry firing, it's nice to see that they're working. Seeing a voltage drop could alert you of a failing connection on the high current side. Does it make better beer? Of course not. There are a LOT of bells and whistles on big control panels that you can easily remove and still brew.

everty2007 said:

I wasn't trying to start an argument over something that I wanted to do with my system. I know there are a lot of guys with a ton of knowledge on these forums. Bottom line, I like the look of having a meter on my system. I found the meter I was looking for and want to add it.

Also It's another project to work on between brew days. Now that it's built I miss working on it and look for other things to tinker with between batches.

Thanks to everyone with the advice I tried hooking it up today, it works just need to play with it until I get the right amp draw from everything when it's running.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Everty, your key work here is everything

It is indeed possible, but I really need to see your diagram.

Basically you want the loop (CT - Current Tap) on the main feed and all the 120V stuff comes off that same feed wire.

If you want to tinker, you can get another CT or two and put in a selector switch to monitor a different device with the same display/meter.

'da Kid

everty2007 said:

Hey Guys,

I found a dual amp/ volt meter on ebay that went with the colors of my PIDs.

After receiving this meter I'm not sure what I need to do to wire this up without bowing it up lol. So once again I thought that I would see what the ever so helpful minds of HBT thought.

So part of the reason I bought it was that I thought the transformer was built in, but it came with a small circular transformer pictured in wiring diagram with two wires coming from it.

So not being an electrician, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts based on these diagrams, I have built a Kal inspired set up but did not install the meter originally because I have a smaller enclosure and did not have room for both meters, but would like to add this dual one. Any advice would be appreciated and thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

What is the URL for this thing... it looks nice! :rockin:

Here is the link to the meter I bought on Ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171014307718?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

to measure amps on 240v on the entire panel you would need to run both legs of the hot through the donut? Or could you run just a single neutral line though it?

I was going to get the blue version of this meter, but decided I didnt know what to do with that donut or where to mount it so I just went with a self powered volt meter. Personally I think a amp meter would be more useful than a volt meter but this will get a hole in my panel door do I can easily get a combo meter at a later date.

Let us know how it works out for you.

cbzdel said:

to measure amps on 240v on the entire panel you would need to run both legs of the hot through the donut? Or could you run just a single neutral line though it?........

Click to expand...

One of the hot legs for 240vac. Hot or neutral for 120vac. If the circuit has a mix of 240vac and 120vac components, then the hot leg that is common to both for total current.