LCR Meter Recommendations

Equipment
1

I am in the market for an LCR meter and I am looking for recommendations. My immediate use is measuring inductance of custom-wound magnetic components. I expect it will be used for a brief period, then be shelved for several months before being used again, i.e. it won’t be in regular use.

After looking at several different meters I very nearly bought a BK Precision BK880. It seemed like a good deal, with bundled accessories, good performance and measurement to 100kHz (similar to Agilent’s U1733C bundle, but lower cost). Then I found a follow-up review on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vWk1DqFzZY) that drew attention to some bad points. The tweezers were poor quality and the standby current was very high (higher than specified) so there is a risk of battery drain and leakage.

What do you use? Would you recommend it? Do you have a BK880 and disagree with the review? Should I stop wasting billable time and just buy a U1733C? Or get a budget item and look again when I need something better?

2

I have this one, ET4401, and it’s great:

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32974589297.html

3

If you can afford a Bode100, buy that instead:

https://www.omicron-lab.com/products/vector-network-analysis/bode-100

4

I’ve always found that Bathroom Equipment stores sell the best test equipment! :laughing:

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5

About 100 stores at Aliexpress sells it:

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20211003130425&SearchText=ET4401

I just recently bought the Bode100. Then I needed a bias injection box

I could buy this one:

https://www.picotest.com/products_J2130A.html

525 USD!

When you look inside, there is a capacitor and a resistor. So I build my own, since I cannot buy it on Aliexpress. At least not what I have found

6

Yeah, this “Verification Box” selling for $700 has four resistors in it:

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But they can get away with it because no responsible manufacturer will cut corners on product safety compliance.

7

Nice example. Almost like people buying speaker cables for 200 USD/meter :wink: (although that box actually does have a purpose)

8

I own the BK Precision BK880. TEquipment says I bought on it Sep 14, 2019, for $354.76 USD. I use it very infrequently, but it has been fine for my purposes, mostly sanity checking Joulescope component values and investigating a few real-world behaviors. I think that I have only used the 100 kHz, slow reading. I also have more relaxed expectations for accuracy, and 0.2 pF (as the video reviewer was noting) is not reasonable with a casual setup, at least from my experience.

I think that I have only charged the BK880 once. I just took it out, and it powered up fine.

I have not used the U1733C, so I can’t recommend one over the other.

9

Thanks kvk. I had a look at it and the review by Defpom on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpwVrwKxGvs). I know it sounds silly (I can’t help it) but I was put off by the “FREG” button (frequency?).

I nearly bought the BK880 this morning after reading that you were happy with it. It’s waiting in my shopping basket while Farnell verify whether it ships with a UK mains adaptor.

10

I had a reply from Farnell. Part 277-0322 is shipped with a 120V adaptor. Farnell’s advice was to buy an additional adaptor (321-4119) and presumably discard the other one? Anyway, that’s a European plug so no good for me in the UK. :frowning_face:

11

Hi…DE-5000’s estimation voltage is (or can be, appears to rely a piece upon the estimation/parts) sufficiently high to trip semiconductors, thus, in-circuit estimation could be interesting that way, as well.

12

I’m no expert on test gear, but a friend that is recommended me the DE-5000 from this Ebay vendor. Has served my needs well, but I do not use it too often. It mostly hangs over my desk.

13

All electronic components have characteristics that may be highly dependent on frequency, voltage, current, or combinations of these. Choose an LCR meter with settings that at least come close to your circuit requirements.