Battery Beak

[sanddrag]

I know some other teams have used the CBA III from West Mountain radio as a battery analyzer, and I'd speculate there are others available. I like that the Battery Beak is all self contained and does not need a computer interface. Is there anything else that compares? I just want to look at all available options before I go buy one.

[Mike Copioli]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

I know some other teams have used the CBA III from West Mountain radio as a battery analyzer, and I'd speculate there are others available. I like that the Battery Beak is all self contained and does not need a computer interface.

The CBA series of testers measure battery capacity by applying a load until a specified cutoff voltage is reached and then calculating capacity in Amp Hours, the Beak measures battery internal resistance by applying two different loads and then calculating internal resistance. Both tests are of value and important to understanding the health of your battery. What the beak provides is a quick way of assessing the health of your battery between capacity tests at competitions without completely discharging your battery.

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Is there anything else that compares? I just want to look at all available options before I go buy one.

Internal resistance testers have been around for years, but most of them are very expensive. As far as I know the Beak is the only internal resistance tester that was specifically designed around the types of batteries used in FRC, VEX and FTC.