BatteryBeak: Utility of making internal resistance and state of charge measurements

[evanperryg]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

What do people consider the typical lifespan of a battery? I have teams ask me this and I never have a good answer since it depends on so many factors.

We don't really do it very scientifically. Basically, if the battery is over 3 years old(or underperforms moderately), we designate it as a 'practice battery,' one that still can hold a charge up to around 11.5v but not one that we would use in a match. They are very useful, as a power source for our scouting system, in the shop when we don't need the nice batteries, or in applications that don't need a good battery(robot cart underglow, for example). If a battery is severely underperforming, it is designated as a 'doorstop,' and it is left to sit until the next hazardous materials pickup.