Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Re: [Amateur-repairs] An accurate test meter

 

Probably the simplest and perhaps the best method would be to resonate the unknown with a variable capacitor, using an RF generator and oscilloscope.  Then measure the capacitance.  That way you are using the correct frequency.

I have done this many times and the results are as accurate as the care you take in making the setup and measurement.

On the other hand, if you have many inductors to measure, it might be cumbersome.  I use a GR bridge that works well but it doesn't measure at RF.  I have several RF generators, some nice oscilloscopes, and a box of variable capacitors.

Bob

--- On Tue, 11/13/12, pauldebono@rocketmail.com <pawlud@gmail.com> wrote:

From: pauldebono@rocketmail.com <pawlud@gmail.com>
Subject: [Amateur-repairs] An accurate test meter
To: Amateur-repairs@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 3:52 AM

 

I am searching for a good L meter, that can measure low to very low RF inductances. The various kits and models around based on a PIC and the LM311, are not good enough. So are these commercial multimeter types.

I came across the M3 or M-Cubed LCZR meter, which Monty, N5ESE, has reviewed and compared with the top, industry standard, the Philips PM6303 LCR Meter (now made by Fluke). Unfortunately , this meter kit is no longer in production. See: http://www.n5ese.com/M3LCR_meter.htm

However, a Metacrawler search, came up with an updated version of this meter:

(It is in French, but their sales department have an English version of the manual.)

http://www.mwinstruments.com/MW1008/MW1008_f.html

Paul

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[Amateur-repairs] An accurate test meter

 

I am searching for a good L meter, that can measure low to very low RF inductances. The various kits and models around based on a PIC and the LM311, are not good enough. So are these commercial multimeter types.

I came across the M3 or M-Cubed LCZR meter, which Monty, N5ESE, has reviewed and compared with the top, industry standard, the Philips PM6303 LCR Meter (now made by Fluke). Unfortunately , this meter kit is no longer in production. See: http://www.n5ese.com/M3LCR_meter.htm

However, a Metacrawler search, came up with an updated version of this meter:
(It is in French, but their sales department have an English version of the manual.)
http://www.mwinstruments.com/MW1008/MW1008_f.html

Paul

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Wednesday, 31 October 2012

RE: [atlas_craftsman] Test -- ignore

 

it came trough

_____

From: atlas_craftsman@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:atlas_craftsman@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of William Abernathy
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 12:57 PM
To: atlas_craftsman@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [atlas_craftsman] Test -- ignore

My ISP went down in the storm, and email was bouncing. Just checking to see
if
Yahoo dropped my group subscriptions.

play through,

--William

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[atlas_craftsman] Test -- ignore

 

My ISP went down in the storm, and email was bouncing. Just checking to see if
Yahoo dropped my group subscriptions.

play through,

--William

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Thursday, 27 September 2012

[Amateur-repairs] Re: Poll: Which test equipment do you use in your radio repairs?

 

Hi Glenn,

We both got our licenses in the same year. My first call was WN7EZI. I was a little younger when I got mine. I was also absolutely test equipment poor. I had to borrow a meter from another ham to see if I had any high voltage to a tube.

My first receiver was a Knight kit regenerative "Space Spanner" and my transmitter was a spark gap affair using an automative ignition coil and a rotory interrupter. Of course all built by hand. It worked pretty good for me on 40 meters. However, I always horrible tone reports and also was all over the band.

When I mowed enough lawns to buy the parts for a single tube crystal controlled transmitter. I thought it was the ultimate rig. :-) I still remember how much I had to earn to buy those parts. $7.00 I built it in an old cigar box.

Before I was out of high school I had worked up to using surplus equipment from old B29s and then had worked an evening job to get an AF-67 Elmac transmitter and an SX100 receiver. I think I was like some sort of heroin junky. I worked and earned money for only one reason. To feed my habit.

Michael

--- In Amateur-repairs@yahoogroups.com, "Glenn Crawford" <grc1939@...> wrote:
>
>
> I got my first ham license in 1955 when I was 15. At that time my family was very poor and I had no test equipment at all. By 1958, I had acquired a cheap VOM that I used constantly to repair my own meager station equipment and neighbor̢۪s radios and black and white TVs. Tubes were tested at the local drug store. As time went on and I was able to earn money, I acquired more test equipment building from kits, and buying at flea markets, garage sales, and auctions. Now I have power supplies, a signal tracer, a VTVM, a digital VOM, an analog VOM, audio and RF signal generators, a scope, a frequency counter, a capacitor checker, and a tube tester. I don̢۪t̢۪ think I could do without any of them. However, the digital VOM gets used the most. 73, Glenn, W8EXX
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Jose V. Gavila" [eb5agv@...]
> Date: 09/24/2012 04:27 PM
> To: Amateur-repairs@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Amateur-repairs] Poll: Which test equipment do you use in your radio repairs?
>
> Hello Boyd,
>
> > Have been doing electonic repair since 1949 so have accumulated every
> > piece of test gear imaginable. Have more than one of most. In some
> > instances you need more than the basics, but if you have a good vtvm,
> > signal generator, both audio and RF, Scope and lot's of schematic
> > knowledge, you can solve almost any problem. 73,Boyd, W0BUW
>
> I agree 110% with you :-)!
>
> I started this thread as I am in a similar position (regarding test gear
> I own). Most of it is unused 99% of the time. Well, at least I have
> fixed most of these units, so they have been already useful to learn new
> things, like working on pesky SMPSs!. And my plan is to go from fixing
> to designing, so then an, for example, HP-8753C (300kHz to 6GHz VNA)
> will make some sense. But for the repair work, it is seldom used.
>
> Thanks for all your contributions to this thread. Please, keep it going :-)!
>
> Regards,
>
> JOSE
>
> --
> 73 EB5AGV - JOSE V. GAVILA - IM99sm La Canyada - Valencia(SPAIN)
> http://agvradio.com AGVradio
> http://jvgavila.com Personal WEB
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Re: [Amateur-repairs] Re: Poll: Which test equipment do you use in your radio repairs?

 

I have several pieces of test equipment.

The other night I powered it on, set it next to my gear,
then went to bed.

When I awoke the next morning the gear had neither been
diagnosed or repaired. I know that some of you like to
watch the test gear flash lights, flutter meters, and
display digits and graphs - but I was too tired for all
of that excitement.

Does this mean that I have to read the (children, cover
your ears) manual?

I'm guessing I set something incorrectly ... ;-)

> I have quite a bit of test equipment that works very well for me. I
> will not bore anyone with the model numbers. However, I will say that
> my weapon of choice to find problems in transceivers is my trusty old
> Tektronix 465B. I have some frequency counters of course to set those
> oscillators on frequency and an old fluke digital meter.
>
> I do not repair these radios for any money except parts. I am retired
> and have enough income to get by. I enjoy repairing my friends radios
> when they go bad. It is my way of giving back to the elmers who
> helped me when I was a child trying to do ham radio.
>
> I am currently working on an Icom 751A that appears to have an output
> transitor bad in the PA. I am awaiting transistors from China. They
> cost me 20 bucks a piece.
>
> The output from this radio is about 20 watts. It is a good sounding
> signal. However the output from the twin rf transistors into the big
> toroidal transformer is not equal. One side is 40 volts P-P and the
> other is 20 volts P-P. I could not figure out how this could lower
> the power that much because the normal reading is 30 volts per output
> transistor. Then I checked the phase. The radio has both signals in
> phase. They should be 180 degrees apart to get maximum power. So, one
> of the transistors is mostl likely bad. I ordered two.
>
> Michael

--

Thanks! & 73, KD4E.com
David Colburn nevils-station.com
I don't google I SEARCH! duckduckgo.com
Network: groups.yahoo.com/group/qrv
Restored to design-spec at Heaven's gate 1Cor15:22

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Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Re: [Amateur-repairs] Re: Poll: Which test equipment do you use in your radio repairs?

 

Hello!

El 26/09/2012 14:46, qrv@kd4e.com escribió:
> I have several pieces of test equipment.
>
> The other night I powered it on, set it next to my gear,
> then went to bed.
>
> When I awoke the next morning the gear had neither been
> diagnosed or repaired. I know that some of you like to
> watch the test gear flash lights, flutter meters, and
> display digits and graphs - but I was too tired for all
> of that excitement.
>
> Does this mean that I have to read the (children, cover
> your ears) manual?
>
> I'm guessing I set something incorrectly ... ;-)

Yes, for sure!. You forgot to press the AUTO button :-)!

JOSE

--
73 EB5AGV - JOSE V. GAVILA - IM99sm La Canyada - Valencia(SPAIN)
http://agvradio.com AGVradio
http://jvgavila.com Personal WEB

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