Hi All:

First time posting here-looks like a great resource.

I have a older Sencore LC-75 Z-meter which is having some issues. The capacitance test works fine, but no-go on the Z-meter function (it reads zero with everything I test, but will go over-scale when the leads are open).

Any thoughts? I am also searching for a manual for this instrument.

Regards,
--Scott

Sencore still sells the manuals.

Nice unit. I have one.

BTW, if you get a manual, I would be glad to buy a copy from you.

Thanks much! Will give Sencore a call.

Would love to hear from anyone who has encountered the issue with the z measurements.

--Scott

I have a Sencore LC-76 Z-Meter and recently tried to get a service manual from Sencore. They told me they had no technical info available at all on equipment that old. That really sucks.
Rick

I couldn't find a manual for the LC-75 (not even one for sale), but there is currently someone on Fleabay selling the full manual set for the LC-76.

-Mark-

HI SCOTT:

THE LC-76 IS THE PORTABLE BATTERY OPERATED VERSION OF THE LC-75.
ON INDUCTANCE OPEN LEADS PRESSING INDUCTANCE VALUE SHOULD BE OVER RANGE.THE RIGHT LED SHOULD LIGHT TO INDICATE INDUCTANCE.SHORTED LEADS ALL ZERO'S.
DID YOU FIND THE PULL OUT OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BOTTOM?
I HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED OLD MANUALS FROM SENCORE.ASK FOR PAM IN THE PARTS DEPT.

REGARDDS
WALTER-W2WIQ

Walter:

Thanks much. Yes, the display functions as you have noted, but does not read any inductance value.

Have the pull out manual-but no schematic. Will see if I can reach Pam in the parts department for a full manual. I noticed that there are a significant number of what looks like factory mods to this unit, which I'm sure will make troubleshooting fun

--Scott

HI SCOTT:

I AM A BIG SENCORE USER HAVING AT LEAST 3 DOZEN DIFFERENT ITEMS.GOING BACK AT LEAST 55 YEARS I DO NOT EVER REMEMBER RECEIVING A NOTICE OF ANY MODS.MY EQUIPMENT WASA BOUGHT DIRECTLY FOM SENCORE AND REGISTERED.
THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM I FIND IS THE INFREQUENT OR NON-SE OF SOME BUTTONS OR SWITCH CAUSING OXIDATION.OTHER THAN THAT NO OTHER PROBLEMS.THESE ARE HIGH QUALITY AMERICAN MADE TO GOVERMENT STANDARDS INSTRUMENTS.

I SUGGEST REMOVING THE 4 SIDE SCREWS FROM THE REAR COVER AND PULLING BACK THE UNIT TO REMOVE IT FROM THE CASE.ON THE BOTTOM SIDE YOU CAN SEE THE 5 SLIDE SWITCHS.SUPPORT THE UNIT FROM THE REAR SO IT IS TILTED A LITTLE TO THE FRONT.SPRAY SOME CONTACT CLEANER AT THE BOTTOM REAR OF EACH SWITCH AND WORK THE PUSH BUTTONS MULTIPLE TIMES.THEN CHECK EACH BUTTOM FOR PROPER OPERATION.THIS MAY HAVE TO BE DONE MORE THAN ONCE.A WORD OF CATION,ALWAY KEEP THE LEAKAGE VOLTAGE SWITCH AT 3V EXCEPT WHEN TESTING FOR LEAKAGE.DO NOT EVER SET IT FOR A HIGHER THAN THE RATED VOLTAGE OF THE CAPACITOR.SOME SWITCH SECTIONS CAN BE USED FOR OTHER FUNCTIONS SO DO NOT GET THE IDEA IT CANNOT BE ONE OF THE OTHER SWITCHS CAUSING THE PROBLEM.

SENCORE HAS ALWAYS HAD GOOD FREE TECH SUPPORT.JUST ASK FOR TECH SUPPORT FOR THE LC-75 IF THE CLEANING DOES NOT CURE THE PROBLEM..

SENCORE :1-800-736-2673

WALTER-W2WIQ

Hi Walter:

Yep, first thing I did!

I was in contact with Pam at Sencore. She informs me that schematics and parts lists are no longer available, as the unit is 23 years old. Poor excuse, IMHO, but I guess that's how many companies roll these days...

Guess I'll have to keep scouring the web for some info.

Regards,
--Scott

Mark,
Thanks much for the heads up on the LC-76 manual on eBay. Don't know how I missed that one.
I've been very disappointed with Sencore in trying to get service manuals for older equipment from them. They seem to have no sense of history. Their usual response is "wow, that's really old. Nothing available on stuff that old." Unfortunately, I run in to this attitude a lot. I called Monsanto once about an old Monsanto nixie tube frequency counter. Their response was "we make chemicals and seeds. . .we've never made electronic equipment." This despite the fact that I have the counter right in front of me and, also, Monsanto used to be one of the major manufacturers of LEDs and 7-segment LED displays.
Rick

There are very few companies left that care any amount about their legacy test equipment. Agilent/HP and Fluke are two of the best when it comes to being able to download information on the old stuff. Tucker has a lot of manuals for purchase (often at an expensive price) but sometimes that is the only recourse when you need service info for something that isn't real common. I was surprised they didn't have the LC75 or 76 manuals, but I think they have all the other Sencore LC tester manuals for sale.

-Mark-

HI SCOTT:

SORRY THEY DID NOT HAVE THAT MANUAL.THE SONS RECENTLY SOLD THE COMPANY AND ARE NO LONGER DOING ANY THING WITH THE RADIO-TV SERVICE. PAM IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL EMPLOYEES.AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY TRY TECH SUPPORT.
GO TO BING AND PUT IN :SENCORE LC-75 MANUAL".I FOUND SEVERAL PLACES TO DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL.OTHERS FOR THE SCHEMATIC AND CALIBRATION.SOME YOU WILL HAVE TO REGISTER.THE SCHEMATIC AND PARTS LIST ARE 2 LARGE FOLDED SHEETS TOTALING 20 PAGES.THE OPERATING MANUAL IS 50 PAGES AND CONTAINS MUCH USEFUL INFO.

BEST REGARDS
WALTER-W2WIQ

Walter:

Thanks. I will be doing some searching later today. As pointed out by Mark and others, it fails fails to astound me at the lack of support for legacy products manufactured by various companies. I work in the pro audio business, and the general attitude these days is if it's older than about two years, you can forget about it. While I understand that companies need to move on with new products to survive, they lose a lot of good will along the way.

--Scott

Scott,

If you get a service manual I sure would not mind having a copy for my LC-75 comes the day it needs servicing.

Soldering the fuse in the holder will eliminate many odd problems on the LC- series of instruments.

Hi,
I have a Sencore LC75 that works. I have the 2 sheet schematic and parts list. I am willing to help in any way I can. My notes state that back in 1989 I replaced IC11 and CR39/40 on the analog board for not capacitance measuring. I would be lost with out my LC75.
n2dnr

The new SENCORE website is a laugh as far as discontinued/old product support. I registered with their site as they recommended and it got me no where.... it's as if I never registered to begin with.

Personally I always believed SENCORE is primarily a serviceman's company. They don't produce lab-grade/research grade products. What they do make is quality service grade, time saving test/alignment equipment for the consumer electronics servicing sector. There products help save troubleshooting time, conserves bench space by consolidating basic features from various kinds of test equipment. New prices are exhorbitant and probably jusitified bu SENCORE as being returned or paid off through electronic repair fees over time. I have owned a few items from them and while they are upscale compared to B&K, VIZ, Tenma, etc., Again they are not in the same league as HP, Fluke, Keithley, Marconi, Tektronix, etx.

Unfortunately the days of wine and roses of Sencore are now gone too, as they are no longer making any new equipment for the electronics service sector. All their equipment is now centered around professional video applications only. There really is no "middle of the road" as far as brand new test equipment goes for the few left who are doing professional service. You either take your pick among the vast amounts of cheap offshore junk, or you invest a ton of money on Agilent, Tektronix/Fluke or the other top end names with much of that today being offshore made too with planned obsolesence. Suck up as much of the good legacy used gear as you can for the hobby today, because a lot of the high end digital based test equipment made after the mid 00's will be absolutely useless on the used market- it is designed to be that way.

-Mark-

SMT & LSI circuitry has seen to the demise and unemployment of many consumer service techs. as well as some industry variants. You can train most lay persons to replace an entire circuit board rather than troubleshoot individual components. That way overall production downtime is held to a minimum with the equipment/item being returned to full service. Even consumer electronics is often replaced and rarely actually serviced, unless it's a big ticket item like large screen TVs or industrial AV. Menu driven diagnostics and calibration via computerized interface also makes for the Rhesus monkey technician to quickly check and calibrate items. Prices for used "legacy gear" from Tek, HP, Fluke, etc will only increase as it becomes less and less available.