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How This Digital MultiMeter Will Help You
Get the Most Out of Your Rechargeable Batteries
If you know the precise voltages of your NiMH rechargeable batteries, you can easily tell if they have enough power to run your device. Because these batteries don't have a handy little window, showing how much energy they have left, their internal voltages are the only way to tell if you've got enough power on hand.
I've used a multimeter like this ever since I began working with rechargeable batteries. Its how I tell if a charger is inputting enough energy, or whether a cell has been damaged and can't hold a full charge.
Did you know a single damaged cell will throw off an entire set of batteries? Its true. The least charged cell will limit the overall performance of the entire set, making you think they all need replacing.
Knowing the voltages of your cells also lets you pair up batteries with the most like voltages. Its a known occurrence that batteries get drained unevenly in virtually any electronic device. Trying to charge unevenly drained cells in a recharger can cause a lot of problems. For example, when the lesser drained cell finishes charging before than the greater drained cell, it can easily suffer overcharging while the charger tries to top them both off.
If you can pair up two cells with most like voltages, you'll be ahead of this curve, and keep your cells from getting damaged. (Severe voltage imbalances are corrected by the discharge feature of the Lightning Pack 4000N recharger.)
This particular charger has the following features:
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DC voltage
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DC current
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AC voltage
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Resistance
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Transistor test
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Diode test
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and Battery test.
It also has an easy-to-read 3-1/2 digit LCD readout, a circular selector switch, physical on/off switch, and 32" leads.
To be honest, the only two setting I ever use are the DC voltage and the Battery test.
Using the multimeter is very simple. Just switch it on and turn the selector to the "20" setting on the DCV section. Touch the positive (red) and negative (black) to the corresponding terminals (top and bottom) of the battery, and look at the readout. The display will show the voltage down to the hundredth of a volt, which is very helpful.
A fully charged NiMH cell will show anywhere from 1.42-1.46V. As the cells get drained, this drops fairly quickly down to 1.2V, and stays there until the cells are around 1.1V, at which time they likely cannot power many electric devices at this low voltage, and need recharging.
If you charge your batteries and see they are at only 1.3V, you know something is wrong. Try recharging them again normally, and check the voltages. If they are 1.4V, then the charger shut down prematurely. If they are still at 1.3V, the charger is likely defective. If only a single cell has a low voltage, it is likely damaged and needs replacing.
As for the Battery Tester feature, just turn the switch to the upper right corner, and touch the probes to the battery ends. Because NiMH cells have a very "buoyant" voltage, only by putting a load on the cells can you see if they are truly drained or not. This function does just that, and while it won't show you whether there is 70% or only 30% charge remaining, it will show if the cell is close to being depleted.) Basically, if the readout begins dropping, you know your cells are close to being fully drained, and need recharging.
That's all there is too it. Of course, this multimeter is also very useful for testing other electronic situations. I personally don't use these other features much, but its nice to have them there if I ever do need to check the voltage on my wall outlet, for example.
It comes with a Lifetime Manufacturers Warranty, so your covered for as long as you own it.
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