Old Fashioned battery tester
 

My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

On Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:39:35 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.
Note that this kind of tester was required back in those days because
old carbon zinc batteries required a load to be properly tested.
Their open circuit voltage was misleading. However, with alkaline
batteries, you can get a pretty good idea of their state by looking at
the open circuit voltage. Your method works with either situation,
though. (I didn't see the OP's original question, so this response
may have nothing to do with it. Your response just brought back
memories of letting the batteries rest a while so I could get a few
more minutes of listening out of my transistor radio while sleeping
out in the back yard on a summer night).

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

On Mar 19, 9:39*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

Yeah reminds one of those testers that looked like a pair of calipers
with a flashlight bulb mounted at the junction. The arms were kinda
curved; the storekeeper would touch each end of the 'calipers' to a
battery and tell you you needed to buy a new one.
Different voltage bulbs could be screwed in; but it was generally used
for testing single 1.5 volt cells.
If I recall a D cell (in the UK called a U2, long before the musical
group or the spy plane) cost in the late 1950s about sixpence. And one
needed two of them to power the mandatory little red light on back of
the bicycle to get through one winter to and from work!

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

On Mar 19, 7:39*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

Here's an even older test method I got from a regular army old time
communications sergeant back in 1940: if you need to check the
batteries in your EE8A field telephone, wet your finger and place it
on the bottom of the battery, then touch your tongue to the center
electrode. A good battery will give you an 'electrolytic' taste which
will quickly let you know which batteries to pitch and which can be
used. No tools needed, works every time, even with artillery shells
whoofing overhead. It's a bit much for cells over 6 V or so, not
recommended for 9V. I doubt if many of today's squeamish citizens will
have nerve enough to try it, but this is just for the record and
people with a git 'er done attitude.

Joe

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

On Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:38:00 -0700 (PDT), Joe wrote:

On Mar 19, 7:39*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

Here's an even older test method I got from a regular army old time
communications sergeant back in 1940: if you need to check the
batteries in your EE8A field telephone, wet your finger and place it
on the bottom of the battery, then touch your tongue to the center
electrode. A good battery will give you an 'electrolytic' taste which
will quickly let you know which batteries to pitch and which can be
used. No tools needed, works every time, even with artillery shells
whoofing overhead. It's a bit much for cells over 6 V or so, not
recommended for 9V. I doubt if many of today's squeamish citizens will
have nerve enough to try it, but this is just for the record and
people with a git 'er done attitude.

Joe
I've used a similar method for many years. To test 9V batteries just
touch your tongue to the two contacts simultaneously.

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

Stormin Mormon wrote:
My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.



Shall I alert the Nobel Prize committee? G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

I'm the OP. There was no question. I was sharing a trick or
technique I'd used for a while.

Hmm. Wait a while for some more power from the batteries?
That sure sounds like the old carbons.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


wrote in message
...
Note that this kind of tester was required back in those
days because
old carbon zinc batteries required a load to be properly
tested.
Their open circuit voltage was misleading. However, with
alkaline
batteries, you can get a pretty good idea of their state by
looking at
the open circuit voltage. Your method works with either
situation,
though. (I didn't see the OP's original question, so this
response
may have nothing to do with it. Your response just brought
back
memories of letting the batteries rest a while so I could
get a few
more minutes of listening out of my transistor radio while
sleeping
out in the back yard on a summer night).

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

Thanks, your mental image was a bit more ammusing than mine.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"G. Morgan" wrote in message
alid...

I suddenly have a mental image of WWII troops landing at
Normandy...

.... amidst all the fighting there is a curious soldier
running around licking
batteries.

shakes head

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

Aw, shucks. I'm just too down home purty fer that!

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in
message ...


Shall I alert the Nobel Prize committee? G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

Stormin Mormon wrote:
I'm the OP. There was no question. I was sharing a trick or
technique I'd used for a while.

Hmm. Wait a while for some more power from the batteries?
That sure sounds like the old carbons.

Been there and done that when I was a kid in the 50's. Warming them up
helped.

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

Joe wrote:
On Mar 19, 7:39 am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

Here's an even older test method I got from a regular army old time
communications sergeant back in 1940: if you need to check the
batteries in your EE8A field telephone, wet your finger and place it
on the bottom of the battery, then touch your tongue to the center
electrode. A good battery will give you an 'electrolytic' taste which
will quickly let you know which batteries to pitch and which can be
used. No tools needed, works every time, even with artillery shells
whoofing overhead. It's a bit much for cells over 6 V or so, not
recommended for 9V. I doubt if many of today's squeamish citizens will
have nerve enough to try it, but this is just for the record and
people with a git 'er done attitude.

Joe

If you stick a 98 volt B battery to your forehead,
there is a bit of a sting and your vision starts
flashing rapidly. ERK, there's nothing wrong with me.
ERK, there's nothing wrong with me. ERK, there's
nothing.............

TDD

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

The Daring Dufas wrote:

Joe wrote:

On Mar 19, 7:39 am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


Here's an even older test method I got from a regular army old time
communications sergeant back in 1940: if you need to check the
batteries in your EE8A field telephone, wet your finger and place it
on the bottom of the battery, then touch your tongue to the center
electrode. A good battery will give you an 'electrolytic' taste which
will quickly let you know which batteries to pitch and which can be
used. No tools needed, works every time, even with artillery shells
whoofing overhead. It's a bit much for cells over 6 V or so, not
recommended for 9V. I doubt if many of today's squeamish citizens will
have nerve enough to try it, but this is just for the record and
people with a git 'er done attitude.

Joe


If you stick a 98 volt B battery to your forehead,
there is a bit of a sting and your vision starts
flashing rapidly. ERK, there's nothing wrong with me.
ERK, there's nothing wrong with me. ERK, there's
nothing.............

TDD

So you remember those B batteris too, 'eh?

How about those 225 volt (?) dry cell batteries which were used in pairs
to make 550 volts for the early still camera strobe flashes circa 1950
or so?

You could get a nice jolt out of them.

Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Old Fashioned battery tester
 

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:

Joe wrote:

On Mar 19, 7:39 am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

My Dad showed me how to do this, when I was a boy. Take a
flash light bulb (PR-4 is good, the old screw in 112 is
better, more close to the proper voltage). Then, take about
six or seven inch long piece of #10 or #12 solid wire. Wrap
one end of the wire around the bulb. Curve the rest of the
wire, so it looks like a letter C, or G.

Touch one end of the battery to the lead spot, on the bulb.
Touch the other end of the wire to the other end of the
battery. If the bulb lights, the battery is OK. Works for
AAAA through D cells. Have to bend the wire a bit, for
different sizes.

After using this for a while, you can also roughly guess the
battery state. New, used, weak, dead. By how bright the
light is.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


Here's an even older test method I got from a regular army old time
communications sergeant back in 1940: if you need to check the
batteries in your EE8A field telephone, wet your finger and place it
on the bottom of the battery, then touch your tongue to the center
electrode. A good battery will give you an 'electrolytic' taste which
will quickly let you know which batteries to pitch and which can be
used. No tools needed, works every time, even with artillery shells
whoofing overhead. It's a bit much for cells over 6 V or so, not
recommended for 9V. I doubt if many of today's squeamish citizens will
have nerve enough to try it, but this is just for the record and
people with a git 'er done attitude.

Joe


If you stick a 98 volt B battery to your forehead,
there is a bit of a sting and your vision starts
flashing rapidly. ERK, there's nothing wrong with me.
ERK, there's nothing wrong with me. ERK, there's
nothing.............

TDD

So you remember those B batteris too, 'eh?

How about those 225 volt (?) dry cell batteries which were used in pairs
to make 550 volts for the early still camera strobe flashes circa 1950
or so?

You could get a nice jolt out of them.

Jeff


I had a Graflex strobe 4 that used them. I was shooting
2 & 1/4 by 2 & 3/4 film at the time, but that was 35
years ago. Those batteries were fun because I could
freak people out by inserting test leads into the battery
and striking a fairly long arc. I've become lazy now
and have succumbed to cheap digital cameras.

TDD