DSE ESR meter

you dont need a regulated power supply it uses less than 50ma a 9v

bob

If you mean the ones in the kit, that is perfectly OK.

Bob

Hi Bob, is DSE still selling your Meter? I know Jaycar used to sell it, mine 'Blewup' a while ago (Bloody TV tech used it and forgot to discharge the cap, and then Did not tell anyone he stuffed it, could not workout why all these caps where stuffed..:>) So I have been looking for a replacement. Allan

G'day Allan, As far as I know, DSE's still selling both the Mk1 and Mk2 kits for the ridiculously cheap price of $24.99 each. You better grab one fairly quickly because the rumour going around is that they mightn't be making any more of them, or any other kits either. Woolworths management has apparently decreed that Dick Smith Electronics in future won't have any connection with either Dick Smith or component-level electronics. :-( BTW, probably only C6 (47uF bipolar) and the microcontroller (IC2) are damaged in your meter. Both are replaceable, you know.

Rgds Bob

Perhaps they will do a Kentucky Fried Chicken and simply become "DSE"? Perhaps there was a 25 year deal on the use of the Dick Head?

Dave :)

Where can one buy spare parts? Tom

either.

What's the bet it costs as much to buy a programmed controller as DSE is selling the kits for at the moment :-)

MrT.

Who knows what the Woolies bean counters who run the company will do next? Even that logo isn't the one they had originally. They really should give it a new name which reflects what the company really stands for. "Big W Consumer Electronics" would be accurate.

Bob

DSE should still be able to sell you a 47uF 50V bipolar capacitor. It's catalog number R4650. Don't ask the staff for help though - they don't know what a capacitor is.

I can help you with the microcontroller chip. Remove ".deletethis" from my e-mail address to contact me. Click on the link in the Bluebottle anti-spam e-mail you'll get, and I'll get it.

Bob

Components are not going. Infact there are more to come soon. Not sure what you mean by Woolies decreeing DSE wont have any connection with Dick Smith, because the man himself has not had any say in the company since 1982, when he sold his half of the company. So how DSE and Dick Smith could have less involvement is beyond me!

Mike

Are you a DSE employee?

I was simply saying that DSE has no involvement with Dick Smith himself. I didn't mean that this was something new!

Bob

Thanks for your answer Bob. I was mainly asking about microcontroller as I don't recall seeing any sort of firmware for it anywhere. So far I don't need one (I've only built my ESR meter just a week ago) but it's good to know there are spares available. Tom

No worries! DSE also sells the micro as a spare part, though I don't know what its catalog number is. The firmware hasn't been made public. Even if it was, there aren't a lot of programmers for Zilog Z8 micros around.

Rgds Bob

I find that surprising. I know the mark-up on components is massive, more than any other consumer item, but they must represent a very small proportion of sales? A classic case for slashing the inventory and cutting costs. I'm surprised they have lasted all this time stocking components, as they are as everyone knows, shocking at it.

Do you have any more details?

Dave :)

It was probably > 20 years ago that I was waiting in line at the cash register at the local DSE store. The bloke in front of me put a handful of components on the counter, and a 1/4W resistor rolled off the edge. The helpful salesgirl said, "One of your diodes just fell on the floor!". Things haven't improved since then. That's why I'm also very curious as to why DSE would discontinue kits which have the catalog numbers on the cartons to make it easy for the salespersons, but increase their range of components which are a total mystery to them. Maybe they'll start selling resistors and everything else at even higher prices in little plastic bubble packs like Tandy used to?

When are they going to start training the current crop of 16 year-old still_wet_behind_the_ears sales staff as to what a resistor, transistor etc actually are? Because until that happens, component buyers will stay away in droves to avoid the pain.

Hi Bob,

Yeap, i'm a DSE employee. Started in 1990 in sales and was also in the Vic Service Centre until it was closed about two years ago, now i'm back on the floor so to speak.

So many people still think he runs and owns it, which i guess is natural for those outside of the electronics industry. I suppose Woolies haven't gone to any lengths to dispel the myth, although they don't hide it in any of their corporate information.

Mike

Thanks for elaborating, Mike. I expect that the average person on the steet assumes that Dick Smith not only runs the stores with his face on them, but also makes peanut butter and produces a nature magazine. :)

Cheers Bob