Clamp multimeter with decent display in sunlight?

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  • ColinC
    Junior Member
    • Jun 2023
    • 4
    #1

    Clamp multimeter with decent display in sunlight?

    For those of you regularly using clamp multimeters in the field...any recommendations of product lines or models that have good visibility in sunlight? I don't need the most capable/accurate meter out there. Something like the Klein CL390 has all the features I need, but I tried it out yesterday during my panel install and it was very difficult to see in daylight.

    Thanks for your time/help-
    Tags: None
    • littleharbor2
      Solar Fanatic
      • Jan 2016
      • 198
      #2
      I have two ac/dc clamp meters, one a Klein, the other a UNI-T, Chinese brand, and they seem to be no problem to read in the sun. The LCD readouts are simple black and bold, high contrast screens. Are you by chance leaving them in the sun which may cause the LCD to black out in some cases.
      2 Kw PV Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 460ah,

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        • ColinC
          Junior Member
          • Jun 2023
          • 4
          #3
          Well this is what I mean, taken earlier this afternoon up on the roof while I was continuing with my panel install. First pic is viewing meters from left side, next from directly above (and shaded by me), third from the right side. While the display on the Klein is wonderful indoors, it is very poor in direct sunlight.


          meters a.JPEGmeters b.JPEGimage_15542.jpg
          Attached Files
          Last edited by ColinC; 07-02-2023, 04:45 PM.

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            • littleharbor2
              Solar Fanatic
              • Jan 2016
              • 198
              #4
              It looks like the LCD is blacking out because it's heating up in direct sunlight. Try keeping it face down, out of direct sunlight, when not actually using it.
              2 Kw PV Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 460ah,

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                • ColinC
                  Junior Member
                  • Jun 2023
                  • 4
                  #5
                  These meters weren't sitting in the sun before I took these pictures. I had them in a gear bag in a shaded portion of the roof and only took them out for 45 seconds or so to take these pictures. Posted videos and some reviews of these newer Kleins with the "backlit display" say the same thing. Which is why I'm asking whether there are comparable quality/featured meters that don't have this display issue in the sunlight

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                    • J.P.M.
                      Solar Fanatic
                      • Aug 2013
                      • 14939
                      #6
                      Originally posted by ColinC
                      These meters weren't sitting in the sun before I took these pictures. I had them in a gear bag in a shaded portion of the roof and only took them out for 45 seconds or so to take these pictures. Posted videos and some reviews of these newer Kleins with the "backlit display" say the same thing. Which is why I'm asking whether there are comparable quality/featured meters that don't have this display issue in the sunlight
                      What color is the bag ?
                      What was the air temp. on the roof ?
                      How long had the closed (?) bag been on the roof ?
                      What time of day ?
                      Dark colored objects can easily get hot, even in shade. Removing them from the bag may well cool them down some.

                      To help determine if it's the meter temperature, wait for a sunny day. Put a room temp, meter in the fridge (not the freezer) and get it down to ~ 10 C or so. That'll probably take about an hour. Then take the meter out of the fridge, go outside with it and immediately take a reading with the display pointed directly at the sun and observe to what degree the display is vivid.

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                        • littleharbor2
                          Solar Fanatic
                          • Jan 2016
                          • 198
                          #7
                          Probably not the case but you aren't using polarized sunglasses are you? I guess you would need a polarized lens on the camera to photograph this way. On many LCD's you can get the screen to black out with polarized glasses.
                          2 Kw PV Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 460ah,

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                            • ColinC
                              Junior Member
                              • Jun 2023
                              • 4
                              #8
                              Fair points on the heating, polarized lenses, etc., but that isn't the issue here. I got the same result using them "off the roof" to measure some panels in indirect light outside. Photographing displays can sometimes be an issue too; but the photos I've posted accurately represent what my eyes are seeing You can see the same thing on videos others have posted using Kleins with this particular display outside (1 2). So it just isn't me/this meter.

                              The Klein display really is outstanding indoors or in other low-light conditions. Maybe the solution is just having two clamp meters. The Mastech (the other meter in my photos) seems accurate enough for my needs and is definitely more "readable" in sunlight.

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