On 4/9/2011 4:28 PM, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 4/9/2011 2:04 PM Steve Turner spake thus:

On 4/9/2011 2:58 PM, A. Baum wrote:

On Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:41:05 -0500, Steve Turner wrote:

But measuring and understanding the ramifications of current
(amperage) is where I get a little fuzzy. Would you help me out?
That's why I came here.

I advised you the last time to measure the 24 volt circuit amperage
draw and convert that to the specs (volt-amps) of the transformer.
If the draw is out of bounds of the specs then the 24 volt circuit
is the problem. You can't put a band-aid on a bullet wound.

Yes, you did, and thanks for the suggestion. I've never used my meter to
measure amperage before, and I don't know how to do that conversion, but I
will study up on it.

It's not a "conversion".

To measure current (which, properly speaking, is what you're measuring, not
"amperage"), you have to break the circuit and put the ammeter in series with
the circuit, so that all the current goes through the meter. (As opposed to
measuring voltage, where you put the meter *across*, or in parallel with, the
thing whose voltage you want to know.)

In your case, since you want to see how much current is being drawn from the
transformer, you'd put the ammeter between one of the transformer secondary
leads (doesn't matter which one) and whatever wire from your unit that's
supposed to connect to that lead.

Since you're measuring AC current, you'll need an AC ammeter, which rules out
most digital multimeters, which only are designed to measure DC current. Not
sure where you'd (quickly, easily) get an AC meter. Maybe others can suggest?
But that's how you do it.

Interesting; thank you. My meter is an Extech MN26T:

http://www.extech.com/instruments/re...ls/MN26_UM.pdf

According to the operating instructions, my meter supports "AC or DC Current
Measurement"