Newbie clamp meter question?

[uv_man]

Not sure if this is the right place to post a question like this... I'm not exactly a newbie to electronics...just clamp meters. I'm thinking of buying an AC/DC clamp meter and was wondering what happens when you try to measure more current than the meter is rated for....does it just show OL (Overload) on the display. Or is there a catastrophic failure with smoke fire and possible electrocution. This is using the clamp to measure the current...not using probes.

I was under the impression that the clamp is really measuring the magnetic field using a hall-effect sensor....and not really transferring electrical energy into the meter, in the case of AC current.

[MosherIV]

Hi

Yes, should say overload or something like that.

Yes, you understand how they work. Does the same thing for DC and AC