OTC 3820 06 Low Amp Probe Review

I bought this device to solve a problem that was causing my car battery to drain. The meter was found to be inaccurate below a few hundred mA as readings fluctuated by as much as 70mA depending on the physical orientation of the sensor. It appears to be influenced by the Earth's magnetic field. I haven't had this problem with the sensors I've used at work, so I suspect it's due to inadequate shielding.

This is a low power, general purpose probe that converts current (AC or DC) to voltage. It can be switched from 10mV/A to 100mV/A with a maximum input of 60A. I believe 60A is the maximum non-destructive current, although the manual says that's the maximum it can read. As far as I can tell, this may be the maximum non-destructive current at the high range setting. It may be lower at the low range setting. So it is best to be on the safe side and check the circuit and make sure the current does…

This has become my choice for home and work, have bought 3 or 4 for different uses. One of the few model types that can give decent readings in the 10mA range if you are careful (and read DC). The bandwidth is a few kilohertz, so don't try to use audio. For the price it's just great, and this particular brand is the only one I've found that comes with a BNC + banana adapter. Other models always had special shielded "banana" pins designed for the DMM, which made them almost impossible to attach…

Without going into theory, I think this review is very necessary for this type of device. I fully understand and appreciate the level of misunderstanding about tools like this coming out of the automotive and trucking industries and my goal here is to help my fellow locksmiths by explaining that you really do care about your efforts don't have to waste. made such hard money *I returned mine after thorough inspection. I could not reliably measure a DC current of less than 100mA. Period. Most…