Allen coil & condenser tester e-1403

[Britcar82]

Hi:

I'm new to the forum so I'd like to introduce myself. I a British car guy with a few MG's and a Triumph TR6. I'm also in the process of refurbishing a 1973 Lotus Europa that was last driven in 1980. I'm getting into collecting old Sun & Allen test equipment. My latest find is an Allen Coil & Condenser Tester, model 1403. I have searched this forum and the internet and cannot find any information on how it works. Does anyone have a manual I get a copy of?

Thanks,
Britcar82

 

[6PTsocket]

Hi:

I'm new to the forum so I'd like to introduce myself. I a British car guy with a few MG's and a Triumph TR6. I'm also in the process of refurbishing a 1973 Lotus Europa that was last driven in 1980. I'm getting into collecting old Sun & Allen test equipment. My latest find is an Allen Coil & Condenser Tester, model 1403. I have searched this forum and the internet and cannot find any information on how it works. Does anyone have a manual I get a copy of?

Thanks,
Britcar82

You can get another one with a manual for $11.03 on ebay. It is in Canada. Better hurry it expires soon.

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[6PTsocket]

As to your question about how it works, look up Maxwell Bridge. Coils and condensers (now called capacitors) act like resistors to AC. It is called reactance. As the AC frequency goes up the reactance of a capacitor goes down but the reactance if a coil goes up. The tester supplies a known frequency ,reads the reactance and from that, can detirmine the value of the coil or capacitor in mh or mfd.

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[Britcar82]

Thanks for the information. I've been searching on ebay Canada (and US) and don't see the other Allen tester. For that price it's worth buying just for the manual.

Regards,

 

[Britcar82]

One of the problems I have is that I don't know what the knobs are for. For example, on the coil side of the tester there is a knob that has 4 position, A, B, C, D and another knob that has 10 settings 0 - 10.

 

[6PTsocket]

One of the problems I have is that I don't know what the knobs are for. For example, on the coil side of the tester there is a knob that has 4 position, A, B, C, D and another knob that has 10 settings 0 - 10.

Have you tried playing with it? Hook up a capacitor or coil with a known value printed on it and see if you can make the tester read something close. Of course that assumes that is actually in working condition. Switch contacts could be corroded, capacitors dried out, etc.

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[Britcar82]

I did try it today. I found an old article that explained the a,b,c,d switch and the 0-10 dial. Unfortunately, while it turns on it does not work. I can get the condenser side to calibrate, but it will not work in any test position. The coil side will not even calibrate I can deal with british car electrics, but this is way beyond me. I'll have to find someone to check it out. As you mentioned it is probably bad capacitors. I did open the case and it looks new inside (but I know you can't tell a capacitor by the way it looks). Thanks for all your suggestions.

Regards,
Britcar82

 

[6PTsocket]

I did try it today. I found an old article that explained the a,b,c,d switch and the 0-10 dial. Unfortunately, while it turns on it does not work. I can get the condenser side to calibrate, but it will not work in any test position. The coil side will not even calibrate I can deal with british car electrics, but this is way beyond me. I'll have to find someone to check it out. As you mentioned it is probably bad capacitors. I did open the case and it looks new inside (but I know you can't tell a capacitor by the way it looks). Thanks for all your suggestions.

Regards,
Britcar82

If you can deal with Lucas electrics, you can fix anything.

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[Provincial]

And Lucas said: "Let there be Darkness!"

 

[6PTsocket]

Old joke on this side of the pond: Why do the Britts drink warm beer? Lucas refrigerators.

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