Battery tester - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

batterymaker1 · 6th Oct 2008, 6:54 pm

I have many battery testers--all of them handheld and fairly delicate. I wanted something I could use in my workshop that would take the normal wear and tear of my goings-on without failing. In other words, I wanted a "beater," something that I wouldn't cry over if it were damaged or broken.

I found it with this 1950s Burgess Battery tester. It would have been installed over a point-of-purchase battery display. Customers would be able to test any LT or HT battery up to 90 volts and determine if they needed a replacement.

All I had was the tester and its mounting panel, so I cobbled up this shelf over the weekend. Nothing special in its design, just something that would hold the battery while I went over its voltages. I made it large enough to hold a Zenith Trans Oceanic battery. I replaced the broken test leads with longer ones so I would be able to test a larger batteries on the test bench.

The frame was made with long garden stakes, (think miniature 2x4's

) the outer skin is MDF. Four coats of red and white enamel were applied. The finish is fuzzy, pretty rough--but this thing's going to see rough service out in the garage, so I'm not terribly particular about its beauty.

I also made a cell tester pad out of a piece of circuit board material and an alligator clip. It allows you to test cells without needing three hands--one to hold the cell, one to hold the negative and one to hold the positive...

Function is simple: the negative lead is joined to the clip, and then any D-, C- or AA-battery is installed on the pad.

The nice thing about this small tester bench is that it's light enough to be hung on the wall, and it's exactly where this one's going.

MALC SCOTT · 6th Oct 2008, 7:31 pm

Hi, what a great piece of kit! Does the job and looks real good. Nice one

Station X · 6th Oct 2008, 7:36 pm

Does it test the batteries under load?

batterymaker1 · 6th Oct 2008, 9:32 pm

Sure does.

And I built it to help in building batteries for a certain client you and I know.

Robert Darwent · 6th Oct 2008, 9:33 pm

That's just super, looks really good and every bit as functional and useful! You're a very clever man Bill, well done!

Regards

batterymaker1 · 7th Oct 2008, 2:01 am

Thanks all for the compliments.

And here's the tester nestled in its place on the wall...pardon the mess, it's far worse than what you see here....

Telleadict · 11th Oct 2008, 5:04 pm

Hello

Just spotted this.

Are you shure that tester isn't too pessimistic? -- it looks to have been made for shops selling new batteries after all ;-)

Bye
William

batterymaker1 · 11th Oct 2008, 7:59 pm

Fortunately the scale doesn't read from BAD to MUCH WORSE....

dave walsh · 11th Oct 2008, 9:01 pm

Really excellent job sir. "Neat" in both the English and US sense. You are turning out items of museum display quality there. I won't be going that far but I do keep meaning to make a simple jig for multiple testing of smaller rounder cells as balancing them between the points of test leads gets a bit tedious

.
Dave W

batterymaker1 · 16th Oct 2008, 2:07 pm

Thanks much for the compliments. Wouldn't call it museum quality if you saw it up close, but then again it's for go, not for show....

Not much needed for an adaptor. A block of wood, circuit board material, a wire with an alligator clip's pretty much all that's needed. Amazing how handy something simple can be. Never thought much about it until I had a D cell land on my foot while attempting to test it...

6th Oct 2008, 6:54 pm	#1
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Battery tester I have many battery testers--all of them handheld and fairly delicate. I wanted something I could use in my workshop that would take the normal wear and tear of my goings-on without failing. In other words, I wanted a "beater," something that I wouldn't cry over if it were damaged or broken. I found it with this 1950s Burgess Battery tester. It would have been installed over a point-of-purchase battery display. Customers would be able to test any LT or HT battery up to 90 volts and determine if they needed a replacement. All I had was the tester and its mounting panel, so I cobbled up this shelf over the weekend. Nothing special in its design, just something that would hold the battery while I went over its voltages. I made it large enough to hold a Zenith Trans Oceanic battery. I replaced the broken test leads with longer ones so I would be able to test a larger batteries on the test bench. The frame was made with long garden stakes, (think miniature 2x4's) the outer skin is MDF. Four coats of red and white enamel were applied. The finish is fuzzy, pretty rough--but this thing's going to see rough service out in the garage, so I'm not terribly particular about its beauty. I also made a cell tester pad out of a piece of circuit board material and an alligator clip. It allows you to test cells without needing three hands--one to hold the cell, one to hold the negative and one to hold the positive... Function is simple: the negative lead is joined to the clip, and then any D-, C- or AA-battery is installed on the pad. The nice thing about this small tester bench is that it's light enough to be hung on the wall, and it's exactly where this one's going. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Just playing with high voltage....

6th Oct 2008, 7:31 pm	#2
MALC SCOTT Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Willington, County Durham, UK. Posts: 1,499	Re: Battery tester Hi, what a great piece of kit! Does the job and looks real good. Nice one __________________ Malc Scott

6th Oct 2008, 7:36 pm	#3
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,286	Re: Battery tester Does it test the batteries under load? __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

6th Oct 2008, 9:32 pm	#4
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Re: Battery tester Sure does. And I built it to help in building batteries for a certain client you and I know. __________________ Just playing with high voltage....

6th Oct 2008, 9:33 pm	#5
Robert Darwent Heptode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK Posts: 990	Re: Battery tester That's just super, looks really good and every bit as functional and useful! You're a very clever man Bill, well done! Regards __________________ Robert G0UHF www.wavesintheair.co.uk Last edited by Robert Darwent; 6th Oct 2008 at 9:41 pm.

7th Oct 2008, 2:01 am	#6
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Re: Battery tester Thanks all for the compliments. And here's the tester nestled in its place on the wall...pardon the mess, it's far worse than what you see here.... Attached Thumbnails __________________ Just playing with high voltage....

11th Oct 2008, 5:04 pm	#7
Telleadict Hexode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nr. York, North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 348	Re: Battery tester Hello Just spotted this. Are you shure that tester isn't too pessimistic? -- it looks to have been made for shops selling new batteries after all ;-) Bye William

11th Oct 2008, 7:59 pm	#8
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Re: Battery tester Fortunately the scale doesn't read from BAD to MUCH WORSE.... __________________ Just playing with high voltage....

11th Oct 2008, 9:01 pm	#9
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Battery tester Really excellent job sir. "Neat" in both the English and US sense. You are turning out items of museum display quality there. I won't be going that far but I do keep meaning to make a simple jig for multiple testing of smaller rounder cells as balancing them between the points of test leads gets a bit tedious. Dave W

16th Oct 2008, 2:07 pm	#10
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Re: Battery tester Thanks much for the compliments. Wouldn't call it museum quality if you saw it up close, but then again it's for go, not for show.... Not much needed for an adaptor. A block of wood, circuit board material, a wire with an alligator clip's pretty much all that's needed. Amazing how handy something simple can be. Never thought much about it until I had a D cell land on my foot while attempting to test it... __________________ Just playing with high voltage....