Battery Best Practices

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Chad,
I would recommend that no team use the linked battery checker. The minimum load is 100 amps. While FRC robots can draw that much, the battery will likely show up deficient on this tester. In the hands of an inexperienced user this tester could cause some internal damage to the battery. The CBA can run a duplicate test to the manufacturer printed test to calculate amp hour rating. The CBA tests can be stored on the host computer and compared over time with the same battery or with all batteries. The Battery Beak is a quick tester that determines battery condition at 1 amp and at 15 amp and makes calculations to determine internal impedance and battery condition. The Beak is a good quick tester while the CBA tests over a two hour period. The Beak fits in your pocket and requires no special cable, the CBA does not fit in your pocket and requires a USB connection to a computer.