Thanks for your further comments Alan.
I first learned of this kit back in 2010 from a UK amatuer (M0WYM) who'd built the kit and was pleased with it. He said that the instructions were sprase, so he helpfully wrote some notes to help others who might wish to build the kit. His notes can be found here: http://www.radiowymsey.org/capmeter.htm
The kit is fairly simple to construct on a high quality plated-through hole screen printed PCB to aid component placement, but does need a box in which to house it. It has an accuaracy of 0.1% on the lower range, and if caps have high leakage, will - as with most cap meters, show a high reading, which helps identify suspect caps.
It covers from 1pF to 500uF in automatically selected ranges and can be powered from either a 'wall wart' from 8 - 16V DC, or a battery. As the consumption is less than 30mA, a 9V battery should last for quite a long time, given that the meter is used only momentarily to test a cap. As I said earlier, it can be zeroed, so any stray capacitance can be nulled out before testing low value caps.
Although Sparkfun, who market the kit, are based in Boulder Colorado, they do have European distributors and I got my kit from:
http://proto-pic.co.uk/capacitance-meter-diy-kit/
Hope that might be of interest to anyone who may wish to build this useful little project, which at the time of writing costs £11.02 inc VAT + P&P - about £15.00 all together.
I first learned of this kit back in 2010 from a UK amatuer (M0WYM) who'd built the kit and was pleased with it. He said that the instructions were sprase, so he helpfully wrote some notes to help others who might wish to build the kit. His notes can be found here: http://www.radiowymsey.org/capmeter.htm
The kit is fairly simple to construct on a high quality plated-through hole screen printed PCB to aid component placement, but does need a box in which to house it. It has an accuaracy of 0.1% on the lower range, and if caps have high leakage, will - as with most cap meters, show a high reading, which helps identify suspect caps.
It covers from 1pF to 500uF in automatically selected ranges and can be powered from either a 'wall wart' from 8 - 16V DC, or a battery. As the consumption is less than 30mA, a 9V battery should last for quite a long time, given that the meter is used only momentarily to test a cap. As I said earlier, it can be zeroed, so any stray capacitance can be nulled out before testing low value caps.
Although Sparkfun, who market the kit, are based in Boulder Colorado, they do have European distributors and I got my kit from:
http://proto-pic.co.uk/capacitance-meter-diy-kit/
Hope that might be of interest to anyone who may wish to build this useful little project, which at the time of writing costs £11.02 inc VAT + P&P - about £15.00 all together.
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'
