Instructions
ELK - BLT
1.
Disconnect the battery from it’s equipment.
2.
Connect the BLACK test clip to the Negative (-) battery terminal, and the RED to the Positive (+) terminal. (For accurate
readings, the test clips must be tightly clipped directly to the battery posts, not to the battery bolts).
“
Err
” or blank indicates battery voltage is too low for testing or a test clip connection is loose.
Try charging the battery or reconnecting the test clips.
3.
The Voltage of the Battery will display briefly. A new battery, out of the box, will generally read around 12.6 Volts. A fully-
charged battery should read between 12.6 Volts and 13.5 Volts.
“
- - -
” indicates test in process, please wait.
4.
The Mhos (internal conductance) reading of the battery will display within 6 seconds.
5.
Refer to the Mhos Chart. In the Ah column, find the battery size. Follow across the row to find the closest match to it’s Mhos
reading. The column heading and color code indicates the test results.
NOTE: The Mhos chart printed on the BLT is best suited for batteries under charge and at room temperatures of
around 72F degrees. This covers most batteries, even in cold basements or buildings, since the battery will be kept
warm by the recharging and by being inside the electronics enclosure. However, since cooler temperatures can
significantly lower the Mhos reading of a battery, this instruction manual has a more extensive Mhos chart with
columns for evaluating batteries that are being adversely affected by 62F, 52F, and 42F degree environments. Also
see How Temperature affects a Battery
6.
For future reference mark the battery with the Voltage, Mhos reading, and test date.
Automatic Shutdown
If the
LifeTester
is left connected to a battery for more than 30 seconds after the test is complete, it will automatically shutdown to
conserve battery power. Disconnecting and reconnecting a test lead will restart the test procedure.
Recording Battery Readings
LifeTester
measurements should be taken and recorded periodically. The popular method is to record the information onto self-
adhesive labels placed directly onto the battery. A supply of these labels is included with the tester. Additional labels may be
ordered in packs of 100 by specifying part number ELK-BLT LABELS. This information will be valuable in future tests for trending
analysis. The recorded data should include:
A. The
Date
of the test.
B. The
Battery Voltage
reading. (optional)
C. The
Mhos
reading.
A new “fresh out of the box” battery that has not been charged should have a Mhos value in the high side of the Good column and
quite possibly into the Best column.
See the Mhos chart
. If the reading is considerably lower, charge the battery for at least 24
hours and then retest.
Battery performance degrades over time due to use and abuse, and may be impacted by many factors like depth and frequency of
discharge. The higher the Mhos value the more current the battery can deliver. Therefore, a new 7 amp-hour battery will have a
higher Mhos value than a new 4 amp-hour battery of the similar construction.
