Just Sharing This Transistor and other component checker

[Channel Hopper]

I was given a demonstration of one of these earlier in the week, and from first impressions it is superb, moreso for the price.

Pardon our interruption...

It is tiny but looks to do everything (and more ) the current Fluke meter I have.

I have ordered one and expect it to be delivered Monday, when I will run it up against the Fluke and the analogue meter of old (Reace LB1)

 

[jeallen01]

Seems to be quite similar to some other cheap transistor/component testers on eBay (& elsewhere), available in both complete and kit form. Bought the latter + crap case kit of acrylic bits, and I posted about that on the forum a couple of years ago. Not needed to use it much, but it seems OK.

 

[RimaNTSS]

I also have something similar on the shelve. TBH, not using it much.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I was very impressed with the speed at which the auto detection kicked in, and the identification of the polarity shown on the screen that negates the need of the user to correctly wire things up.

As one of the other members of the radio club suggested, this is useful to identify left over components, or those pulled out of a rig, just to know that it should be saved, or discarded.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I also have something similar on the shelve. TBH, not using it much.

That version is available at similar, if not identical pricing. How can a manufacturer produce a colour screen device with intelligence and battery for under $15 , and make a profit when the carriage is included ?

 

[jeallen01]

This was the thread in which I posted my original comments:

Cheap Generic Transistor\LCR\ESR test meter

Someone may already have one of these, a Mk-168 Transistor\LCR\ESR test meter. I found that ,apart from that unit, there appear to be a number of relatively similar devices available on ebay/Amazon under the generic designation "LCR-T4" and available from a variety of suppliers...

www.satellites.co.uk

 

[jeallen01]

That version is available at similar, if not identical pricing. How can a manufacturer produce a colour screen device with intelligence and battery for under $15 , and make a profit when the carriage is included ?

Chinese government "ensures" low/zero cost international transportation - how else can one explain even far cheaper stuff (like a couple of quid) that comes from that country??

 

[Channel Hopper]

As Llew mentioned in the thread, it is a perfect tool for quick checks on components you can lift one leg off the board.

I'm more concerned that it is similar in accuracy in the diode/ transistor department , compared to the Reace and the multimeter (which is a Toolzone, not a Fluke)

 

[RimaNTSS]

how else can one explain even far cheaper stuff (like a couple of quid) that comes from that country??

I think they ship stuff in sea-containers , thousands of pieces in one container, therefore transportation expenses are not high.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Chinese government "ensures" low/zero cost international transportation - how else can one explain even far cheaper stuff (like a couple of quid) that comes from that country??

Ah, no. That is only a fraction of the story. There is definitely something more to this, marionette and puppetmaster springs to mind.

 

[jeallen01]

I think they ship stuff in sea-containers , thousands of pieces in one container, therefore transportation expenses are not high.

How long do container ships take to get from China to the UK - 4-6 weeks or so?? A lot of the stuff arrives within 2-3 weeks, door-to-door, so that's got to be coming by air (unless via-Russia by rail).

 

[RimaNTSS]

A lot of the stuff arrives within 2-3 weeks, door-to-door,

Agree with that. Perhaps they form pale of small packages in one air-container.... anyway thousand of small packages can fit in 1x1x1m box. But some packages still travel by sea, with delivery time up to 2 month.

 

[Channel Hopper]

The one I have on order is already stored in the UK, delivery is expected in 2 working days.

For £12.40

 

[jeallen01]

Ah, no. That is only a fraction of the story. There is definitely something more to this, marionette and puppetmaster springs to mind.

So, "who" do we think is "who" - President Xi, President Putin, or WHO (probably not President Trump ) ???

 

[Channel Hopper]

ESAMACT is the manufacturer of the TC1 equivalent shipped to the US

ESAMACT – Krebs on Security

 

[jeallen01]

The one I have on order is already stored in the UK, delivery is expected in 2 working days.

For £12.40

Probably, IF you actually get what you ordered! - just had a "spat" with a Chinese supplier from whom I ordered another RF remotely-controlled relay, only to get a bare PCB with a couple of relays, which turned out to be actually be an interface & relay unit for connection to a Rasberry/Arduino etc.! When that became clear, supplier offered me a 50% refund on the basis that there was very little profit in ebay sales (well, it was only £2.87 in the first place ), but I made it very clear that a refund was "mandatory", and it came today but only after a week of "argy-bargy"

PS: £12.40, or probably <£10 "direct" from China/Hong Kong.

 

[jeallen01]

ESAMACT is the manufacturer of the TC1 equivalent shipped to the US

ESAMACT – Krebs on Security

No problem for the tester - but total "Bloody Hell!" for many of the other devices (CCTV cameras etc.!) they make.

 

[RimaNTSS]

BTW, when you shop in Aliexpress do not forget to use cashback. In last couple of years (maybe 3, do not remember when I started to use it) I got from cashback ~500 bucks.

 

[Lazarus]

How long do container ships take to get from China to the UK - 4-6 weeks or so?? A lot of the stuff arrives within 2-3 weeks, door-to-door, so that's got to be coming by air (unless via-Russia by rail).

Many of them have UK Warehousing.

 

[jeallen01]

Many of them have UK Warehousing.

Quite so, as CH said, but it can still take a week or more before something arrives in your postbox - and if the wrong thing arrives then you have the same problems as I described.

OTOH, if you "know what you are getting into", then, from a personal viewpoint, it can be worth the hassle (again, as I said) and so I must try to find a use for that "free" relay PCB! .