Ever seen one of these?

[duskglow]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transistor-Diode-Capacitor-Tracker-Curve-Tracer-Electronic-Component-Tester-/151051471921

It looks like a neat little gadget that someone designed and built themselves.  I'm not sure if I would have a use for one yet, but some of you might.

[digsys]

You'll find that many of the "older" members here grew up with curve tracers (we didn't have many other resources back then).
The Elektor design was / is? one of the best, that one has pretty average "curves".
There's many threads on this forum on the subject, should you have more interest.

[duskglow]

Ahh, interesting.  Always something new to learn.

Way too much, actually.   

[Drhappyness]

i think for same price you can buy analog oscilloscope with same functionality , component test feature

[notsob]

It's an 'octopus' been used for eons, google 'octopus'

[edpalmer42]

Huntron Tracker is the best known commercial version of this.  It's been around for 10 or 20 years.

Ed

[Hydrawerk]

i think for same price you can buy analog oscilloscope with same functionality , component test feature

Yes, it is a standard feature on most analog or digital Hameg scopes since late 1980s or so.

[PA4TIM]

http://www.pa4tim.nl/?p=1437 this one I made some time ago.
Also once made an octopus.
I know own a sort of hurton tracer copy from vu-data. And my pride is a Tektronix 576, the king of curve tracers but that is a total different class. It can do things like 1000V and 10A, you can do a lot more with a CT then most people know. Besides testing semiconductors you can measure ESR, zap nicads, charge batteries, test volt/temp coöfficients, match components, with some additional things you can even test tubes.

[PhilNY]

Here on page 27 of Tektronix's "The XYZs of using a scope" is an easy one to build for cheap, plus some good scope tips.
Phil


http://njarc.org/books/XYZs%20of%20Using%20a%20Scope/XYZs_of_Using_a_Scope.pdf

[jebcom]

i think for same price you can buy analog oscilloscope with same functionality , component test feature

If you have such a scope for $60, I think I'd like to buy it from you.