Peak Atlas semiconductor tester

[mhennessy]

Hi All,

Maplin are selling the Peak Atlas DCA55 for only £19.99, including delivery!

Normally, these cost more than double that (Farnell/CPC charge £39.99 plus VAT, RS price is £50.93+VAT).

No idea why it's so cheap at Maplin - perhaps it's a mistake, perhaps it's end of line, or perhaps there's a new model coming out (there already is a "pro" version available for ~£100). Either way, at this price, it's a bargain.

We have one at work, so I'm very familiar with it. Now I have my own . I also have one of those Chinese testers which does a bit more (including passive components), but the Peak Atlas product is a better, more robust product.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/atlas-dca5...analyser-rq87u

Cheers,

Mark

[60 oldjohn]

Beware, I have just tried to buy one but unable to see terms and conditions then get to "Sage Pay" server error with code, when I was trying to pay with Paypal.

John.

[Herald1360]

Worked OK for Debit card transaction......

[mhennessy]

Ah - I had something similar when trying to use PayPal - glad it's not just me! I just put it on a credit card, which is better than PP (though it did mean having to fetch my wallet without my wife asking awkward questions )

[60 oldjohn]

I think I may have reserved one for collection but not paid, I will phone them in the morning to check. Thank you for the heads up anyway.

John.

[dodgy-dxer]

Thanks for the spot

It is still a current model on the Peak web site, at £48 plus £3 delivery

Nice (cheap) addition to my LCR and ESR meters

Thanks again

Fred

[Reelman]

Thanks for the heads-up! Just bought one and hopefully have paid by PayPal, had acknowledgement email from Maplin but nothing yet from PP.
Also took advantage of 100 AA alkaline batteries at 14.99 and free home delivery for both items.
Jolly good.
Peter.

[60 oldjohn]

I finally managed to pay by paypal this morning. I am at present reading the instruction booklet online, plenty to read why wait for them to arrive with the instrument. Peter, I wish I had known about the AA batteries, I bought 40 the other day for a good bit more than you paid.


John.

[HamishBoxer]

These are superb pieces of kit. Had one for years and cost a lot more than that.

[Thyristor]

That is a very good price. I'm not really a great one for 'gizmos', but this is a very useful bit of kit, and sits on my bench within arms reach.
I bought mine direct from Peak a few years ago; I checked the prices at the time, and there were all there or there-abouts (back then) so I liked the concept of buying directly from, and hence directly supporting, a British manufacturer.

[WaveyDipole]

Are these better for testing semiconductors than one of these cheap far east esr/transistor etc testers? The one I have works well, but if there is an advantage I might buy a DCA55 as well.

[MrBungle]

They're about the same. The advantage of the cheap ones is the firmware is open source and with a couple of quid USB AVR ICSP cable you can update them.

I can't say I've ever needed either. You can get a long way with a cheap DMM with a diode tester on it.

[Reelman]

Well, today I had a large sealed parcel from Maplin delivered. April Fool's day must be late this year because on opening the box it was full of Airtech bags...... and nothing else. Well not exactly nothing, right at the bottom was the despatch note for the component analyser and my batteries! Doh!

Maplin will deliver again tomorrow, bless them. It does look like the weight of the batteries caused the box to come open in transit and some kind soul sealed it but without putting the contents back! Never had this before and quite funny because Maplin is actually just the other side of Rotherham to me, suppose it had a long journey via Hermes Distribution Centre though.

Hope none of you suffer the same fate.

Peter.

[boxdoctor]

A Peak Atlas tester as above was the last birthday present my late wife bought for me when they first came on the market. It seemed expensive at the time, but has been a really useful bit of kit, and apart from the "test prods" falling to bits, has been very reliable. I also have one of the far-eastern ones, which , put in a suitable case with proper leads has been very good indeed.
The Atlas is the one always to hand, and it rarely gets it wrong. A good bit of British design and engineering IMHO. Tony

[Reelman]

The story continues...
Well, today a much smaller box arrived from Maplin. It contained the batteries but no analyser. It appears that Maplin are now out of stock so I wont receive one at all!
That's life!
Peter

[Craig Sawyers]

If you paid for it, and that payment was accepted, that is a contract. They are obliged to send you a unit. Besides which they are still listing it, and show stock at a few stores.

[Reelman]

Cheers Craig, after reading your comments I complained again to Maplin. They have "found" another analyser after all and are sending it to my local store for my collection.
I'll accept that... if it actually happens!
Watch this space.
Peter

[60 oldjohn]

Hi Peter, Received my tester today If you do have trouble getting yours I expect they will get another batch in if you wait. That happened with the Maplins MT2017 20,000 ohms p v analogue multimeter I had to wait, the new batch had better access to the battery compartments.

John.

[Craig Sawyers]

I actually ordered one myself a couple of days ago. The Maplin status of order page says "processing".....

[Herald1360]

Mine ordered on the 14th turned up OK today. On a sample of one(!) AC128K it gave plausible results. Tomorrow may see a few old and unmarked devices played with.......