Using the BUILT-IN Battery Tester

OVERVIEW

The SpeedCharge has a built-in battery tester that displays either an accurate battery voltage or an estimate of the battery’s relative charge based on the battery voltage and the Battery Council International scale.

TESTING SEQUENCE

There are four basic steps required to use the 6000A as a battery tester.

1.Connect the SpeedCharge battery clamps to the battery. Be sure to follow all of the precautions listed under

“OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS”.

2.Connect the SpeedCharge power cord to a 120 VAC outlet. Again, be sure to follow all of the precautions listed under

“OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS”.

3.If necessary, press the Battery Type button until the correct type is indi- cated.

4.Read the voltage on the digital LED or press the display mode button to set the tester to “Battery %” and read the battery percent.

TESTER AND CHARGER When first turned on, the 6000A operates only as a tester, not as a charger. To continue to use it as only a tester, avoid pressing the CHARGE RATE switch button. Selecting a charge rate activates the battery charger and deactivates the tester.

POWER-UP IDLE TIME LIMIT

If no switch button is pressed within ten minutes after the unit is first powered up, the unit will automatically switch from tester to charger, if a battery is connected. In that case, the unit will be set for the 2A charge rate and REGU- LAR battery type.

TESTER WITHOUT TIME LIMIT

If either the DISPLAY MODE or BAT- TERY TYPE button is pressed within the first ten minutes after the unit is powered up, the unit will remain a tester (not a charger) indefinitely, unless a charge rate is selected.

TESTING AFTER CHARGING

After the unit has been changed from tester to charger (by selecting a charge rate), it remains a charger as long as it has power. Disconnect and reconnect the power to change the unit back to a tester.

TESTER STATUS LEDs

When the 6000A is operating as a battery tester, the status LEDs light under the following conditions.

•The CHARGED (green) LED will light if a charged battery is tested.

•The CHARGING (yellow) LED does not light in the battery test mode.

•The CHECK (red) LED lights unless a properly connected battery is de- tected.

•When the tester display mode is set to voltage, none of the Status LEDs light.

INITIAL PERCENT CALCULATION

When a battery % is calculated for the first time after connecting a battery, the digital LED will show two dashes (“--”) for a period as long as several seconds while the tester analyzes the battery.

NOTES FOR TESTING BATTERY % A recently charged battery could have a temporarily high voltage due to what is known as “surface charge”. The voltage of such a battery will gradually drop during the period immediately after the charging system is disengaged. Consequently, the tester could display inconsistent values for such a battery. For a more accurate reading, the surface charge should be removed by temporarily creating a load on the battery, such as by turning on lights or other accessories.

The battery % ranges from 0 to 100.

The battery tester is only designed to test batteries. Testing a device with a rapidly changing voltage could yield unexpected or inaccurate results.