Quote:
Originally Posted by rambo1152
Quote:
Originally Posted by G.Castle
A friend told me that they called an ESR meter a "Smugometer" because in a service and repair scenario at best they can only confirm a diagnosis.
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About 15 years I was introduced to one of Bob Parker's ESR meters and used it to locate the cause of many S.M. power supply problems by testing the electrolytics in situ
Still, before that I wouldn't have thought about measuring ESR like that.
I knew what "effective series resistance" was, but only in the context of "equivalent circuits" not as a fault-finding strategy. |
Yes, and I'd agree that is an excellent use for such a piece of test equipment I'm sure.
However as the thread was intended to be I believe about the perhaps two or three electrolytic capacitors that may be found in a bog standard mid twentieth century wireless set, there's little use for anything other than method and observation: is the end swollen or leaking? Does it get hot, or draw excessive leakage current? Is there excessive ripple/hum? If yes it's time to act.
Watched a guy doing a set once that had low audio gain and worse than usual bass response, (cathode resistor bypass cap). After faffing around with replacement of three resistors that were a few percent over value, and using an Armada of test equipment including a capacitance bridge, (OK), and an ESR meter he came to the same conclusions.
He held up the ESR meter and announced "worth its weight in gold"
I'm sure they are marvelous in their place, but experience and good fault finding technique is far more useful.
What's not unusual is when an enthusiastic amateur gets hold of these wonderful pieces of test equipment but are then unsure how to translate the readings into a course of action.
Regards,
Greg.