Anyone have a inductance test layout?

[rjb]

Does the meter provide the 100hz? Is that how it reads inductance? Or do I have to put the signal through the pickup to get the reading?

I'm not sure who you're asking.
The Extech LCR meters provide 100hz.
For my "Electronics Lab 101" method, your tone generator provides the test frequency.

[888guitars]

Ok cool. I just couldn't find info on how they tested and what frequency it tested at.

[Joe Gwinn]

Looking for a way to test the inductance. I have a tone generator. Anyone have the schematic and the formula? Is there a chart of "good sounding" single coils and buckers showing the Henry's ? Or a chart showing a frequency graph of more or less inductance?

Here is the schematic for a Maxwell-Wein Inductance Bridge, which will achieve the accuracy of a good LCR if you have a good multimeter that can measure capacitance, but is far slower to use than a LCR meter.

MaxwellBridge.pdf

[bajaman]

easiest solution is to buy one of these
Portable Digital LCR RCL Inductance Capacitance Resistance Meter Multimeter Lead | eBay
cheers
bajaman

[888guitars]

For that kind of money I just ordered it! Thanks!

[big_teee]

Here's another version of it.
Cheap 4070L 2.1" LCD 3 1/2 Digital LCR Multimeter
I'm not on ebay, I may take a chance on it.
T

[David King]

Terry's link includes the frequency the inductance tests are using in these inexpensive meters (100Hz) I guess that's useful but I wouldn't know for sure.

[Joe Gwinn]

Be careful. Not all LCR meters are suitable for pickups. Look at the recent thread on the Der EE 5000 LCR meter (which is suitable).

[John Kolbeck]

Great thread http://music-electronics-forum.com/t39550/

For this meter http://music-electronics-forum.com/t...54/#post385554 it says "Inductance: 20mH ~ 20H (100Hz)", my takeaway from that thread is that 100mH is a useful frequency to test at, but that it will only be comparable to other inductance measurements made at that same frequency, and not the more standard 1 kHz.

[bajaman]

knowing the inductance and then calculating the Q tells one a lot about how a given pickup will sound - very useful to measure a really nice sounding humbucker or single coil and then experiment with different grades of alnico, steel slugs, polepieces and wire gauge ( including various insulation) until you get close to the target L and Q . Small pieces of silicon steel transformer lamination or ferrite rod material applied in the right place can effectively raise the inductance and in the process lower the resonant frequency and increase the signal output of the pickup, making a brittle and thin sounding pickup sound fuller without the need to wind more coil turns. An inductance meter and the AC voltage range of any cheap digital multimeter are great tools for demystifying why a pickup sounds like it does - no more guess work ! have fun - cheers bajaman