Sprague TCA-1

[K5WLF]

Yesterday, a ham friend of mine gave me a Sprague TCA-1 Transfarad Capacitor Analyzer. The cabinet looks pretty rough, but it's intact. Haven't plugged it in yet, the power cord is chewed up too bad. Looks like somebody either had an eager puppy or stored it where the mice got to it. Somebody gave it to my friend, and he didn't have any use for it so he passed it along to my ever-growing junque collection.

Anybody have any experience with one of these? I'm wondering if it's worth spending any time on or not.

TIA.

ldb
K5WLF

[Detroit47]

I had one it was ok I sold it too much stuff.

John

[Pete, WA2CWA]

It's not a bad instrument for testing low voltage capacitors. However, the Sprague TO series is far more versatile of an instrument in testing a much wider variety of capacitor types, voltage ratings, leakage, etc.

[K5WLF]

Pete,

You said "low voltage". What's the max voltage caps it'll test? I noticed the "Polarizing Voltage" control only goes to 150V.

ldb
K5WLF

[Pete, WA2CWA]

The unit was designed for testing the lower voltage rating of capacitors found in solid-state circuits. Wasn't really designed for testing capacitors that have voltage ratings higher then 150 volts.

[K5WLF]

Thanks, Pete. Looks like it ain't worth spending too much time on then. I think it'll be a real back-burner thing.

ldb
K5WLF