From: Joe Foley (redmenaced@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Apr 02 2003 - 20:10:32 PST
--- m35products <m35prod@optonline.net> wrote:
> A multi-meter, set on the "ohms" scale, will check
> if a capacitor has
> shorted. The normal test is a large kick when the
> leads are first attached.
> This is the capacitor charging. Then a slow decay to
> infinity (open
> circuit). Reverse the leads carefully, and the meter
> will kick again. Then
> another decay. If the meter needle stays up in the
> middle of the scale, the
> cap is shorted, or at least suspect. Ask a
> telephone company repairman or
> cable splicer to lend you his "brown meter" or
> "sidekick". It is designed to
> do exactly what I just explained. It has a 48-volt
> battery, and a reverse
> key on it, which makes moving the leads unnecessary.
> Arthur P. (old phone
> man) Bloom
+++++++++
Well,..... maybe,
What you really need to do to fully test a capacitor
is to put its rated voltage acrossed it and put a
current meter in series with it to see how many amps
it passes at that voltage. A capacitor may leak
without being completely shorted.
Yes, you're right if its a dead short your test will
show it, but that may not be enough voltage to show a
partial short. Or the cap may hold until it has its
rated voltage acrossed it.
Ask a radio tech instead,
Joe KG2CI
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