MachineQ MQpower CT battery-less LoRa CT clamp measures up to 250A of current

MachineQ has recently introduced MQpower CT, a self-powered, IoT-enabled, LoRa CT clamp designed to monitor real-time current consumption. This CT clamp can measure both accumulated (Ah) and instantaneous current(A) with loads up to 100A and 250A with 1mA resolution. Additionally, it integrates a LoRa module for communication that gets powered by the induced current in the clamp itself. These features make this device useful for energy management, proactive maintenance, power monitoring, and more.

We have covered various WI-Fi CT clamps in the past like the SONOFF POW Ring, the Emporia Vue Gen2 with 16 CT clamps, the ESP32-S2-based “smart power meter”, and more. Feel free to check those out if you are interested in Wi-Fi CT clamps.

MQpower LoRa CT clamp specifications

• Connectivity – LoRaWAN
• Measurement range
  • Up to 100A or 250A models
  • 1mA resolution
• Accuracy
  • ±1% (>5Arms)
  • ±3% (≤5Arms)
• Misc
  • Onboard reboot button and LED status indicator
  • FUOTA (Firmware Update Over The Air) capable
• Power Supply – Self-powered (no battery)
• Dimensions – 86.5 × 31 × 37.4 mm
• Temperature – -20°C to 70°C
• Humidity – ≤95% (non-condensing)
• IP Rating – IP30
• Certifications
  • CE
  • FCC Part 15C
  • UL Pending

As far as I can see the company has outdoor and indoor gateway options that you need to purchase separately to work with this device. The MachineQ Area 8c is an 8-channel indoor LoRaWAN gateway that handles millions of daily transmissions from up to 10,000 devices. The company mentions that it offers reliable LoRaWAN connectivity and can operate between 0°C to 40°C making this gateway ideal for applications needing scalable, secure, and easy-to-manage IoT networks, such as building management, asset tracking, or smart city solutions.

The MachineQ Field 16c on the other hand is a rugged, outdoor LoRaWAN gateway designed for localized IoT deployments. It’s built for harsh environments, operating from -40°C to +60°C and offering IP67 protection. It has 16 channels and full-duplex communication and features GPS and optional cellular connectivity options. This gateway is suitable for applications like smart agriculture, environmental monitoring, or industrial automation, where reliable outdoor connectivity is crucial.

In essence, if you are planning to work with the MQpower LoRa CT clamp you need to purchase the gateway separately and you also need to have the MQcentral network management tool for connecting managing, and monitoring your IoT devices. So it’s unclear whether the CT clamp can also work with other LoRaWAN gateways, or if you need to acquire one from MQCentral. [Update – October 2. 2024: the company replied to our request confirming it would only work with their own gateways:

The device is one part of our holistic power monitoring solution. Therefore, we do not sell it stand alone. Like we do with all our solutions, we bundle all the associated components together (e.g., device, connectivity, data visualization/API integrations and deployment services) to ensure end-to-end performance.

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At the time of writing the company does not provide any purchasing information for the MQpower LoRa CT clamp, so you need to contact the company through their product page to inquire about pricing and order information.

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