Battery Tester recommendations?

[Lucien Nunes]

just a test between inspections giving an idea of state of charge I would of thought was enough.

When permanently on float, knowing the state of charge will tell you that the charger is working, but not whether the battery is any good. You might have a life-expired 7Ah block that is down to a usable capacity of only 1Ah, but that 1Ah is fully charged and will read good. The capacity tester uses Peukert's exponent and/or other methods to calculate from a quick discharge what will happen when current is drawn over a period of time.

 

[DPG]

When permanently on float, knowing the state of charge will tell you that the charger is working, but not whether the battery is any good. You might have a life-expired 7Ah block that is down to a usable capacity of only 1Ah, but that 1Ah is fully charged and will read good. The capacity tester uses Peukert's exponent and/or other methods to calculate from a quick discharge what will happen when current is drawn over a period of time.

I think I had a pint of that at our local real ale pub.

 

[ruston]

I think I had a pint of that at our local real ale pub.

I used to drink a similar Pint when I was young . It was called Newcastle Brown Ale. It was the quantity not the quality that caused the reaction though.

 

[Timbo]

Good luck Timbo, but how did you do it, nothing simple I hope, some amazing story, if not make one up.

Nothing fancy, just general abuse and wear & tear over the years.
A warning to all - look after your back! If you get a chance to go on a Moving & Handling/Lifting course it's worth doing, even for an update as techniques develop over time and the way it was done 20, 30, 60 years ago may

 

[ruston]

Nothing fancy, just general abuse and wear & tear over the years.
A warning to all - look after your back! If you get a chance to go on a Moving & Handling/Lifting course it's worth doing, even for an update as techniques develop over time and the way it was done 20, 30, 60 years ago may

I could not agree more. I slipped a disc when I was very young, bending over to pull an arrow out of the ground. It has plagued me all my life.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I think I had a pint of that at our local real ale pub.

Quite an acidic, citrusy flavour that has. I like citrus ales but less strong, Ghost Ship is good. I don't like the stuff we keep on tap in the workshop, Old Suds I think it's called.

 

[Timbo]

Obvoiusly there is a difference between a voltage tester that just shows the state of charge (regardless of the battery capacity) and a capacity tester that shows the battery performance and hence useful life. The capacity testers take a small amount of charge out and use a formula to estimate how much charge would be available if it were completely discharged. Obviously it is quick and convenient but not as accurate or reliable as a full discharge test.

The other way to test batteries is the spanner test!

Remove battery and splash a 13mm spanner across the terminals - if you don't get any or much of a spark the battery is clucked. Please don't try this in areas with explosive/flammable gases or liquids.

 

[RDB85]

Kept me entertained this thread. I take it no one has one for sale?

 

[Mike Johnson]

In my younger days I used to test batteries with my tongue, kept me going all day. ?

 

[Lister1987]

ACT tend to be the go-to for most FD&A contractors I've found. If you're doing FD&A as part of an FD&A company (and not as a 1 man band job), generally these are supplied by the employer.

 

[ruston]

In my younger days I used to test batteries with my tongue, kept me going all day. ?

I still do that with PP9's

 

[RDB85]

ACT tend to be the go-to for most FD&A contractors I've found. If you're doing FD&A as part of an FD&A company (and not as a 1 man band job), generally these are supplied by the employer.

I wish my employer was that generous. We have to supply our own power tools, hand tools and any testers. Only items they have are the solo fire test kits and a MFT.

 

[Mike Johnson]

If your employer insists the batteries are tested ask him how you can do it without them supplying the equipment?

 

[RDB85]

If your employer insists the batteries are tested ask him how you can do it without them supplying the equipment?

Very true, but they don’t care. I would rather do the job properly even if my employer won’t. I’m looking to move on when I have my qualifications anyway. Plus I’m looking to go into Electrical but after a year of trying I couldn’t get an employer to take me on. I need to do my Portfolio, T&I and AM2.

 

[Villa2]

If you don't have a good quality car battery tester, you'll never really have an accurate idea of what condition your battery is in and how much of a charge it's really capable of retaining.

One of the most overlooked aspects of vehicle maintenance is making sure your battery is in good working order. An unexpected car battery failure can throw a spanner in the works. A car battery tester is a cost-effective way to test your battery and make sure it's in good condition before you set off.