I'm getting back into electronics again after 30 years so this was very helpful. There's a lot to know about capacitors and measuring their performance. Great video!
Many people still don't understand why the high voltage test is important with certain capacitors. As shown here, a cap passes all the low voltage tests, but the moment you go above 100 volts, the truth about the cap is reveled! Which is why such tests were important in the tube era, and with high voltage parts, it still is, even if it isn't in tube equipment. But with high voltage circuits, extreme care must be exercised, all the time.
Just measured an unknown (unused) capacitor with unclear markings (ERIE). low voltage results were 500nF and ESR 0.12 ohms with 100kHz test frequency using an LCR meter. It showed 50k-60k ohms on a 250V insulation test - and 1.52mA leakage current. An indication, perhaps, that a working voltage of 250V was optimistic.
It's cheap and cheerful chinese components, but it's running open source german software :) You can search "AVR Transistortester - Mikrocontroller" for the homepage of the software. I believe high voltage steady-state leakage and ESR for a certain frequency are really two different measurements in practicality, and yes for high voltage equipment the former can be just as important.
This ESR testing is baloney. Not all caps are concentrically wound with a linear length of foil. Modern caps are concentrically stacked cylinder with end caps and naturally have a quite low ESR caps wit so-called low ESR are of no real value un audio circuitry.
I'm getting back into electronics again after 30 years so this was very helpful. There's a lot to know about capacitors and measuring their performance. Great video!
Many people still don't understand why the high voltage test is important with certain capacitors.
As shown here, a cap passes all the low voltage tests, but the moment you go above 100 volts, the truth about the cap is reveled!
Which is why such tests were important in the tube era, and with high voltage parts, it still is, even if it isn't in tube equipment.
But with high voltage circuits, extreme care must be exercised, all the time.
Just measured an unknown (unused) capacitor with unclear markings (ERIE). low voltage results were 500nF and ESR 0.12 ohms with 100kHz test frequency using an LCR meter. It showed 50k-60k ohms on a 250V insulation test - and 1.52mA leakage current. An indication, perhaps, that a working voltage of 250V was optimistic.
When I was In Tech college back in the 70’s we use to charge big capacitors up with a mega and then shouts here catch this..
Excellent presentation. Thanks N6WHV
Very interesting video man !
It's cheap and cheerful chinese components, but it's running open source german software :) You can search "AVR Transistortester - Mikrocontroller" for the homepage of the software. I believe high voltage steady-state leakage and ESR for a certain frequency are really two different measurements in practicality, and yes for high voltage equipment the former can be just as important.
Thanks, great video!
nice tut
Nice video !!!!
Great job. Thanks for sharing! N6WHV
The Dissipation Factor is more important than ESR.
I am going to look up what the dissipation factor is, thanks for the pointer....
This ESR testing is baloney. Not all caps are concentrically wound with a linear length of foil. Modern caps are concentrically stacked cylinder with end caps and naturally have a quite low ESR caps wit so-called low ESR are of no real value un audio circuitry.
You woyld have just as much luck as flipping a coin.
Ты конечно молодец, но, конденсаторы измеряются на частоте 100кГц, и синусойдой, а не прямоугольными импульсами.