Triplett Chek-A-Cell – PN: 3276 - Manual (Page 4)

Using the CHEK-A-CELL:
Disconnect the battery from the charging circuit. If the battery is
wired into a circuit, it is only necessary to disconnect one side of
the battery….. either positive or negative.
Using the test probes and observing proper polarity …..red is
positive (+), black is negative (-)….. touch the CHEK-A-CELL’s
probes to the battery terminals.
Observe the reading on the digital display.
If no display is obtained, the battery may not be producing the
minimum voltage required to operate the CHEK-A-CELL (about
4.5 Volts). The CHEK-A-CELL will not test 1.5 Volt (AAA, AA, C,
or D) or 3 Volt (Lithium coin cells) batteries. The load produced
by the CHEK-A-CELL is usually too large for the typical 9 Volt
battery.
If the battery is the appropriate size, and no display is obtained, it
may be “dead” or require charging.
If a “minus” (-) symbol lights in the digital display, the polarity of
the test probes is reversed, or the battery is reversed charged.
Reverse the test probes to obtain a reading.
In other applications, make sure the battery is fully charged before
testing.
An undercharged battery will fail the CHEK-A-CELL’s test. A fault
in the battery charging circuitry could cause a battery to fail the
test. Make sure the charging circuit is operating properly.
Batteries can exhibit a “float” or “surface” charge immediately
after “fast charging” or after extended standby charging. The sur-
face charge causes the battery voltage to be higher than normal.
The surface voltage usually collapses rapidly under load, or will
gradually dissipate by itself if the battery is allowed to set for sev-
eral hours after being disconnected from the charging circuit.
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