Voltmeter registers on my skin

SharkyMan

Can anyone out there tell me why a voltmeter would strongly register when I touch it to my arm, and yet I am in no contact with any electrical current? This seems outrageous to me. It is a commercially available pen tester bought at Home Depot and set on the highest setting.

JonDE

I'm not really sure what you are talking about, you should be getting almost no volts or amps if u are touching it to your arm. Maybe you have it set on ohms? I imagine that would get a pretty strong reading, especially if you held on lead in one hand and one lead in the other.

SharkyMan

I am touching nothing, the voltmeter is set for household use, and the other hand is free. Any ideas?

SharkyMan

it is not set to ohms, it is really nuts.

SharkyMan

if you are in So Cal, I would be glad to meet up with you and demonstrate this nutty phenom.

digfarenough

Voltage is measured between two points. One point is touching your arm, but what is the other point?

Or they do make non-contact voltmeters that, if I understand correctly, treat the surface you're measuring as one plate in a capacitor and the meter probe as the other plate and measure the charge across the plates. In that case, your arm might simply have a charge on it that the meter is measuring. I don't really know the details of these devices, but your pen might've come with a manual that tells you how it works.

SharkyMan

I agree, I am supposed to touch a conductive plate around the electrical device, but i don't have to do that, all I am doing is standing (I've tried this in many rooms and outdoors) and if I make contact with any part of my skin on my arm or face the volt alarm sounds at its highest sound.

zoobyshoe

Can you link to an Ad for the meter?