Hello: I cannot fix this if I don't understand what is going on. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Here is the puzzle: I have a wireless controller for a snowplow. the plow started to act sporadic or not at all. I took out my multi-clamp-on meter to check voltages at the plow. All appeared correct. I clamped the meter onto the plow in order to look at something and then forgetting about the meter I attempted to operate the plow, expecting nothing to have changed. Amazingly the plow worked like new. What!?
I was ecstatic (I really need my plow ). I gathered up my tools. Retrieved the clamp-on-meter and thought... "fixed". Tried the plow one more time and...nothing. Went back to the plow to check voltages thinking o.k. it's a loose connection somewhere. Got out the clamp on again. Clamped it near the receiver just to secure it, so I could take some voltage readings. Found nothing wrong so I tried the plow... now it works. OK. long enough story. With the clamp-on-meter set to voltage and placed at or near the receiver the plow operates like new. Turn it off and it stops working. I suspect the meter is amplifying the signal from the hand held controller. The receiver end of the electronics is encased in resin so I cannot get at the components. If I am correct, I'd like to put together an amplifier to replace the clamp-on-meter. Does this make sense? Any sketches known that I can build? ( the wireless hand held is over $200 and I am not ,
at this point positive it is the problem. Any suggestion will be appreciated. sorry for the long story.
RJMaestro:
Hello: I cannot fix this if I don't understand what is going on. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Here is the puzzle: I have a wireless controller for a snowplow. the plow started to act sporadic or not at all. I took out my multi-clamp-on meter to check voltages at the plow. All appeared correct. I clamped the meter onto the plow in order to look at something and then forgetting about the meter I attempted to operate the plow, expecting nothing to have changed. Amazingly the plow worked like new. What!?
I was ecstatic (I really need my plow ). I gathered up my tools. Retrieved the clamp-on-meter and thought... "fixed". Tried the plow one more time and...nothing. Went back to the plow to check voltages thinking o.k. it's a loose connection somewhere. Got out the clamp on again. Clamped it near the receiver just to secure it, so I could take some voltage readings. Found nothing wrong so I tried the plow... now it works. OK. long enough story. With the clamp-on-meter set to voltage and placed at or near the receiver the plow operates like new. Turn it off and it stops working. I suspect the meter is amplifying the signal from the hand held controller. The receiver end of the electronics is encased in resin so I cannot get at the components. If I am correct, I'd like to put together an amplifier to replace the clamp-on-meter. Does this make sense? Any sketches known that I can build? ( the wireless hand held is over $200 and I am not ,
at this point positive it is the problem. Any suggestion will be appreciated. sorry for the long story.
Replace the batteries in the handheld.
Thank you for your responses. The plow is attached to the front of a pick-up truck. The controller activtes the plow to turn the plow blade either left or right and also up and down. The plow used an electrical circuit to open and close hydraulic valves and a pump motor to hydraulically manipulate the plow blade (right, left, up or down). All voltages read ok. The controllers have been changed (first thing). The clamp-on-meter does not need to make any physical contact with the plow in order to make the plow work. It has to be on though. I think it has to be with the signal coming from the hand held controller but why would a multi-meter amplify this signal? Thank you for your interest.
Sorry: I ment the batteries were changed.
RJMaestro:
Sorry: I ment the batteries were changed.
Describe the snowplow.
I am not being trite.
I have two snowplow.
One of a Bobcat tractor with a hydraulic 5ft snow blower/thrower mounted on the front.
The another is a Kubota Tractor with a 4 ft bucket on the front and a 4 ft PTO driven snowblower with Hydraulic controlled chute.
Describe the clamp-on-meter.
A good description of the clamp-on-meter may help to solve this riddle.
I am just trying to get a clearer image of what you are dealing with.
Hello: The plow is a Snow-Way. A medium duty snow plow. The clamp on is a hand held multi-meter with
a jaw that can open and be placed around a conductor in order to take amperage readings without having to insert the meter into the conductor. Voltage and resistance reading are taken via the usual probs on the end of leads (+ and - ). If I was confident in sending pictures I would, but I am not. I hope this helps give everyone a clearer picture of the set up is. It is an electrical problem and I think it is with the transmission between the hand held transmitter and the receiver and the clamp on meter is somehow correcting the problem. I could just leave the meter on at the plow but I would rather come up with a more permanent fix. Thank again. Any ideas?
RJMaestro:
Hello: The plow is a Snow-Way. A medium duty snow plow. The clamp on is a hand held multi-meter with
a jaw that can open and be placed around a conductor in order to take amperage readings without having to insert the meter into the conductor. Voltage and resistance reading are taken via the usual probs on the end of leads (+ and - ). If I was confident in sending pictures I would, but I am not. I hope this helps give everyone a clearer picture of the set up is. It is an electrical problem and I think it is with the transmission between the hand held transmitter and the receiver and the clamp on meter is somehow correcting the problem. I could just leave the meter on at the plow but I would rather come up with a more permanent fix. Thank again. Any ideas?
So the clamp-on-meter is acting as a large inductor.
How heavy to the clamp-on-meter?
You need to inspect the wire or wires that you clamped around.
I am assuming that the meter hung from the wire or wires.
It may have provided enough weight to produce a good connection.
You have a poor connection somewhere close to where you were hanging the meter.
Concerning pictures.
Take pictures
transfer to computer
bundle up in zip archive
attach zip archive to posting
the pictures would help greatly.
Thanks everyone. I am going to re-check all the wiring . I will let you know what (if anything) I find.
re-checked everything. All is OK. No bad grounds. No broken wires. Voltages all check out.
Just to clarify. The multi meter is not in physical contact with any thing only placed near the
receiver and the wiring and then the plow works. The meter only needs to be in the "on" position.
I believe the meter is intercepting the signal from the transmitter and amplifying . I'd like to know how and why this happens and if there is a electrical circuit I can build to replace the meter permanently. It is a 12 volt system. Thanks again. Any help is appreciated.
RJMaestro:
re-checked everything. All is OK. No bad grounds. No broken wires. Voltages all check out.
Just to clarify. The multi meter is not in physical contact with any thing only placed near the
receiver and the wiring and then the plow works. The meter only needs to be in the "on" position.
I believe the meter is intercepting the signal from the transmitter and amplifying . I'd like to know how and why this happens and if there is a electrical circuit I can build to replace the meter permanently. It is a 12 volt system. Thanks again. Any help is appreciated.
You really need to help us.
We need pictures of the snow plow and the clamp-on meter.
We cannot diagnose what we cannot see.