PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-695

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 695

OCTOBER 2010
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-695 - Page 11 of 33
18
PS 695
OCT 10
19
PS 695
A conductance tester, such as the Pulse Tech (PT)
490 Conductance Tester is very sensitive. It can fnd
defects or battery weaknesses long before any problem
or capacity loss appears.
And the mini battery tester (MBT) is
a micro-ohm load tester designed as a
diagnostic tool For the operator. A fxed
post positive connector and coil cord
moveable negative connector make
checking multiple batteries easy and fast.
But the PT 490 can’t analyze the condition of a
battery pack if it is connected in parallel. Use the
Midtronic MDX 700P HD conductance tester.
Hawker Batteries…
Test
Before
Turn-
in!
PT 490 Conductance Tester, NSN 6130-01-510-9594
Midtronic’s MDX 700P HD
replaces Micro 700 Series
conductive tester,
Load testers
indicate the
battery’s ability to
hold its voltage
while under load.
Make sure you
read the owner’s
manual for load
testers before
using them. Then
you can correctly
use them.
Batteries should
be fully charged
before
putting
them into service.
Batteries must be
recharged after
removal if you’re
going to store
them. You don’t have
to recharge the
batteries if they are
headed to DRMO.
The test equipment you
need is in the standard
automotive Tool Set
(sATS). You can also order
individual testers.
wow!
that’s a big
pile of unserviceable
batteries!
I’m
not
unservice-
able!
Yeah, me
neither!
H
awkers (6TAGM) used on some wheeled vehicles are just one type of
valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery. Other VRLAs include the Exide
AGM200 for Bradleys and route clearance vehicles, the DEKA 34/78 used
with objective gunner protection kits, and Optima batteries that are
used with generators. (For more about VRLA batteries, see page 61.)
The question is, can you tell when your VRLA battery is unserviceable?
Unfortunately, some mechanics either don’t know how or they aren’t
checking VRLA batteries for serviceability.
Tests on recent turn-ins of “unserviceable” VRLA batteries show that
many of them are still serviceable! So save your unit the cost of new
batteries by testing the old ones when you think they could be bad. Turn
in used batteries only when testing shows they really
are
unserviceable.
695.18-19.indd
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9/8/10
5:14 PM
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