Cheap capacitor tester spotted
- Thread starter KenLayton
- Start date
stangbat
Member
This meter just saved me a lot of time this morning. I'm repairing a Data East sound board that had no output to the cabinet speaker. I suspected that the amp was blown. I replaced the amp and got sound, but it was very low in volume compared to the backbox speakers. I pulled out the ESR meter and started checking caps in the amp section for the cabinet sound. Two tested bad. I pulled them off the board and one was visibly damaged and had leaked electrolyte on the PCB. I replaced both caps and the cabinet sound is working great.
hatrick
Well-known member
I just found the perfect thing to test this meter on - and it worked flawlessly.
A NEO GEO board! You know how every NEO GEO board out there is losing (or has lost) its sound? And that sucker is a pain to replace all the caps on, which is what I have always done up until now.
I tried this meter and rather than replacing the ~30 small caps on the board, I tested them all in circuit and 8 of them tested completely open. the other 22+ tested between 6 ohms and 0 ohms. Just replacing the 8 fixed the problem! Probably should have replaced the 6 ohmers too....but didn't!
And I ordered the nice digital one from the Russky that Level42 recommended. It looks (and probably smells) way better. I almost vomited last night from the smell of this thing in my shop.
Level42
New member
LOL, yeah the Russian meter has no funny smells at all...
Talking about that: the little stains you can see on my video are caused because of the silicon plastic that Mike (the builder) used to protect the display. He mailed me he has changed to a hard plastic protection to solve this. I've removed the silicon one on mine and. sure enough the stains are gone. Just need to cut and glue a small piece of clear plastic in there now. So that solved the only negative I had about this meter, and again, if you order now this is already solved.
Mike also sells HVT ringers by the way.....ok I'm starting to sound like his salesman....
Talking about that: the little stains you can see on my video are caused because of the silicon plastic that Mike (the builder) used to protect the display. He mailed me he has changed to a hard plastic protection to solve this. I've removed the silicon one on mine and. sure enough the stains are gone. Just need to cut and glue a small piece of clear plastic in there now. So that solved the only negative I had about this meter, and again, if you order now this is already solved.
Mike also sells HVT ringers by the way.....ok I'm starting to sound like his salesman....
Level42
New member
I heard others have successfully ordered the 4.0, I'd go with that one because of it's advantages, but you can always drop him an e-mail if you want to know about the V3 version.
I PMed you his e-mail address. His English is near perfect so no fears there.
I PMed you his e-mail address. His English is near perfect so no fears there.
I finally found some bad capacitors the other day. I have mostly been testing capacitors on game boards and they all were good. I pulled out a bad of caps I had saved from some monitor boards and a ot of them tested bad. In some cases it makes me wonder how & why the monitors worked at all!
After a week out in the garage (still pretty warm down here until yesterday) the case is almost odorless now. But I just have the meter on my bench without it, so I may not bother with it now.
While I agree with Level42, digital is nice, this tester has a nice responsive meter on it and analog doesn't bother me as long as I know it is working, which it appears to be doing. Plus at $28 + $6 for shipping, the price was right.
ken
After a week out in the garage (still pretty warm down here until yesterday) the case is almost odorless now. But I just have the meter on my bench without it, so I may not bother with it now.
While I agree with Level42, digital is nice, this tester has a nice responsive meter on it and analog doesn't bother me as long as I know it is working, which it appears to be doing. Plus at $28 + $6 for shipping, the price was right.
ken
OP
OP
KenLayton
In Memoriam
Exactly. Any ESR style capacitor meter that will help get a board/monitor/power supply/amplifier operating again is a good one. If you can pay less for the meter, so much the better!
I'm glad to see these meters getting used and equipment getting fixed thanks to using it.
Brick Top
Well-known member
Got an email from Mike. He has the v3 and I bought one. I thought it would be worth the 20.00 more over the analog meter. Always good to support another hobbiest as well.
I should mention that Mike sold me the Version 4.xxx meter for only $75 including shipping (russian post). I thought that was an amazing deal. I hope it wasn't some special deal he was just making for me because I spoke a little Russian with him...
But now it's out. If anyone wants to buy this stinky analog one from me, I'll sell it for the going rate. (I paid the sucker $50 + shipping price before someone posted the cheaper price). But I'll sell mine for $42 shipped (which is the price I just got quoted with shipping from the Jewelry source).
LMK if anyone wants it. I'll even include the 8 batteries it takes...new!
John
But now it's out. If anyone wants to buy this stinky analog one from me, I'll sell it for the going rate. (I paid the sucker $50 + shipping price before someone posted the cheaper price). But I'll sell mine for $42 shipped (which is the price I just got quoted with shipping from the Jewelry source).
LMK if anyone wants it. I'll even include the 8 batteries it takes...new!
John
r3m
New member
Hey guys! I have been reading and pricing around for a cheaper$$ ESR meter but good quality. This would be my first. I have seen there are good reviews on this. But How exactly do I use this thing if I get it? Just put 1 probe on 1 leg and the other prob on the other leg? If it shows green it's good? Do I need to read any of the numbers depending on the cap or what? Would be great to see a video on this seeing I have never owned a ESR meter and everyone saying it's lack of directions.
By the way has anyone had problems with their meter yet?
Thanks so much!
By the way has anyone had problems with their meter yet?
Thanks so much!
Level42
New member
Nope, that's the standard price 75 US dollars and that includes World Wide shipping through regular mail.
Brick Top
Well-known member
I got my 3.0 from Russian Mike about 2 weeks ago. Came with a battery installed, and alligator clips with sharp points soldered on them. Reads capacitance and ESR.
I tested a bunch of old caps, most were good, some were bad. What a steal for 60.00 shipped.
Smells fine too!
I tested a bunch of old caps, most were good, some were bad. What a steal for 60.00 shipped.
Smells fine too!
Hypersport
Account deactivated by request of user after tantr
I've been using this meter for a few years now, and seems to work OK. For those of you who don't know how to use it, here is a quick guide:
1.) install batteries (ok, perhaps you already knew that...)
2.) plug in the test leads
3.) Find a large value electrolytic capacitor (NEW....) and test it.
4.) Turn the black dial (Zero adjust) while reading that big cap until the needle reads zero (far right side of meter)
5.) Your meter is now adjusted.
How to read the meter:
- Top scale show the ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance)
- Bottom scale shows the limits for a capactor with a specific uF reading.
For example, if you have a 1000 uF capacitor, then the ESR for a good capacitor can't be any more than 1 (1K uF on bottom scale lines up with 1 ESR in top scale)
For a 100 uF capacitor, then the ESR limit is 10
Again, use both scales (top and bottom) to determine if your cap is good or not.
Very small caps will show high ESR even when new, but so long as they are in their range, they should be OK.
Note again, that ESR meters are meant for testing Electrolytic capacitors, and not any other type, such as mylar, ceramic, etc.
There are probably better digital meters, but this will identify bad caps in circuit.
1.) install batteries (ok, perhaps you already knew that...)
2.) plug in the test leads
3.) Find a large value electrolytic capacitor (NEW....) and test it.
4.) Turn the black dial (Zero adjust) while reading that big cap until the needle reads zero (far right side of meter)
5.) Your meter is now adjusted.
How to read the meter:
- Top scale show the ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance)
- Bottom scale shows the limits for a capactor with a specific uF reading.
For example, if you have a 1000 uF capacitor, then the ESR for a good capacitor can't be any more than 1 (1K uF on bottom scale lines up with 1 ESR in top scale)
For a 100 uF capacitor, then the ESR limit is 10
Again, use both scales (top and bottom) to determine if your cap is good or not.
Very small caps will show high ESR even when new, but so long as they are in their range, they should be OK.
Note again, that ESR meters are meant for testing Electrolytic capacitors, and not any other type, such as mylar, ceramic, etc.
There are probably better digital meters, but this will identify bad caps in circuit.
wxforecaster
Member
Hmmm, turns out this Dejajewelry place was only 5 minutes from mom's house. Who knew? Anyways, my ESR meter arrived last night and you guys were right, this thing could cure the common cold/flu with that stench. Left it out in the garage last night and this morning I found all my machines cowering in a corner!
Looking forward to hopefully solving my missing jump sound on the DK Jr with this thing. Time to get out the schematics and try to make sense of that analog sound section.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!
Evan
Looking forward to hopefully solving my missing jump sound on the DK Jr with this thing. Time to get out the schematics and try to make sense of that analog sound section.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!
Evan
wxforecaster
Member
WOW!!! This thing paid for itself in the first five minutes! Found that one of the legs on C22 had broken lose from the board and that it was in the analog sound section. Soldered it back in and DK Jr jump sound works!
OP
OP
KenLayton
In Memoriam
You see, I toldjya! An ESR meter is worth every penny. I bet you're now saying, "How did I ever get along with this?"
By the way, where is that jewelry place located?
Last edited:
