Battery charge indicator??

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Batman

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#115744 5-Apr-2013 07:26

Good morning.

I have a stash of AA batteries and it's driven me mad as only certain combinations would make my kids' toy go ...

What do you guys use to tell how much charge is left in your batteries?

(And where do i get it from and how much is kinda costs - bearing in my a new battery costs like $1-ish)

Batman

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#793662 5-Apr-2013 07:26

bearing in MIND

timmmay

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#793664 5-Apr-2013 07:34

For NiMH rechargable cells the Maha C9000 charger/analyser is brilliant. You can do a refresh which helps enhance capacity, and also shows the capacity of each cell. Cells can also be "broken in" if their capacity is lower than expected, but it takes 2 days. I also have the Maha C801 charger, which is 8 cells instead of four, and lacks the break in cycle.

I've been using mine with PowerEx cells for 5 years, with hundreds of charges, out of the 50 odd cells I have I've just had my first one fail. Eneloop or Imedion batteries are what I buy now.

You can buy the in NZ, but sometimes it's cheaper to buy from overseas, perhaps via youshop. Batteries, being heavy, are often better bought locally, depending on shipping cost.

Edit - you can also buy battery meters, which are much cheaper. Thomas Distributing in the US is a good source for quality parts, find one there then look on trademe.

SepticSceptic

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#793675 5-Apr-2013 08:35

For most cells, using a multimeter will show a good comparison test,

Use the 10 Amp range, and connect the cell straight across the multimeter leads. Do the test for about 1-second only - long enough to get a stable reading, any longer, and the reading will start to head downwards because of the high current draw, not to mention the test cables getting warm, especially with NiCads.

A good AA Alkaline should show around 4 amps when new. This is indicative, as different multimeters will show disparate readings from the same cell, so use the same multimeter when testing the cells.

Don't bother using the voltage range for testing cells, as multimeters have such a high input impedance that they will show nearly full voltage even when they are nearing empty - there is no "load" for the cell to discharge into.

Technofreak

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#793754 5-Apr-2013 10:57

Bearing in mind the price you mentioned for the batteries I have to assume your are talking non rechargeable.

Some multimeters have a battery check function on them with 1.5 volt and sometimes 9 volt ranges.

However one of these would fit the bill perfectly. As well as doing the 1.5 volt cells it also does a multitude of other cells including button cells that are used in garage door remotes etc.

http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/product/S4100/dick-smith-handy-universal-battery-tester-with-lcd-screen

It wouldn't take too long to pay for it self.

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mxpress

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#793779 5-Apr-2013 11:40

Technofreak: Bearing in mind the price you mentioned for the batteries I have to assume your are talking non rechargeable.

Some multimeters have a battery check function on them with 1.5 volt and sometimes 9 volt ranges.

However one of these would fit the bill perfectly. As well as doing the 1.5 volt cells it also does a multitude of other cells including button ]cells that are used in garage door remotes etc.

http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/product/S4100/dick-smith-handy-universal-battery-tester-with-lcd-screen

It wouldn't take too long to pay for it self.

I have had one of those for several years and it works well. I use it for testing all of my batteries.

mxpress