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    #1

    Is ESR meter worth buying

    Hi,
    I am thinking about buying an ESR meter.
    E.g. this one
    http://translate.googleusercontent.c...ZJH_d73wJUPWhg

    Do you think it is worth buying it?
    I read it can test capacitors without removing from PCB.Is it true?
    Thanks for help.
    J.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

    Its maker is present on these forums as user RusMike

    If you do a Search - Advanced for that user, you will find a thread with much favourable feedback
    better to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

      Yes, you can read capacitors without removing them
      The ESR meters by Bob Parker (also a member of this site) can do this aswell (but no capacitance test on those)

      However keep in mind of you are reading a bank of capacitors and get a good reading it is possible that only one of the capacitors in the bank is still ok, the others could have failed...
      "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it."

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

        By "bank" do you mean that they are in parallel?

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

          Yes
          "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it."

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

            I asked about the esrmicro a little while ago
            https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=10246

            For the price its a good piece of kit

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

              Originally posted by Jane View Post
              Hi,
              I am thinking about buying an ESR meter.
              E.g. this one
              http://translate.googleusercontent.c...ZJH_d73wJUPWhg

              Do you think it is worth buying it?
              I read it can test capacitors without removing from PCB.Is it true?
              Thanks for help.
              J.
              Yup, that's one of 3 or 4 good ones around.

              What Hansson said is spot on.
              You can only test in circuit if no other caps are in parallel with the one you are testing.

              That "test capacitors without removing from PCB" claim is more applicable to non-motherboard PCBs. [ESR meters were originally used for things like caps in CRT TV sets.] Thiat is because motherboards often have some caps on the right side of the board in parallel with some caps on the left side. [For lack of a better way to say it.] That's because the main power rails [+3.3v, +5v and +12v] run all over the board and rather than put all the caps for those distributions in one place they spread them around the board.

              That doesn't make the ESR meter any less usefull in testing motherboards because without one you can't really test caps at all.

              .
              Mann-Made Global Warming.
              - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
              -
              Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
              - Dr Seuss
              -
              You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
              -

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                Does anybody know what the price is for that ESR that Jane referenced above (first post)? I want to get one asap but dont have a lot to put towards one. That site was a russian site.
                The strong-minded rise to the challenge of their goals,the weak-minded BECOME HATERS

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                  I just visited a site on building your own ESR tester that uses your multi meter for readout. The parts are rather easy to come by (for me at least). Did anyone here ever attempt this?


                  http://www.qsl.net/iz7ath/web/02_bre..._esr/index.htm
                  The strong-minded rise to the challenge of their goals,the weak-minded BECOME HATERS

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                    Originally posted by Dgtech View Post
                    Does anybody know what the price is for that ESR that Jane referenced above (first post)? I want to get one asap but dont have a lot to put towards one. That site was a russian site.
                    http://www.prc68.com/P/Prod.html#ESR
                    You may find it cheaper with google.
                    Mann-Made Global Warming.
                    - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
                    -
                    Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
                    - Dr Seuss
                    -
                    You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                    -

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                      Originally posted by Dgtech View Post
                      I just visited a site on building your own ESR tester that uses your multi meter for readout. The parts are rather easy to come by (for me at least). Did anyone here ever attempt this?


                      http://www.qsl.net/iz7ath/web/02_bre..._esr/index.htm
                      The analog types are more for checking ESR on GP [General Purpose] caps which comes up in things like TV sets.
                      Those often have ESR in the range of 1 to 20 ohms when good.
                      For checking mobo/PSU caps you need the meter to read down to .01 and to be able to see the difference between .01 ohm and .05 ohm [or whatever] on the meter.
                      Simply can't SEE that small a difference on an analog meter.

                      If you built an analog ESR meter from scratch with very tight tolerance parts and with a very low ohm range that might work.

                      .
                      Mann-Made Global Warming.
                      - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
                      -
                      Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
                      - Dr Seuss
                      -
                      You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                      -

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                        I've just built one on stripboard following plans online. I would give a link - but it no longer works! - good job I got a hard copy to work from. It was based on other peoples' works anyway. I had to cut the board in two to fit around the meter in the case (which is 60mm x100mm x 25mm, as the meter is quite deep. Not too big and bulky, and has a flap for the PP3 in the back.

                        You're right about not being too accurate for low ESR's ; Works fine for seriously dead caps at the moment and I'm still tweaking components to increase sensitivity. If I get it finalised I'll post the project as a make including a real PCB layout and parts list that works.

                        I'm no expert by any means - so there may be a few revisions !

                        I do like the LED it has - as it is on most of the time (so I remember to turn it off) but goes out under dead short condition.

                        Deffinately worthwhile making one.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                          Originally posted by Dgtech View Post
                          Does anybody know what the price is for that ESR that Jane referenced above (first post)? I want to get one asap but dont have a lot to put towards one. That site was a russian site.
                          http://www.radiodevices.info/zakaz_e.php
                          Here is the english order site, 75USD for the esr micro 4.0

                          There is also some american resellers i think as noted.

                          Actually ordered myself one of these a week or so ago, so i hope it arrives soon
                          Last edited by digge; 08-18-2010, 07:24 AM.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                            I used my blue esr to fix a Dell lcd today. Found a bad cap on the board I probably never would have found without the meter. Since I figure the lcd is worth 40 or 50 bucks, that's half the $90 right there. It's also great for finding low resistance in connections.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                              Originally posted by Dgtech View Post
                              I just visited a site on building your own ESR tester that uses your multi meter for readout. The parts are rather easy to come by (for me at least). Did anyone here ever attempt this?


                              http://www.qsl.net/iz7ath/web/02_bre..._esr/index.htm
                              This ESR meter measures the ESR only to 0,5 ohm.
                              If you want to make a simple and efficient ESR meter ,you can try this repeated many project.
                              Value of the measured ESR 0,03-0,05 ohms.
                              This circuit and board for SMD.
                              http://www.members.shaw.ca/swstuff/esrmeter.html
                              http://elektroniikanrakentelu.blogsp...r-mittari.html
                              http://elektroniikkaabytane.blogspot...-valmiina.html

                              Comment

                                #16
                                Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                                I recently purchased and assembled the Blue ESR meter. When caps are off the board, I believe that I am getting readings that are correct. Most good low esr caps are reading .00 to .02 and bad caps are reading much, much higher - (most in the .1 to 50 range)

                                Here's my question. I thought that I read somewhere that you can test bad caps without removing them from a motherboard. I haven't had any luck with this. They always read as low as a good one unless I actually remove them from the board. Is my meter the problem, am I doing something wrong, or did I read wrong about testing them on the board? I've tried testing about 50 visibly defective caps on a motherboard and I always get the low readings.


                                Comment

                                  #17
                                  Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                                  Originally posted by pagerman View Post
                                  Here's my question. I thought that I read somewhere that you can test bad caps without removing them from a motherboard. I haven't had any luck with this. They always read as low as a good one unless I actually remove them from the board. Is my meter the problem, am I doing something wrong, or did I read wrong about testing them on the board? I've tried testing about 50 visibly defective caps on a motherboard and I always get the low readings.
                                  See this youtube video "in circuit" re ESR testing

                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZMQWa0b1xY

                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iTR-iCn0hY

                                  PS. Please don't use inline images. They slow the loading of pages. Use the manage attachment function so that pics are loaded onto this forum.
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                                  If you are new to this forum, we can help a lot more if you please post clear focused pictures (max resolution 2000x2000 and 2MB) of your boards using the manage attachments button so they are hosted here. Information and picture clarity compositions should look like this post.

                                  We respectfully ask that you make some time and effort to read some of the guides available for basic troubleshooting. After you have read through them, then ask clarification questions or report your findings.

                                  Please do not post inline and offsite as they slow down the loading of pages.

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                                  Comment

                                    #18
                                    Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                                    That's a good meter but you can't measure caps in parallel in circuit and have the reading mean anything.
                                    .
                                    Mann-Made Global Warming.
                                    - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
                                    -
                                    Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
                                    - Dr Seuss
                                    -
                                    You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                                    -

                                    Comment

                                      #19
                                      Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                                      OK, so I was misinformed or under-informed. Good to know. It's as much as I had already suspected. The meter will show low ESR if there are other good capacitors in the circuit.

                                      The meter is not useless, but is much less valuable than I had first considered. This might help others when considering a meter purchase.

                                      Comment

                                        #20
                                        Re: Is ESR meter worth buying

                                        This applies to ALL test equipment not just an ESR meter. Capacitance and resistance measurements are effected the same way.

                                        When measuring components in parallel you must desolder 1 lead of the suspected component to isolate it from other components in the circuit.
                                        Last edited by Krankshaft; 09-22-2010, 11:27 AM.
                                        Elements of the past and the future combining to make something not quite as good as either.

                                        Comment

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