Name: SM Ling Country: Singapore Date: Tue Oct 7 06:31:42 2003 Comments: Got it 1.5 hour ago, now it is a valuable tool. The battery mounting was left out in the instruction, I would have to redo it. I ordered using the text file to Dick Smith, you might want to update it (or simply remove it, for DS just refer to DS website) because the shipping has shot up to A$25 instead of US6.50, also DS do not carry most of the kits listed in the form. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: David Moore Country: England Date: Thu Sep 11 07:17:45 2003 Comments: I have used one of these for about twelve months and it has proved very reliable. It has more than paid for itself in saved labour and cuts down on the number of capacitors used. It is far more accurate than a capacitance meter, which can g ive a good reading on faulty capacitors. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Geoff Darby Country: UK Date: Mon Aug 25 23:46:47 2003 Comments: I have my ESR meter in daily professional use, and it has been completely reliable, and unambiguous in its results. It has paid for itself many times over. For any Doubting Thomas types out there, it has many times found culprit caps which read exact on a capacitance meter, and show no leakage, or signs of physical distress. Don't just read the comments - BUY ONE !!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Y. Uda Country: Japan Date: Mon Aug 18 13:06:53 2003 Comments: The kit arrived yesterday and I finished assembly in two hours. It worked great! Thank you for offering an excellent tool for my hobby electronics. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Bill Duane Country: USA Date: Fri Aug 8 05:16:06 2003 Comments: I've been meaning to leave a comment about the ESR meter. Over a year ago I bought the kit from DSE in New Zealand while on a business trip. The kit assembled with no problem, and the meter has worked great ever since. Thanks for a great pr oduct. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: John Lowe Country: Australia Date: Thu Jul 31 16:44:50 2003 Comments: I bought your kit from DSE a month ago and finally last night decided it was time to put it together. I spent about 2 hours soldering all the bits in and checking the solder joints then half an hour later was ready to test it and it worked first time. Another hour tidying up and it was all boxed up although I did not adjust the low battery setting which I will do at a later time. Now for some capacitors to measure... Bob, keep up the good work. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Bob Ecclestone Country: Australia Date: Wed Jul 16 01:11:34 2003 Comments: G'day Bob, I have just finished building a second ESR Meter, this one is for me! I also had problems with the first unit switching on in the toolbag and I glued a tube cap over the switch, but this caught on other things in the bag. So on the second unit, I cut the button off the switch stem and filed the stem down so it was just below the switch body when pushed in. Now the switch does not turn the unit on if inadvertently bumped in the bag, but it is still quite easy to turn it on --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: chong Country: Malaysia Date: Mon Jun 2 10:26:04 2003 Comments: i assembled the ESR meter using the kit note, but fail. Does it mean needs to use the DSE kit 's z86e0408/0412? Because i bought the z86 without programming it. Anyone to answer me the quiz? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Deane McIntyre Country: Canada Date: Wed Apr 16 05:50:55 2003 Comments: Kit was a joy to assemble (about 3 hours) and I am sure will save me many hours of troubleshooting in the future. I found that the small cardboard boxes that pilot lights come in (boxes of ten 47's for example) are the exact size to contain the battery and to fit snuggly into the enclosure under the board. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Andy Country: Australia Date: Mon Mar 10 18:42:47 2003 Comments: Great instrument, would not be without it. Here's a tip:- if you build valve (tube) guitar amplifiers for a hobby as I do, you have plenty of uses for your meter and not just for those pesky capacitor faults. Earth loops and high resitance earths can create all sorts of problems in valve amps, and in amps in general. Now you have something to measure those loops and earths with!! Hint:- if it measures more than 0.0 ohms, you have a problem. Here's any easy way to fix the 9v battery ins ide the --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Angelo Country: Canada Date: Tue Feb 4 18:19:04 2003 Comments: Hello Bob, nice work on this tester.I have put it together in about 3-4 hours. It worked perfectly.The only bad point is that some of the values are not indicated and also some values are incorrect.Using brand new caps I was able to establi sh the correct ESR value.Is it possible to have a revised table of ESR readings? Thanks and continue the excellent work. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Keijo Anttila Country: Finland Date: Mon Nov 25 09:01:21 2002 Comments: Thanks Bob! ;) ESR meter works great! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: John Rudasill Country: USA Date: Thu Oct 3 08:20:21 2002 Comments: Here's a simpler way (no cap to remove and replace)to prevent the push button from being pressed in storage. I pushed a rubber grommet SNUGGLY onto the button and worked it down as far as it would go, the top of the button is flush. A firm finger pressure on the grommet turns it on and the rubber springs the button back! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Andrew Tweddle Country: Australia Date: Thu Jul 25 00:04:44 2002 Comments: Dear Bob, I am designing a high current switch mode power supply and have become aware that ESR is now at 20mohm in high current capacitors , I was wondering if it was worthwhile for you to revisit your design to work with these low ESR caps. Andrew Tweddle --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Andrew Blight Country: Australia Date: Fri Jun 21 01:03:43 2002 Comments: A fantastic device - I have bought another one for when the original dies, I value it that much. After my multimeter, the most used device in the workshop --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Brian Morris Country: Australia Date: Tue Apr 9 07:23:21 2002 Comments: [March 30, 2002] Have just built your ESR & FLYBACK testers...both worked first time...ESR has been the most helpful, it is used on almost every repair I look at. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Martin Sniedze Country: Australia Date: Tue Jan 29 10:17:50 2002 Comments: Hi Bob, seems like I do your old job at Telstra ! My ESR meter has been VERY useful, found dozens of dead SMD electro's with it. Standard battery life seems good to me. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Gord Neish Country: canada Date: Sun Jan 27 04:59:10 2002 Comments: I just finished the ESR meter kit and found it to be an enjoyable evening project. Suggestions for builders: Color codes on the 1% resistors were very hard to read and should be verified with a meter before installation. Suggestions for Kit: Include input protection with kit. I have read that all that would be required is 2-6 amp diodes back to back across the input. ( is this true?). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Iain Emerson Country: Scotland Date: Sat Dec 8 11:41:18 2001 Comments: Like Col Hardy I too had a prob. with the test leads on loose caps. Fixing asmall piece of PCB (two pads) just above the display and connecting them to the terminals through the casing alowed the leads of a cap to be placed directly on the pads and tested. The gap between pads 2- 3mm, it's also a quick way to zero the meter with just one hand free. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: lee Country: USA Date: Sat Nov 17 08:20:45 2001 Comments: I purchased a factory manufactured ESR meter a few months ago and like it very much. The only problem I have is the incomplete ESR reading chart. Can You send me a more complete ESR readings chart as I have to guess at many readings and I r eally hate to guess at this sorta stuff. The faceplate is very helpful but grossly incomplete. Thanks very much. Lee Pollack,118 Lance Court, Santa Cruz, California USA --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Jay Country: Date: Fri Nov 2 23:36:49 2001 Comments: his esr meter popped another new one in and turned on the set. All the while he had a little smirk on his face. Later that day he helped me fix two vcr power supplies that I thought I had checked every cap in and I was ready to give up on. In no time they were fixed. Needless to say the next day I had a esr meter on order. It has helped me make thousands over the years quickly. For what this is worth to you all . Jay --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Jay Country: usa Date: Fri Nov 2 23:35:05 2001 Comments: Hi all, Years ago when I thought I had enough tools to fix any tv this happened. I was working on a dead set. I took out a cap and tested it . My capacitor meter said it was right on the money. I checked it for leakage it was ok so I put it back in the set and started looking elsewhere for the problem. After a hour or so I decided to take a break. The tech next to me said can I take a look at it? He went to the first cap that I suspected and tested it with h --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Bill Country: USA Date: Sat Aug 18 04:43:55 2001 Comments: I assembled the kit in about 2 1/2 hours without any problems. I've already used it a few times while servicing VCRs and audio equipment, and I'm very glad that I bought it. It has already paid for itself because of the troubleshooting time it has saved me so far. I wish I had known about this meter and bought one several years ago! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Joseph E. Long Country: U S A Date: Mon Jul 30 17:25:56 2001 Comments: Gentlemen: ESR meter works great !! but I also purchased the LOPT/FBT Tester, and I am having a problem with it, can you possibly HELP...The meter is fininshed and I have three lights lit, when you turn it on.. the 1-2-7 lights come on faintly.. If I short the test leads together, the lights stay lit.. Any HELP will be greatly appreciated..Joe Long (I CHECKED SOLDERING, SOLDER SPLASH< ETC...) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Kim Voss Schrader Country: Denmark Date: Fri Jul 27 07:31:16 2001 Comments: I've been using the ESR Lowohms meter for 'bout half a year, and I can only say: IT ROCKS! Never before has it been so easy to point out defective electrolytic capacitors. Get this tool now if you repair televisions/ monitors/vcr's or similar! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Roger Cameron Country: England Date: Wed Mar 28 09:17:18 2001 Comments: I built this brilliant kit in about 3 hours and it worked first time thank god. As the components are quite tightly packed on the pcb and very careful soldering is required so as to avoid shorts.In use I find it very accurate and easy to us e it's probably the most hard working piece of test gear in my workshop apart from the lopt tester.In conclusion it's a very well designed and thought out unit that has certainly saved me a lot of time in the workshop well done Bob. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: John Hudak Country: USA Date: Fri Mar 16 04:48:37 2001 Comments: Good kit - easy to build! Took me about 3.5 hrs, being very careful. The pushbutton, probes and bananna jacks are barely acceptable....Will replace with higher quality ones. Suggest placing a jumper onboard to allow the user to select the timeout condition (or not) and perhaps be able to set the timeout time (2 mins is not enough if you need to keep consulting schematic for cap ID/location.) Manual should have paragraph or 2 showing what a high ESR value is and a norm --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Michael W. Pioso Country: USA Date: Fri Nov 24 20:29:30 2000 Comments: You have finally designed the one meter I thought I could never afford for the supposedly small number of tasks I would use it for. Simply put, it has found more bad parts than any other piece of test gear I own. Many thanks and I recommend the purchase of one of these for anyone that owns electronic equipment that uses electrolytic capacitors and wants to fix same. A Jewel! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Gary Norman Country: Virginia, USA Date: Thu Aug 24 09:59:09 2000 Comments: I've built a lot of kits...This one is the best kit experience I've ever had. All the parts were even there. About 4 hours build time. Great, useful item. Made my TV vertical-sweep problems dissolve. Thanks So Much. Gary --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Col Hardy Country: australia Date: Wed May 3 07:02:29 2000 Comments: Love the meter, but had a few quirks with the banana sockets provided. I soldered a twin cable to the the PCB terminals and ran it out of one of the sockets, soldered sewing pins to the wires, works great. To increase battery life 20 fold, cut the track from the display mplex emitters and add a 680ohm (i think) in series. Battery life is extended from a few weeks to 6 months or so. Most useful instrument i ever owned .. thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: David Tindall Country: AU Date: Sun Feb 6 22:30:38 2000 Comments: There are two ESR meters in use at my workshop. These meters have well and truly earned their cost back many times over! One problem I discovered was that curled meter leads will not work as they have enough inductance to cause misleading readings. Its only a minor point but it could easily cause headaches for the unwary kit-builder. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Howard Country: usa Date: Wed Feb 2 10:23:25 2000 Comments: I,ve used it for its intende purpose quite a bit,but I,ve also used it to tell me if Ni-cads are good or bad.It works fine for that purpose. The only thing to remember for ni-cads is for the different types,AAA,AA,C- size,etc,a different reading will be obtained for the different sizes. It hasn`t been wrong yet! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: F.Stack Country: Australia Date: Sun Jan 30 08:57:25 2000 Comments: Most useful piece of equipment I have . Second to the DMM. Have tended to abuse it over the 4 years since I built it but , in spite of this, it is still going strong. If somebody could design a checker for TV high voltage units that was as simple and reliable they would be worth their weight in gold --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Rod Dooley Country: Canada Date: Mon Jan 3 16:29:26 2000 Comments: The kit went together no problems and works perfect. Thanks Rod Kelowna B.C. canada --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Jerry Valentine Country: USA Washington Date: Sat Dec 25 15:08:50 1999 Comments: Had an ESR meter at Radio station engineering shop I retired from.Made short work of cart tape machines bad electrolytics. Its no longer available. Searched Internet and found this one. Got kit from Johns Jukes in BC.Its great.Is a chart available for higher voltages above 250? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Robert Ring Country: Date: Sun Oct 24 13:34:48 1999 Comments: You can use the ESR Meter to check out a short on a buss are a long run of a pcb. it will get you there. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Ron Garrett Country: usa Date: Sat Oct 9 13:10:57 1999 Comments: This one meter has paid for itself tens times over. My technicians repair camcorders in less than half the normal time. You will find caps that are bad that are not showing any problems at the time. Also will show caps that check good on normal testers. Best Buy! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Alan McKinnon Country: South Africa Date: Mon Sep 20 09:27:58 1999 Comments: This meter is th second most used item in my toolbox (first is the Fluke!). Need I say more? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Matthew Warren Country: USA Date: Mon Sep 20 06:39:02 1999 Comments: Didn't know if this would work in the area of vintage tube audio gear, but in two ailing sets, within about 20 seconds I identified the failed caps! Saved at least a half hour(and probably much more)! One was an old Japanese stereo, the oth er an old HP 200CD oscillator. This ESR meter is awesome! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Thomas Pfenning Country: usa` Date: Fri Aug 20 07:56:51 1999 Comments: Better than "wizard" other tech's around here are using. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Larry Dishman Country: USA Date: Fri Aug 20 01:29:51 1999 Comments: Hi Bob: Just a quick note to say that I'm going to finally see one of your meters up close and personal. Jerry, a friend of mine has one (and a couple Creatives) and I'll have a chance to compare them, side by side. BCNU, Larry --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Bill Bierly Country: USA Date: Thu Aug 19 01:29:42 1999 Comments: Excellent meter. Has really served the purpose for me. Can't beat the price either. That also goes for the LOPT tester. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Bob Mitchell Country: Australia Date: Wed Aug 18 13:31:39 1999 Comments: Congratulations on designing such an excellent piece of test equipment.. It has saved me many hours of pissin about pulling caps and measuring them, and still not really knowing if they are serviceable anyway.. This is by far the most often used piece of equipment in my workshop. (except maybe me soldering iron..LOL)where i repair telly's, vcr's monitors and most other consumer electronics.. All --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Peter Kutas Country: Australia Date: Sun May 30 17:49:17 1999 Comments: Probably about the most useful piece of test equipment I own. It makes repairing SMPS a breeze. Peter Kutas --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Ed Gaidies Country: Canada Date: Sun May 9 03:01:56 1999 Comments: One the nicest/and simple projects I have ever done. I build most of my own test equipment, and this one was well laid out Has paid for itself in the first week, Great design. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Austin Graves Country: South Africa Date: Mon Apr 5 01:04:54 1999 Comments: Absolutly brilliant. I have been in the TV business for 40 years and this is the best bit of kit I have seen in a long time! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Peter Overliese Country: West Australia Date: Sat Mar 27 02:14:03 1999 Comments: BANANA PLUGS ARE A SOURCE OF BAD CONNECTION,AND ENDLESS TROUBLE I HAVE CUT THEM OFF AND SOLDERED THE LEADS STRAIGHT TO THE BOARD. NOW WORKS EVERY TIME TO ZERO PROBES...... GREAT BIT OF TEST GEAR.HOW DID I EVER MANAGE BEFORE!!!! THANKS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: ABDEL Country: CANADA Date: Tue Mar 23 10:09:41 1999 Comments: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: Dave K. Country: USA Date: Sat Mar 20 05:00:19 1999 Comments: In the first couple of weeks I had the meter, I found it to be both reliable and easy to use. I must confess it took a little studying to learn how to use it, but the time studying it was worth it. All in all I'm very happy with the meter. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: RAF Country: UK Date: Mon Feb 15 15:38:39 1999 Comments: Exellant meter, but not a very good description on pcb layout non of the components are marked, lucky there is a diagram. I have also discoverd that this meter is handy for measering inducters, if i.e you have shorted turns the meter gives a low value if it is ok meter gives no reading. Also useful for measering driver transformer secondry. raf --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Name: D. N. Walker Country: U.K. Date: Fri Jan 15 08:21:45 1999 Comments: Full marks all round from first class postal service , three well presented kits arrived faster than a local parcel only seventy miles away . all worked first time E.S.R. Meter has paid for itself on one power supply repair Fairdinkum ----------------------------------------------------------------------