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In this video I present my latest piece of test gear: the Capacitor Discharger Deluxe — an upgraded, smarter version of a tool I’ve previously shown on the channel.
This project was born out of pure frustration. If you’ve ever tried discharging very large capacitors (think 33,000 µF at 90 V or more), you’ll know how painfully slow and awkward traditional resistor-based dischargers can be. Waiting… and waiting… and still not quite there.
The Capacitor Discharger Deluxe solves that problem neatly.
You simply probe the two terminals of a charged capacitor, and the circuit automatically adjusts the discharge rate based on the voltage present, with an LED that shows you whether you still have charge or if it's safe to handle:
• At high voltage → controlled, safe discharge
• As voltage drops → discharge speed increases
The result is faster overall discharge, less waiting around, and a tool that feels far more practical for real-world restoration and repair work.
This version uses a custom PCB manufactured by PCBWay, who are kindly sponsoring this video. The board design is shared publicly on the PCBWay Shared Projects section, so anyone can order one and build their own. Here's the link:
https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Capacitor_Discharger_Deluxe_A_Smarter_Bench_Tool_for_Safely_Discharging_Large_5b5f70ac.htmlTo make things even easier, I’ve also designed a 3D-printed enclosure, and I’m sharing:
• PCB files
• Schematics
• 3D print files
All of this is available via a Google Drive folder, linked here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14RW6CgVl9O2DX6QJiTpvzaHROwtBKmW-?usp=sharingIf you regularly work on audio amplifiers, power supplies, vintage radios, or anything with large electrolytic capacitors, this is one of those tools you’ll wonder how you lived without.
CORRECTION: The transistor (Q1) used in the project does not have to be a high voltage device, as i mention in the video. A simple NPN transistor can do the job just fine.
🙏 Want to support the channel? ●●●●●●
https://www.patreon.com/mcaldeirahttps://paypal.me/macaldeira This video covers a DIY capacitor discharger, smart capacitor discharge circuit, high voltage capacitor safety, large electrolytic capacitor discharge, PCBWay sponsored electronics project, audio amplifier repair tools, power supply servicing, vintage electronics restoration tools, and practical workshop test fixtures.
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