If you want to measure the current consumption of a device that runs on a half-rectified alternating current lile a hair-dryer on the "half-power setting" then an AC/DC clamp meter will give you a much more precise reading than an AC-only clamp meter. Here is a comparison video between an AC/DC clamp meter and two AC-only clamp meters:
The reference instrument used in this video is a HIOKI PW3390 power analyzer and the connected current sensor is a HIOKI CT6841 suitable for currents of up to 20A.
The featured AC/DC current sensor is the HIOKI CM4372 which has been picked because it has a 20A current range and is therefore good for comparison with the CT6841. The CM4372 also has a 600A range but if that's not enough then there is a big brother called HIOKI CM4374 which has a 600A as well as a 2000A range. If you are dealing with tight spaces then you might want to look at the HIOKI CM4376 for currents of up to 1000A. See the difference in the claws in the images:
The AC-only current sensor used in the video is the HIOKI 3280-10F. In Europe all featured clamp meters and many more are available from Farnell which is HIOKI's exclusive high service distributor in Europe.
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