Usable Battery Life tester?

I have a bunch of odds-n-ends, low-tech, flashlights that are primarily used for emergencies. In other words, they sit and collect dust 99.999% of the time. I got on a kick to replace the batteries in all of them and pickup a few spare bulbs...just in case. I noticed that I have a couple with batteries with 2011 dates on them and older. They work but aren't super bright. How does one tell when a battery is kaput for practical purposes (in a flashlight)?

There's got to be a way to measure this and, if so, a number to say replace them. I'm not cheap, I just don't like waste and throwing out batteries with life left in them is, to me, waste.

You can buy a dedicated battery tester, like a ZTS, which will do a small pulsed load test, and will give you a pretty accurate idea on capacity that's left. But there are also a few other ways, although less accurate, which will give you a good indication. All depends on if you have a accurate DMM or similar device to measure and do the math or have a charger with a capacity function.

You can find battery IR testers on the bay that would likely be good candidates to try and adapt for your purpose. Always wanted to build a multi purpose device as such but just haven't gotten off my duff to make it.

I believe I'd have to buy a tester. All I have is an old continuity tester in the garage...somewhere...

kilogulf59 said:

I believe I'd have to buy a tester. All I have is an old continuity tester in the garage...somewhere...

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Like M4 states, there is the ZTS MBT mini and MBT1, I believe. The latter is closer to $100 and the smaller version, which doesn't do li-ion, is less.

Get a decent digital multimeter DMM and that can give you an idea of voltage, but that isn't the end all, be all. Still, a bit cheaper than the bigger MBT1.

Best practice is to just switch over to some NiMH rechargeable batteries, or lithium ion cells and a decent smart charger. For that same $100, you can have guilt free lumens, a way to analyze the health of your batteries and some batteries to boot.

You still should buy a decent DMM. It's an important tool in the tool box.

Buy right, buy once, cry once.

Chris

For Alkaline NiMh and button cells, and primary lithium i use the tester below i have been using them for years and you get to know what is a good level on the lcd display.

The are tough and the single aaa battery lasts forever, and can be bought cheap, I have a couple of spares still in the blister packs.

http://www.ebay.ch/itm/Universal-ba...452701?hash=item35f61e60dd:g:kJUAAOSwrx5UV2ZJ

John.

First off, thanks for the help here folks.

My battery needs are, for the most part, very low-tech. I only use Eneloops in our Nikon CoolPix and our spotlight (with C adapters). Everything else just sits there so alkaline or lithium bats work great.

I did find a use for all those old bats I just replaced in our flashlights. My buddy will use 'em up in a bait-bucket aerator. Some of them have got to be over ten years old and still worked albeit weak. Not something you want in a flashlight kept for emergencies...but good enough to use up in other things.

Anyway, I was thinking of something like this gizmo http://www.amprobe.com/amprobe/usen/environmental-testers/battery-testers/amp-bat-250.htm?pid=79279

Here's a video review...

I have used thouse type before and they are inaccurate, the one I linked above is much better and is the one I use every day over much more expensive meters I have.

John

Thanks to all for the assist here.

John, advice taken. That tester is marketed under several brand names such as Hitech, Tenergy, Velleman, et cetera and seems to get good reviews. Is there a particular reason this type is better?

Chris, excellent advice however, as far as a digital multi-meter, DMM or DVOM, is concerned, I run into the same issues, those being a) I have no idea of which one to get (except for a Fluke which is way out of my range), b) the prices vary greatly and I assume the quality does as well, and c) I don't have a need for one other than that of a go/no-go gauge for batteries.

Additionally, IIRC my electronics 101 class (electricity was a new thing back then), wouldn't I also need to check the battery under a known load of some sort, which I'd have to rig up I guess as, again IIRC, VOMs just check resistance and cannot add a load to check over?

Currently my battery needs are best covered by disposables, alkaline or lithium, except the high usage items. For those I have Eneloop Pro's and a La Crosse BC-700 charger.

kilogulf59 said:

wouldn't I also need to check the battery under a known load of some sort,

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Well, though I think it is arguable that one needs to know the state of a single cell that is not Li-ion, there are certainly situations where being able to accurately assess remaining capacity and voltages is economical, such as facing a box filled with loose cells in unknown states. I believe you are correct, if you want an accurate assessment, the cell needs to be tested under load.

My grievances with all testers I have seen, including all the models suggested above, are that they are expensive and needlessly complicated, and still don't tell us the important information, i.e. the voltage under load, which would give you a better idea of remaining capacity. Also, they don't even tell you the voltage! Just a vague percentage of remaining capacity.

CPF members want more. There are members in our ranks that could design the ideal battery tester that we all want, even if we do not necessarily need it... I'm sure it would be popular, that there would be enough interest for economic viability of manufacture.

Here are some suggested qualities: durable; pocket portable; detects the type of cell automatically; dedicated to all types of cylindrical cells--pop in, pop out, no need for any dexterity to hold a cell to a contact with a loose wire; able to display resting voltage and voltage under load digitally, in at least hundredths, and not with ambiguously sectioned percentages; is black, mostly, and not designed to look too flashy. Amazing that this doesn't already exist, but its probably due to the fact that it really isn't necessary but for rare exceptions. But who doesn't want it?

chillinn said:

CPF members want more. There are members in our ranks that could design the ideal battery tester that we all want, even if we do not necessarily need it... I'm sure it would be popular, that there would be enough interest for economic viability of manufacture.

Here are some suggested qualities: durable; pocket portable; detects the type of cell automatically; dedicated to all types of cylindrical cells--pop in, pop out, no need for any dexterity to hold a cell to a contact with a loose wire; able to display resting voltage and voltage under load digitally, in at least hundredths, and not with ambiguously sectioned percentages; is black, mostly, and not designed to look too flashy. Amazing that this doesn't already exist, but its probably due to the fact that it really isn't necessary but for rare exceptions. But who doesn't want it?

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Were I an aficionado I would certainly be interested in tester with all those capabilities. Nonetheless, am simply an interested user and a gizmo like that would be completely lost on me. I'd just like to know if the batteries in my gadget, that's been sitting on the shelf for a year or more, is good to go or needs replacing.

I use the Innova 3320. Works great for checking alkalines and NiMH cells. It puts a light enough load that if a cell is near dead the voltage will drop.

That looked like a nice yet inexpensive multimeter.

I think, for my needs, I'm leaning towards this unit: http://www.batteryjunction.com/tunb...IoF4175vZnW7Izxra2wWaL2DAmrsHvV3OxxoCQuPw_wcB

TinderBox (UK) said:

For Alkaline NiMh and button cells, and primary lithium i use the tester below i have been using them for years and you get to know what is a good level on the lcd display.

The are tough and the single aaa battery lasts forever, and can be bought cheap, I have a couple of spares still in the blister packs.

http://www.ebay.ch/itm/Universal-ba...452701?hash=item35f61e60dd:g:kJUAAOSwrx5UV2ZJ

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This MW333 Battery Tester looks identical to the Tenergy T-333 linked in the prior post. Some of the 1 or 2 star Amazon reviews of it claim that it is worthless since it does not test under load. Does your version test under load? If so, what currents does it use for the various size cells? Does it really have 18-level precision?

Here is a photo of the inside of my battery tester.



John.

Gauss163, I had asked this in a post farther back...

kilogulf59 said:

John, advice taken. That tester is marketed under several brand names such as Hitech, Tenergy, Velleman, et cetera and seems to get good reviews. Is there a particular reason this type is better?

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I look and see if it tests under a load but somehow I doubt it...

Hi.

I found a review of a few cheap battery testers, including the silver one i posted above, it has been translated into English from German.

I ordered an "Voltcraft MS-229" it seems an interesting tester for £10



https://translate.google.co.uk/tran...ethz.ch/~rolfz/batak/testertest10/&edit-text=

John.

I bought this years ago when I became interested in batteries, but it is not favored because of its price. I do not feel inhibited to spend my money on tools that teach me, and this tool was good teacher. :thumbsup:

Edit: This tester also works for 26650 batteries under load. The load is 800mAh on this tester.

https://www.ztsinc.com/mbt1.html

Here is what I use for all but 18650 batteries as you have to stretch it to fit them and most won't fit.
BT-21

It has 3 load settings and can measure 12v batteries even.
The only drawback is it takes 3 button cells (AG13) but it is rather small and fits in my battery box that I use.

Here is a better price but you have to order from China.
BT-21

That is similar to the Voltcraft MS-229, but the voltcraft can show the renaming capacity.

John.

Lynx_Arc said:

Here is what I use for all but 18650 batteries as you have to stretch it to fit them and most won't fit.
BT-21

It has 3 load settings and can measure 12v batteries even.
The only drawback is it takes 3 button cells (AG13) but it is rather small and fits in my battery box that I use.

Here is a better price but you have to order from China.
BT-21

Click to expand...

TinderBox (UK) said:

That is similar to the Voltcraft MS-229, but the voltcraft can show the renaming capacity.

John.

Click to expand...

I was wrong about the BT-21 taking 3 cells it only takes 2. If it were the same price as the BT-21 I would say go for it, I paid $7 for mine from Steve's Wholesale tools but I don't think they carry the model any more.