LCR and Transistor Tester Comparison

[@RicardoPenders]

Thank you so much for this video, finally you showed me that the large capacitor bank can be measured and you made my choice much easier, I'll go for the DROK meter. Best regards, Ricardo Penders

[@KissAnalog]

Ricardo Penders Glad to help;) Thanks Ricardo!

[@PeterMilanovski]

I recently purchased the MESR100 from eBay, it's only for capacitors but it's able to test in circuit for ESR, I have seen many other KZbinrs using it and it saves a lot of time when trouble shooting... As for testing capacitors out of circuit, I charge them to their rated voltage in series with an analog micro current meter to test for leakage. Mr Carlson's Lab channel has a very good capacitor tester which he designed and built himself and is also available to his patreons... I still think that charging the capacitor to it's rated voltage and checking for leakage with a meter is actually the best way to do it, I have seen Mr Carlson's Lab test capacitors on an old vacuum tube capacitor tester where he can ramp up the voltage in steps and you find that at lower voltages, the capacitor shows up okay but as you ramp up the voltage it begins to leak. While these capacitor testers that you have reviewed here are great, their method of testing kinda let's them down... Just think about it for a moment, what's the actual job of the capacitor? One job is to pass Ac and block DC, if it's leaky... Then it's passing on DC current to somewhere it shouldn't be and if you understand output transformers in vacation tube amplification, you will know that the fact that the output transformer has both Ac and DC across it, it saturates very quickly and gets hot at higher power levels, that's why they use massive output transformers on vacuum tube amplification... So basically the less DC a capacitor leaks at rated voltage, the better the capacitor is... As for capacitors in the power supply, they need to be able to store the pulsed voltages coming from the rectifier, now in this scenario, if the capacitor is leaking DC, the leakage forms a circuit with the transformer and it's bridge rectifier, apart from the main circuit that it's meant to be powering... This invisible circuit that has been created by a bad leaky capacitor is adding DC current to an Ac circuit and the transformer doesn't like it because it makes it get hot. The iron core is saturated far to early because of the battle of the currents that's going on, you decide that,,,,, hey that's a great song! So you turn up the volume and the magic smoke escaped... The question is! Is the ESR of those capacitors that you tested still going to be low at rated voltage? Melbourne Board Of Works back (I believe but don't quote me) in the 50's or 60's worked out that the fact that electricians were using the old galvanized steel water pipes as the return neutral through earth, the problem was that this was also the path for DC which some transformer less TV's were creating an sending down the pipes causing a galvanic reaction and rusting our new pipes in months, and the DC current was only in miliamps! Superimposed on top of the Ac... So basically the lesson here is that it only takes the tiniest bit of DC current on top of Ac and you begin to have problems! Choose your capacitors wisely! Apologies in advance for the lengthy post, there's much more to it for such a simple thing that most people don't realize and you really have to understand it's function fully to understand what it's not supposed to be doing..

[@KissAnalog]

Peter Milanovski Thank you Peter for this very useful feedback! You make some great points! Some capacitor types change their capacitance with DC voltage applied, and with frequency and temperature. This could make a nice video all by itself! Please never worry about writing too much! I know there are plenty that love it and that’s why we are here anyway - to share our knowledge and learn and feed our minds:)

[@PeterMilanovski]

@@KissAnalog There's two types of test equipment that should be on every bench and they were invented a very long time ago! The first one is the old capacitor testers that were able to apply rated voltage to test for leakage and the other one is the humble signal tracer with both audio and RF probes. You can repair almost anything non digital with just those two and a multimeter... The Signal tracer is such a simple but amazing tool, you can hear what a resistor is doing in circuit with the RF probe.. Imagine that! Being able to hear where the problem is while it's working, that would save you hours if not days trying to find that intermittent problem.... I saw Mr Carlson demonstrate how you can hear a bad resistor arching inside with a signal tracer! Sure you could have found it with an oscilloscope, but you would have to be purposefully looking for it because the noise from the resistor would be difficult to see on the screen, but hearing the noise is totally different, you instantly recognize that what you just heard just shouldn't be there! In the old days if you had a bad transistor, you pulled out a tube and replace it, try replacing a GanFET lol.. You would think that we would have come to an age where electronic devices are so well built and protected that it would be impossible to destroy it, even if you deliberately shorted it's outputs! But yet we insist on making rubbish that's programmed to die and end up in a landfill... Even vacuum tubes could have been recycled if recycling was a thing back then! LoL... We! As a human race still haven't learned from all the viruses that have come and gone and yet we have people who just don't get it, oh! But I have to go and do my hair, what part of BUT YOU COULD DIE don't you understand? Are you seriously going to go to do your hair if we were invaded by another country who is at war with us? Same thing! I personally think that the best thing that a government could have done is actually what they do best! Just lie, just invent a new name for a virus that doesn't exist and make it sound horrific and the only safe place is at home! Hollywood should be able to make something look real, skin melting off with zombies walking around! Get the military to walk the streets firing off a few shots in the air with helicopters flying over for some real effects and you will see how people will stay the F#yck at home.... Well I drifted into another topic altogether LoL, sign of the times I guess. Stay safe and keep those great videos coming, with all that's going on, the rest of the world is running out of videos to watch! LoL..

[@KissAnalog]

LOL you guessed it - look what’s happening;) eeks! But seriously, some of the art is being lost at a rapid scary pace - maybe we can make a difference on KZbin? I am amazed at people around the world that respond to my videos. It is humbling;)

[@PeterMilanovski]

@@KissAnalog I have been watching a lot of videos from the periscope film channel, there's a lot of great videos that were made by the US defense department that do an amazing job at teaching. There's a lot of videos on the Electronics topic though a lot of it is regarding vacuum tubes, but understanding vacuum tube circuits makes it easier to understand solid state circuits. If only school taught like this LoL you would have to chase me away from school with an army! Had I known that the defence force was like this, I would have left school and joined a long time ago... I kinda get the feeling that a lot of the people whom I follow on KZbin have at some time or another had defence force training judging by their knowledge, but no one ever talks about it. Knowing about a person's passed helps in knowing where to look for further knowledge and forms a sort of connection between the host and their viewership. The beauty of platforms like KZbin is that the viewers can ask questions, unlike TV which is completely one way! Regarding the current crisis, we have fared well down under in Australia with just over 90 deaths where over in the US it's looking like a slaughter house! I kinda get the feeling that people in the United States have very little trust in their government, whereas here in Australia the people have somewhat trust in our government. For the most part, our government has been advising and the the people have been watching and listening, after all, they were put there by the people, for the people. If they don't do whatever they can to provide protection for us, they won't have job. My kids thought that this was the first time in human history that we have had a virus, I don't know what they teach them in schools now days, hell I don't remember ever being taught that in school either! You would think that something that has the ability to end human civilization would be taken seriously enough to be taught to everyone in school! For all that we know, it could have been a virus that killed off the dinosaurs? Or that human civilization that existed before our one, the one that built all those megalithic structures that we still can't figure out how they did it and we still don't have the equipment and skill to lift such large stones and machine them. We have a long way to go! Our current understanding of our technology has brought us to a point where things just don't make sense anymore. Try understanding quantum mechanics! I'm a firm believer that if it's not making sense, then something is wrong and we need to go back to the drawing board... There's always a different way to look at things, I could show you a different way to look at electricity and while it won't change much of what you have understood about it to date, but you would see things from an angle that you have never been taught to look at it from, and suddenly everything will make so much more sense to the point that you will be able to see where we went wrong and where we are going wrong and the potential that has been made available with what you now know, the future is limitless! It's possible that it's the greatest discovery of our time, but who's going to want to listen to little old me? I have no schooling worthy of any mention, the people who have achieved their PhD's don't want all their schooling going to waste because of some uneducated nobody that didn't bother to learn what everyone else was taught, I can only say this, people just accept what once was and never bothered to question if whether what once was is in fact true and correct? Back then, they had the difficult task of describing something that has never existed before! Today though, it's easy for us to look back at the beginning and understand what they were witnessing, but what if we were to put ourselves in their shoes and try to look at it from a different angle? What would we see? What have we missed all these years? We have missed something but no one is interested because people are getting paid to invent new things that are difficult to understand or be questioned thus enabling them to continue working an earning money for something that cannot be solved. That's unfortunately where humanity is at the moment, history teaches us that educated people don't like being toppled by someone else and all those who went against the mainstream had suffered and sometimes paid with their lives. I choose to not be one of them so I guess that my knowledge will most likely go to the grave with me when my time comes... Well, that's the short version believe it or not lol... If anything, I just hope that you enjoyed my yarn which touched on a few topics but those are my feelings and thoughts on things past and present 😊

[@PeterMilanovski]

@Ben Jacks that doesn't mean anything! So what if you got a word spelt wrong? What else are you good at? That's the defining question! You just might be a genius at something else, besides, I bet that they were still able to read what you were trying to say! Things are constantly being misspelled in the papers, how on earth do they survive? You only ever needed school to learn the numbers and basic mathematics, the alphabet and how to read! Everything else can be self taught! 5 years ago I only knew what resistors were at a fundamental level, today without any school I know and understand electronic components at their most fundamental level, I can design circuits although they would have to do with audio because that's where my interests lie, but the journey to now not only included electronics but geology, cosmology, botany and many other topics! It's really amazing when you venture out of your comfort zone and realise that certain rock types can interact with electricity, then you suddenly realised that you never really left your comfort zone. There's one very important lesson that I have learned along my journey, and that is everything is either directly or indirectly related! Absolutely everything on this planet and in space! Everything works in a circuit like electronic devices, nature functions in a circuit! If you look for the circuit, you will find it. A simple example, water evaporates from the sea, is carried over the mountains and released, flows down the river back to the ocean! A complete circuit, and I'm sure that you knew that already! But if you begin to break down the process into parts of the cycle, you begin to realise that the clouds bring electrical discharge to land from somewhere else! The rain water on the mountain creates erosion, essentially flattening out the land and moving nutrition into the ocean... There's so much more that you can derive from that simple circuit. There's plenty more circuits where that one came from! It will amaze you to the point that you have been living on this planet and you were never taught this and yet it exists. The human brain doesn't have a limit to how much it can store, only how it chooses to use what it's gathered...

[@andyj2106]

Good review. You know what would be useful? Find a cap on your bench where you can grab a datasheet that doesn't have ESR stated, measure it with the meter and then show us how you could derive it from the data that the sheet does give. One of the things I found a bit frustrating with the PS design was the phrase "use a low esr capacitor" - even data sheets often say "low esr" without giving the measurement. So, easy to say but I just worked myself in circles trying to calculate it. It would be interesting to see which of these devices get close to the stated/calculated value, within allowed tolerance. I could then add the calculation to my 'calculations' collection spreadsheet.

[@KissAnalog]

Great subject Andrew! This deserves a video all too it’s own - at least one;)

[@RobertTKlaus]

The surface mount pad on the clear case one is often used to solder on micro-grabber test leads, that's what I did with mine. It's wired the same as the socket...

[@KissAnalog]

Robert Klaus Nice tip Robert - thank you!

[@richardnanis]

Thanks for the interesting reveiw. These little component tester come in very handy in many cases, esp. if you want to identify the parts and the pinout. You have to be aware they are not very accurate when it comes to low value inductors or high value capacitors. In general you should assume up to 10% error, in some cases more in others less - but in most cases its a good estimate.

[@KissAnalog]

Great to know! Thanks for the feedback!

[@oliverisailovic]

Dude, thanks for the nice video. I use that little cheapest tester. Very useful in many situations, such as pins identification, matching, quick testing components. I don't even have any box. What needs to be taken into account is the quality and purity of the contacts, especially if low resistance and ESR are measured. Since I have it, I very rarely use my old PeakTech LCR 5105N (without ESR function).

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for the great feedback Oliver! It is a very useful meter for identifying parts quickly;)

[@JAKOB1977]

The Bside also stated something in manual about choosing different frequencies by holding down the button, for a given interval. 22:45 (mid center down = f-gen) but perhaps different models, as some features were reserved. Anyway, I liked the video a lot.. looking at interesting electronic products that come in at a price almost too good to be true. Did purchase that cheap one some years back from eBay auction at around 5USD delivered, but Chinese seller newer shipped it.

[@KissAnalog]

Jakob Thanks Jacob! I need to play with that more. I just bought the other two from Amazon to do this video;)

[@saarike]

Really nice review of those nice inexpensive little testers! I have MK-168 and T7 inexpensive testers and they are just fine for hobbyist and for fault finding. Thanks a lot.👍

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you and thanks for sharing that great information!

[@schorse1000]

You tried to measure the ESR with the wrong function at the CEM. In automatic mode, it can only show the D-factor. To measure ESR, you press the "function" button twice so the display shows "Auto" and "Cp". Then press the "D/Q/ESR" button twice. The lower display will show "RP" or "ESR".

[@KissAnalog]

schorse1000 Thank you schorse1000! I need to work with this meter more;) The CEM meters seem to be very solid!

[@schorse1000]

@@KissAnalog Yeah, it's a nice meter. Btw, the big caps don't like the >1kHz, which is normal. They're not meant to work at high frequencies, so you have to use the 100/120Hz. And for the other testers, somtimes you can push the button to scroll through a menue with more readings. Some of them even have a push/turn button.

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for your help!

[@electrotools8083]

Thank you for your contribution to the community. As a suggestion, I would like for each measurement taken was compare it with a reference LCR and add a table of results. Greetings

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks so much! I actually recently acquired a really nice LCR meter that I can use as a reference. I'll have to compare these to it;) Here's a video that I did on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHXTqIh8r7OhicU

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Thanks, Eddie. I use my DE-5000 and an insulation tester mostly for capacitors and inductors. I do not see much point in testing the ESR of a capacitor without referring to the datasheet and using the same frequency that the manufacturer uses. I also use a humble little VOM with X10K to test P/N junctions. It is a waste of time to test them with meters that do not test them under a load in order to verify that it is good. Sure, the cheap meters will catch most of the bad P/N junctions, but not all of them. And I can, and have, proved it.

[@KissAnalog]

Robert Calk Jr. Thanks Robert for your feedback # always insightful! Actually the esr changes with so many variables that some manufacturers actually provide graphs but often we are lucky to get just one number based on one frequency. Some give it for two frequencies, like a low one 120 Hz and a high one 100 kHz. Ive shown how to use your scope and oscillator to get the impedance across a frequency band. I think this important part needs more videos;)

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

@@KissAnalog Yeah, there are many, many videos about testing capacitors. That's why I have added capacitors to the list of things you do not want to talk about at family get-togethers; religion, politics, and capacitors. LOL!!

[@KissAnalog]

LOL :)

[@Turco949]

Thanks for the review. So far, based on design, other reviews and functions wise, I like the BSide (with clips) the best.

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for your feedback. Please let us know how you like it;)

[@jweinacs]

Thanks for the video on LCRs. I'm looking for an LCR to measure wound toroids accurately. Mostly Ham HF band. Example I wound a toroid to get close to .7 uH for the 14Mhz band (16 turns on a T37-6 toroid, 24 AWG enamel wire). Currently I have a cheapo TC1 multi function testor, it thinks its a .8 ohm resistor! a $300 bench LCR meter would be nice, but I have neither the room or money for such luxury. Thanks again for the reviews!

[@KissAnalog]

I know what you mean Jeff - but these options might make sense, or be worth trying;)

[@pa3eka]

I have the same component tester with diy case And the LCR meter from Peak Electronics the lcr45 I love working wilt the lCR45 because the cable Connector and battery maybe a year old stil working

[@KissAnalog]

Bert van Lelieveld Wow so great power usage. I haven’t had mine as long but I still have the same battery as well.

[@versace885]

Hi Kiss, I wanted to thank you for all the work To give such great information. Thank you for the great video

[@KissAnalog]

I appreciate you're support;)

[@psychomanuk2173]

Hey Kiss, thanks for this and all your videos, keep them coming they're so so useful!

[@KissAnalog]

Garth Rautenbach Thank you Garth! I’m trying to step up the pace but work gets in the way;)

[@luciancucli5319]

First of all congratulation for the channel. Actually if look on big electrolytic capacitors datasheet you will see that the manufacturer measure the capacitance and the tan delta at either 100Hz or 120Hz.

[@KissAnalog]

Lucian Cucli Thank you Lucian!! I think big caps are usually used on mains rectification, so that would make sense. Thanks for that great feedback!

[@musicstevecom2]

Just bought the LCR-T4 Yellow one on Ebay w CASE for about $16. The Bigger display is the reason I brought this one. Is there enough information to tell if a Transistor is Bad? would be nice to see a video for testing components and what to look for to identify bad components? Troubleshooting Component , what the terms mean and range to look for good and bad ones

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for this great feedback! How do you like it?

[@musicstevecom]

@@KissAnalog Really like it, Doing a lot of vintage audio restoring, its nice to know what the transistor is NPN or PNP and w new transistor Always check the BCE pins their not always the same always double check and install it the right way and Quickly ,,,, testing and capacitors. I also solder in test leads to the solder pad for external testing.

[@SKraus-pb1ii]

I would like to thank you very much for your dedication of making such great videos. I can assume how much work it is!

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you so much Kraus!! I very much appreciate this! There have been times I wondered why I do this;) If I’d known the time I would have had to put in when I started - I’m pretty sure I’m not that crazy to have started;)

[@TRONMAGNUM2099]

I have one that looks like the Kuman off Banggood. It hasn't let me down. Mainly for testing start caps. Blows me away how good it is for 15 bucks.

[@KissAnalog]

Good to know! Thank you! I think it is a great value at the low cost;)

[@jeongkim9597]

Hello Thank for you making this Video. For unknown reasons my attention span is only about 10 Minutes. Its actually less than that but im being generous at 10 when engaged. There is so many videos out here I start a video and may skip around or on another video in the side tab when a catchy title/thumb nail appears. Please take this into consideration for future productions. I mean no disrespect when making this comment. Nor in any way trying to offend you or this video. I like your content I just have issues focusing and skip around and may have missed some vital information. Another great thing would be to add a summary of the ratings pros/cons in the video details except no one really does this as it would help the viewer without watching the entire video. It would really be appreciated to the viewer tho.

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for the great feedback! Much appreciated;) I like your idea!

[@SheikhN-bible-syndrome]

So because you have trained your attention span to be short as a hummingbird's you want the world to change to fit your lazy mind and bad habits? Man go be toxic somewhere else

[@friedmule5403]

Hi my friend, sorry for being absence in so long a time, I am back on my chair again and look forward to catch up with all your many new videos!:-) I do really like your cut between the component tests, really invisible and great choice:-)

[@KissAnalog]

Fried Mule Great to have you back - you were missed! Thank you - I learn a lot from you;)

[@friedmule5403]

@@KissAnalog Thank you a lot! I did also miss all your teaching and videos:-)

[@gurpreetsandhu3598]

Thank you sir for share information with us. So plz can you tell me the red tester lead how to put on tester black goes to T1 or not

[@KissAnalog]

Sorry to get back so late. It is hard for me to keep up with comments, so I first try to get to the subscribers, then I work my way through the rest. If you are asking about the little red tester, the labels T1 - T3 on the lead inputs match up with the spring clips T1-T3. Does that make sense?

[@murdockscott]

Very helpful video! I have been trying to save some old music gear from oblivion using my VERY basic skills. I came here looking for information about the M-Tester (Branded Kuman in this video) and it seems like a dream. Having a inexpensive little device that can identify and test a component is super helpful. I was not sure it could handle larger capacitors, but you certainly proved that it can. Thanks again!

[@srtamplification]

Wouldn't the higher frequencies make the higher valued caps look more and more like a short? I think that may be the issue with the CEM.

[@KissAnalog]

Great question. It does suggest in the manual to try series or parallel measurements and frequencies depending on the value of the part - inductor or capacitor.

[@biogons14]

Thanks for the review.Testing the 50pF capacitor with the BSIDE instrument (in minute 23:51) you should disconnect the pluged tweezers; that is the reason for a higher cap value. I would go for the BSIDE model, mainly due to the terminals and the connection clamp, the discharge terminals, the SMD pads, the reading speed and the greater robustness of the casing; although it looks like something out of a 60s science fiction movie...But, it applies a +-5V pulse to read the ESR in the capacitors, and it can not be used in circuit!!!

[@sparky2008sparky]

The connector ‘thingy’ is called a zero insertion force socket fyi

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you!

[@jstro-hobbytech]

Alot of the smaller ones are based on arduino. The mesr-100 is a decent little esr meter. The uni-t ut12 looks alright. Imsai guy just got a keysight one. It's awesome. I'm left to wonder how well the smd pads can couple with the ic or what have you without some sort of compression

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks Joey! I agree - the SMD pads are a bit questionable.

[@dawneandjohn]

You might want to recheck your links. Many Amazon links don't work anymore

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks so much!! I know they changed them awhile back ago;)

[@srtamplification]

Have you used any of the Peak testers?

[@KissAnalog]

No I wanted to, but they don’t seem to offer what I can do with these and are fairly high cost for what they do. Have you tried them? If so, what do you think?

[@bobbauvian7700]

can I ask you a question please, would a hi frequency lcr meter (5 Mhz) be of any use in a pcb repair lab? already have a hp 4263A up to 100KHz.

[@briang.7206]

My favorite capacitor meter is the Uyigao UA6013L. It can read very small picofard values go 20,000 farad. $17.00.

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for the great feedback!

[@SheikhN-bible-syndrome]

Got a link for me? I'd love to get one

[@johnwest7993]

Generic large electrolytics are designed for not much higher freq than 60 Hz, which is why they are often paralleled with low value, (.1 or .01ud) caps to bypass RF to ground. Low ESR switcher caps go to a somewhat higher frequency, but they are still designed for bulk power supply support and their capacitance goes to Hell at RF. I suspect the cheap meters test caps at a very low frequency while the better meter clearly allows for higher freq tests, and even its lowest frequency is above what the generic electrolytics can deal with. I like to test caps with my NanoVNA when I'm working at RF because it quickly characterizes them at the entire range of frequencies of interest and quickly identifies the self-resonant frequency as well.

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for your feedback! I'll have to do a video on bulk caps and the use of HF caps in parallel. There is a lot of misinformation out there;)

[@lucasrocha4329]

Which one is better LCR TC2 or Bside lcr02 pro ?

[@eyes2videos]

Thx for the video! Go for DTU-1701 which is a clone of Beside ESR but cheaper!

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for the information!

[@11orchids]

Excellent information!!

[@KissAnalog]

Debi Hansen I appreciate you!

[@Omega_Mark]

Hi, did you zero the testers before use by shorting the leads together? Adding cables adds resistance and changes the results. Some of these come without cables for a reason. You might get away with adding short cables and zero-ing the tester before use. Do not use long/beafy leads with these small testers.

[@KissAnalog]

You are right, the cables can add something to the test - especially for low value parts.

[@leohobbleohobb3781]

I have the BSIDE esr02 pro.witch i think is best and reliable of those relative cheap tester,s.If you test components in the socket you have to calibrate it.The same if you use test leads or the tweezers.I have bought 2 tc1 component testers.they are crap they dont last both mine broke pretty fast i repaired one but it broke soon after again.The BSIde esr02 pro have lasted and i can use a power adapter with it.If i want to shure i use a DER EE lcr meter DE-5000.I also have a Mastech MS6013 witch was the first i got and show only the cap value and not very acurate

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you for the feedback! How do you like the DER EE? I almost bought one and keep considering it;)

[@leohobbleohobb3781]

@@KissAnalog DER EE ilike the ways you can test capaitors.Can change the hz caps are tested with from 100hz 120 hz 1Khz,10 Khz and 100Khz with a dedicated button.It has many parameters it can show and accurate.+ pc log or on instrument log features.The auto setting works fine for most tests since it allow for change of the test frekvens.and easy to scroll true all parameters it can show on a cap.

[@szekerespista3758]

Can you measure ESR at different frequencies with the BSIDE? Which is the highest frequency? Thanks!

[@antonionigro4899]

hello sorry I would like to know if after almost a year you are still comfortable with the dt-9935?

[@KissAnalog]

Great question! Thank you for asking;) I actually have a new meter that I think I like much better. I'll post a video by the weekend.

[@antonio20592]

@@KissAnalog hi, when will you post the next lcr video with ers? thankyou very much. Antonio

[@peteb2]

After almost 40yrs hobbying and making a career of electronics i finally bought myself a decent (i thought after doing the research) handheld LCR meter for the home workbench. I even sprang for a known named brand so paid north of $300. The unit took weeks to get to me which was kind of weird and out of the box it just did not like powering on for a press of the power button. When it finally did the meter's coloured LCD showed the LiOn batteries were charged ok. 1/2hr later i went to do some real work and dead meter.... It refuses to power on since and is a now a paper weight on account the supplier is closed down due to the current unusual times we're in. Just one of those things i guess... That good thing is i I have 2 nice 18650 batteries you could say cost 300 bucks which are doing great work elsewhere! I guess measuring inductance is gonna have to stay a low priority a bit longer....

[@KissAnalog]

I’m so sorry about your problems just trying to get theater that you spe DC

[@KissAnalog]

Let me know if there’s something that you would like to see;)

[@peteb2]

Andy, apologies to have platformed my disappointment of a purchase gone bad using your channel, (a bit of cabin fever kicking in after 2weeks locked down where i live). I should have added that it would probably have been a better idea to invest in one of the units you presented here. It's for my home workbench as in hobby time where i dabble with all kinds of electronics... I will keep my eye out for an LCR meter locally as well, perhaps an old ex war-time military tester that needs rebuilding.... that would be a great project!

[@KissAnalog]

Not at all - great to share experiences. I always hope for the best but sometimes it doesn’t happen - and I’ll share too. Got to keep vendors honest;)

[@1828fernando]

Great information thank you!!!

[@KissAnalog]

Fernando Lagomarsino You bet! Thanks for your input!

[@upalimadana9057]

Your explanation is great. Thank you

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks so much!

[@upalimadana9057]

@@KissAnalog I would like to know more about you, you are very good teacher about electronics

[@MrCacciLLo]

Does anyone know at which Frequency is Inductance tested with this unit?

[@lihaikatz7546]

If you could write a quick result comparison table between them and the referance it would be a lot of help. but great video!

[@KissAnalog]

That's a fantastic - and seemingly obvious idea;) now that you suggest it. I'll do that - thank you!

[@johncronk1338]

Agreed, I watched your video about 3 times and spent a long time moving back and forth between results of the different meters. You even said you wrote down the value of one of the components, yet at the end of the video you didn't show a comparison chart or graph nor did you make an actual final conclusion on which meter is the best one to get. You appear to have a sizeable collection of test equipment on your bench, I would have expected a comparison of the meters tested vs the real value of each component and how close in tolerance each meter was to actually give a quantifiable conclusion. As of right now, I still do not know which of the 4 meters to get myself. I'm just a hobbyist so I do not have the budget for high end equipment, but I rather not buy anything that doesn't work correctly. So can you post a reply here on which meter is the closest to the real value of the components tested? I specifically want to know if the ESR02Pro is a good purchase choice. BTW, pro tip on your audio. get yourself a audio splitter cable, record one audio track with your good mic, and use a second mic as a secondary input. This means you always have a backup on mic inputs to choose from in case something stops working as your camera will save each mic to a different channel and your video editor will let you select which channel to use as your final audio output will be mono anyways. Hope this helps. But yea, if you could comment on how good each meter is on like a 5 star rating at least or even say the ESR02 is about 80% accurate and the others are 70% etc. Just something definitive that I (all of us watching your video) can use to make a purchase choice. Be a good idea to update the description of your video with your closing thoughts for future viewers. Thank again for your work on this video, just wish you actually gave us a definitive conclusion. Much love from Canada.

[@DJCHUCHO]

very good video. I have a question is there any LCR meter that can measure components on the pcb board without removing them ??

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you! Yes, most can measure some 'in-circuit' components, but some do it better than others. I have a new LCR meter that I will review very soon - before the end of the month;)

[@DJCHUCHO]

@@KissAnalog sounds great what is the model of the new LCR ?

[@brianriggs3585]

Thanks! I was just about to spend too much money

[@KissAnalog]

You bet! Thanks for the feedback!

[@dragosbaciu1620]

Hello Sir.I like your quality of this content.I ask you a question.I use Micro-Cap,an analog/digital circuit simulator.I want to know to create or to add components in this program,for example this photodiode IG17X1000S4I.Thank you very much for understanding!

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks Dragos! I’m glad to hear from you! Check out this video: Micro-Cap Tutorial #4: Adding a new Part to the Library kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWanp5l6Yrd0gJI. I need to do another tutorial on this soon;)

[@Bendgy-FHD]

I brought another model from U.R S.S, model Miron 63V3 and is more mutch precision in measurement prestige.I will recomand Miron 63V34 from Russia !

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for this feedback! It would be really cool to see the Miron, but I searched for it and nothing came up;)

[@Bendgy-FHD]

@@KissAnalog ,In Romania, there are a few people who build something like that, but for now there are two electronic schemes, with a 6F22 battery supply, but also with a Nokia battery, model BL5C, on the side of which the battery can be charged from the mini usb plug. I have the 9 volt version, but I don't know where he stole the microcontroller writing program, because it only measures capacitors in microfarads, frequency up to 50 volts, and coil inductances...

[@pa3eka]

Did you ever tried to measure inductance of a 30K or 68K wire wound resistor in Audio Amps at anode phase shifter I have 30K Resistors Not wire wound What I like to do is some tests with wire wound or normal I guessing that the result is the same

[@KissAnalog]

Bert van Lelieveld No, I haven’t tried measuring the higher Ohm values. That is very interesting Bert!

[@pa3eka]

In a Laboratory I have asked as wel With a 1000 dollar LCR meter not possible to measure I used the one with a metal housing Wich need e cooler

[@KissAnalog]

Bert van Lelieveld I’ve used the expensive ones too but have you used a Z meter by Sencore? I used to find them everywhere.

[@pa3eka]

Kiss Analog no the LCR meter from Peak No inductance , and the component tester from alieexpress No inductance Eddie

[@Livzplayz]

subscribed! you sir is a legend.

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you so much! I appreciate you - and glad to have you on the channel;)

[@alexrodrigues7749]

O meu bside queimou o micro chip atmega 328p uth como recuperar o firmware?

[@abeditani8293]

6:20 . I have same one same as you have . This is not the way to put it together . I don't know how to send you the picture of my'n in this KZbin. Maybe your cover is not same ?

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you. You can email me the pix :)

[@tommyinla]

The Drok is interesting because it seems like an Autobot is checking your component.

[@KissAnalog]

LOL, maybe it is;)

[@northox]

Interesting means it's crap? Is that the proper traduction?

[@KissAnalog]

LOL - I like your insight;) I do think these low cost testers are valuable as many LCR meters are so expensive. Glad to hear from you Danny!

[@northox]

@@KissAnalog I was really wondering what you thought when you got weird results.

[@RicardoCooper]

You should try upgrading the firmware let me know if you need any help

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for the great advice! How do you update the firmware on this one?

[@RicardoCooper]

@@KissAnalog There is a topic on the eevblog discussing these "transistor tester" devices, you will need a usbasp or an Arduino to program the Atmel chip, you have the T4 (yellow) board you can see the firmware update process in this video /watch?v=B9iPQfGv8W0

[@Cako1212]

esr meter drok vs tc1?

[@stevenbliss989]

Hateto tell you, but all those meters need to be self calibrated before use ...it is in the instruction :)

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you!

[@pavelmorozov3087]

Is James Hetfield left Metallica to become a radio amateur? :) Thanks for this comparison...

[@KissAnalog]

No - I he's holding down two jobs! Times are tough;) Thanks for your feedback!

[@nnnvp]

DE-5000 is better for cheap lcr meters

[@KissAnalog]

High-End Service I’ve wanted to buy that one actually;). I’ll have to get one some day - it does look really great!

[@rpdigital17]

I own DE-5004 and can recommend that model, specially if you are starting and need both, multmeter and LCR-meter.

[@fatkorn]

Rock out with your DROK out!

[@KissAnalog]

LOL thanks!

[@karlhayley]

TC1 is a good LCR Meter

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you!

[@saitama9248]

to test bigger capacity we have to lower the frequency. the bigger the capacity the higher the impedance

[@KissAnalog]

Yes that’s correct;) Can’t do high freq with large capacitance but unnecessary too;)

[@stevenbliss989]

These are all the same as kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXPVZH9nd51jpdk&ab_channel=EEVblog The XL4070L / HP-4070L is different, with really crap L, but has 2,000 meg ohm range!

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for the great feedback!

[@ozyprima]

thanks alot eddie . where is the helmet hihihi

[@KissAnalog]

ozy prima LOL Maybe I should wear a different helmet for each video:)

[@ozyprima]

Im finally prefer to use Der EE DE-5000 eddie.but thanks alot for tutorial .

[@KissAnalog]

I gotta get one;)

[@BenderMartinez]

Bravo bravo bravo

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks so much!

[@JustSomeGuyLV]

Showing ESR tester overview WITHOUT showing how it manages to estimate the resistance of capacitors while they are soldered.. that should be a sin lol.

[@KissAnalog]

LOL thanks for your feedback! Here's a more recent LCR video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJCZfICkeZmZZqc

[@mannieleslie9921]

David

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks;)

[@kmargos]

GM328A is better

[@KissAnalog]

That looks like another great device at a low cost - right around $15;) here's a link for anyone interested: amzn.to/2Qp3hgu

[@Bendgy-FHD]

😳🙆🧐🧐🧐🧐😍

[@KissAnalog]

Thank you!

[@pibbles-a-plenty1105]

FOCUS!!! As you can see these are beginner's toys and not suitable for accurate selection or circuit analysis.

[@KissAnalog]

Thanks for your feedback! - I'm sorry - what did you want me to FOCUS on? These are very useful 'toys' they can detect what your part is and what the leads are. If it is a bjt transistor - it will tell you which lead is which. And it will tell you the gain. If you know how these things work and what they are telling you - they are very useful - especially at their 'low' cost. My thumbnail does call these out as 'Low cost...' so with that expectation - they are pretty great 'toys'. ;)

[@rectify2003]

I bet this guys a Christian ❤️

[@KissAnalog]

LOL - I hope that's a good thing;)

[@rectify2003]

@@KissAnalog Yes definately Blessings from the Uk 🙏

[@peterc2373]

4 min in and thinking....STOP talking and start testing.... skip and next

[@KissAnalog]

Sorry about that - you can hit fast forward:)

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

get to the point!

[@KissAnalog]

I thought I did;) Sorry you didn't like it. What were you looking for?

[@Cako1212]

esr meter drok vs tc1?