"Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

[LDSisHere]

Although I really like and find my "Blue" ESR tester useful, I was never very happy with the lead setup it came with. I am not saying they will not do the job intended but I wanted something different. One of the reasons I chose the "Blue" ESR tester was because I could get it in a kit and assemble it myself, this also meant I could easily repair or modify it as needed.

I decided to use it stock for a while so I could weigh my options, see what others have done to theirs and get an idea of what would work best for my needs. A few months ago I picked up a Fluke TL-81A test lead kit to use with my multimeters. I decided I liked the variety of probe ends that it came with and wanted to adapt my "Blue" ESR tester to work with them. I had a spare set of silicon leads that would work with this kit so I decided using them would be the most simplistic way to make it all work. I did not like the idea of cutting up a good set of leads but they were extras and I had a good use for the other end of the leads also so they are not being wasted. I was actually able to solve two problems at once.

Anyway I thought I would share this in the hopes it may help out other "Blue" ESR owners. I did find some other lead ideas over on EEVBLOG forum if this one is not to your taste.

[Kiriakos GR]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

Your intro does not say much about real word measurements.

If you was needing a way to feel good about the upgrade, you should at list measure the probes & cables inner resistance, so to use the ones with the lowest.

Yes in that box the tweezers with four wires will not benefit it at all.
And so it does not worth going that way.

[tom66]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

It's not necessary to use the lowest resistance leads, besides, you're not going to get below 0.1 ohm even with good probes. The meter has a zeroing function so it's irrelevant. One useful characteristic though would be repeatability -- the probes must give the same result every time.

[LDSisHere]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

I normally use the tips in the second picture, the rest of the pictures were to demonstrate the versatility if needed. These leads with the tips in the second picture give a reading of 0.08 ohms which is lower than what I got with the original, more consistent and no "bounce". It is the consistency that I like, I feel my readings are more reliable now as twisting/moving the leads will not change the reading like it would with the original leads.

Like Tom66 says zeroing the meter when you start makes the lead resistance relatively irrelevant within reason.

The most important thing about this mod is that the only person it really matters too is completely satisfied with the results.

[Longbow]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

Other than installing a good set of needle probes I don't think there is anything that will 'improve' operation. Sure the caps that come in the kit are not low ESR switching mode caps. But then the meter does not have a switch mode power supply and you are dealing with a very small space.

[LDSisHere]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

Other than installing a good set of needle probes I don't think there is anything that will 'improve' operation. Sure the caps that come in the kit are not low ESR switching mode caps. But then the meter does not have a switch mode power supply and you are dealing with a very small space.

Actually, since I did not buy the optional stand for this meter I would like to make a "kick-stand" for it, if I could. I am sure I could make something out of cardboard but I would like to come up with a more elegant, permanent solution.

[MDOC]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

Although I really like and find my "Blue" ESR tester useful, I was never very happy with the lead setup it came with. I am not saying they will not do the job intended but I wanted something different. One of the reasons I chose the "Blue" ESR tester was because I could get it in a kit and assemble it myself, this also meant I could easily repair or modify it as needed.

I decided to use it stock for a while so I could weigh my options, see what others have done to theirs and get an idea of what would work best for my needs. A few months ago I picked up a Fluke TL-81A test lead kit to use with my multimeters. I decided I liked the variety of probe ends that it came with and wanted to adapt my "Blue" ESR tester to work with them. I had a spare set of silicon leads that would work with this kit so I decided using them would be the most simplistic way to make it all work. I did not like the idea of cutting up a good set of leads but they were extras and I had a good use for the other end of the leads also so they are not being wasted. I was actually able to solve two problems at once.

Anyway I thought I would share this in the hopes it may help out other "Blue" ESR owners. I did find some other lead ideas over on EEVBLOG forum if this one is not to your taste.

Yes, that's a nice "upgrade", if it can be called that. I have a similar wiring setup--I implemented it while building the meter. The leads are wired to a set of open banana plugs (yours are closed). My leads are similar to your number 2 of 5 pictures.

Such a configuration is required for all types of probe connectivity.

I agree with Tom66's comment, too.

[MDOC]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

Actually, since I did not buy the optional stand for this meter I would like to make a "kick-stand" for it, if I could. I am sure I could make something out of cardboard but I would like to come up with a more elegant, permanent solution.

You could, but I'd prefer fabricating a thin plate metalwork with a kick stand built in, so the whole piece can be screwed onto the back, maybe into the same holes used to fasten the two halves together.

Or--don't use screws, use glue backing or even velcro backing.

[LDSisHere]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

You could, but I'd prefer fabricating a thin plate metalwork with a kick stand built in, so the whole piece can be screwed onto the back, maybe into the same holes used to fasten the two halves together.

Or--don't use screws, use glue backing or even velcro backing.

Your suggestion(s) have given me some ideas I had not considered before, now I will just have to kick them around for awhile and see what I can come up with. Thanks!

[MDOC]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

You're welcome. My vote is the velcro method. And there might be something similar to what you're looking for that's designed to be added to a Fluke meter, if I recall correctly. But you can use whatever method fits your thinking.

[MDOC]

Re: "Blue" ESR tester lead upgrade

Actually, I may be wrong about the availability or feasibility of the Fluke stands for your ESR, but here's something better in that it's actually made for the Blue meter:

http://www.lynx-india.com/index.php?productID=17492

It's not appealing to me, personally, but it should work just as well as what I would prefer.