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How do I measure current on my motor?

red913

Mar 22, 2013
23
Joined
Mar 22, 2013
Messages
23
I have this:
motor (small 6v dc from a squirt gun)
multimeter
battery pack
breadboard
jumpers

Now as far as I now the multimeter needs to be wired up in series to the circuit. So I went through a simple cirucit going from the battery to the meter and back to the battery again going from positive to negative to postive, etc. You can see basically what I did in a crude drawing I made in paint right now. (I'm in a bit of a rush to leave the house right now)
Drawing: http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2196/crudedrawing.jpg
So when I do this the meter reads nothing. It's set to 20mA, the leads are plugged into the correct ports. If I take the meter out of the picture everything works. also the fuse in the meter looks fine. So I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong as the meter still works in other functions. :/
 

CocaCola

Apr 7, 2012
3,635
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Apr 7, 2012
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3,635
Well I suspect you motor draws more than 20mA... But, anyway your polarity is all wrong...

(BAT+)(+ lead of ammeter)(ammeter)(- lead of ammeter)(+ lead of motor)(motor)(- lead of motor)(BAT-)
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
Moderator
Jan 21, 2010
25,510
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Jan 21, 2010
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25,510
Several possibilities:

1) the fuse is blown
2) there is more than 1 fuse
3) your meter is not set to a current range.
4) the probes are not plugged in to the correct place on the meter.

From what someone was saying in another thread these motors might take a significant current.

I'd try using the meter on the 10A range (assuming it has one). Beware that many meters require you to change where the probes are plugged in to use the 10A range.
 

red913

Mar 22, 2013
23
Joined
Mar 22, 2013
Messages
23
I did a little research online and similar nerf super soaker squirt gun motors pull about 2.4A. So that's way too much for my meter. The one I have at work only does AC Amps. So I do have a third one I just hope I can find it in my storage unit. :/
 
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