Re: HV Measurement - Back to Basics

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

 > tool, and make it the resistor closest to the meter, and hence, ground.
Of
 > course, I am assuming that you are measuring a DC voltage.  If you are
 > measuring unrectified AC MOT output, you will have to add a precision
 > rectifier circuit, a much more complicated issue.
 >

Don't need a precision rectifier... The few tenths drop in the diode bridge
is insignificant compared to the huge drop in the resistor.  You calibrate
it empirically anyway, so the RMS/Average/Peak issue doesn't arise (that is,
you put in 15 kV ACRMS, adjust a trim pot til the meter reads FS, and you're
done).  If you were trying to measure a few volts, or make average voltage
measurements with varying waveforms, then a precision rectifier might be
needed.