Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Have you seen one of these and how can I make it work.

SerKel120240

Aug 15, 2015
2
Joined
Aug 15, 2015
Messages
2
Hi just joined the forum, and I'm sure there are few members that would know what this item is. The company with whom I work is disposing of their obsolete equipment and of course I just can not allow such equipment live in our landfills. What can I do with it? I think its a testing device, but I can not find any literature for it. Any help would be appreciated
SerKelresistance_capacitance_circuit_box_1168151.jpg
 

Minder

Apr 24, 2015
3,478
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
3,478
It is what is says on the bottom, it switches in various R or C and connects them either series or parallel for experimental/Lab purposes.
M.
 

SerKel120240

Aug 15, 2015
2
Joined
Aug 15, 2015
Messages
2
It is what is says on the bottom, it switches in various R or C and connects them either series or parallel for experimental/Lab purposes.
M.
This unit came with test clips (alligator/banana). I'm still learning about electronic equipment. Could you please explain to me how to use it? I would like to understand how it works, I am eighteen years old and I like to play (safely) with electronic equipment. My summer employer has allowed to keep the equipment that they are throwing away.
 

Minder

Apr 24, 2015
3,478
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
3,478
It is basically a laboratory experimental teaching aid to demonstrate the effects of different R/C values on circuits,,
Usually a high quality resistor and capacitor substitution box. It provides a convenient selection of standard resistor and capacitor values available either separately or in series/parallel RC combinations. Typical applications include component substitution in servicing and circuit design applications, and establishing RC circuits for checking impedance, reactance, and frequency characteristics. The unit is also useful for classroom applications to demonstrate Ohm's Law, capacitive reactance, and other circuit effects caused by introducing various resistance and capacitance combinations.
It is not used solely in its own right but in conjunction with demo circuits that demonstrate the effects of different R C component values..
If you google R C decade box I am sure you will get many hits.
M.
 

AnalogKid

Jun 10, 2015
2,884
Joined
Jun 10, 2015
Messages
2,884
Before the days of circuit simulation software, circuits were debugged and tuned by manual calculation and trial and error. If for example you wanted to see the tradeoffs of stability versus bandwidth in an opamp circuit, you could spend all day soldering in and then unsoldering a dozen capacitors, or just hook the circuit up to a box like yours and switch different capacitors in and out of the circuit in seconds.

ak
 

BobK

Jan 5, 2010
7,682
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Messages
7,682
To use it you would put the test leads into the R or C banana jacks and you would select a resistance or capacitance value via the rotary switches and the range switch (top left) for the R.

The other switch allows you to select R and C in series, parallel or separate. When used in series, you would use only the right two jacks, (one R and one C). In parallel, you could presumably use either the two R or the two C jacks, they should be connected together. In the R or C mode, I would guess that you can use the R jacks for a resistance and the C jacks for a capacitance, and there is no connection between them.


Bob
 

shrtrnd

Jan 15, 2010
3,876
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
3,876
Google the RCA Model number, and see if you can find a free on-line manual for it.
It's not just a teaching aid, I use them regularly when repairing electronic circuits.
Like AnalogKid said, if you're not sure exactly what component value you require (for example when a component burns-up in a circuit and you can't read its value),
a Resistor/Capacitor substituion box comes in pretty handy.
 

Colin Mitchell

Aug 31, 2014
1,416
Joined
Aug 31, 2014
Messages
1,416
It is simply a resistor/capacitor substitution box.

I bought one 35 years ago.I will possibly use it next year.
 
Top