Instruments to test AA battery energy stored capacity

[Explorer]

I am looking for an instrument to test the battery energy stored capacity of AA batteries. 

 

Does anybody have recommendations on an instrument that I can place brand new AA batteries and test to see if they do have the energy stored capacity claimed?

 

I recently purchased a set of 20 Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries online via a battery vendor in Amazon.

 

The result was disappointing.  Usually, 2 of these AA batteries will last 24 hours on my audio recorder. But, on a recent backpacking trip into the wilderness, they lasted only 15 hours and I lost key recording time.

 

I don't trust these internet battery vendors anymore, since this is the 2nd time I have this issue.  The batteries look legit and say Energizer Ultimate Lithium, but they don't last as long as the ones I buy at my local CVS store.

 

To avoid wasting recording time, I need to test the brand new batteries before I take them to the field.  I have seen numerous types of instruments being sold to test batteries, but I am not sure how reliable and accurate they are.

 

Suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[gigantor]

I don't think you can measure how much energy is in a AA battery.

 

Radio Shack has a "battery tester", but its just a resistor wired in series to a volmeter. That will give you the actual output under load at the given time, but you won't know how long it will last.

 

I suggest using a portable "energy bank".

 

https://a.co/d/3gNJ1fZ

 

If your recorder  can't draw power from usb, some simple splicing may be necessary...

 

[Explorer]

Thanks for the info, Gigantor.

 

I was looking in Amazon and saw numerous battery test instruments but many were flawed, inaccurate, and cheap.

 

The one in the link below looked intriguing, but then I read the bad reviews from people who know about testing batteries with more accurate instruments and most of them said that it was an useless instrument (and cheap Chinese made product).

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dlyfull-Universal-Battery-Resistance-Batteries/dp/B081JGZ554/ref=sr_1_23_sspa?keywords=battery+tester&qid=1694658030&sr=8-23-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

 

Nonetheless, it was an instrument like that that I was looking for that would tell me the % capacity left.

 

[gigantor]

55 minutes ago, Explorer said:

Thanks for the info, Gigantor.

 

I was looking in Amazon and saw numerous battery test instruments but many were flawed, inaccurate, and cheap.

 

The one in the link below looked intriguing, but then I read the bad reviews from people who know about testing batteries with more accurate instruments and most of them said that it was an useless instrument (and cheap Chinese made product).

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dlyfull-Universal-Battery-Resistance-Batteries/dp/B081JGZ554/ref=sr_1_23_sspa?keywords=battery+tester&qid=1694658030&sr=8-23-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

 

Nonetheless, it was an instrument like that that I was looking for that would tell me the % capacity left.

 

 

 

yup. If you read the description:

 

"Dlyfull Universal Battery Tester with LCD Display, Small Digital Battery Voltage Resistance Checker "

 

a resistor wired in series to a voltmeter....

 

[hiflier]

1 hour ago, Explorer said:

Thanks for the info, Gigantor.

 

I was looking in Amazon and saw numerous battery test instruments but many were flawed, inaccurate, and cheap.

 

The one in the link below looked intriguing, but then I read the bad reviews from people who know about testing batteries with more accurate instruments and most of them said that it was an useless instrument (and cheap Chinese made product).

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dlyfull-Universal-Battery-Resistance-Batteries/dp/B081JGZ554/ref=sr_1_23_sspa?keywords=battery+tester&qid=1694658030&sr=8-23-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

 

Nonetheless, it was an instrument like that that I was looking for that would tell me the % capacity left.

 

 

Kinda the bottom line here is that new Energizers Lithium AA's should read a solid 1.8 volts. You didn't say what current your device draws in order to function but regardless, If you get 24 hrs on new lithiums that read 1.8 volts on a typical meter, but now are only getting 15hrs? It because your lithiums are only 1.5 volts and you should be able to see this on any standard battery meter. There could be reasons for the voltage drop, on the shelf too long even though shelf life is said to be 15 years, or the storage conditions were in a place where temperatures weren't conducive to shelf life.. In either case, a 1.8 volt read on a meter is what you want to see.

 

Here's some good technical info: https://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA UK.html

 

I do wholly agree with gigantor's advice to try a battery brick of some kind. I have a 32,000 mAh brick and it's been very reliable and they're not that expensive.

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by hiflier

[Catmandoo]

What recorder do you use?

Did you measure the voltage of the new batteries or went from package to equipment?

Looks like your recorder wants 3 volts.

The link that hiflier listed has good info. However, battery testers love to test a single battery and make pretty graphs. Few of us have devices that operate on one battery. Batteries should be tested in the groups that they will function in: pairs, three, four, six. eight, 10, etc. etc. I buy Energizer batteries without fear. I have equipment that can't take lithium batteries so it's back to Energizers and sometimes Duracell. Rayovac has let me down.

The power bank above, posted by G, has a good price.

Hope that you are crafty.

[Catmandoo]

Power Stream has batteries and knowledge up the ying yang.  They have a battery charge tester but at $160,  you can buy a lot of batteries for that amount.

One can learn a lot on the technical info sections of their site. 'Battery run time calculations' is  good to look at. 

 

https://www.powerstream.com/battery-capacity-calculations.htm

[Explorer]

14 hours ago, hiflier said:

 

Kinda the bottom line here is that new Energizers Lithium AA's should read a solid 1.8 volts. You didn't say what current your device draws in order to function but regardless, If you get 24 hrs on new lithiums that read 1.8 volts on a typical meter, but now are only getting 15hrs? It because your lithiums are only 1.5 volts and you should be able to see this on any standard battery meter. There could be reasons for the voltage drop, on the shelf too long even though shelf life is said to be 15 years, or the storage conditions were in a place where temperatures weren't conducive to shelf life.. In either case, a 1.8 volt read on a meter is what you want to see.

 

Here's some good technical info: https://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA UK.html

 

I do wholly agree with gigantor's advice to try a battery brick of some kind. I have a 32,000 mAh brick and it's been very reliable and they're not that expensive.

 

 

 

@hiflier  Thanks for the information on the Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.  Very informative!   I have been using them for years, and they usually are reliable and stable when I buy them from the local CVS in small packages.  But when I buy them from the internet vendors in big quantities, they tend to underperform.   I do have a a couple of power banks that I use for my FLIR and other equipment, but wanted to keep my small recorder simple and without additional gadgets on the field.

 

 

12 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

What recorder do you use?

Did you measure the voltage of the new batteries or went from package to equipment?

Looks like your recorder wants 3 volts.

The link that hiflier listed has good info. However, battery testers love to test a single battery and make pretty graphs. Few of us have devices that operate on one battery. Batteries should be tested in the groups that they will function in: pairs, three, four, six. eight, 10, etc. etc. I buy Energizer batteries without fear. I have equipment that can't take lithium batteries so it's back to Energizers and sometimes Duracell. Rayovac has let me down.

The power bank above, posted by G, has a good price.

Hope that you are crafty.

 

@Catmandoo   I use the Tascam DR-05.  Been using it for 7 years and it is reliable and dependable.  Very predictable to record 24 hours (split over 3 nights) with 2 AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.

 

I did not measure the voltage of the new batteries since I don't have any instrument to test it.  I simply go from package to equipment, and they work most of the time.

 

 

11 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

Power Stream has batteries and knowledge up the ying yang.  They have a battery charge tester but at $160,  you can buy a lot of batteries for that amount.

One can learn a lot on the technical info sections of their site. 'Battery run time calculations' is  good to look at. 

 

https://www.powerstream.com/battery-capacity-calculations.htm

 

@Catmandoo  Thanks for the PowerStream reference website. Lots of good info there!  The PowerStream battery charge tester (going for $160) is probably more than I was willing to pay and it does not look too user friendly.  My default option is still expensive, to use new batteries every night.

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by Explorer

[Catmandoo]

10 hours ago, Explorer said:

But when I buy them from the internet vendors in big quantities, they tend to underperform.   I do have a a couple of power banks that I use for my FLIR and other equipment, but wanted to keep my small recorder simple and without additional gadgets on the field.

 

Years ago, I was researching selling on Amazon. Some one in the know said that to survive on Amazon, your margin has to be 50%  to 100%. I buy Energizer batteries at brick & mortar stores. I checked some Energizer Lithium batteries that I have and sure enough, 1.8⁺ volts.

I am spit balling here. Do you have to reset the clock and battery type selector when you change batteries? The battery type selector is on Alkaline or NiMH?  1.5 volts and 1.2 volts respectively.

[Explorer]

9 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

 

 I buy Energizer batteries at brick & mortar stores.

 

Might have to do that from know on.  The savings when ordering on bulk was 40%, though.

 

9 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

I checked some Energizer Lithium batteries that I have and sure enough, 1.8⁺ volts.

 

What instrument do you use to check the volts?  Something reliable in the market that I can use?  The label on the batteries say 1.5 volts, but the article that Hiflier sent did say that those Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries carry 1.8 volts.

 

9 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

I am spit balling here. Do you have to reset the clock and battery type selector when you change batteries? The battery type selector is on Alkaline or NiMH?  1.5 volts and 1.2 volts respectively.

 

The unit usually shuts down before batteries are totally dead, so the clock/date are still correct on the last recording.  If you remove the batteries and install new ones, then the clock and date are reset to default.

The battery type selector offers only 2 options:  Alkaline or Ni-MH.   

I always kept that selection at Alkaline.  

 

 

 

[Catmandoo]

7 hours ago, Explorer said:

What instrument do you use to check the volts?  Something reliable in the market that I can use?  The label on the batteries say 1.5 volts, but the article that Hiflier sent did say that those Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries carry 1.8 volts.

I have several meters ranging from complicated to simple for checking volts.

A basic battery tester can be found by Googling 'small battery tester' or 'battery storage' or 'battery organizer'.

Years ago , I bought a 'Bell & Howell' battery organizer. ( Bonus: "as seen on TV"). The simple battery tester is designated 'BT-168'. It displays 'good-low-replace'. The BT-168 unit has evolved and is rebranded by several outfits but the "BT-168" model designation has remained. The latest and greatest version has a digital readout and can measure lithium batteries= able to display voltages above 1.5. The latest unit, 'BT-168PRO' is listing for about $10. Searching online will generate a plethora of results.

A digital voltmeter will cost more and may have backlighting. An analog voltmeter displays with a scale and needle and can be under $20.  Both types available at big box stores.

A voltmeter with test leads is good to have in vehicles.

 

I think that the Energizer lithium marketing lists 1.5 volts as a 'nominal value' so consumers spend a lot of money and put a 1.8 volt battery in their devices. The 0.3 volts could be 'wiggle room' for improper storage / transport. I watch for sales around Halloween and Christmas. Tis the season for batteries

 

A power bank may be looking good. High initial cost and another gadget to recharge and carry around but they go the distance when sized correctly.

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by Catmandoo
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