Recommend a Battery tester please?

FullCircle

FullCircle

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Nov 2003
Messages
28,223
Visit site
I am looking at the Sealey BT102 Battery/Alternator tester, around 60 quid delivered.

has anyone any experience of this or another suitable tester?

Needs to be able to test SLI, Gel AGM 12v and a standard alternator

thanks
 
[ QUOTE ]
I am looking at the Sealey BT102 Battery/Alternator tester, around 60 quid delivered.

[/ QUOTE ]

See here under 50.00 Quid plus delivery.

web page

Though I prefer the clamp meter as it also gives an indication of connection condition.

Avagoodnewyear......
 
I think this sort of tester is of very limited value. Not sure what you're hoping to achieve with it, but for boat use I'd think the money's better spent going towards a proper battery monitor. If you decide to buy the Sealey, it's 10% cheaper here.
 
[ QUOTE ]
See here under 50.00 Quid plus delivery.

[/ QUOTE ]Here in the UK, we have this brilliant thing called VAT, which adds 15% to the prices we pay. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think this sort of tester is of very limited value. Not sure what you're hoping to achieve with it, but for boat use I'd think the money's better spent going towards a proper battery monitor. If you decide to buy the Sealey, it's 10% cheaper here.

[/ QUOTE ]

marvellous pvb, but what battery monitor would you suggest? I have a DCM600 fitted now.
 
The DCM600 is a good battery monitor. It can tell you how many Ah you've used before a particular voltage is reached, surely that's a much better indication of battery condition? I just wonder what you think the Sealey device is going to tell you.
 
Well, I have 4 batteries, and I suspect 1 is duff. But which one?
The DCM600 does not apply a load to give a battery condition indication, whereas the BT102 is mentioned as being used in Battery retailers to check condition before letting out of the shop.
Also, the DCM600 is fooled by the Jeanneau charger on shorepower.....
 
[ QUOTE ]
Well, I have 4 batteries, and I suspect 1 is duff. But which one?

[/ QUOTE ]Assume they're all paralleled. Disconnect the interlinks, and use a digital voltmeter to check each one. The duff one will have a lower voltage - perhaps significantly lower.


[ QUOTE ]
Also, the DCM600 is fooled by the Jeanneau charger on shorepower.....

[/ QUOTE ]In that case, I'd say the wiring is incorrect (but maybe that's just a Jeanneau thing! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif).
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
See here under 50.00 Quid plus delivery.

[/ QUOTE ]Here in the UK, we have this brilliant thing called VAT, which adds 15% to the prices we pay. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe it's called GST in Oz. Not sure what the rate is as they didn't have it when I was out there.
 
Load Tester Ebay

or

Sealey Tester

as you asked ... another price.

I have the 10 quid Draper LED battery / Alternator tester and that showed me when alternator was faulty. For batterys I don't think it's good enough apart from showing if charged or not. I've always accepted that if I think a battery is on it's way out or duff - then it most likely is !
 
<<<I believe it's called GST in Oz. Not sure what the rate is as they didn't have it when I was out there. >>>

Still at 10% and applies to almost anything but for esential items like bread and milk etc.

Known as G-rab and S-natch T-ax

Avagoodnewyear......
 
[ QUOTE ]
Also, the DCM600 is fooled by the Jeanneau charger on shorepower.....

[/ QUOTE ]

With the battery monitor you have you can do much more than the £50 unit you are suggesting.

Disconnect the shorepower and you will see the drain on the battery. You can put on whatever load you want to test it properly - just switch on lights and circuits up to a 20 amp draw and see what happens - if you see the voltage going below about 12 volts then you are down to about 50% of the battery capacity. When you take off the load it should restore to about 12.2 volts - this is the lowest you should discharge a battery. Do this for each battery in turn by disconnecting the earths from all the other batteries.

You'd be better off spending time and money on understanding the battery monitor and how to use it. Lots of books on the subject of Volts and Amps.
 
Dead right. If you are looking at your batteries every day/on every visit to the boat, you must suspect something wrong. No? Why not get the underlying problem fixed? Rotten batteries / rotten alternator (not so likely)

I recommend an £8 multimeter to check the recharged voltage to ensure the plates are still up to the job. And as a further test, check the output voltage on loading the batteries, one by one. Do this no more than 3-4 times a season, otherwise.............

Otherwise put you money, I say, into new batteries, and rest easy (sort of!)

PWG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top