Regarding to zenner diodes you need to use the terminals marked as K (cathode) and any of the two marked as A (anode) instead of the 1 2 and 3 that you've used. That way you can test zenner diodes up to 15V (as far as I can recall) and yes you are right it is indeed a quite remarkable tester for such a low price. Good and informative review by the way. Tnx
Thank you for your review. I've owned one of these for over a year, and they are great for sorting and verifying parts for values and condition. One thing you did not mention is the capicatance test also has a "Vloss=XX%" reading, which, combined with the ESR impedance value, is a good indication of an internal resistive leak and component failure. A failed capacitor will usually have a Vloss value over 5%, with new or good capacitors reading a Vloss of under 1%
It would be nice to see how you wired the banana jack internally, but that's a great idea to implement. I've just purchased a tester yesterday, and am waiting for it to arrive.
i never really took any interest in electronics. then i found an old cb radio and that led me to passing my full ham licence. so i then got an understanding of electronics. i bought this little unit and for me its fantastic for £15. helped me fix linear amplifier.
Hi Bill. I have just received my TC1 from Ebay this week. And as a relative beginner in electronics already i have found this to be invaluable. I recently bought an old non working 1960s transistor radio with the intention to get it working. And straight away it has been a boon. Great video. Terry
Bought mine for 10£. I still remember when diy soldering kits of similar ones were 4£... And they were even better - had a frequency generator, counter etc
Thanks for good info video. Love the way, you compared those measurements with oscilloscope. By the way, I just ordered TC1 after finished this video. Going to use it to check the transistors from PBC
I've had one of those for a while, and I think they're great. When I'm building stuff and just want to check each component before insertion, my conventional meters with their twiddly knobs don't get a look in. It must be the best value electronic test tool around.
You did run the calibration required by the meter (it tell you in the manual I assume)! It's simple, just short all three inputs and turn on and it will calibrate. :)
I have two of these actually. The first one died, when I hit the test capacitor button twice ; I knew your suppose to discharge capacitors before testing but didn't think it would be that sensitive :-( That aside it works quite well; how did you connect your banana plugs? there isn't much room in the case for mods.
Some of the newer ones (still called TC1) off eBay are of much lower quality. They have no crystal, can damage zener diodes when testing and use a counterfeit MCU. By "counterfeit" I mean it says MEGA328 on it but it's a different MCU entirely which is completely incompatible and can't be reflashed with newer firmware. There's a big thread on the EEVblog about this.
These cheap meters are quite good. The only thing that normally fails is inductance measurement of large inductances. It seems to be too difficult to measure, which is understandable.
Love the banana plugs in..Very basic question ? did you calibrate the TC1 just might i'd say get even a lil bit more accurate readings..for testing /quick basic parts this tester is absolutely stupendous..
gives some pretty weird readings if you accidentally find out about self test mode by inserting a blown FET... meh. i havent had an IGBT read properly, but i havent got any new ones to test... FETs... fine, P and N. thyristor, fine. yeah, not the best resolution on small inductors... caps, leds and diodes, fine. bjts, fine. sticking an analog meter in was interesting. i like watching needles swing around :)
I picked up a T7-TC-H (LCR-T7-H) a short while back... for what they are and are to be used for, as well as considering their price point, they are a great little unit to have around for quick part identification. Are they perfect? Nope, but still very handy. BTW... the specs of mine indicate a low end test ability of 25pF and it does have issues with the few capacitors I have that are below that.
Got one of these. As a component (transitors, diodes) tester it is ok. For capacitors, the results are rather good. But for inductors, it's lame. The resolution of 10uH doesn't help, but ok, it's written in the specs. I get over 10% error for about 1mH, that starts to be a problem. For inductance above 6mH it is completely off. So, for transformer or power filter testing, i can't use it. Don't know if is a problem with my unit or it is a general issue.
Hello, very interesting video. I assume this device will not test Op Amps? If so, do you have any suggestions for a cheap device or easy way to test if Op Amps are working? Thank you.
I checked a 5.1V Zener diode with my new TC1 and the diode was hot when I removed it, after that the screen would not shut off for 2-3 minutes, during that few minutes , no matter what resistor or diodes I tested it would only show the value of the last Zener diode! I am a total newbie but I think the battery or the shut off component was faulty, that pulse of current that the battery sends through the diodes/resistor to test should only be a few milliseconds but in my unit it kept on giving, lol. anyhow I sent it back but ordered a new one ,still waiting.
I've recently purchased a TC-1 and the thing it doesn't do is give an accurate test for germanium transistors. The tester always reads them as two diodes. It's frustrating because it was the reason I bought the tester.
Wouldn't be without mine. I'd recommend it as a purchase after the multimeter. On the bench no matter what other gear I'm using. Quick warning. Don't try to measure in circuit components. Capacitors especially. Guess how I know.
@@RetroGadgetMan i would recommend desoldering the caps and then testing them out of circuit in order to have a proper reading. Of course, make sure theyre discharged before testing
I have change the battery for 1000mA, the ones that come with protection circuit and place also a switch. This unit when is off is not off, is sleeping with the drain bat consequences
Good video, thanks for your take on that stuff. Have you tried to use the IR remote control reader? The unit I bought cannot read any of my remotes (Samsung, Sony); the red light blinks (it sees the beam) but it never decodes the key. I wonder if that behavior is normal, or if it is defective.
Keep in mind the spec sheet states that it decodes HItachi format codes, so it may not do other IR encoding standards, if they exist. I'm no expert on IR protocols though. I did get mine to decode the power button on my Sony, but I had to hold it down a few seconds.
Hi, Thanks for the informational video. I was looking at your RuoShui LCR meter. I wanted to know what a decent unit I could pick up might be. I saw yours listed between $200 and 450. Some of the cheaper list prices made me wonder if they were legit equipment or not. Im not sure what make or models are dependable and affordable for a hobbyist getting started like myself. Im setting up a repair bench for my own vintage stereo equipment. I repair PC based equipment and can do good component level replacement and repair well if I know what components to replace. Board level troubleshooting and component identification is what Im looking to learn more of. Any advise would be great. Thanks
I've had this unit now for a few years. It's great. The only thing, is that now after these years, the batter is past its time. LOL But, putting in a new battery fixes it. I especially like THIS version of the meter due it having a color screen. I dislike those "old-school" monochrome, low rez screens.
@@3rdtonefromthesun Only about 10X lol.... current price for the Peak is 159 Pounds. So yeah, it's better but not sure what he's making the comparison.
I also bought one of these and 1/4watt resistors of 2K Ohms are seen as an inductor of 0.1mH with 2K resistance. Ive tried two 1K resistors in series and it still sees it as an inductor. Any similar experience with anyone ?
No similar experience yet, just got my unit. The resistors often have their resistive (metal) foil as a helical track, which essentially makes up an inductor. I have no experience on what ranges to expect from resistors though.
Cheap and nasty IMHO. The TC1 worked to start with, then after a while started giving false results, particularly with transistors, notably Beta, or hFE. I just replaced mine with a Peak Instruments device (DCA55). More money, yes. But worth it. And buying British!
Those banana plugs are a great idea. Going to lay out a blanket and dump my loose parts drawer out so I can find a couple I remember buying in 2015.
Regarding to zenner diodes you need to use the terminals marked as K (cathode) and any of the two marked as A (anode) instead of the 1 2 and 3 that you've used. That way you can test zenner diodes up to 15V (as far as I can recall) and yes you are right it is indeed a quite remarkable tester for such a low price. Good and informative review by the way. Tnx
Thank you for your review. I've owned one of these for over a year, and they are great for sorting and verifying parts for values and condition. One thing you did not mention is the capicatance test also has a "Vloss=XX%" reading, which, combined with the ESR impedance value, is a good indication of an internal resistive leak and component failure. A failed capacitor will usually have a Vloss value over 5%, with new or good capacitors reading a Vloss of under 1%
It would be nice to see how you wired the banana jack internally, but that's a great idea to implement.
I've just purchased a tester yesterday, and am waiting for it to arrive.
I love the IR decoder function. very handy when you need to design your custom remotes in phones with IR beamer.
i never really took any interest in electronics. then i found an old cb radio and that led me to passing my full ham licence. so i then got an understanding of electronics. i bought this little unit and for me its fantastic for £15. helped me fix linear amplifier.
Hi Bill. I have just received my TC1 from Ebay this week. And as a relative beginner in electronics already i have found this to be invaluable. I recently bought an old non working 1960s transistor radio with the intention to get it working. And straight away it has been a boon. Great video. Terry
Bought mine for 10£. I still remember when diy soldering kits of similar ones were 4£... And they were even better - had a frequency generator, counter etc
Thanks for good info video. Love the way, you compared those measurements with oscilloscope. By the way, I just ordered TC1 after finished this video. Going to use it to check the transistors from PBC
Great review...I Have an old Maestro Fuzz Tone FZ-1A pedal.Need to check the transistors and capacitors.I'm going to order one.Thank you.
Hi, for Zener diodes you need to use the KAA socket (K=cathode A=Anode) it will be much better and it's not for LED use.
Thanks for the review. It would be a good idea to put Three terminals on top, so you can test TO3 ETC canned transistors.
73 G1ZQC.
I've had one of those for a while, and I think they're great. When I'm building stuff and just want to check each component before insertion, my conventional meters with their twiddly knobs don't get a look in. It must be the best value electronic test tool around.
Thanks for a very useful video Bill - would love to see how the IR test function works...
Good review. A useful gadget for railway modellers to check components are still functional. Thanks for uploading.
You did run the calibration required by the meter (it tell you in the manual I assume)! It's simple, just short all three inputs and turn on and it will calibrate. :)
I have two of these actually. The first one died, when I hit the test capacitor button twice ; I knew your suppose to discharge capacitors before testing but didn't think it would be that sensitive :-( That aside it works quite well; how did you connect your banana plugs? there isn't much room in the case for mods.
Thanks, great video. Are you a ham radio operator too? I see a radio on your top shelf
Have you tried the zener diode in the K/A holes? Those has that purpose according to the manual.
Some of the newer ones (still called TC1) off eBay are of much lower
quality. They have no crystal, can damage zener diodes when testing and
use a counterfeit MCU. By "counterfeit" I mean it says MEGA328 on it but
it's a different MCU entirely which is completely incompatible and
can't be reflashed with newer firmware. There's a big thread on the
EEVblog about this.
Hi, is there any way of telling it's a genuine TC1 from external appearance?
3:35 Attached 2 banana sockets to lines 1 & 3
These cheap meters are quite good. The only thing that normally fails is inductance measurement of large inductances. It seems to be too difficult to measure, which is understandable.
A good video. Thanks! I have this and I find it very useful. Remarkably cheap for what it does.
Excellent, just ordered one!
Love the banana plugs in..Very basic question ? did you calibrate the TC1 just might i'd say get even a lil bit more accurate readings..for testing /quick basic parts this tester is absolutely stupendous..
gives some pretty weird readings if you accidentally find out about self test mode by inserting a blown FET...
meh. i havent had an IGBT read properly, but i havent got any new ones to test...
FETs... fine, P and N.
thyristor, fine.
yeah, not the best resolution on small inductors...
caps, leds and diodes, fine.
bjts, fine.
sticking an analog meter in was interesting. i like watching needles swing around :)
I know I am 2 years too late, but thank you for this, I just bought one for 12USD and was wondering if I was going to get anything useful.
Got my unit recently. For small capacitors (8:50) I tested a 10 pF one and it shows 7 pF no problem.
Very informative review, thank you!
Watching sir..thats a good kit specially when u want to use old parts
My inexpensive ebay version reads jfet's as resistors and germanium transistors as 2 diodes.
I picked up a T7-TC-H (LCR-T7-H) a short while back... for what they are and are to be used for, as well as considering their price point, they are a great little unit to have around for quick part identification. Are they perfect? Nope, but still very handy.
BTW... the specs of mine indicate a low end test ability of 25pF and it does have issues with the few capacitors I have that are below that.
Got one of these. As a component (transitors, diodes) tester it is ok. For capacitors, the results are rather good. But for inductors, it's lame. The resolution of 10uH doesn't help, but ok, it's written in the specs. I get over 10% error for about 1mH, that starts to be a problem. For inductance above 6mH it is completely off. So, for transformer or power filter testing, i can't use it. Don't know if is a problem with my unit or it is a general issue.
Hello, very interesting video. I assume this device will not test Op Amps? If so, do you have any suggestions for a cheap device or easy way to test if Op Amps are working? Thank you.
I checked a 5.1V Zener diode with my new TC1 and the diode was hot when I removed it, after that the screen would not shut off for 2-3 minutes, during that few minutes , no matter what resistor or diodes I tested it would only show the value of the last Zener diode! I am a total newbie but I think the battery or the shut off component was faulty, that pulse of current that the battery sends through the diodes/resistor to test should only be a few milliseconds but in my unit it kept on giving, lol. anyhow I sent it back but ordered a new one ,still waiting.
Good device...thanks very much Sir.
I've recently purchased a TC-1 and the thing it doesn't do is give an accurate test for germanium transistors. The tester always reads them as two diodes. It's frustrating because it was the reason I bought the tester.
Wouldn't be without mine. I'd recommend it as a purchase after the multimeter. On the bench no matter what other gear I'm using.
Quick warning.
Don't try to measure in circuit components. Capacitors especially.
Guess how I know.
Will it destroy the components if we measure it in circuit?
@@sfjohn9868 it will destroy the meter
@@yes____I was wondering this myself. What if you discharged the circuit first. I want to use this to test electrolyte caps in circuit.
@@RetroGadgetMan i would recommend desoldering the caps and then testing them out of circuit in order to have a proper reading. Of course, make sure theyre discharged before testing
@@yes____ thanks. I was hoping to avoid removing them. Is there a device that can read the esr in circuit.
I have change the battery for 1000mA, the ones that come with protection circuit and place also a switch. This unit when is off is not off, is sleeping with the drain bat consequences
Good video, thanks for your take on that stuff. Have you tried to use the IR remote control reader? The unit I bought cannot read any of my remotes (Samsung, Sony); the red light blinks (it sees the beam) but it never decodes the key. I wonder if that behavior is normal, or if it is defective.
Keep in mind the spec sheet states that it decodes HItachi format codes, so it may not do other IR encoding standards, if they exist. I'm no expert on IR protocols though. I did get mine to decode the power button on my Sony, but I had to hold it down a few seconds.
I would of liked to see all the connection and what they are for
Hi, Thanks for the informational video. I was looking at your RuoShui LCR meter. I wanted to know what a decent unit I could pick up might be. I saw yours listed between $200 and 450. Some of the cheaper list prices made me wonder if they were legit equipment or not. Im not sure what make or models are dependable and affordable for a hobbyist getting started like myself. Im setting up a repair bench for my own vintage stereo equipment. I repair PC based equipment and can do good component level replacement and repair well if I know what components to replace. Board level troubleshooting and component identification is what Im looking to learn more of. Any advise would be great. Thanks
why do they have KAA on the ziff? And whats the IR do?
I've had this unit now for a few years. It's great. The only thing, is that now after these years, the batter is past its time. LOL
But, putting in a new battery fixes it.
I especially like THIS version of the meter due it having a color screen.
I dislike those "old-school" monochrome, low rez screens.
What frequency it will use when measuring internal resistance?
For diode forward voltage drop measurements do you know how it compares to a Peak Atlas meter?
Can this be used to test esr for electrolyte capacitors in circuit if the circuit is discharged first.
I prefer the Peak Atlas DCA-75 Pro, is much better in every posible way.
I have two units.
These cheap meters do not test IGBT's.
Yeah but how much more expensive is it??
@@3rdtonefromthesun Only about 10X lol.... current price for the Peak is 159 Pounds. So yeah, it's better but not sure what he's making the comparison.
My TC1 wont read Germanium transistors..... Havent got a clue why. It says one OR two diodes. But not any Hfe.
Can we measure components on a mobile motherboard by this multimeter?
I also bought one of these and 1/4watt resistors of 2K Ohms are seen as an inductor of 0.1mH with 2K resistance. Ive tried two 1K resistors in series and it still sees it as an inductor. Any similar experience with anyone ?
No similar experience yet, just got my unit. The resistors often have their resistive (metal) foil as a helical track, which essentially makes up an inductor. I have no experience on what ranges to expect from resistors though.
Are you looking at wirewound resistors? They are also inductors of a sort...
No, not wirewound and it seems to be just tthis resistance. Measuring resistors greater or lower than 2K works fine,
Can you test for a fake opamp with this?
Cheap and nasty IMHO. The TC1 worked to start with, then after a while started giving false results, particularly with transistors, notably Beta, or hFE. I just replaced mine with a Peak Instruments device (DCA55). More money, yes. But worth it. And buying British!
I have a TC1 and primarily use it for testing forward voltage drop on germanium diodes. Do you have any advice on comparing the Peak Atlas with this?
Very nasty. It can't identify jfet, triac pins are not identified correctly and also no current limit in the zener tester. Very terrible tester.
este aparato es basura.