Can you recommend an LCR meter ?
I don't need a professional meter, a portable, battery powered one is enough.
Thanks

 

Compared to professional test equipment - that is hundreds of GBP and upwards, this one is fairly cheap.

Or you could go on ebay and find a good old LCR Wheatstone bridge. One of those old wood and brass terminal jobs. Makes a nice display item even if you can't get it to work!

 

I bought something called "MTESTER" from alibaba for under $10. Works from a 9v. It is supposed to measure L C R , identify diodes forward voltage and calculate (what beta, H??don't remember). I have not used the L or the transistor function but the R C and diode voltage work quite well. It is just a circuit board, you have to make your own case.

 

Of course when testing inductors , depending on the type, it matters what frequency is used. Example: probably no use testing a big iron-cored inductor (fluorescent lamp ballast for example) at 200kHz.

 

Compared to professional test equipment - that is hundreds of GBP and upwards, this one is fairly cheap.

Or you could go on ebay and find a good old LCR Wheatstone bridge. One of those old wood and brass terminal jobs. Makes a nice display item even if you can't get it to work!

PEAK LCR45: it seems a good instrument.

 

http://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/$20-lcr-esr-transistor-checker-project/

For the record, I have DER EE DE-5000.

 

For just ordinary measurements I use the universal RLC measurer Vichy DM4070 (ebay). Very good except the range switcher what regularly needs aerosoling with silicone and cause the large zero-drift at smallest ranges. At large nominal ranges this effect is not existing.
For very tiny values (<1pF <1nH) I use the instrument LC-301 (ebay). Its just perfect but applicable for large nominal component testing.
For electrolyte testing I use a ESR meter ESR-V5 (ebay), its price too is about dozen USD. The very important is that test is provided by 60 mV thus the p-n cannot be opened , therefore all electrolyte testing happens without of de-soldering. Test of large pcb with 100 electrolytes takes a few minutes.
For large resistor testing (over 20 MOhm) is megohmmeter but somehow I have no a good trust to it, as the readings between the ranges are differing too much.
If to push this plethore in one instrument, it would cost a hundredfold and may have no any of the qualities being at each instrument separately.
By the way, 4-channel 2 GHz USB oscilloscope Picoscope 6040 and for less advanced jobs one-channel Intrustar.
Tester Mastech MS8221C.

 

For just ordinary measurements I use the universal RLC measurer Vichy DM4070 (ebay). Very good except the range switcher what regularly needs aerosoling with silicone and cause the large zero-drift at smallest ranges. At large nominal ranges this effect is not existing.
For very tiny values (<1pF <1nH) I use the instrument LC-301 (ebay). Its just perfect but applicable for large nominal component testing.
For electrolyte testing I use a ESR meter ESR-V5 (ebay), its price too is about dozen USD. The very important is that test is provided by 60 mV thus the p-n cannot be opened , therefore all electrolyte testing happens without of de-soldering. Test of large pcb with 100 electrolytes takes a few minutes.
For large resistor testing (over 20 MOhm) is megohmmeter but somehow I have no a good trust to it, as the readings between the ranges are differing too much.
If to push this plethore in one instrument, it would cost a hundredfold and may have no any of the qualities being at each instrument separately.
By the way, 4-channel 2 GHz USB oscilloscope Picoscope 6040 and for less advanced jobs one-channel Intrustar.
Tester Mastech MS8221C.

Thank you Janis
i'm looking at the various instruments you have shown.

 

Hello,

Perhaps something like this kit might interest you:
http://www.box73.de/product_info.php?products_id=2561

Bertus

 

Thank you Bertus

 

This meter has been mentioned in two earlier posts in this thread. I bought one for evaluation and found it to be a capable LCR meter for "general" electronics work (whatever "general" means ) It is even pretty good with inductors with relatively high ESR, which is a challenge for some inductance meter deisgns. It is not what I would call "lab quality" where the test frequency and power level can be controlled, but for most uses that's not very important. Two friends also have them and they are happy with them as well.

This is an open source design, so you could build one yourself if you want, but not at this price.

Below is a link to the manual
www.avrtester.tode.cz/upload/ttester_en.pdf

Below is a sample listing on eBay. Expect to spend about US$7 for one including international shipping. Plastic cases for the instrument cost much less and some eBay listings might make you think you are getting a good price on the meter when in reality all you are getting is a plastic box -a nice box, but not a test instrument. Read the listings carefully.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LCR-T4-12864-LCD-Mega328-ESR-Meter-Transistor-Tester-Diode-Triode-CapacitanceJB/263417544875?epid=1876572255&hash=item3d54e8c0ab:g:1u8AAOSwHoFXtTBzhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/LCR-T4-12864-LCD-Mega328-ESR-Meter-Transistor-Tester-Diode-Triode-CapacitanceJB/263417544875?epid=1876572255&hash=item3d54e8c0ab:g:1u8AAOSwHoFXtTBz

 

This meter has been mentioned in two earlier posts in this thread. I bought one for evaluation and found it to be a capable LCR meter for "general" electronics work (whatever "general" means ) It is even pretty good with inductors with relatively high ESR, which is a challenge for some inductance meter deisgns. It is not what I would call "lab quality" where the test frequency and power level can be controlled, but for most uses that's not very important. Two friends also have them and they are happy with them as well.

This is an open source design, so you could build one yourself if you want, but not at this price.

Below is a link to the manual
www.avrtester.tode.cz/upload/ttester_en.pdf
View attachment 143910
Below is a sample listing on eBay. Expect to spend about US$7 for one including international shipping. Plastic cases for the instrument cost much less and some eBay listings might make you think you are getting a good price on the meter when in reality all you are getting is a plastic box -a nice box, but not a test instrument. Read the listings carefully.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LCR-T4-12864-LCD-Mega328-ESR-Meter-Transistor-Tester-Diode-Triode-CapacitanceJB/263417544875?epid=1876572255&hash=item3d54e8c0ab:g:1u8AAOSwHoFXtTBzhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/LCR-T4-12864-LCD-Mega328-ESR-Meter-Transistor-Tester-Diode-Triode-CapacitanceJB/263417544875?epid=1876572255&hash=item3d54e8c0ab:g:1u8AAOSwHoFXtTBz

Thank you Dick,
the features are very interesting.

 

I have found also this small LCR meter suited for SMD:
http://www.ideal-tek.com/public/doc/Smart_tweezers_st-5s_leaflet_Ideal-tek.pdf