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Help using new ESR meter. Where do we draw the line?

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fastline

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Finally got around to putting this ""kit"" together (cussing, sucked, 2hrs, etc) and was testing some caps, all of which I had in certain circuits that were suspect. All are testing within range, not one of them over 1 ohm. Just curious what a "going" might might test at and what a known bad one might test at? I don't think I have a bad one to test but thought I did...
 
Thanks. I do understand the principle of my ESR meter as well as looking up the ideal new ESR for a particular cap but I am more or less asking when to consider it a good idea to replace and when the cows are coming how?
 
perhaps you can look for electrolytic capacitors that bulged at their top.
they are the ones that might have dried. out. and would definitely show up higher ESR !!!
 
Finally got around to putting this ""kit"" together (cussing, sucked, 2hrs, etc) and was testing some caps, all of which I had in certain circuits that were suspect. All are testing within range, not one of them over 1 ohm. Just curious what a "going" might might test at and what a known bad one might test at? I don't think I have a bad one to test but thought I did...

It depends on the value of the capacitors, check known good ones to compare - but 1 ohm is pretty poor ESR, unless it's a low value capacitor.
 
yes, there is a table but what I am asking is if the target ESR is say .1 ohms on a certain cap, if it reads .15ohms, is it bad?? The table I have is not exactly good enough to get an exact value and i realize that certain caps just have a lower ESR than others by design. I also understand the lower value caps and higher voltage will have higher ESR. I am just curious if once one starts going, it will easily show with several Xs the target values?
 
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PHP:
Doesn't the ESR meter have a table printed on it showing recommended values for the ESR of different uF/voltage?
There are so many different kinds of caps that I would not use a table, but the table is better than nothing.
When I spend the money for a high current low ESR cap I want to know that is what I am getting.
FastLine; A ESR that is 1.5X over is about the same as a cap with a 0.66X the uF. I think it shows a questionable but working capacitor. ESR is rated as max not +/-10%.
 
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