Extech Instruments MA160 User manual

USERGUIDE
TrueRMS200AAC/DCOpenJawClampMeter
ModelMA160



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TableofContents
1.INTRODUCTION3
2.SAFETYINFORMATION4
3.DESCRIPTIONS6
4.OPERATION9
PoweringtheMeter9
DisplayBacklight9
WorkLight9
DataHold9
TestLeadConsiderations9
VoltageMeasurements10
ACVoltageMeasurements10
DCVoltageMeasurements11
CurrentMeasurementsUsingtheClamp12
Non‐ContactVoltageDetector13
ResistanceMeasurements14
ContinuityMeasurements15
CapacitanceMeasurements16
DiodeTest17
5.MAINTENANCE18
6.SPECIFICATIONS19
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1. Introduction
ThankyouforselectingtheExtechMA160ClampMeter.

TheMA160isafeature‐packedOpenJawTrueRMSdigitalClampmeter.

MeasureAC/DCvoltage,ACcurrent,DCcurrent,Resistance,Diode,Continuity,andCapacitance.
TheMA160alsoincludesaNon‐ContactVoltageDetectionfeature.

OtherfunctionsincludeDataHold,Relativemode,Worklight,Backlight,andAutopower‐off.
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Thisdeviceisshippedfullytestedandcalibratedand,withproperuse,willprovideyearsof
reliableservice.Pleasevisitourwebsite(www.extech.com)tocheckforthelatestversionofthis
UserGuide,ProductUpdates,ProductRegistration,andCustomerSupport.

Features
6000countdigitaldisplay
LargebacklitLEDdisplay
TrueRMSACmeasurements
0.8%DCVaccuracy
DataHold
Relativemode
AutoPowerOFF(APO)
200AACcurrentmeasurements
200ADCCurrentMeasurements
Non‐ContactVoltageDetector
Visualandaudiblecontinuitymeasurementalert
Lowbatteryindicator
CATIII600V/CATII1000V

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2. SafetyInformation
Toensurethesafeoperationandserviceofthemeter,followtheseinstructionsclosely.Failureto
observewarningscanresultinsevereinjury.
WARNINGS
WARNINGSidentifyhazardousconditionsandactionsthatcouldcauseBODILYHARMorDEATH.
Whenhandlingtestleadsorprobes,keephandsandfingersbehindthefingerguardsatalltimes.To
avoidelectricalshockdonottouchexposedelectricalwire,connectors,unusedinputterminals,or
circuitsundertest.
Removetestleadsfromthemeterbeforeopeningthebatterycompartmentormeterhousing.
UsethemeteronlyasspecifiedinthisUserGuideoraccompanyingQuickStarttoavoidcompromising
theprotectionsprovidedbythemeter.
Besuretousetheproperterminals,switchpositions,andrangeswhentakingmeasurements.
Verifythemeter’soperationbymeasuringaknownvoltage.Havethemeterservicedifthemeter
respondsunusuallyoriftherearequestionsregardingthemeter’sfunctionalintegrity.
Donotapplymorethantheratedvoltage,asmarkedonthemeter,betweenterminalsorbetweenany
terminalandearthground.
Donotmeasurevoltagesabove1000VDCor600VACbetweenterminalandgroundtopreventelectrical
shockanddamagetotheClampmeter.
Usecautionworkingwithvoltagesabove30VACRMS,42VACpeak,or60VDC.Thesevoltagesposea
shockhazard.
Toavoidmisleadingreadingsthatcouldleadtoelectricshockandinjury,replacethebatteriesassoonas
thelowbatteryindicatorisdisplayed.
Disconnectpowertothecircuitundertestanddischargeallhigh‐voltagecapacitorsbeforetesting
resistance,continuity,diodes,orcapacitance.
Donotusethemeterinthepresenceofexplosivegasorvapor.
Toreduceriskoffireorelectricshock,donotusethemeterifitiswetanddonotexposethemeterto
moisture.
IndividualprotectiveequipmentshouldbeusedifHAZARDOUSLIVEpartsintheinstallationwhere
measurementsaretobecarriedoutcouldbeaccessible.

CAUTIONS
CAUTIONSidentifyconditionsandactionsthatcouldcauseDAMAGEtothemeterorequipment
undertest.Donotexposethemetertoextremesintemperatureorhighhumidity.
Disconnectthetestleadsfromthetestpointsbeforechangingthepositionofthefunction(rotary)
switch.
Donotexposethemetertoextremesintemperatureortohighhumidity.
Neversetthemetertotheresistance,diode,capacitance,micro‐amp,orampfunctionswhen
measuringthevoltageofapowersupplycircuit;thiscouldresultinmeterdamageanddamagetothe
equipmentundertest.
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SafetySymbolsthataretypicallymarkedonmetersandinstructions
Thissymbol,adjacenttoanothersymbol,indicatestheusermustrefertothe
manualoruserguideforfurtherinformation.
Riskofelectricalshock
Equipmentprotectedbydoubleorreinforcedinsulation

LowBatterysymbol
ConformstoEUdirectives
Donotdiscardthisproductinhouseholdtrash.
ACmeasurement
DCmeasurement
Earthground

PERIEC1010OVERVOLTAGEINSTALLATIONCATEGORY
OVERVOLTAGECATEGORYI
EquipmentofOVERVOLTAGECATEGORYIisequipmentforconnectiontocircuitsinwhichmeasuresare
takentolimitthetransientover‐voltagestoanappropriatelowlevel.
Note–Examplesincludeprotectedelectroniccircuits.
OVERVOLTAGECATEGORYII
EquipmentofOVERVOLTAGECATEGORYIIisenergy‐consumingequipmenttobesuppliedfromthefixed
installation.
Note–Examplesincludehousehold,office,andlaboratoryappliances.
OVERVOLTAGECATEGORYIII
EquipmentofOVERVOLTAGECATEGORYIIIisequipmentinfixedinstallations.
Note–Examplesincludeswitchesinthefixedinstallationandsomeequipmentforindustrialusewith
permanentconnectiontothefixedinstallation.
OVERVOLTAGECATEGORYIV
EquipmentofOVERVOLTAGECATEGORYIVisforuseattheoriginoftheinstallation.
Note–Examplesincludeelectricitymetersandprimaryover‐currentprotectionequipment
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3. Descriptions

MeterDescription
1. Non‐ContactVoltageDetector
2. Openjaw
3. WorkLight
4. NCValertLEDlamp
5. WorkLightswitch
6. Rotaryfunctionswitch
7. Mode(M)button
8. Relative,DCAZerobutton
9. HOLDandBacklightbutton
10. Display
11. Testleadjacks
Note:Batterycompartmentonbackofmeter








Fig3‐1METERDESCRIPTION
1
3
11
10
9
8
6
5
2
7
4
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DisplayIconDescriptionsforMA160

Fig3‐2MA160METERDISPLAY
1. Unitsofmeasure
2. DCAZero
3. Relativemode
4. Datahold
5. AlternatingCurrent
6. DirectCurrent
7. Automaticrange
8. Continuity
9. Diode
10. Capacitance
11. Non‐ContactVoltageDetector
12. Autopoweroff
13. Batterystatus
14. LCDdisplay

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Push‐ButtonDescriptions
MomentarypressesoftheMode(M)buttonperformthefunctionsshowninthetable
below.

Fig.3‐4Mode(M)ButtonFunctionTable
SwitchPositionMode(M)ButtonFunction
ACDC

AC DC
Ω   
Momentarilypresstoaccess/exittheRelativemode.Thismodeofoperationisonly
availableforAC/DCvoltage,ACCurrent,andCapacitance.
InDCAmode,presstozerothedisplay;pressandholdtoexitthezero.
Pressandholdthisbuttontoactivate/deactivatetheLCDbacklight.Momentary
pressesswitchDATAHOLDONorOFF.
FunctionSwitchDescription
1. MeterPOWEROFFposition
2. AC/DCCurrentmode(useMbuttontochooseACorDC)
3. AC/DCVoltagemode(useMbuttontochooseACorDC)
4. Capacitance,Continuity,Diode,Resistancemodes
(useMbuttontochoosemode)
5. Non‐ContactVoltageDetectpositionwithalertLED

Fig3‐3MA160FunctionSwitch
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4. Operation
CAUTION:ReadandunderstandalloftheSafetystatementslistedinthesafetysection
ofthismanualpriortouse.
PoweringtheMeter
1. Turntherotaryfunctionswitchtoanypositiontopowerthemeter.Checkthebatteriesifthe
unitfailstopowerON.RefertotheMaintenancesectionforbatteryreplacement.
2. TurnthefunctionswitchtotheOFFpositiontopowerOFFthemeter.
3. ThemeterhasanAutoPowerOFFfeature(APO)wherethemeterswitchesOFFafter15
minutesofinactivity.WhenAPOisenabled,theAPOiconwillshowonthedisplaywhenthe
meterispoweredON,
Thelowbatterysymbolappearsonthedisplaywhenthebatteryvoltageweakensbelowthe
threshold.
DisplayBacklight
WiththemeterpoweredON,pressandholdthebacklightbuttontoswitchthebacklightONor
OFF.Notethatexcessiveuseofthebacklightwillshortenthebatterylife.
WorkLight
WiththemeterpoweredON,presstheWorkLightbuttonontherightsideofthemeter.A
momentarypresswillswitchtheWorkLightoff.TheWorkLightlampislocatedonthebackofthe
unittowardthebottomoftheclampjaw.Notethatexcessiveuseofthebacklightwillshortenthe
batterylife.
DataHold
TofreezetheLCDmeterreading,presstheDataHold(H)button.Whiledataholdisactive,theH
displayiconappearsontheLCD.Pressthe(H)buttontoreturntonormaloperation.TheHiconwill
switchOFF.
TestLeadConsiderations
TestleadprobecoverscanberemovedforCATII1000Vinstallations.Usethetestleadprobe
coversforCATIII1000Vinstallations.Donotmeasurevoltages>1000VDCor600VAC.Remove
thestoragecapsfromthemeterendoftestleadsbeforeconnectingleadstothemeter.
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VoltageMeasurements
WARNING:
RemovethetestleadprobecoversforCATII1000Vinstallations.Usethetestleadprobecovers
forCATIII600Vinstallations.
Donotmeasurevoltagesgreaterthan600VACor1000VDC.
CAUTION:Whenconnectingthetestleadstothecircuitordeviceundertest,connectthe
blackleadbeforethered;whenremovingthetestleads,removetheredbeforetheblacklead.
Disconnectprobesandcircuitundertestafterallmeasurementsarecompleted.
ACVoltageMeasurements
1. Inserttheblacktestleadbananaplugintothenegative(COM)jackandtheredtestlead
bananaplugintothepositive(V/Ω)jack.
2. Turnthefunctionswitchtotheposition.UsetheMbuttontoselectAC.
3. ReadtheWarningandCautionstatementsabovetodeterminewhetherornottousethe
testleadprobecovers.
4. Touchthetestprobetipstothecircuitundertest.
5. Readthedigitalvalueshownonthedisplay.ThemeterisAutoRangingandtherefore
selectstheproperdecimalpointposition.Themeteralsodisplaysthemeasurement
type,unitsymbols,andotherrelevantmultifunctionicons.
6. ThemeteriscapableofdetectingACvoltagesto600V.

Fig4‐1ACVOLTAGEMEASUREMENTS
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