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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you may be swept off to." Bilbo Baggins ...
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.
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