5 of the best watt meters you can buy for under $20

A watt meter is a handy little device used for measuring the power in watts of any given circuit. Oftentimes you can find power meters in residential areas for determining the energy consumption and utility frequency. Check out the list below for five of the most affordable meters you can buy today. 

P3 Watt Meter ($19.74)

The P3 Watt Meter is a unit that connects to household appliances to assess their efficiency. It checks the quality of power by monitoring voltage, line frequency, and power factor. This device makes it easy for you to calculate your power expenses by the day, week, or month to determine which items are costing you the most to run.

Specs:  

1.       Accuracy: ±0.2%

2.       Input Power: 115 VAC, 60 Hz

3.       Max Current: 15 A

4.       Max Voltage: 125 V

5.       Max Power: 1,875 VA

Cshidworld Watt Meter ($16.99)

This power energy meter displays the electricity usage in a facility, and with its overload protection, the unit automatically shuts off the power supply to prevent damage when the power exceeds the safety value. It displays a graph that indicates the daily energy consumption in the last seven days, and you can also calculate your electricity expenses with this meter.

Specs:

1.       Operating Voltage: AC 120 V

2.       Max Operating Current: 16 A

3.       Current Range: 0.01−19.999 A

4.       Power Range: 1−3,680 W

5.       Indication of Frequency: 46−65 Hz

6.       Measurement of Consumption: 0.00−9,999.99 kWh

7.       Duration of Indication: up to 9,999 hours 59 minutes

Makerfire Watt Meter ($16.99)

Serving as a watt meter and power analyzer, this device prevents peak currents from the damaging battery, ESC, motors, wiring, and connectors. It also verifies that there’s sufficient operating voltage under load and can check battery capacity health. Additionally, you can detect receivers and actual driving current to make sure whether a UBEC is needed.

Tenergy Watt Meter ($15.99)

This high-precision meter comes with a power analyzer, as well as a backlit LCD for assisting in dark areas and facilities. It can measure 0 to 60 V and measures up to 130 A of current. The unit provides real-time, eight continuous readings of current, voltage, watts, amp-hours, watt-hours, peak amps, minimum volts, and peak watts. This device can do the job for just about anyone, as the unit requires no configuration or programming. 

DROK Watt Meter ($10.99)

The DROK Watt Meter is a digital multimeter capable of measuring seven quantities, including voltage, current capacity, and power. This device’s dual monitor has an easy-to-read display, making it easy to control the charge going into your appliance.

There are two USB outputs available that can be used simultaneously. USB Output I can be utilized for device charging and data transfer. Whether you want to charge mobile devices or move data between the mobile device and PC, simply plug a device in Output I. The Output II can charge your smartphones, tablet PCs, iPad, and other USB devices. Output I supports QC 2.0, 9 and 12 V charging. 

This multiple USB detector can be used for capacitance checking, capacitance clear, over-voltage and under-voltage alarm, over-current, and short-circuit alarm. Better yet, by using the DROK alignment tool, you can monitor output voltage and current of mobile charger cables, power use of a Raspberry Pi or an Arduino board, and compare the performance of solar chargers in different conditions. With this, you can quickly test the power and quality of the chargers and USB cables. 

Source: Wonderful Engineering