I want to purchase a thermal ammeter. I am not sure if that is the common name for the instrument. The ammeter measures the temperatur change undergone when the current runs through the instrument and then determines the current that must of run through it. I would appreciate any help in finding a distributor or manufacturer of this type of ammeter.

 

David

This? http://original.britannica.com/eb/topic-591330/thermal-ammeter

 

Why a thermal one instead of a "normal" one?

I want a thermal ammeter because it does not have a bandwidth for which it can measure current accurately unlike other ammeters.

 

Thanks a lot for answering all my questions.

 

David

You could build one

 

And I'm only half joking...a two dollar thermocouple from radioshack and a resistor. Wrap the two together tightly in something insulating, and calibrate. Could be an interesting little project.

 

Again, assuming you are building a tesla coil:

 

You could make a small coil (few turns) around the primary to act as a transformer of sorts. The voltage on the little coil will be proportional to the field strength around the primary, which is directly related to the amps in the primary.

Thanks for the advice. I will look into building a thermal ammeter.

 

David

Post back if it works well...I'm quite curious.

They are sometimes known as "hot wire" meters.

http://www.practicalphysics.org/go/Experiment_698.html;jsessionid=alZLdQlAHb1