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How much current is being used?
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sandy700
Posts: 180 Forumite

in Techie Stuff
I have a multimeter set on the 2m current range and I have a reading of 1.181 with a 2 showing at the decimal point when there is no load on the output.
This is from a voltage regulator for a lithium battery.
I want to know if I should put a switch in the circuit or is the reading minuscule?
What is the current being used?
This is from a voltage regulator for a lithium battery.
I want to know if I should put a switch in the circuit or is the reading minuscule?
What is the current being used?
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Comments
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What is the 2m current range - I assume 2 milliamps max deflection?
If so, you are pulling 1.181 milliamps
(Not sure what you mean about a 2 showing - unless that is the range indictor.)
Is it miniscule? It depends on the capacity of the battery. If it is a tiny watch battery then it's a lot. If it's an electric car battery it is miniscule1 -
Yes the 2 is the range indicator so 1.181 milliamps seems about right.
The battery is a 18650 with a voltage regulator set at an output of 12 volts to power a waterpump for 3 seconds once or twice a day.
It is an automatic watering system.0 -
The 18650 battery is rated between 2600 and 3500mAh, so a draw of 1.2mA isn't going to flatten it too fast.Edit: Some specs say 1200mAh, so see what your is rated at.
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You can find out how long the battery will last (in hours) by dividing the capacity in mAh by 1.1810
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