Ring Tester Question

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  • Mikeley
    ESR Man
    • Oct 2010
    • 41

    #1

    Ring Tester Question

    I built the Ana Tek Corp Ring tester last evening from their kit. Reasonably confident it's working ok per test instructions etc, but need to build up confidence in it's abilities.

    Working on an Dell E172Fpb, I decided to pull 2 of 4 inverter transformers. Anyone ever ring tested these?

    The secondary on each give me 2 yellow leds. Happy with that!

    The various primaries (there are 3 of them per traffo) are showing no change (2 red flickering leds) or short (no leds illuminated) in the case of one primary of the second of the two traffos... me thinks there is a problem here.

    For kicks, left the other two in circuit and tested with the same results as traffo one. Wondering if there is someone familar with the traffo in this LCD monitor or Ring tester who is willing to comment?

    Mike
  • Krankshaft
    Badcaps Legend
    • Jan 2007
    • 2328
    • USA

    #2
    Re: Ring Tester Question

    Did you wind the inductor coil with the kit?

    If so connect it to the kit and all the green leds should light. If it passes that test the kit is fine.
    Elements of the past and the future combining to make something not quite as good as either.

    Comment

    • Mikeley
      ESR Man
      • Oct 2010
      • 41

      #3
      Re: Ring Tester Question

      Did that test Krankshaft, all the leds light up solid. So, I'm confident the kit is operating as intended. It has a fresh battery too.

      As the kit is not a 'go/no go' instrument, it very much depends on the inductor under test. Some inductors have higher Q than others. I guess I just need to use it for a while to gain experience interpreting test results.

      For my first victim, the primaries of inverter transformers the E172FPb above all seem to be of low or no Q. I was expecting higher Q. Is my Ring tester just spot on that this particular board has 4 short/open traffos? Looking to benefit from others experience using the Blue Ring Tester!

      I should say that I am waiting on transistors, as two NPN's were shorted out, and decided to take out the transformers as this particular board had the plague... dryjoints! Several other components on the inverter side of the board also had poor solder joints. So I am not too surprised that the traffos may be sacked!

      Thanks for the feedback!

      Mike

      Comment

      • Krankshaft
        Badcaps Legend
        • Jan 2007
        • 2328
        • USA

        #4
        Re: Ring Tester Question

        The results are usually comparative with inverter transformers if they have a similar reading across the transformers then they're good.

        The secondary is the part that fails most of the time due to the many hair thin windings.

        To get more of a reaction from the meter try measuring the primaries in circuit and see what happens.
        Last edited by Krankshaft; 10-15-2010, 09:28 AM.
        Elements of the past and the future combining to make something not quite as good as either.

        Comment

        • Mikeley
          ESR Man
          • Oct 2010
          • 41

          #5
          Re: Ring Tester Question

          Ok thanks!

          Comment

          • Ron K
            Member
            • Sep 2010
            • 17

            #6
            Re: Ring Tester Question

            Dear help,
            I just got a new assembled blue ring tester and would like to change the clips to probes, but I would like to shorten the wires, would that affect the test results?
            thanks
            ron

            Comment

            • Jack Crow
              It's a CLASOB!
              • May 2008
              • 823
              • USA

              #7
              Re: Ring Tester Question

              All,
              Ok guys you got me beat on this one.

              Just what is a ring tester? Sounds like something I could have used a few jobs ago.

              Back in the day...

              Some of the mechanics came to me with a military generator 'stator' assembly.

              The 'dc' checks were all in spec, but one of the three phases was near the lower limit.

              Confirmed their DC readings then made up a new test.
              I resonated the coils in the stator.
              Two came up on the same frequency, and the third was in a different frequency.
              That told me one winding was toast and the unit needed to be re wound.

              Gather your ring tester sends a pulse into a coil and looks for response.
              Reaction might have to do with the frequency of the pulse (rise time) loading and the expected frequency of the transformer under test. If memory is any good most switchers are in the 50 to 100khz range. Makes sense your not seeing much of a ring out of it.

              Teach me something new and share a thought. Also if there is a link to the kit, I would like a chance to read it.

              Be well all.
              Jack Crow in Virginia.
              "You are, what you do, when it counts"
              The Masso

              "Gravity, the quickest way down"
              Mayor John Almafi

              "You ever drop an egg, and on the floor you see it break?
              You go and get a mop so you can clean up your mistake.
              But did you ever stop to ponder why we know it's true?
              If you drop a broken egg you will not get an egg that's new?"

              MC Hawking

              Comment

              • cmj21973
                Badcaps Veteran
                • Feb 2010
                • 267
                • USA

                #8
                Re: Ring Tester Question

                Here's the BLUE Ring PDF.
                Attached Files

                Comment

                • Mikeley
                  ESR Man
                  • Oct 2010
                  • 41

                  #9
                  Re: Ring Tester Question

                  Ron K

                  I've swapped the clips for an old set of multimeter probes. I kept the wires about the same length, but shorter would be fine also. Seemed to make no difference in my case.
                  I have been using it away for a few months now with 100% success.


                  ML

                  Comment

                  • Jack Crow
                    It's a CLASOB!
                    • May 2008
                    • 823
                    • USA

                    #10
                    Re: Ring Tester Question

                    M,
                    Thanks for that write up.
                    Now have a clue.

                    Someplace in the storage unit I have an old Boonton Q meter. Learned to use one when making parts for AM Stereo exciters back in the 80's. When I saw one on Ebay, it was too good a thing not to grab.

                    So this is the 'quick' edition of the old Q meter.
                    Thanks much
                    Jack Crow
                    "You are, what you do, when it counts"
                    The Masso

                    "Gravity, the quickest way down"
                    Mayor John Almafi

                    "You ever drop an egg, and on the floor you see it break?
                    You go and get a mop so you can clean up your mistake.
                    But did you ever stop to ponder why we know it's true?
                    If you drop a broken egg you will not get an egg that's new?"

                    MC Hawking

                    Comment

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