Patman83
New Member
I bought a broken LCD TV off eBay for a cheap price. I was hoping what ever problems it had would be visually detectable, but that wasn't the case. I learned(a little) about the ESR property of capacitors, and how it can be measured. So now I am ANXIOUS to purchase an LCR/ESR Meter and I wanted to see if anyone has any advice.
I don't want a DIY meter, though.
I'm looking at the B&K Precision 879B; looks like I can get it for $300 (USD). The price does seem high(not for LCR meters, though), but I only see this as an investment because it is a tool. So the cost is not too much of a concern, as long as I can get a meter for ≤$400. I also hear many people say that, overall, LCR/ESR meters are worth their weight in gold. (Of course that may not be true now, since the value of gold is so high
)
I also noticed the B&K 881. About $100 cheaper than the 879B, but appears to have far fewer capabilities. I would prefer a numeric display versus a LED bar graph anyways.
So, does anyone have any opinions on this B&K meter or suggestions for other meters around the same price range? I usually don't get overly excited about making a new purchase, but in this case, I can't stop squirming around!!!! I feel like a junkie looking for a fix!!! (not that I would know). I'm probably going to buy one in the next 7 days, so ADVICE is greatly appreciated.
I do not have a great knowledge of electronics, yet. So, if I bought the 879B, I realize I would probably only utilize a small portion of it's capabilities; but, I don't really care. I'll always be learning more, so it would become more useful to me as time goes by.
Thanks in advance!!!![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Side Note:
I notice Agilent Technologies model U1733C appears to have an almost identical housing as the B&K 879B. I've seen meters on the 'Net that look exactly like the B&K 881, but with a different company name. Why is that? I would guess that B&K and Agilent make their own custom housings for their products, so I wouldn't expect to see so many identical ones out there. This confuses me....![Confused :confused: :confused:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
I don't want a DIY meter, though.
I'm looking at the B&K Precision 879B; looks like I can get it for $300 (USD). The price does seem high(not for LCR meters, though), but I only see this as an investment because it is a tool. So the cost is not too much of a concern, as long as I can get a meter for ≤$400. I also hear many people say that, overall, LCR/ESR meters are worth their weight in gold. (Of course that may not be true now, since the value of gold is so high
I also noticed the B&K 881. About $100 cheaper than the 879B, but appears to have far fewer capabilities. I would prefer a numeric display versus a LED bar graph anyways.
So, does anyone have any opinions on this B&K meter or suggestions for other meters around the same price range? I usually don't get overly excited about making a new purchase, but in this case, I can't stop squirming around!!!! I feel like a junkie looking for a fix!!! (not that I would know). I'm probably going to buy one in the next 7 days, so ADVICE is greatly appreciated.
I do not have a great knowledge of electronics, yet. So, if I bought the 879B, I realize I would probably only utilize a small portion of it's capabilities; but, I don't really care. I'll always be learning more, so it would become more useful to me as time goes by.
Thanks in advance!!!
Side Note:
I notice Agilent Technologies model U1733C appears to have an almost identical housing as the B&K 879B. I've seen meters on the 'Net that look exactly like the B&K 881, but with a different company name. Why is that? I would guess that B&K and Agilent make their own custom housings for their products, so I wouldn't expect to see so many identical ones out there. This confuses me....