Help finding current draw?

[AmpShop]

I've measured DC current draw on a few pedals using a little rig made up of 2 jacks and a 1R resistor.

This is the current draw at idle (i.e. no input signal) of a few pedals:

EHX Micro Pog 9V 167mA
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone 18V 17mA
Korg Pitchblack 9V 23mA
Catalinbread SFT 18V 6mA
Fuzziebro MK3 clone 9V 3mA
Empress Tremolo 9V 36mA
TC Electronic Nova Delay 12V 235mA

The Road Rage looper will draw pretty minimal current, the only power draw is the LED.

[Conway]

can you run a pog2 on batteries? if so do they die when it runs out???

The Micro POG only runs on DC power in, not batteries. Presume the POG2 will be the same.

[cholera]

The POG2 cannot take batteries....and I do believe the Roadrage is Passive in that it needs no power to work. Obviously it would be pretty shit not being able to see what loops are on though. But assuming you are agreeing with me Conway I think you have answered my question!

[cholera]

Oh and cheers for that too Ryan. Conway, the power supply is a Cioks AC-10. I don't need any AC outlets but it was used, and worked out a bit cheaper. It is definitely a lot quieter than the Godlyke thing I was usung. Even though it does suck having 2-3 outlets I can't even use. Maybe one day I'll get an AC pedal tho...who knows.

[Conway]

Cioks are supposed to be very good. For that model you get (according to their website) 2 x 600mA, 2 x 200mA & 2 x 100mA outlets for DC power which should be heaps man! I use a T Rex Chameleon which is good too.

[druz15]

Thanks Conway, thats kind of what I was hoping for. I don't have a multimeter but it might be worth getting one....while some of the outputs on my Power supply provide 600, a couple only provide 100mA, and being as I am trying new pedals fairly often it would make sense to be able to find out the current draw for each one. I have come across a couple of pretty nasty stories about expensive pedals being fried. On the internet.

it does help to check, a lot of pedals will say on the sticker or website "use 100ma regulated power supply" or whatever, but in reality they can sometimes only draw around 10ma. My TC Delay is something like 300ma, bastard.

EDIT: case in point

TC Electronic Nova Delay 12V 235mA

[cholera]

Conway....it has worked out as an ample overall suplly, however Im trying to keep certain effects in certain ouputs. For instance the POG2, a compressor, wah and something elase are all in the same output because they are in front of the amp. I'm also trying to keep whatever pedals are in a loop in the RR on the same output too. Maybe I'm being too fussy. I dont know. But, yeah I have ended up with just enough in certain outputs and plenty to spare in the 600 output!

[borge]

Hmmm the instance I was talking about was a POG2 being killed when daisy chained off a few other pedals (all 9volt) with apparently not enough current available. I am by no means an electronics expert (barely even a beginner) but I'm also aware there could be a million variables involved in this particular tragic story. I do know the POG2 is a greedy sucker though....

That doesn't really sound right to me. If it didn't get enough current it would just function poorly. I have a Micro POG and it draws 200mA, greedy little bugger.

Depends on the tranny design, some transformers will supply more current than they are rated to, overheat (which could take an hr or more..), thermal protection will cut the supply then the cycle starts again once the tranny cools. Great for short sets or put a large heat sink (your nice cold beer) on the tranny to play all night

[Conway]

Could be a bit over-fussy, perhaps... My T Rex has 5 outputs of 300mA each, and I just try to make sure whatever is on each output adds up to less that that. One output just has one pedal, one has about 7 on a daisy chain.

[RuBear]

idle current and current with a loud signal on the input could be very different, and manufacturers have to account for worst case scenario. You might have no issues running a supposedly 1000ma pedal from a 400ma supply, but maybe when you hit it with 20dB of booster and set the output to full noise, it might go to 800ma draw, blowing your supply fuse.

[cholera]

Conway the main thing is effects loop vs in front of amp pedals....makes sense to keep seperate chains in seperate outputs. And Rubear, thanks for yet another variable I hadn't considered, though I am pretty sure I'm playing it safe enough!

[Cdog]

I've measured DC current draw on a few pedals using a little rig made up of 2 jacks and a 1R resistor.
This is the current draw at idle (i.e. no input signal) of a few pedals:

Hey Ryan, whats the reason for using the resistor?

I'm gathering ideas around this, there's always questions on guitar and pedal forums about it...

Anyways my little test cable is this:

[druz15]

wow that's so clever Corey

[AmpShop]

Hey Ryan, whats the reason for using the resistor?

I just default to using my meter to read voltage, so the resistor is there to read current. Retarded? Probably.

[alanp]

Hey Ryan, whats the reason for using the resistor?

Same reason quite a few people put 1R resistors to ground in power tube sockets, rather than a straight ground. If I = V/R, and R == 1, then you can get current through the resistor by reading the voltage across the resistor. And the current across the resistor and the current across anything in series with it will be the same value.