HOW DOES A CARBON PILE TESTER WORK?
Until recently, the most effective way to determine the condition of a battery was to measure the voltage drop while draw-ing hundreds of amperes (almost a short) from a near fully charged battery. To achieve this load, large resistors (carbon piles) are applied across the battery’s terminals for a short period of time (approx. 15 seconds) and the resulting voltage is read. Typically, the voltage on a good battery will not drop below 9. 7 Volts at 80°F (9. 1 V at 30°F). Although widely used, this method can permanently damage a battery, cause potentially dangerous sparks and requires an adjustment to the reading to compensate for low ambient temperatures.
Until recently, the most effective way to determine the condition of a battery was to measure the voltage drop while draw-ing hundreds of amperes (almost a short) from a near fully charged battery. To achieve this load, large resistors (carbon piles) are applied across the battery’s terminals for a short period of time (approx. 15 seconds) and the resulting voltage is read. Typically, the voltage on a good battery will not drop below 9. 7 Volts at 80°F (9. 1 V at 30°F). Although widely used, this method can permanently damage a battery, cause potentially dangerous sparks and requires an adjustment to the reading to compensate for low ambient tempera-tures.
