| "Benderthe.evilrobot" <Benderthe.evilrobot@virginmedia.com>: Jan 28 10:18PM <pfjw@aol.com> wrote in message news:8d74384f-dda1-40d3-a0e3-c4cd54dd51fa@googlegroups.com... > mistakes amateurs make with electrolytic caps is assuming a > higher-than-expected reading as "good". Many times, it is more indicative > the cap slowly going open. That's probably a worthwhile precaution anyway whether they need it or not - a few of the PSU electrolytics are capable of letting the magic smoke out with a fair bit of enthusiasm! In the absence of an ESR meter - any bulged or sunken tops should be investigated. Dried out caps can feel noticeably light. In a PSU; bad caps can get hot - deteriorated plastic sleeve can be a clue. I have a continuity tester/voltage indicator that causes both charge and discharge blips in the LEDs. I used that before I got an ESR meter. With a bit of practice you can tell a fair bit by how the cap charges and discharges through the LEDs. Not as good - but you can get away with an inverse parallel pair of LEDs, a battery, a current limiting resistor and a push button. An ESR meter takes the uncertainty out of it - I use the Peak Atlas instrument. Its not cheap - but could pay for itself quicker than you think. |
| "pfjw@aol.com" <pfjw@aol.com>: Jan 28 03:58PM -0800 On Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 5:18:48 PM UTC-5, Benderthe.evilrobot wrote: > An ESR meter takes the uncertainty out of it - I use the Peak Atlas > instrument. Its not cheap - but could pay for itself quicker than you think. I also use the Peak Atlas device. Paid for itself the day it arrived (under the Tree on Christmas Day) with the smile on the kids' faces when I opened it - and many times since in actual use. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
| Ralph Mowery <rmowery28146@earthlink.net>: Jan 28 07:46PM -0500 In article <c9a30904-8a86-4373-8694-a4a81a2f31db@googlegroups.com>, pfjw@aol.com says... > I also use the Peak Atlas device. Paid for itself the day it arrived (under the Tree on Christmas Day) with the smile on the kids' faces when I opened it - and many times since in actual use. > Peter Wieck > Melrose Park, PA On ebay there are devices like the Peak that are not in a case but are functional. They are only about $ 20. They do not rip you off like Peak in that one device will check the transistors and capacitors (active and passive components). I have one and put it in a case. I works very well. |
| "pfjw@aol.com" <pfjw@aol.com>: Jan 29 05:32AM -0800 On Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 7:46:08 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote: > Peak in that one device will check the transistors and capacitors > (active and passive components). > I have one and put it in a case. I works very well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ49GCnf0V4 Review of the Peak Atlas. It acquits itself quite nicely against some pretty high-end meters. So on the "pro" side: a) it is accurate against some industry-standard devices. b) it is self-contained and serves both to measure capacitance and ESR. Doing two things well rather than many things less well. c) it will discharge capacitors without damage. d) it is NOT made in China. e) it will measure in-circuit and out. I keep four meters on the bench: B&K LCR meter Fluke "true RMS" VOM Peak Atlas Transistor/diode checker And the aforementioned meter. In my traveling kit (Kutztown twice per year, and when 'in the field', I keep a very vintage Radio Shack Japanese VOM, and the AnaTek ESR meter. Paying a premium for my meters to get reliability, predictability and function is by no means any sort of rip-off. I have been known to pay $40 for a pair of box-joint Linesman Pliers (ChannelLock) rather than $8.99 for a similar-in-size piece of Chinese Junque. Good (new) tools are not cheap. Cheap (new) tools are not good. Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA |
| Ralph Mowery <rmowery28146@earthlink.net>: Jan 29 11:13AM -0500 In article <b1686725-bdf1-41ea-ac58-e71b1db520c0@googlegroups.com>, pfjw@aol.com says... > And the aforementioned meter. In my traveling kit (Kutztown twice per year, and when 'in the field', I keep a very vintage Radio Shack Japanese VOM, and the AnaTek ESR meter. > Paying a premium for my meters to get reliability, predictability and function is by no means any sort of rip-off. I have been known to pay $40 for a pair of box-joint Linesman Pliers (ChannelLock) rather than $8.99 for a similar-in-size piece of Chinese Junque. > Good (new) tools are not cheap. Cheap (new) tools are not good. You should have looked at this persons comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbHGpA1jrJE The ripoff by Peak is that they could have combined two devices in one meter as it is mostly software. They chose to only enable passive or active devices to they can sell two boxes and double the profit. I agree it is good to pay more for a quality instrument, but lately there seems to be some very good quality items comming from China, especially if you look at the price of them. I just bought a 200 MHz scope and a function generator made in China from a company in the US. They work very well. Bein a ham radio operator I have bought some of the trnsceivers from China and have contacts with many more. Some of them work very well and a lot less then the Japan vesions. There are also some junk copies of the Japan radios that do not work well at all. |
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