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Post by Jarhead ☠ on Jul 18, 2020 10:51:04 GMT -5
I was hoping someone would be able to help me figure out how to use the meter to test my old condensers. I brought it and replaced the 1.5v battery but not the 15v yet, I attached the leads as directed in the Triplett guide book and get a very small amount of movement from the needle. I'm wondering if I need to add the other battery so it will charge the condenser so it will read higher. Any help or video would be greatly appreciated. Al D.  |
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Post by Jarhead ☠ on Jul 18, 2020 10:53:31 GMT -5
The old leads were dried and nfg so I purchased a new set.
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Post by lesorubcheek on Jul 18, 2020 18:58:38 GMT -5
That's a very nice looking meter, but I don't see any capacitance selection on it and condensers are just a capacitor. Capacitance is measured in farads (well, nano or micro farads in range usually). Ideally, a condenser shows zero ohms of resistance, unless it's shorted which means it's bad, or sometimes if they have a charge, some analog meters may show a deflection.
Dan
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Post by Jarhead ☠ on Jul 18, 2020 20:07:47 GMT -5
According to the booklet I'm supposed to use the ohm settings.
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Post by sweepleader on Jul 21, 2020 7:29:34 GMT -5
Use the ohms setting, you are correct. There is a 1.5 volt battery in the meter that needs to be in good order. Do not add another battery outside of the meter, you can damage the meter that way.
Connect the leads while watching the meter. The needle should swing toward zero ohms as the cap charges. It will quickly return to infinite ohms. If the needle does not move, the cap is bad.
Disconnect the leads and wait a few seconds, say 10 seconds. Reconnect the leads while watching the needle, it should not move or only very little. If it moves just like the first time, the cap is bad.
Short the cap leads together for a short time to discharge the cap and try again as above, the needle should swing again. If the needle does not move, the cap is bad.
This test is a weak test, it does not prove the cap is good, it can only prove the cap is bad by being internally shorted or open.
Higher voltage and AC are needed to really test the cap. A meter with a microFarad setting will test with AC and maybe higher voltage. Of course, that sort of meter will cost more.
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Post by lesorubcheek on Jul 21, 2020 9:41:55 GMT -5
Perfect description Dan. I just reread my above post and I'm bass ackwards. Yes, caps should show infinite ohms. Zero ohms is a short, and a shorted cap is a bad cap, but not the only way a cap can go bad.
Dan
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Post by jklw77 on Jul 21, 2020 12:23:24 GMT -5
Nice unit, looks like new .should be helpful in trouble shooting.
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Post by sweepleader on Jul 21, 2020 12:59:42 GMT -5
Nice unit, looks like new .should be helpful in trouble shooting. I was thinking the same thing, inexpensive but its a Triplett, should be quality. |
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bhound
Dumpster Diver
YOU either LIKE BACON or your WRONG!
Posts: 22
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Post by bhound on Aug 5, 2020 8:59:53 GMT -5
If i'm not mistaken the 15volt battery on those is for the high ohm setting.
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okie
Saw Builder
Posts: 199
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Post by okie on Jan 15, 2021 15:07:42 GMT -5
I've got couple of them model testers and couple of it's big brother and several Simpson 160's and 260's. All of my testers work great, I bought most of them non-working and repaired and calibrated them myself. I've got all kinds of condenser/capicator testers also and the only really true test of a condenser is to sub it and see if the piece of eq operates as intended.For your question about how to get a general idea if the condenser has capacitance and not shorted or open by using an ohmmeter, in you case set the ohmmeter to the highest ohms scale that is working, touch the vom leads to the condenser and the needle will usually kick towards a low reading and then start going to a high reading. After the ohmmeter hand stops moving, reverse the ohmmeter leads to the condenser, the Analog vom needle should go backwards, just leave the leads connected and it should show the condenser is charging in the opposite direction. Testing those .2UF caps the hand may move very fast, the higher the UF of the cap the slower the needles response. If the vom's needle does not move at all when reversing the leads a cap is usually bad unless it's a UUF cap (microfarad) If the meter indicates a resistance the cap is bad usually. If you want a little bit better cheap cap tester that will read the actual capacitance, go to wally world and get a $20 Digital meter (DMM with a capacitance scale)or review such on-line. You have a well built little Triplett vom, industrial version. What zaps all vom's fast is having them on OHMS or milliamps scale and touching the leads to a voltage source. So heads up anytime you use OHMS or AMPS scale immediately switch the selector to volts afterwards so as you do not forget to do such. If you use a vom/DMM very much even with experience THIS WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN TO YOU. Very sad when it's a high dollar Fluke DMM.  Corroding batteries is also a bad thing for those VOM's. I remove the Bats from the electrical testers I'm not using often, The bats are only required for the Ohms scales on the analog VOM's. |
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Post by tangobravo on Jan 15, 2021 22:32:26 GMT -5
Back in the day we just regularly replace the condenser/capacitor when ever the points were replaced on our V8's. Trying to test one just never seemed to really help determine if it worked properly. Replacing a condenser is usually the best way to test a questionable one!
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okie
Saw Builder
Posts: 199
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Post by okie on Jan 17, 2021 8:25:08 GMT -5
Back in the day we just regularly replace the condenser/capacitor when ever the points were replaced on our V8's. Trying to test one just never seemed to really help determine if it worked properly. Replacing a condenser is usually the best way to test a questionable one! Very true about testing condensers and electric motor type caps. If you have ever encountered a erratic intermittent operating condenser (tests good when you are testing but fails intermittent when operating) on a ignition system you will replace or sub one every time you are having ignition issues. Same thing with motor caps, especially if a electric motor is having starting issues. I have a large bucket of ignition condensers and motor caps that I use as sub's, even though I have cap/testers testers. I'm a electrician and electronic tech is why I have a large accumulation of them. Best is to sub them then test. You can research on-line and Triplett made several accessory adapter for the 310 vom, AC amps adapters, etc. |
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okie
Saw Builder
Posts: 199
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Post by okie on Jan 20, 2021 8:38:14 GMT -5
Forgot to mention that when testing a condenser or cap with a VOM, the meter is just indicating that it is capable of holding a DC (Direct Current from the ohmmeter battery) charge, When you reverse the leads and the meter hand goes backwards and then starts going in up direction indicates that the cap was holding the previous DC charge from the VOM and is now re-charging in the opposite direction. The larger the value of the cap in UF's the slower the meter hand will move indicating charge/discharge. It's just checking that the cap is capable of holding a charge at that moment and it's not shorted or open.
Summary: Best to sub with another cap/condenser and test if you have ignition issues or electric motor start run issues.
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