Capacitor tester (non polar) Analog 2 pF-1,5 uF schematic, layout and demo

The video shows in detail a schematic, test and layout of an analog capacitor tester working between 2 pF and 1,5 uF that can serve you for many years.



Video NOT made for children.


Remarks: when you “write in” all the values on the scale be aware of this: A) write them in with a pencil (graphite has an endless life and does not bleach due to light influences B) carefully move your hand to the scale when you write the capacitor values because static charge on your hand (always there) makes the pointer of such a big scale professional meter move C) do the calibration in the final stage, when everything works properly.


I made the power supply with a tiny transformer (giving out say 50 mA or 75 mA) to prevent that the stray field (in the Netherlands 50 Hertz) effected the sensitive Micro Ampère meter. More info in the video.
The power supply was made with: a bridge rectifier (300 V – 2 A, overdone), a fuse of say 100 mA in the primary transformer winding. The transformer gives out 17 Volt AC at (say) 50 or 75 mA. From the AC winding a resistor of 15 Ohms (0,5 Watt) goes to the bridge rectifier AC electrode.



The bridge rectifier is connected to a 470 uF - 50 V smoothing capacitor. The + of that capacitor goes to the 7812 voltage stabilizer.



That 7812 Voltage stabilizer is bridged at its output with a 100 N capacitor and a 220 K resistor. That (+) output goes to the circuit where there is a 220 uF smoothing capacitor parallel to the complete circuit (both oscillator on 2,5 KC and the meter unit) bridged with a 47 N non polar capacitor.


All the videos hat I have published on You Tube can be found via my Channel Trailer: Link is

https://youtu.be/xbgQ8T3oqh4

In thematic order you can find these video’s under the “comments” section.
Important: to find all the links to the (+/-700) video’s on my YT Channel, select, in the comments section, “NEWEST FIRST”

My books about electronics are available via the website from “Lulu”, search for author “Ko Tilman” there.

https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=ko+tilman&type=

There is an important video via which you can buy a document where I give links to many of my video’s, published between 2010 and 2018.

Link is: https://youtu.be/XXRsA24NUE0

My books are also available via Barnes and Noble and via Amazon.

Regarding all my video’s: I constantly keep them actual, so the original video’s with the most recent information are always on YouTube. That is the source, and search there. When my video’s are reproduced or re-edited on other websites/channels you can not (!) be sure about the original content (=really working electronics with real properties for a purpose) and important adaptations to the circuits.

Be aware of that, I saw on the internet my circuits reproduced in a poor or not proper way.

I also found that people probably republish my circuits under phantasy names and/or with phantasy properties. Sometimes they want to find gold with them. I take distance from all these fake claims; I cannot help that it happens, sorry. Upload 3 january 2020.