240V Voltmeter

[Guest Tim Norman]

I am making a steampunk lamp that has a voltmeter on it On the back of the meter there are + and - terminals.

How do I wire it up?

I am thinking Live in + and live out -, am I wrong?

The meter will sit between the switch and the lamp.

[Jez Morton]

Thats how you would wire an amp meter, in series. Volt meter is wired parallel, live to plus and neg to minus. Live would be output of switch to show volts when on.

[Guest chris brown]

Sounds like you have a dc meter so will need to put a rectifier in the circuit

[Guest Tim Norman]

It was sold as an "0- 250V AC Voltmeter Analogue Panel Volt Meter Analog YS-670 for 220V 240V Mains|

and every other 240v AC meter I have looked at has the same two pegs.

Jez, not being a electrician I have no idea what the negative would be, all I know is there is a live, neutral and earth.

 

So from the switch I take a live to the volt meter and from the vlt meter to the lamp?

The neutral goes straight to the lamp?

[maccavvy]

2 wires from the bulb to the meter..

Live should have a switch in it to turn on and off..neutral straight to bulb

[Guest Gargoil]

If I'm reading this right, you need a live to the voltmeter + terminal and from the voltmeter + terminal to one side of the the bulb. Then the neutral to the voltmeter - and from the voltmeter - to the other side of the bulb cct.

Could be stood up and corrected, though.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Gargoil

[fry61]

First -- connect the meter direct across the mains (via a 13A plug ) & check that is showing around 230volts -- if not it's probably DC & a retifier will not work as that reverses one side of the wave & meter will then show around 115 volts.

 

If meter reads 230volt then connect direct across your lampholder.

 

Have fire extinguishter handy if above fails.

 

Up-date -- a full wave rectifier will give a 230 volt output -- so Chris is correct -- a single diode will give half voltage -- memory fail again!

Edited September 6, 2016 by florin metal works

[Guest Tim Norman]

Cheers, I will be standing on a rubber mat too when I turn it on!

[megadodo]

There are some shocking responses in this thread...............................I'll get me coat!

[alantoon]

There are some shocking responses in this thread...............................I'll get me coat!

Theres always one bright spark...................................................I'll get my coat too!

[Jez Morton]

Sorry negative is neutral. Plus to live/switched side of bulb and minus to neutral side of bulb.

[fry61]

Bright sparks are needed for shocking results -- mine memory failed to spark fully -- see my post above.

[Guest 2b cruising]

I've no idea watt you are all on about.

I just could not resist this one.

That's amp(le) jokes so me coat is already on.

[agent_zed]

just to be on the safe side make sure the circuit you are testing it on has a fully working RCD (always worth testing with the button from time to time) and not an old wire type fuse box etc. Less likely you will get dead if you do something completely wrong. I managed to touch a live wire last year when wiring the lights in the attic. Stupid mistake as i'd just forgotten i'd turned it back on as i'd done it so many times that day. I normally touch the electrical screwdriver end between the wires to trip anything but for some reason didn't do it that time. Lucky i had a working RCD although 30mA still hurts!

 

Also check any fire extinguishers are ok for electrical fires.

 

Post a pic when you are done. interested to see it!

[fry61]

Old sparky rule which I tried to follow when working on live kit -- "Keep one hand in your pocket" got me though dozens of shocks during my years "on the tools" but didn't save the local tech college from blackout when I dropped a spanner when working live on a 3 phase distribution board which blew a transformer fuse at the local sub-station.

 

But then again was I lucky or just thick skinned.