inductance meter from a cheap meter?

jarthel · 22nd September 2006, 06:01 AM

I've seen articles/discussion that says inductance meters are not cheap.

but I found this from an Australian shop: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...=&SUBCATID=546

any comments?

ps. the list of features is mind-boggling for a cheap meter.

poobah · 22nd September 2006, 06:08 AM

You know for $40 you could hardly go wrong... but, unlike voltage, resistance etc... there are many caveats to measuring capacitance and inductance. Inductance is especially difficult to measure for a number of reasons.

Don't get me wrong, the meter will give you a reading, it just might not mean a damn thing... that's all.

What is your evil plan with this device?

jarthel · 22nd September 2006, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by poobah
You know for $40 you could hardly go wrong... but, unlike voltage, resistance etc... there are many caveats to measuring capacitance and inductance. Inductance is especially difficult to measure for a number of reasons.

Don't get me wrong, the meter will give you a reading, it just might not mean a damn thing... that's all.

What is your evil plan with this device?

no evil plans

just a replacement to my meter that has no capacitance measurement.

I do not really care much for the inductance, but hoping for at least the usual + capacitance

poobah · 22nd September 2006, 06:37 AM

That's probably the right spirit.

Measuring air core inductors usually presents little in the way of problems as long as the value is moderate. Inductors with iron or ferrite all have issues. As the current is increased, the inductance decrease because the iron starts to saturate.

So... you by a 1 Amp inductor spec'd at 1 mH that measures 4 mH with a dinky little meter. But if you could put 1 Amp through it, you would actually measure the 1 mH spec'd. Many inductors are best measured in situ by deductive measurement.

Caps are much less problematic, but a bit of the same garbage happens. Some caps (some ceramics for example) can lose capacitance as the applied voltage is increased. Much less of a problem than inductors.

And a cap meter is always handy, if for no other reason than so many caps are marked in different systems!

22nd September 2006, 06:01 AM	#1
jarthel diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: somewhere in Australia	inductance meter from a cheap meter? I've seen articles/discussion that says inductance meters are not cheap. but I found this from an Australian shop: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...=&SUBCATID=546 any comments? ps. the list of features is mind-boggling for a cheap meter.

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22nd September 2006, 06:08 AM	#2
poobah diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005	You know for $40 you could hardly go wrong... but, unlike voltage, resistance etc... there are many caveats to measuring capacitance and inductance. Inductance is especially difficult to measure for a number of reasons. Don't get me wrong, the meter will give you a reading, it just might not mean a damn thing... that's all. What is your evil plan with this device?

22nd September 2006, 06:37 AM	#4
poobah diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005	That's probably the right spirit. Measuring air core inductors usually presents little in the way of problems as long as the value is moderate. Inductors with iron or ferrite all have issues. As the current is increased, the inductance decrease because the iron starts to saturate. So... you by a 1 Amp inductor spec'd at 1 mH that measures 4 mH with a dinky little meter. But if you could put 1 Amp through it, you would actually measure the 1 mH spec'd. Many inductors are best measured in situ by deductive measurement. Caps are much less problematic, but a bit of the same garbage happens. Some caps (some ceramics for example) can lose capacitance as the applied voltage is increased. Much less of a problem than inductors. And a cap meter is always handy, if for no other reason than so many caps are marked in different systems!

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