03-03-2012, 10:48 PM
Glad to see that you've finished the kit Alan, and that the box was 'fit for purpose'!
The kit is so cheap that I couldn't resist buying one on impulse, even though I have a couple of cap meters already. As it comes, it's obviously meant to be used un-boxed as a 'bare bones' project, but like you, I'm planning to put mine in a box to match my other bits of home-brew test gear. I'd thought that the digits might look a bit odd without a red filter in front of the 'window'. Polarised red filter plastic used to be widely available, but I've drawn a blank on that, and yours looks fine as it is so I'll probably do likewise. Handy to have a zero button to cancel out the stray capacitance of test leads. Initially, I thought that the little row of test sockets on the PCB were for separate ranges, but on looking at the circuit, I realised that the sockets are 'commoned' for each leg - they're just spaced so as to plug in caps with different lead widths, and the meter is in fact auto-ranging. Hence, as you've done, all that is needed is a couple of test points on the front panel.
What's not to like, at under £15 inc P&P?
Low consumption too, despite the 7-seg LED displays, and as it's only used for a few moments at a time, battery consumption isn't an issue.
Neat eh?
The kit is so cheap that I couldn't resist buying one on impulse, even though I have a couple of cap meters already. As it comes, it's obviously meant to be used un-boxed as a 'bare bones' project, but like you, I'm planning to put mine in a box to match my other bits of home-brew test gear. I'd thought that the digits might look a bit odd without a red filter in front of the 'window'. Polarised red filter plastic used to be widely available, but I've drawn a blank on that, and yours looks fine as it is so I'll probably do likewise. Handy to have a zero button to cancel out the stray capacitance of test leads. Initially, I thought that the little row of test sockets on the PCB were for separate ranges, but on looking at the circuit, I realised that the sockets are 'commoned' for each leg - they're just spaced so as to plug in caps with different lead widths, and the meter is in fact auto-ranging. Hence, as you've done, all that is needed is a couple of test points on the front panel.
What's not to like, at under £15 inc P&P?
Low consumption too, despite the 7-seg LED displays, and as it's only used for a few moments at a time, battery consumption isn't an issue.
Neat eh?
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
