Yet another ESR meter!

[Bob Parker]

Hi everyone,
Anatek Corp in the USA has just started selling a variation of the Dick Smith ESR meter kit. It's in a nice professional semi-transparent case which has its own battery compartment, and it's got really eye-catching blue displays. The high-quality test leads are soldered to the board and terminate in 4mm in-line jacks so you can swap between probes and clips.
If you're in the USA, you should give this kit serious consideration. See it at http://www.anatekcorp.com/blueesr.htm

[PCBONEZ]

Damn.
I just bought a MK-II yesterday.

[Per Hansson]

Nice, is anything different hardware wise or does it just have a nicer PCB, casing and LED?

[Bob Parker]

Originally Posted by PCBONEZ

Damn.
I just bought a MK-II yesterday.

Don't worry - it's functionally identical to the Mk 2 DSE meter but not as compact.
Hardware-wise, the board's completely different. A few capacitor values have been reduced because they didn't need to be so big, and it's got a lower dropout voltage regulator to squeeze the last bit of energy out of the 9V battery.
In terms of accuracy, the Mk1 and Mk 2 DSE meters and now the Anatek one are all the same. Don't feel you're missing out if you've got an older one!

[davmax]

The new Kit looks great and the minor design tweaks just improve it's utility even more.

[Spacedye69]

Someone build a ringing tester kit!!! I dont want to have to try my hand at circuit board etching.

[starfury1]

really nice....I like it.

Soldering the test leads isn't such a bad idea I think
(as has been discussed)

Quick sqizz at the construction manual (i'll read it later) looks like its got all you need info wise to build

Silk screened overlay should go a long way here in helping put the components in the right place

Didn't notice a full "How it works"...
(refs given to SC and Bobs site anyway if you really need to know)
or an overlay against PCB pattern
(SS overlay negates that really anyway)

Wish them good luck with sales and thanks Bob (good luck too) for the update on the meter.

Now, do I really need a blue one

Cheers

[Bob Parker]

If you've already got an ESR meter, you don't need a blue one!

But if you don't have an ESR meter and you have to fix stuff which has problems with failing electrolytic caps, the blue Anatek meter would be worth seriously considering.

This time I've attached a photo I took of the evaluation unit I built (I think!). The displays don't look quite that bright in real life ... the lighting and camera made them look like that.

Regarding the ringer tester, is that for phones, doorbells, flyback transformers or something else?

[Bob Parker]

I suspected that the photo didn't attach to my post before this one. I really hope it attached OK this time.

[PCBONEZ]

But BLUE is so purdy!

-
I actually have a schematic for a 3 digit version I haven't had time to build and try it out.
- Can't share though. I don't own the copyright.
-
It's not based on Bob's design. There is no firmware chip and like 5x(+) more parts.
-
From what I can tell some one tried to market it as a kit 6,7,8? years ago and it 'died'.
- Didn't market it very well?
- Didn't work?
- Maybe Bob's was just easier and cheaper and no one thought they'd ever need 3 digits.

That project is on the back burner. Too many others are more urgent.

.

[PCBONEZ]

I supposed before I build it I could just get blue LED's instead of red..

[Spacedye69]

Originally Posted by Bob Parker

Regarding the ringer tester, is that for phones, doorbells, flyback transformers or something else?

Sorry, LOPT tester!

I was going to change the case on my MKII(I don't like unscrewing the case to change the batteries, screws are getting worn), but it still won't be that pretty blue!!!!

[Bob Parker]

Originally Posted by PCBONEZ

I supposed before I build it I could just get blue LED's instead of red..

If you went for blue displays, you wouldn't see them through the red plastic window. You could probably find a bit of blue acrylic material for the window without too many problems.

[Bob Parker]

Originally Posted by Spacedye69

Sorry, LOPT tester!

I was going to change the case on my MKII(I don't like unscrewing the case to change the batteries, screws are getting worn), but it still won't be that pretty blue!!!!

There are still a few of the Dick Smith LOPT/FBT tester kits around. I've got about 3 I bought just before they became unavailable. Problem is it's not real cheap to post them outside down-under Australia.

[zeus]

I love my little Blu; it's measuring a 0.27ohm 1watt WW resistor, not bad for a 28 year old resistor.

There was one very small problem with the kit. In order to use those 4 pin headers to install the
two LED displays you had to solder the pin headers to the board and then solder the displays to
the pin headers, not an easy task. Instead, I just soldered the displays to the board, much, much
quicker.

This ESR meter kit is well worth the $79.99

[PCBONEZ]

Congrats!

I'm about completed with my 1st MK-2.

PCB built/tested/working fine but final assembly delayed for some mods and to rectify some el-cheapo issues I don't like with the battery holder provided.
-
No reflection on the meter itself.
It's the kit manufacturer's misgivings that are pissin' me off.

-
I want to do the mod in the assembly manual that lets me burn the batteries down to 5.7v before they need changed. (Or rather the battery low-light activates).
If they've known that since 1998 like the manual says then why didn't they just include the needed transistor and resistor in the kit. Transistor isn't a problem but I haven't found 27k 1% resistors in qty less than 1000 pieces.
[I will set it at 6v for a margin for error. Not the 5.7v suggested.
-
They (kit maker) cheaped-out on the battery holder by providing a 4-cell through hole PCB mount that you are supposed to bend the PCB leads around and and solder to the terminals on a 2-cell solder terminal holder. Now that's annoying. They are just being cheap/stupid/lazy by using the quickest available part from their own cataloge.
They should have sourced holders that are appropriate for the kit.
-
It would not have taken a great deal of reworking to allow the use of 9v batteries. (AAA's leak acid a lot more often than 9v and you have to use 6 AAA's with this particular kit.)
A different arrangement for the display window and shorter stand-offs would add enough clearance.
Add an insulator (sheet of plastic) to the solder side of the PCB with some 2 or 3mm thick washers as stand-offs (from the solder) and some longer screws to prevent the batt from grounding the PCB and it's good to go.
The plastic cover that is discarded from the box-kit provided could easily serve as this insulator panel with some trimming and 4 holes drilled.
Could even hard mount a 9v holder to the back side of the PCB so the batt isn't dangling from wires when it's time to change it. The batt, face-plate, and ckt board would come out of the case as one unit and dropping the battery isn't going to yank wires out. [I may do this mod later on.]
-
I thought the pin mounts for terminal and switch wires was rather stupid. Extra work. Not necessary. The wires can go straight the the PCB and save space right there by all the terminals.
-
I used slightly larger gauge wire than came in the kit and made them a little longer so I can work on the PCB without the front panel getting in the way or having to detach it.
-
I'm considering a mod to use rechargeable batteries where I can just plug it in to charge them up. That would also allow me to use AC power when I'm in the middle of something, the batteries are dead, and I don't have spares handy.


Question for the meter Gurus.
-
The manual suggests putting an inverse parallel pair of 1N5404 or similar high-power diodes across the test lead sockets to prevent damage if I forget to discharge a cap.
-
Aren't diodes in parallel with the CUT going to screw up the meter's accuracy?


.

[kc8adu]

i put 6 aa nimh in mine with a jack to charge them.
and the output of the meter will not forward bias the diodes as it is too low.
however this presents a problem when testing batteries.yes i can spot a sick nimh cell easily with this meter.

[PCBONEZ]

Thanks kc8adu.

That's what I figured for the diodes but I thought I'd ask first to be sure.

That's about what I have in mind for a charger too but I haven't decided between NiMH and Li. Is all pending working out what I'm going to use for a holder and what size batteries I end up needing. They have 9 Volt Lithium Polymer batteries now with 500mAh (and more) capacity but the true full charge volts is only 8.4v. Still, with that many mAh they might last longer.

Maybe a normally closed double throw momentary push button to open the diodes path for checking NiMH batts? - Momentary so a brain fart doesn't leave the switch in the wrong position measuring caps. - Or build the Diodes into the leads with some heat shrink and a jumper and have a different set of leads for batteries.

.

[willawake]

Originally Posted by kc8adu

yes i can spot a sick nimh cell easily with this meter.

more info

[PCBONEZ]

Yeah me too:

More info on checking NiHM with an ESR meter please.

.