I have heard people talking about the Russian analog meters. It seems like most people like them.
Yes, we have to take care of our tools and meters. I try to check the batteries in all my meters every month.
I wish I could afford to start collecting old meters.

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Hi Robert,

I am also waiting on parts from China for a new Power Supply repair (400Watt ATX) I am trying to fix. I must read your "Playing with IC's part1" article again to understand what you are writing in about part2 in the making. I'm also low budgetted and am very glad that there is PayPal and E-bay to get new or old electronic parts. Hope to see your new article soon !
By-the-way: Since you are very fond of using your Analog meter, I checked on my Russian u4341 analog meter. It was unused for very long in it's protective aluminium box but when I opened the case I noticed that the protective rubber/synthetic in the box cover started deteriorating and had badly infuenced the frontpanel plate a bit. This meter's DC Rin = 16.7kOhm/V, and its AC Rin = 3.33kOhm/V. This meter also measures hfe of npn/pnp transistors, Resistors, Current and Voltage. Good thing I looked at it to prevent it from further damage.
(Something that also happens to modern rubberized products like mouses that get very sticky after some time etc.)

Cheers,
Albert.

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That's because Electronics repair shops don't advertise, at least here in the US they don't!! If they would get together and advertise showing people how much money they could save, they would get much more business. They would also need more help which would mean jobs for people. I'm disabled and just repair stuff as a hobby and to have something to tinker with, but advertising would create jobs for younger people.
I just don't understand it. Not advertising their business is like putting a noose around their own neck IMHO.

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I also have limited space, and limited budget. Many people believe that VOM's (analog meters) are obsolete and are selling them pretty cheap on Ebay, etc.
I bought a great discontinued BK Precision 114A VOM with X10K for less than $30US, shipping included. It was still new in the box and never used!
I've learned that we have to be more specific when using the search engine on Ebay. I had to search the names of meters because just searching "VOM or analog meters" didn't help me find the good deal. When I typed in " BK Precision meters" is when I found mine. The seller was in Texas also where I live.
I did get burned a couple of times on some fake meters that claimed to be Sunwa's. But I did get my money back.
Sometimes it's a pain in the neck, but if you don't give up there are some really good deals waiting! Just be more specific in the search engine.
You will see my new BK Precision 114A VOM featured soon in an article. I'm waiting on some Diacs and caps to get here so I can finish the article.
Hopefully my article "Playing with IC's Part 2" will be finished in a couple of days. I ordered 10 of the FR9882 IC's from Aliexpress and they were shipped to me from China with no ESD protection at all! So I'm not sure if any of them are any good. The first one blew in about 5 seconds before I could take a photo, but was outputting 3.4V on the same circuit setup as used in the first article except that now I have the 26.1K 1% resistors that the schematic calls for. I bought some tiny breakout boards to help make it easier on my back. I hope at one of the IC's are good!

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Hi Robert,

With VOM I understand that you refer to an analog meter. And they can be costly as I saw on E-bay ($239?). I also have a big 25 year old cheapish analog Russian meter with matching aluminium box. Also a 10MHz portable Russian Oscilloscope, a 2 x 40 MHz Kenwood scope with digital Read-out. An LCR meter, and an 250 MHz Leader Griddip meter. And about 3 years ago I bought a defect and old Philips PM3234 10 MHz Memory oscilloscope which I later repaired. (The special picoampere diodes needed to repair the scope input amplifiers were a bit expensive and in 35 years or more luckily still available).

I also made stuff like a VGA monitor testgenerator (with a PIC) with software from a Russian guy on the internet. And I'm always looking to expand my Electronic Tools in my Electronics Shack (in little bedroom).
And of course I use a Hot solder gun for new SMT pcb's or a solderstation (25 year old Ersa).

Albert.

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The third edition of The Art of Electronics just came out a few months ago. I bought one and it's an excellent book - not much on testing though. On testing them, If the voltages on the inputs and outputs are good, the IC should be good. Of course you would have to make sure that some surrounding components were not causing the I/O's to be wrong.
But as far as understanding the operation of IC's and electronic components, I don't think that there is a better book than the new, The Art of Electronics, Third Edition.

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Hi Albert,

Sorry, I meant X10K, not X10. Anyway, the VOM with X10K has the added 9V battery which makes it better for checking components than a DMM because the meter uses 12V. I also have a Peak Atlas DCA75 Pro that I use for MOSFETs, etc. Plus the VOM with X10K is good for checking MOV's, Thermistors, etc. Not having a good VOM limits people. In a lot of instances, the VOM is much more valuable than a DMM. I can't wait to find out what my new Zen50 is capable of. Keep the good articles coming!

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Li-Ion cells can explode when the voltage is incorrect ! 200 times deep decharching the cell, and recharging it is the average lifetime of a Li-Ion cell as I've read somewhere.

A lead Acid battery cell is 2.3Volt charged and 2V each cell is an empty battery cell. And a few times (only 2 times?) deep loading it below this voltage can destroy the Lead Acid battery at once and the Lead Plates deform beyond repair.

That's all I know about them. It's still an advancing technology.

Glad that you liked the article Mohammed!

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Good question Mark but I do not know what I could recommend you. I do not know what you already know and what equipment you use at home at this moment.

Also because I learned most stuff about 35 years ago. I guess that the most important thing to keep in mind is, that you start working safe when testing Power supplies !! Since 240 VAC or less can be deadly !

With good equipment and a good working table you are half way !

Cheers,
Albert.

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Hi Robert, Probably if you want to know the RDs resistance of an active Mosfet but I really don't use any old analoge meter anymore. I have several digital Semiconductor testers for testing Mosfets and other parts. But mostly I start checking for short circuits with my Digital universal meter set to Diode test.
My Semiconductor tester(s) can test Mosfets, Triacs, Thyristors, Diodes , Resistors and Capacity/ESR. But besides my old electronics hobby, I now am learning how to Design with VHDL to make my own circuits.

Albert.

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