Finding a suitable low cost ESR tester

[analogix]

I'm looking for a low cost ESR tester for checking capacitors without having to remove them from their PCBs and thought I'd find my answer in the $20 LCR ERS transistor checker project thread, particularly starting here.

Mainly I'm trying to find one with two probes or wires (most of them seem to come with a ZIP socket, but as I have a nice Uni-T UT61E digital multimeter for measuring out-of-circuit components I don't need that). Also some protection circuitry (for whenever I forget to discharge a capacitor) would come in handy and a case (so I don't have to worry about the meter short-circuiting).
The MK328 appears to come with probes but it's more expensive than the rest and looks butt-ugly to boot!
It seems most of these meters are sold as "measures-everything-tools" while I don't care about the other features apart from ESR (the function generator that some of them have is one exception which my multimeter won't handle).

Is there anything out there that will fit my needs? It can be a kit or ready built.
I also read about an AY-AT model which is supposedly very good, but eBay didn't turn up anything with that description -which ESR meter is this?

[ebclr]

You can try this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Screen-Digital-Capacitor-ESR-Tester-Internal-Resistance-Meter-In-Circuit-/132083116837?hash=item1ec0c46b25:g:bDEAAOSwTglYkpSq

[BradC]

I tried the $20 Atmega component tester, and it had passable results until I acidentally hit it with a cap that was not entirely discharged and let the smoke out of the CPU.

I built another one, but I also spent $80 on a kit for the Bob Parker ESR meter. Best $80 I ever spent. I has been dead solid and with the addition of back to back protection diodes on the input, immune to my arc-inducing rare brain-fades. The $20 tester sees more duty doing the other things it is exceptionally good at, but the dedicated ESR meter gets pulled out for the cap diagnostics. It's dynamite.

Some of the build yourself versions floating around the forum look exceptional too, I just went with the ease of an off the shelf kit that has many years under its belt.

[kripton2035]

on my repository, you can get plenty of esr meter schematics, and there are the famous eevblog there, easy to find on a single page.

[alanb]

I can recommend the Peak Atlas ESR meter http://www.peakelec.co.uk/acatalog/jz_esr60.html
Works in circuit and out and will discharge capacitors automatically. I'm not sure if it is within your budget though.

[analogix]

Yes, I did read that posting about someone who created such a meter from scratch, but I don't have the resources to make a PCB etc. so I'm relying on a kit or ready made unit.

ebclr: I hadn't seen that one before. Is it better than the usual "does-everything" eBay testers?

I guess you get what you pay for, and when searching for information the blue ESR meter from Anatek (kit or assembled) keeps coming up. So does the Peak Atlas ESR-60/ESR-70 (which doesn't get a very favourable review in the 'how to choose an ESR meter' PDF document though others appear to give it high marks, and is the one alanb suggested above). That document gives the EVB ESR meter (kit or assembled) very high marks.

But they all cost considerably more than the eBay kits. So it all boils down to if the eBay meters are good enough for my limited hobby use or if I really need one of the more expensive meters mentioned above.

[kripton2035]

Yes, I did read that posting about someone who created such a meter from scratch, but I don't have the resources to make a PCB etc. so I'm relying on a kit or ready made unit.

you don't need any pcb for the simple ones like these. you can put the components on a veroboard and it will work fine.

[Coldblackice]

Sorry for the thread resurrection, but can I ask what you ended up getting (or building)? I'm in the same boat myself, and wondering if ebay meters are good enough for hobbyist use.

[analogix]

No probem 
I never got round to buying/building one, but instead replaced all the capacitors of a couple of old power supplies with new, high quality, branded ones (bought from a reputable dealer -not eBay so as not to risk receiving fake ones).
I might look into a meter later on though.

[shakalnokturn]

I bought a DER EE DE-5000 LCR meter a few years ago, it works well and is also useful for inductors of course. I don't think it has input protection but it does have kelvin wiring.
Test frequencies are: 100/120Hz, 1kHz, 10kHz, 100kHz