🔌 ESI 695 80 Amps DC/AC Low Current Probe: Versatile and High-Precision Tool for Accurate Current Measurement Review

Auto-off is good, but be careful - while you take your time, plug in the hardware and investigate the problem, it won't go away. off and prevent you from reading. Make sure it's enabled ;)

The probe is fairly poorly calibrated, about 10% cheaper, much larger than spec. The sensor turns out to be quite easy to calibrate. VR4 and VR5 can be adjusted to control gain. VR4 is the setting for the 80A range and VR5 is the setting for the 20A range. VR1 through VR3 are DC bias settings and do not need to be adjusted.

I used it once on my own car to measure battery current draw. Although the probe clips aren't as accurate as connecting an ammeter in series with the battery cable, I was happy with the result. And it's better than disconnecting and readjusting the cable to avoid cutting off the power to the ECM, radio, etc. Also, I wish the reading was in even milliamps instead of being set up with a 100 millivolt formula. measured as 1 ampere. Maybe all but the super expensive current clamps.

I've bought a few dozen of these in the last 3-4 years. We have hundreds of students and they are used many times a day by people just learning how to use them. The main reason I keep buying this brand is the price and the 'auto shut off' feature. I'm really glad I don't have to replace the battery every time someone leaves one of them on. (It used to happen every day.) If there was another inexpensive alternative with an auto-off feature, I would buy it because it's not as good. My biggest…