Blue ESR Tester Kit - Requires Assembly

If you're patient and careful, this kit goes together pretty easily. It took me a few hours to solder all the components onto the board, but I'm not really experienced with kits like these and I had fun doing it. In my opinion it is worth saving the 20 bucks to get the experience that comes with putting one of these together. The meter powered on first try and everything worked as expected. I haven't put the meter to use yet but I've read a lot of reviews around the internet with praise for this device's accuracy and reliability. The design seems to be vary good as it even has a built-in fault detection system which tells you which part of the circuit to look for problems in in the case of an error.A couple of things that could have been improved:Include instructions for how to use the included alligator clips if desired instead of the banana plugs.Some reference on the case for how to apply the sticker straight would have been helpful - for the mild OCD in everyone it would be appreciated.For beginners, it is disconcerting to have a component which looks a little different than the picture in the manual.Also for a beginner I would like to be assured whether the crystal is polarized so that I am not unsure about the orientation I should solder it in.

I love to build kits. In the past I have built over 200 Heathkits successfully. This kit is a very difficult one to build because the board is so tightly packed with components. The assembly instructions are very basic. It requires a steady hand, a fine point soldering iron, and an illuminated magnifying light. It is nearly impossible to correct parts placement errors without severely damaging the very fine foil traces.I built 2 of these and both had problems due to my assembly. If you are an EXCELLENT kit builder, I say go for it. If you have any doubts, pay the extra $20 and get one that's assembled.

This took me an hour to assemble. I've been soldering for 20 years and am familiar with kit assembly, components, etc. It's not a race, though. Reference designators are clear and you shouldn't have much trouble matching components to locations. Parts are in baggies by type. I started with resistors. Check part counts and values. Double check your work as you go. It will save you time and aggravation. No parts were missing in my kit.The unit worked well when powered. The calibration instructions didn't come with mine. It is on Anatek's website, but I think they should have been included. Calibration is simple, though.This unit replaces an older unit I had bought years ago-mul3333. Anatek's unit is much better and works faster. It is also much more precise. ESR testers make quick work of finding bad capacitors and I highly recommend this one.

Only thing wrong with this is I had too much fun putting it together, now I want to buy another :) Seriously, this was a dream to assemble. The only thing that frustrated me was that I wasn't sure on the crystal (three points, no indication that it's not polarized, though Google answered that quickly). I'd really like it if there were detachable leads, would make it easier to store, though I'll pursue this later. So, on top of that, this thing is a dream to use. As soon as it was assembled, I tested it out on a handful of caps I knew were bad (not in circuit) along with a handful of brand new ones of the same values. Handful of repair projects to tear into in the next few weeks, but this should pay for itself in no time.

Nice meter but some components were low quality and defective.(One resistor's leads were badly corroded, and one cap was dented in)I was a bit disappointed in the poor quality of some of the components (especially for the price)Had I not needed to use it right away I would have orderd replacements for all the caps and resistors.Update: I wound up replacing this with a DE-5000 LCR meter with much more functionality for about the same price.

Kit went together well. PC board is of good quality. Works great after assembly. Enjoying testing cap’s. Only negative is the test probes, would like to have received a set that provided DVM style probes as well as a way to easily interchange alligator clips and/or mini hooks.

Instructions were crystal clear! Even though I didn't need them, there are also very handy troubleshooting tips and an internal diagnostic program to help you out if you run into trouble.A great deal. Very pleased with the product overall.

The kit itself is very easy to assemble if you have a little experience soldering, but the supplied wire for test leads is too short and low quality, kinks easily. I got jumpy readings with that wire. I purchased some 16ga low resistance silicone coated OFC wire here on Amazon to make my own longer test leads and that cured the problems for me.