Measuring capacitance???

[greenacarina]

Since many capacitors aren't marked with their value, is there a way to measure their capacitance? Maybe my multimeter is just missing this function?

Chris

[jonathan perez]

Maybe my multimeter is just missing this function?

probably...

i know mine is...

[rockgardenlove]

Most caps do have their value printed on in the form of a 3 number code.

[petemoore]

  If I paid for a MM that has capacitence function[expensive], I'd be sure the function functioned, a cap meter would be nice...lol.
 I just look at size, sometimes plug them in a FF input cap socket, right behind one that looked about like it, then compare sound...mostly good for hearing differences on caps below about 1uf.
 I just educatedly guess [I got good at naming caps after doing lots of comparisons with marked value caps]...works out pretty good...get to pretest those caps, I can tell the difference between .047uf and .068uf...can just about put either one in and tell what it is, size/shape...can vary with voltage ratings.

[JimRayden]

Google comes to help.

I found this to be particularly fascinating. It plugs right up yer computer! Don't be afraid of the little programming, you'll have your very own ohmmeter and a faradmeter in the end.

http://home.hetnet.nl/~ba8tian/cmtr-gb2.htm


By the way, the FF idea is brilliant!

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Jimbo

[Gilles C]

I already have a couple good older multimeters that don't measure caps, but I bought a cheaper one that has that function. They come very cheap these days, and more than one meter is useful.

I always measure caps before I use them. I don't trust what I think I read of the caps...

Gilles