Practice with loadpro?

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Hey guys. Over the last year or so, i've been doing a lot of reading online about multimeter use so i can apply it to automotive. I don't use a meter often on auto, but when I do, it's something simple, and i'd like to add it to my arsenal. I own a somewhat complex meter, which i've famaliarized myself with usage wise. I also have a loadpro kit. My question is, how would i go about practicing with my multimeter and also a loadpro on variables that i can control, so i can better understand how to use them? I can grasp the concepts in my head somewhat, but i'm the type of person who learns and remembers by doing things. I have a decent roll of wire, and a 9v battery if i can mimick anything with those. Thanks!

 

[jkwilson]

Think of voltage as pressure, current as flow and a load as a flow out a faucet.

If you look at the pressure in a garden hose with the nozzle closed, it will be at whatever the system is set for. Even if there is a kink in the hose or the faucet is barely open, it will pressurize the hose.

Now open the nozzle. The pressure in the hose will drop some, and you have high flow out the end. But if you have a kink in the line, the pressure after the kink drops to almost nothing and the flow is very low even though the nozzle is open.

A bad electrical connection is like that kink in the hose. It only shows up when you try to have electricity flow through it. When there is no load, there is very little flow, so even though the connection is bad, you will still see full voltage after the bad connection. To make the bad connection show up, you push the Loadpro button, which starts drawing current from the circuit so you can see if the voltage holds with a load.

To electrically simulate a bad connection, the easiest thing to do is to connect one end of a resistor to the battery and use the load pro to test both sides of the resistor. A kit like http://www.ebay.com/itm/1000pcs-1W-...080?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d4e2c7d78 would let you learn how higher resistance means a worse connection.

 

[ncautoshop]

Hey guys. Over the last year or so, i've been doing a lot of reading online about multimeter use so i can apply it to automotive. I don't use a meter often on auto, but when I do, it's something simple, and i'd like to add it to my arsenal. I own a somewhat complex meter, which i've famaliarized myself with usage wise. I also have a loadpro kit. My question is, how would i go about practicing with my multimeter and also a loadpro on variables that i can control, so i can better understand how to use them? I can grasp the concepts in my head somewhat, but i'm the type of person who learns and remembers by doing things. I have a decent roll of wire, and a 9v battery if i can mimick anything with those. Thanks!

Blower motor resistor or potentiometers are great items to play around with!

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[CCash]

Let me if I can help here without completely confusing things. I have a Load Pro, and wanted to have a similar tester (something that "loads" a circuit) as a spare in my truck, so I built one out of a Bosch relay.

The easy way to build a circuit to test is use your 9v battery (I used a 12v motorcycle battery) attach your neg. test lead to the neg. battery terminal. Now attach a jumper wire to the positive battery terminal, on the other end of the jumper wire strip about 1/2" of insulation off, now (the fun part, and no you can't get zapped..) lick your index and thumb... pinch the bare wire and load Pro test lead without them touching, maybe about 1/8" apart between your fingers. Your meter will read 9v (or 12v, as in my case)... press the button , instant drop to (something) MV. You just "loaded" a circuit, and because the little bit of moisture couldn't carry the current, the voltage dropped.

Kinda cool to see it work, I use mine all the time, still makes me smile!

And the homemade one works just as good, just not as handy.