Bob Parker ESR Meters

[Spacedye69]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

I just ordered one. They gave an option for international post, so what the hell.

[tazwegion]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

ROTFLMAO Great going guys... Badcaps.net forum members clean out DSE stock!

Nice pic's starfury1, I think I just may need to refer to them soon!

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

no worries...hope all goes well for those that ordered them.

If anyone need more photos or any help PM me, I will be glad to help if I can.

I did search Silicon Chip for any errata but there appears to be none.

Bob parkers website HERE again for peoples reference.

Kit PDF is also there under "Kit Notes"

Just take your time with it and check your work as you go along and it should be fine.

I did it over 2, 3 days. Build a bit check it

I did check all resistors thought with a meter...before placing them in the pcb
colour code on any 1...2% 1/4 W resistors can be a pain to read a lot of the time.

Cheers all

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Humm a quick look at the meter comparison at Anatek reveled this....

Not sure if its in ref to MKI or MKII Kit maybe both

Anatek experienced degradation in the components supplied with this meter and stopped carrying it in March 2005.

They were not specific as to what this "degradation in the components" was?
(apart from "Good, quality of components has degraded recently")

Still at $80 AU it might be something to winge about at $25 AU guess not

Anatek Comparison of ESR Meters HERE

Suppose the short answer is replace any parts you consider are lower quality with a better spec device.
If you think it really needs it.


I didn't see this info till now or other wise I would have posted it along with the original post on the $25 deal

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Hi All

Well was In DS and there was 1 of the Older
MKI EA original production
kits left so you guess it just could help myself.

So here a few pictures of what you get
and some pcb close ups with no componets on it (YET)

Again this does not have a silk screen over lay so you will have
to be careful and double check what you put where.

Think the Original design was 1996 if the PCB code is anything to go by.

This Kit was Described in our well regarded but now sadly gone
ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA
which dates back to about the 30's if memory serves me.
It went though a few names in its day...sadly missed

The MKII Kit was redesigned some what and appeared in our only
surviving hobby electronics magazine
SILICON CHIP
In 2004. over 2 issues
(I think March April)

At this point it appears these kits may well be no longer be available.
(seems due to lack of interest, not being a big seller)

So your only hope maybe to buy the EVB production version now.

(There are of course other types and brands of ESR meters out there)
(this just happened to be about the cheapest Digital type available)

I Dont know if Bob supplies the programmed chips
or if the PCB/ front panel overlay is available
from a well known kit PCB supplier in Sydney
RCS

PLEASE NOTE: MKI EA VERSION

[Spacedye69]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

I just got mine today! WOOT! Lots of little parts. I will show some assembly picks when I build it.

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Hi spacedye69
Please do post some photos of construction.
Was yours a MKII ?
didn't seem to take to long to get there...thats good

Think Per was the other person that said he ordered one...
let us know how you go too Per.

Cheers

[Spacedye69]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

MKII. I got an email saying it shipped 2-2-07. Excellent Service.

[Per Hansson]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Think Per was the other person that said he ordered one...
let us know how you go too Per.

Cheers

It was shipped the 6:th

So it'll probably be arriving any day now...

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Thanks Guys for the update

BTW with the MKII I build I had to put the 220 uF cap on the back of the PCB
Next To the two 1N4004's
Pads were there but no holes in the pcb I got.

Haven't started construction of MKI yet but will soon

Cheers

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Hi all ok

Finished building the ESR Meter MKI EA Version So here are a few photos of the construction.

If you are building the Silicon Chip MKII Version see the photos of in my post way above.

Yes I made a few Boo Boo's so make sure you check your work...

It all working fine now

I highly recommend you have a Mag glass and or Jewelers loupe

First off I checked I had everything

DS forgot 1 resistor....(good thing I had one)

Then gave the PCB a good going over to make sure of no dags or broken tracks.

if you are not sure of a resistors value measure them

I next mounted Resistors (id start with the 1% ones) Diodes Sockets Transistors/Reg Capacitors LED's
IC's are left till last and thats after testing for +5V DC on correct pins of sockets.

These can be damaged by static so so take usual precautions with CMOS.

Check you work as you go along,
it really is very easy to make a mistake or create a solder bridge.
(why I scanned the PCB above, for reference)

A photo of both version is below too.

As the CMOS Cook Book says ...

Blame Your Self First and the IC's Last!

Good luck


Bob Parker's Design

Electronics Australia Version
ESR\Low Ohms Meter MKI

[willawake]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

how did you calibrate it?

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Hi Willawake, All

It came with 2 resistors
(1% think they are suppose to be)
5R6 and 82R
You adjust VR2 from memory
(Bit of a procedure to it)

BTW the above method of placing components leads is NOT the Accepted correct method

They should be flush (flat) to the PCB pad and yeah there would be technical reasons as to why.

Since I am the only idiot ever going to fix this and its mine I did it that way for 2 reasons.

Easier and less chance of PCB damaged if I have to remove a component.
Less chance of solder bridges.

Thats my excuse

cheers

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Further to willawakes.... question here the info from the manual.

Please also note:
The typical ESR values are different on each meter for value of capacitance, reflecting improve technology in making them from the blurb on the MKII manual.

So Testing and Calibration....this is much the same (if not exactly) for the MKII version.

For Calibrating, Battery low a DC PSU Variable would be ideal but if you haven't got one there are ways to do it without have to buy one.

Cheers all

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

There is a pole running on Bob's web site about the possible demise of the Kit from DS

Apparently Dick Smith Electronics have stopped making ESR meter kits
(some are still in stock).
I need to know if people prefer a kit meter or a fully-built one,
to know how we're going to fill future demand for them.
Please take the time to vote in my little poll. Thanks!

(scroll down a bit if you don't see it)

So please go "Vote your preference on this matter Bob's site Here

I don't know of anything cheaper then the Kit for a Digital one
but could be wrong too.

For those who don't have a Variable DC supply
Here's Bob's page on how to do it


Cheers all

[willawake]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

well i think they should offer both. bob should go into business himself for this product.

[Spacedye69]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

I am now an owner of a WORKING ESR meter! WOOHOO!

I started by making sure all the parts were there, and they were. I checked the board for bad/ missing traces, bridges, etc. I then began to install components, starting with the resistors. I found it easier to keep track by installing values that had multiples, then worked my way down to singles. I did the same for transistors

When all the components were on the board, I just followed the testing procedures spelled out in the instructions. To my amazement, everything worked the first time!

Calibration with the supplied resistors and instructions was fairly straight forward. This was the first device I have assembled from a kit, so I was pleased overall.

[starfury1]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Congratulation's mate

WOW you got a silkscreened overlay should have make construction much easier for you so I am glad especially since this was your first kit I think you said.

Yours might well have been an early production run since it appears to be 1 or 2% resistors

The overlay on the PCB should help others who like me weren't lucky enough to get one.

Cheers Mate, may it serve you well and save you lots of time

[Per Hansson]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Got mine yesterday, will assemble it in the weekend and post pics, mine too had a silkscreen...

[gdement]

Re: EVB ESR Meter (Bob Parker Design)

Congratulation's mate

WOW you got a silkscreened overlay should have make construction much easier for you so I am glad especially since this was your first kit I think you said.

The silkscreened overlay was one of the changes for the Mk2 version. If I understand correctly, you got the Mk1 so that wouldn't have had the silkscreen.

====

Mine arrived a couple days ago and is now working. I spent a crazy amount of time trying to debug something that wasn't broken - the startup diagnostic just isn't as easy to use as the directions make it sound. I thought it was frozen at the "-" but it really wasn't. I also had problems with the meter turning off when I tried to zero it.

My current problem is the probes. I figured out that the meter is working fine when I put pieces of wire or resistors directly into the banana plugs, but the probes produce wildly unstable readings making the meter unusable.

I've decided to solder them directly to the board, but I'm trying to figure out how best to provide strain relief. I don't want the probes to get yanked off the PCB.