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Recently, Redhouse lent me his brand-new DE-5000 Handheld LCR meter for evaluation of its suitability for measuring guitar pickups, and asked me to present the results on the forum.
The worry was, based on the published specifications, that the DE-5000 might misbehave wildly when presented with such a lossy inductor as a pickup, as happens with many models of handheld LCR meter. This did not turn out to be a problem, with both units showing gradually degrading accuracy when the dissipation factor (Rac divided by inductive reactance) exceeded about 20.
This kind of gradual decline in accuracy is expected because the inductance signal becomes smaller and smaller compared to the AC resistance signal as the dissipation factor rises.
When the dissipation factor exceeded 20, the Extech lost accuracy faster than the DE-5000 as the factor increased; this is probably due to the fact that my Extech was made ten years ago, and technology has marched on in the meantime. Current Extechs may be better. However, real pickups have far lower dissipation factors at 1 KHz, so this is not a problem in practice.
When measuring a handful of pickups with both instruments, the instrument readings agreed to within 1%, the stated accuracy of the instruments.
The bottom line is that for measuring guitar pickups, the DE-5000 is just as good as the Extech 380193 that has been our standard since 2004.
Summary of differences:
Extech measures L, C, and Rac, parallel and serial model, at 120 Hz or 1 KHz. There is only autoranging on parameter value; selection L, C, or R et al are all manual.
DE-5000 measures L, C, Rac, and Rdc, parallel and serial model, at 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 KHz, 10 KHz, and 100 KHz. Ranging is almost completely automatic, which while convenient with near-ideal LCR components (like surface-mount components), is a nuisance with pickups (which are non-ideal inductors). In particular, the DE-5000 will switch from serial model to parallel model (is the R in series with the L, or in parallel with the L) above a certain dissipation level, causing gross errors when used on a pickup. However, the DE-5000 does allow one to manually set the model to serial, allowing pickups to be measured accurately.
Note that for reasons related to the properties of LCR circuits and unrelated to the specific LCR meter in use, the 10 KHz and 100 KHz test frequencies are not useful for measuring the inductance of guitar pickups.
Neither instrument will measure voltages or currents. The Extech feels more ruggedly built, being encased in a thick rubber boot and weighing 20% more than the DE-5000, but the DE-5000 is rugged enough for shop use.
The DE-5000 is roughly half the cost of an Extech 380193. Both units are made in Taiwan.
The worry was, based on the published specifications, that the DE-5000 might misbehave wildly when presented with such a lossy inductor as a pickup, as happens with many models of handheld LCR meter. This did not turn out to be a problem, with both units showing gradually degrading accuracy when the dissipation factor (Rac divided by inductive reactance) exceeded about 20.
This kind of gradual decline in accuracy is expected because the inductance signal becomes smaller and smaller compared to the AC resistance signal as the dissipation factor rises.
When the dissipation factor exceeded 20, the Extech lost accuracy faster than the DE-5000 as the factor increased; this is probably due to the fact that my Extech was made ten years ago, and technology has marched on in the meantime. Current Extechs may be better. However, real pickups have far lower dissipation factors at 1 KHz, so this is not a problem in practice.
When measuring a handful of pickups with both instruments, the instrument readings agreed to within 1%, the stated accuracy of the instruments.
The bottom line is that for measuring guitar pickups, the DE-5000 is just as good as the Extech 380193 that has been our standard since 2004.
Summary of differences:
Extech measures L, C, and Rac, parallel and serial model, at 120 Hz or 1 KHz. There is only autoranging on parameter value; selection L, C, or R et al are all manual.
DE-5000 measures L, C, Rac, and Rdc, parallel and serial model, at 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 KHz, 10 KHz, and 100 KHz. Ranging is almost completely automatic, which while convenient with near-ideal LCR components (like surface-mount components), is a nuisance with pickups (which are non-ideal inductors). In particular, the DE-5000 will switch from serial model to parallel model (is the R in series with the L, or in parallel with the L) above a certain dissipation level, causing gross errors when used on a pickup. However, the DE-5000 does allow one to manually set the model to serial, allowing pickups to be measured accurately.
Note that for reasons related to the properties of LCR circuits and unrelated to the specific LCR meter in use, the 10 KHz and 100 KHz test frequencies are not useful for measuring the inductance of guitar pickups.
Neither instrument will measure voltages or currents. The Extech feels more ruggedly built, being encased in a thick rubber boot and weighing 20% more than the DE-5000, but the DE-5000 is rugged enough for shop use.
The DE-5000 is roughly half the cost of an Extech 380193. Both units are made in Taiwan.
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