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  #1  
Old 12-21-2014, 09:49 AM
powerking powerking is offline
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Do any of you have/use one of these Cap-Semiconductor testers?

So, I decided to buy one of these cheap & market flooded testers (if nothing else just because). This version is cased, with the external test leads, plug-in test socket (has SMD test pads also on also) and the external power cable. Granted the guts are probably the same bare bones device out there on eBay for $15.00 (like many Chinese sellers are pushing), but I wanted the complete "package". I don't like any test instrument bare circuit board with a battery flopping around on the bench. If nothing else, it hopefully will test & correctly identify a 3-terminal device with some of its specs.

How many of you have one of these and opinions thereof?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171527597900...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Tom (PK)
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  #2  
Old 12-21-2014, 10:29 AM
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MIPS MIPS is offline
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A DMM and the fact that most capacitors are cheap to replace means that if I question it, I barely spend a dollar in some cases to replace it.
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  #3  
Old 12-21-2014, 06:29 PM
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Cheap diagnostic tools would be a waste of money to me. Chances are I'll be waiting quite some time for the rest of the equipment I need, but the quality will be worth the wait.
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  #4  
Old 01-09-2015, 02:48 AM
powerking powerking is offline
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So I received this tester and have been playing with it the last week or so, and I must say it is pretty nifty for all the functions it performs. Build quality is quite good ( soldering nice, no flux on the boards/components, battery compartment correct, etc). Accuracy is also good with ESR, capacitance, resistance. I don't have a curve tracer to verify whether the hfe & gm measurements on transistors are also accurate, but those are quite secondary for my needs. Now if a device like this could also test vacuum tubes....

Tom (PK)
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  #5  
Old 01-09-2015, 11:17 AM
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I've been thinking about getting a bare bones one (I can make my own leads and case cheaper), and now that I have a review I think I will.

Is the chip in it an Atmega 328P?...That chip is used on the Arduino Uno. My college has a course track that uses (read makes us buy) the Uno and a similar LCD so I wonder if the plans/code are out there, and how hard it would be to make my own.
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  #6  
Old 03-20-2015, 10:21 AM
transmaster transmaster is offline
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I have a couple of these Chinese cheapies and I am very impressed with how well they work. I have a Heathkit C-3 Condenser tester in good working order and comparing the readings between the two with known value capacitors the Chinese tester does a very good job. The only place that it's test results are a little questionable is with large capacity high voltage electrolytic cap's. Which is hardly a surprise. I have the C-3 for those. For Semiconductors it is great. Comparing those results with a Peak Atlas DCC-55 tester, I have, they are right on. The DCC-55 does a few more tests but for a quick test of a transistor it is great. It is particularly good to use with Russian Germanium transistors to see which lead does what, they are not the same as western transistors. It is the same with resistors, and they are great for testing batteries. It is a no brainer, get one they don't take up much space it your tool box, or on the work bench.
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  #7  
Old 03-21-2015, 05:40 AM
colectorad colectorad is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M View Post
Is the chip in it an Atmega 328P?...That chip is used on the Arduino Uno. My college has a course track that uses (read makes us buy) the Uno and a similar LCD so I wonder if the plans/code are out there, and how hard it would be to make my own.
This should be of interest to you.
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  #8  
Old 03-21-2015, 10:27 AM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M View Post
I've been thinking about getting a bare bones one (I can make my own leads and case cheaper), and now that I have a review I think I will.

Is the chip in it an Atmega 328P?...That chip is used on the Arduino Uno. My college has a course track that uses (read makes us buy) the Uno and a similar LCD so I wonder if the plans/code are out there, and how hard it would be to make my own.
I just bit for one of the factory built units. By the time, I get the parts together, I'll have as much invested, as the one I bought.
It looks, too good to be true, as what it all does.
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  #9  
Old 03-21-2015, 03:51 PM
powerking powerking is offline
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So,

After using this device for the last 3 months or so, it is definitely a keeper type of instrument that should be front and center on one's workbench. It does a fine job of "letting the software" do the work and tell you exactly what the 2 or 3 lead device is and whether it's good, bad, shorted and its pertinent characteristics are. Of course it cannot tell you about higher voltage capacitor leakage, but that's why we have/use devices like the Heathkit C-2, C-3 and Eico 950's for those tests. . Totally in agreement with --transmaster's assessment as well--. And to boot, you don't have to keep switching ranges/selector buttons on the DVM to test a known/unknown device.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171527597900...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Tom (PK)
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  #10  
Old 04-04-2015, 06:17 PM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by powerking View Post
So, I decided to buy one of these cheap & market flooded testers (if nothing else just because). This version is cased, with the external test leads, plug-in test socket (has SMD test pads also on also) and the external power cable. Granted the guts are probably the same bare bones device out there on eBay for $15.00 (like many Chinese sellers are pushing), but I wanted the complete "package". I don't like any test instrument bare circuit board with a battery flopping around on the bench. If nothing else, it hopefully will test & correctly identify a 3-terminal device with some of its specs.

How many of you have one of these and opinions thereof?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171527597900...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Tom (PK)
I ordered one of these gems and received it Thursday.
It didn't come with the test leads or any kind of operating instructions. It states on the &pay listing, that it would have to be returned to China.
I have to PM them on Monday morning and see what their intentions are.
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  #11  
Old 04-07-2015, 12:30 PM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by powerking View Post
So,

After using this device for the last 3 months or so, it is definitely a keeper type of instrument that should be front and center on one's workbench. It does a fine job of "letting the software" do the work and tell you exactly what the 2 or 3 lead device is and whether it's good, bad, shorted and its pertinent characteristics are. Of course it cannot tell you about higher voltage capacitor leakage, but that's why we have/use devices like the Heathkit C-2, C-3 and Eico 950's for those tests. . Totally in agreement with --transmaster's assessment as well--. And to boot, you don't have to keep switching ranges/selector buttons on the DVM to test a known/unknown device.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171527597900...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Tom (PK)
As I mentioned in another post, my unit came without the test leads. I pmed them yesterday and they replied that the unit is very easy to use.
Did yours come with any instructions? According to your post, it appears to be all software driven. I'm sure I can figure it out!
I inquired if they intend to send the leads out in a separate package.
I love the backward English!
That's FRIED RICE, YOU PLICK!
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  #12  
Old 04-08-2015, 02:39 AM
powerking powerking is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dieseljeep View Post
As I mentioned in another post, my unit came without the test leads. I pmed them yesterday and they replied that the unit is very easy to use.
Did yours come with any instructions? According to your post, it appears to be all software driven. I'm sure I can figure it out!
I inquired if they intend to send the leads out in a separate package.
I love the backward English!
That's FRIED RICE, YOU PLICK!
No, there were no instructions; not like you need any since it's a pretty intuitive device to use. This assumes one has a basic understanding of what electronic component terms mean like: ESR, gm, beta, fwd voltage drop, etc, etc. Since the software it runs is probably open source and common, a Google search might yield some explanations of the test parameters the unit does and what they mean?

Tom(PK)
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  #13  
Old 04-08-2015, 10:45 AM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by powerking View Post
No, there were no instructions; not like you need any since it's a pretty intuitive device to use. This assumes one has a basic understanding of what electronic component terms mean like: ESR, gm, beta, fwd voltage drop, etc, etc. Since the software it runs is probably open source and common, a Google search might yield some explanations of the test parameters the unit does and what they mean?

Tom(PK)
They claim they're going to send the leads, so I'll wait and see!
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  #14  
Old 05-10-2015, 12:15 PM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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They claim they're going to send the leads, so I'll wait and see!
They finally sent the leads!
They weren't the leads pictured! The ones that were pictured have the "J" hooks, these have the tiny alligator clips and are a different color.
I probably won't buy anything from them anymore.
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