Battery testers

[fft100]

after having a number of batteries appear to decease before i would expect them to, i am looking to buy a battery tester. I want to see if the applicances are using more than i would expect, or if they only work when a battery is more than x% charged etc.

I have seen them overseas, but not in HH. When i tried in Homepro, Tescos/ Banana/ others, they all seem to look at me as though i should be taken away by men in white coats.

[Wanderlust]

fft100,
When I first lived here I was also surprised at the lifespan of batteries, particularly car batteries, and on asking it seems to be a fact of life here; apparently in warmer climates batteries do not last as long and can also corrode easier. Car batteries are only expected to have a lifespan of about 2 years for example. I suspect though that the batteries on sale here are of lower quality than available elsewhere though, but as far as I know they are also much cheaper so I think it is probably a case of swings and roundabouts...

[Winkie]

I think there is something wrong with the local batteries (please no-one, this is not a conspiricy post).

I buy all sorts of batteries (brands I mean), but mostly the more expensive range form teh well known brands (thinking they will last a little longer, which they don't).

I've come to the conclusion that they are all crap, becuase they are manufactured as crap, I guess there are not national standards, or random tests etc....

In comparision, I have several items of electrical equipment running batteries that I purchased in the UK 6 year sago, still working (radio, wall clocks, electronic safe).

In the UK, if your battery is failing, you warming it and its runs longer - I wonder what would happen with the local batteries in a cold climate?

[STEVE G]

I work in Electrics on aircraft, so for once this is actually something I'm supposed to know about instead of pretending like everything else!
You can measure the voltage of a battery, either unloaded or loaded, but the only way you can actually measure the capacity is by discharging it with a known load and measuring the voltage drop over time and then calculating the capacity.
Obviously wqith a disposable battery that will only be any good for a sample test.
Generally the problem with a substandard battery is that if you put it into something with a high load that also needs a fixed voltage, it will rapidly fall below that voltage and fail whilst it still has a lot of capacity left.
Thats why you can take them out of your camera and they'll still last for ages in a torch.
I too suspect that many local batteries are not up to specification due to manufacturing defects.

[PeteC]

I keep reading people recommending that you store new, unused batteries in your frig. Apparently keeps them from going low before you use them. Any truth to this? Pete

[Hilux]

I had the same problem. What I have done is that I bought a lot of rechargeable batteries (Duracell) in europe, and just recharge whenever itis needed.
Whether or not they are lasting shorter in Thailand, I have not noticed...

Hilux

[STEVE G]

I keep reading people recommending that you store new, unused batteries in your frig. Apparently keeps them from going low before you use them. Any truth to this? Pete :cheers:

It's technically true Pete, but I would think you would have to be storing them for years to see any noticable difference.
Some types of battery will start to discharge at high temperatures though, so don't leave them in the sun.

[Nereus]

after having a number of batteries appear to decease before i would expect them to, i am looking to buy a battery tester. I want to see if the applicances are using more than i would expect, or if they only work when a battery is more than x% charged etc.

I have seen them overseas, but not in HH. When i tried in Homepro, Tescos/ Banana/ others, they all seem to look at me as though i should be taken away by men in white coats.

A battery tester of the type that you have in mind will not show if an appliance is using more than you would expect. It also depends on the type of battery you are talking about, and in any case will probably only show a "green" or "red" , "good" or "bad", indication. You can buy a very cheap digital type multimeter, one just suitable for automotive use would do, which will show what the actual voltage of a battery is.

Some small dry cell type of batteries, such as the standard AA "Energizer" sold here are labelled: "illegal for sale outside Thailand", which to me tends to say something.

Car batteries are just another TIT myth. They seem to think that Thailand is the only hot climate in the World, and that is the excuse that they use for poor quality. I will concede that sealed "maintenance free" types may not last the distance, but if you can not get 4 years out of a car battery there is something wrong. Like everything else, a battery should be maintained, water level kept up, cleaned and charged properly.

[Terry]

As a rule, batteries do not last as long in the tropics – heat is a killer for batteries.
When a UPS installation is specified for use on modern metro systems (Such as BTS, or MRT) these installations are usually housed in an air conditioned environment with temperatures at a nominal 20 deg C or so – this is to keep the battery banks cool.
The same applies for normal torch, calculator batteries – you know AA, AAA and the like.
Not sure if keeping them in a fridge helps – but for sure it won’t do them any harm.
Car batteries are a little different in that they are designed to withstand higher temperatures and are principally only designed to start the car. The car then recharging the battery via the alternator (Dynamo).
One good tip for making your car battery last longer. For what it’s worth I have practiced this since first arriving in S.E. Asia in ’92 on every vehicle that I have ever had.
1) Always keep the battery ‘topped up’ with distilled water or better still – pay a little bit extra for the non maintenance type.
2) When driving – always use maximum YES MAXIMUM auxiliary electrical things. i.e. all of your available lights, aircon, radio / cd players etc etc as appropriate to the conditions that you are driving in.
3) Why – because these cunning car manufacturers have sized their car circuitry in a way that by doing this, it is the alternator that provides the power – thus only leaving a small amount of surplus to charge the battery – usually via a zena diode.
4) Overcharging a battery kills it just as much as overheating it so this action PROLONGS a well maintained battery’s life.
By doing this, I have nearly always achieved a 3+ year battery life on all my vehicles instead of the normally accepted 2 +.

[chopsticks]

If you want to check the voltage then, as mentioned, a small cheap digital multimeter can be used - available from Home-Pro and other places.
You will need to do it with the battery in use and under load conditions as measuring it off-load will give meaningless results due to the battery's internal resistance not being included.
The cheapest zinc-chloride disposable batteries are best avoided as they tend to leak and unlike alkaline manganese their voltage drops off and doesn't remain so constant as they become exhausted.
For car batteries a lot depends on the lead used and how well it's been constructed. Anything over 4 years is on borrowed time.
May be worth checking your voltage regulator to see if the charging voltage is within spec.
It is essential to keep the cells topped up and and the old-fashioned ones with separate filler caps for each cell may be a better bet than maintenance free types.

[Nereus]

As a rule, batteries do not last as long in the tropics – heat is a killer for batteries.
When a UPS installation is specified for use on modern metro systems (Such as BTS, or MRT) these installations are usually housed in an air conditioned environment with temperatures at a nominal 20 deg C or so – this is to keep the battery banks cool.

Cannot agree with this Terry. Any commercial UPS system, such as you are quoting, will not be using lead acid batteries, they will, or should be, Ni-Cad batteries. The air conditioning is provided to cool the electronics of the system, the batteries may benefit as a spin off, but it is not the primary reason for the cooling system. Over many years I have had to maintain UPS systems on Offshore Installations, without the benefit of air conditioning.

[fft100]

thanks for the replies.

The kind of battery tester i am looking for would tell me how much charge was left in a battery. After a few readings, i would then have a rough idea when it would have expired. Very useful for security equipment that may not be looked at for many weeks !

I am aware that some testers dont measure accurately, but a good example is this which gets good reviews (and has a big brother)
http://www.ztsinc.com/minimbt.html

On the subject of UPS's i have 2 working 8-12 hours a day sitting under my desk with no air-con. They dont get hot (i dont think they should unless they are doing something).

[chopsticks]

Interesting litttle gizmo..........don't think you'll find them on sale locally though.

[Riversider]

I have noticed that when replacing clock batteries the clocks don't work when new batteries are put in. This has happened with clocks from the UK as well as local clocks. Maybe the heat or the old batteries leaking is the cause.

[STEVE G]

I am aware that some testers dont measure accurately, but a good example is this which gets good reviews (and has a big brother)
http://www.ztsinc.com/minimbt.html

Yes, I see what you're after now. A tester like this can't tell you the actual charge capacity but they can make an estimation based on a loaded voltage level, which would be good enough for most uses.
I don't think you would find one in Hua Hin, but maybe somewhere in Bangkok. Sorry I can't be more helpful.