help wiring a digital amp/volt meter

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

I see you didn't connect the green lines either. Now I don't feel so bad about it.

That was a given since there is a CT sitting right there with two stubby green lines on it. =O)

[Uncle Jemima]

The more I think about it. The current is really the most important reading anyways. If you figure the resistance of the heating element is basically fixed (vary from unit to unit I'm sure) and won't fluctuate much with the temperature. The voltage to reach any given Amp value will always be pretty much the same. And it's like they teach you in school. The current is what makes things happen anyways. The voltage is just kicking it in the butt.

[bellybuster]

that diagram is wrong

the coil gets hooked to the meter with its own wires. Then you pass the currant carrying wire thru the center of the coil.
The coil doesn't actually get hooked into the circuit at all, just a main wire goes thru the center of it. The meter gets its power from the voltage hookup.

You need to hook the coil to the "A" wires, it should have come with the plug already on it to plug right in

[bellybuster]

[Uncle Jemima]

It's crudely drawn but I think what you're saying is what Soggy meant too BB. It just passes near the leads of the coil. Think he was just trying to illustrate it like the one you pictured. Then connect green lines to green lines like you said.

[freespirited]

If the hooking the amps up is correct then wouldnt it work to just hook the red to one hot leg and the black to the neutral? It would only show 121v or whatever but the other leg is close enough to the same isnt it?

[freespirited]

To be a precise I need a spec for this meter.

But most likely you need connect coil to A lines, put any wire going to heating element trough that coil, and connect V lines to both poles of your switch (Black and Red wires.)

Sambedded I guess I dont understand which way you are reffering as the wrong way. If I hook the v meter to the two legs before the ssr and the A coil to the single leg that goes straight to the Ammeter wil that way work or will there be issues? My logic tells me it should be fine but this isnt my area of expertise.

[bellybuster]

upside down sorry

[sambedded]

Ok,similar wiring was posted here already couple times but one more picture:

This way your Volt value is line voltage and always almost constant. So didn't pay to much attention to it. Your main indicator is Amp value - it should change when you rotating potentiometer and Amp value reflects amount of heat dissipating on heating element.

[bellybuster]

I like my crayons better

[Uncle Jemima]

I like my crayons better

My finger drawings are still the most professional representations here.

[rad14701]

Ok,similar wiring was posted here already couple times but one more picture:

This way your Volt value is line voltage and always almost constant. So didn't pay to much attention to it. Your main indicator is Amp value - it should change when you rotating potentiometer and Amp value reflects amount of heat dissipating on heating element.

I prefer measuring voltage between the leads to the element because by doing so you can multiply Volts x Amperes to get an accurate measure of Watts... We really don't care what the mains voltage is, just what the element is receiving...

[Uncle Jemima]

Rad. That's the way I initially said to wire it as well but Sambedded said those meters don't cope well with the modulated wave form. Says they have a tendency to overheat and fry.

With the amp readings you'll have repeat ability though if you figure the resistance in the heating element won't change significantly as it heats. So whatever current reading you get will have close to the same voltage each time to give that amp level. Since the resistance part of the equation is essentially a fixed value at the coil.

Even though you won't have an accurate voltage reading at the element and therefore no accurate wattage reading at the element. Any time you get a reading of say 15 amps, whatever voltage it took to give you those 15 amps will be about the same. So if it takes about a hundred volts to push that, even though his meter is showing the 120 line voltage, it'll always be about 1500 watts at the element with that reading of 15A. In other words its a pretty repeatable indication just using the current reading for keeping notes and logs.

I'm sure you knew all that and I see what you mean. I said the same thing until Sambedded pointed out that it would ruin his meter. Wiring up the other way your voltage is just an indication of what's coming in and not what's actually at the element. As long as he realizes that it can at least tell you if you'll need to turn the knob up a little more to get the usual desired current if the line voltage is a little lower than usual. So it's not a completely useless indication. Just not as important as the current reading.

[bellybuster]

seems to be hit and miss with these meters and their ability to cope with the modulated wave. The one I have is fine. It's the one with the coil built on the back of the unit. Luckily they are cheap.

[freespirited]

DOes it make a difference that I am using the pot controlled SSR instead of a PSR 25? Sorry if I asked that earlier...

[sambedded]

Voltmeter wiring will be the same.

[freespirited]

Voltmeter wiring will be the same.

Yes I understand that part. Is the syne wave still an issue with burning out the display? Are the pot controlled SSR's the same as a psr25?

[sambedded]

Is the syne wave still an issue with burning out the display? Are the pot controlled SSR's the same as a psr25?

Yes, both of them has similar schematic. Same as a regular light dimmer, just more powerful triac.