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battery testing

People test batteries for a variety of reasons such as troubleshooting. For instance, a brief test may determine if an airsoft gun needs repair or simply requires new batteries. Most testers must be connected to the positive and negative terminals of a battery. They use lights, meters or digital readouts to provide the user with an estimate of the remaining strength. Several techniques may be used to conduct a test.

Basic Method

The simplest and least expensive type of tester uses a resistor to check the voltage of a battery. The resistor creates a load and draws a small amount of power. It releases this energy as heat. The tester's readout indicates the difference between the battery's present and original voltage. For example, the needle will point to "good" if a 9-volt battery delivers a full nine volts. If it only generates six volts, the needle points to "weak." This type of tester works well with alkaline, carbon-zinc, nickel-cadmium and lithium batteries.

Complex Methods

A digital multimeter and a separate resistor can be used to test batteries. This method will produce more precise results than a basic tester. Unlike many testers, it is suitable for checking lead-acid vehicle batteries. Some advanced testing devices transmit very low radio frequencies into lead-acid batteries to measure their resistance. Other units test batteries for several seconds to determine how long they can sustain a specific voltage. These methods yield very accurate estimates of the remaining energy.

Test Precision

The accuracy of a battery test depends upon many factors, such as the chemistry, strength and size of a battery. Air temperature may also affect the results. Nickel-metal hydride batteries remain more difficult to test than other types. They typically maintain a steady voltage until depletion occurs. No battery test is perfect. A tester can only analyze the power that it draws from a battery. It is not possible to detect the exact amount of energy that remains.

Although battery testers aren't always accurate, they perform an important task that saves money and prevents waste. Anyone can benefit from owning a basic hand-held tester for household batteries. More sophisticated models prove useful for people who repair motor vehicles, two-way radio equipment or portable computers. Testers can also be used to troubleshoot electronic devices that generate DC power, such as chargers and solar panels.