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Reviews For: MAT Electronics MUL3333 ESR Meter

Category: Tools & Test Equipment for the amateur radio work bench

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Review Summary For : MAT Electronics MUL3333 ESR Meter
Reviews: 1MSRP: <50
Description:
An inexpensive, analog ESR meter
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0014
N4UE Rating: 2011-06-25
Easy to upgrade Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The firm AnaTek sells several different brands of ESR meters/testers. Anyone serious about electronic repair really needs an ESR meter. Makes no difference if the equipment is old or new. Cap failure knows NO age group! ha ha

I also own both the Peak (UK) and EVB (Portugal) meters. There is a side-by-side comparison of the meters on the AnaTek website.
However, I feel the MUL3333 got a bum deal. It is 'not recommended' by AnaTek due to a broken battery holder on the test unit.

Here's my feelings:
- my first ESR meter
- workes great
- inexpensive

Downsides?

- Analog meter too compressed on the low end of the Ohms scale. I have seen some analog units with VERY expanded resistance scales which make the meter useful for checking continunity, grounds, etc.

So, if you are measuring the ESR of a 470 uF cap, rated at 25 VDC, the expected ESR is only .25 Ohms. The meter makes it difficult to tell if the cap is OK or shorted. Larger caps have even lower ESR.
However, I found a good (if inelegent) solution. I put an inexpensive DVM that has a 'buzzer' function, in parallel with the MUL3333. A VERY low ESR will not activate the buzzer but a short will.
This works perfectly and unlike the Peak, no buttons need be pressed, but it also will not give you a cap's value like the Peak will (out of circuit).

Enjoy!!!!

ron
N4UE