Chinese Picofarad Meter for Cheap

[The New Steve H]

I don't know if anyone cares, but I found a great picofarad meter, and it might be useful to other people.

I have a pile of ceramic capacitors, and the markings are...I will not sugarcoat it...moronic. They mean absolutely nothing. Many of them can't even be deciphered using Google.

My Fluke only goes down to nanofarads, and a big-name picofarad meter costs a lot. I went on Ebay and got myself a Chinese multimeter for $16, and it reads picofarads just fine. Battery and shipping included. It even comes with a tough rubber cover. I'm putting the Fluke away.

I, for one, welcome our new Chinese overlords.

[David Root]

For $16 if it lasts two or three years you're ahead of the game.

I have a Fluke 187 and it reads puffs OK. It has a residual reading of about 88 pF so if I have a cap that reads 588pF I know I have a dead nuts 500pF cap.

[overtone]

That would be great. I tried to search for a picofarad meter and got nothing back, could you help with a search word or a link to the product, if that does not offend the forum rules?

[The New Steve H]

I think most of them are found under the terms "LCR" "digital" and "multi-meter." Lots of vendors.

[overtone]

got it, thanks.
I should also have realized that myself!

[The New Steve H]

They're going to own us in a few years, so we might as well get some cheap tools out of it.

[overtone]

I think they own us already.
The one I'm looking at has a shipping time dependent on "the Fight and Holiday".

[The New Steve H]

If you really want to have fun with Asians and English, go look up guitars on Yahoo Japan and then use the Bing translator. Sometimes the results are highly suggestive.

[M Fowler]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/

Digital Capacitance Meter
Nine ranges give precision readings from 0.1 pF to 20,000 µF. Can be used to check virtually all capacitors for tolerance value, selecting matched sets, etc.

0.1 pf to 20,000 µF, 9 ranges
Over range indicator
0.5% basic accuracy>
Tilt stand
3-1/2 digit LCD, 1"H x 2-1/4" W
1.5" x 2.8" x 6"
Zero adjustment
1.1 lbs
Input protected
Low battery indicator
Includes case, leads, battery, spare fuse and instructions

[The New Steve H]

Chinese, does fewer things, and costs $40 plus shipping. Is the quality better?

[Structo]

Is it this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/LCR-RCL-INDUCTANCE- ... 3a6692dc0c

[diagrammatiks]

big pile of ceramic capacitors...

problem found

[jjman]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/

Digital Capacitance Meter
Nine ranges give precision readings from 0.1 pF to 20,000 µF. Can be used to check virtually all capacitors for tolerance value, selecting matched sets, etc.

I have that one. Works fine.

[overtone]

I don't know if anyone cares, but I found a great picofarad meter, and it might be useful to other people...

Thank you very much for this tip, the LCR meter from the Chinese overlords arrived today. The shipping time including "the Fight and Holiday", plus the time-out in the German customs, was 23 days in all.

It is branded Newcason XC4070L. From my first tests it seems to be accurate to about 4% in the pF range that is certainly good enough me, but I'll have to get used to not having an auto range.

Now I just have to find that huge box of Siemens+Halske PS caps...

best, tony

[Structo]

I got one as well.

Mine took just over two weeks to arrive from Hong Kong.