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Post by gigarange58 on Mar 26, 2007 21:59:13 GMT 1
Can anyone recommend a good, affordable (under $50, if possible!) multimeter I can buy that will allow me to test my 8.4V and 9.6V battery packs?
I need something I can use in the field that will give me some idea how much charge each pack has left.
Thank you!
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Post by mrmugen on Mar 26, 2007 22:13:29 GMT 1
walmart has them for 8 bucks. They are yellow and digital. They are in the automotive section by the stereo equip. They work well and are cheap.
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Post by gigarange58 on Mar 26, 2007 23:05:51 GMT 1
Thanks for your quick reply Mr. Mugen. But how do use them for these kinds of batteries if they don't have settings for 8.4V or 9.6V battery packs?
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Post by mrmugen on Mar 26, 2007 23:19:41 GMT 1
they have a switch on them. You can measure any voltage pretty much.
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Post by gigarange58 on Mar 27, 2007 19:32:04 GMT 1
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Post by SCC on Mar 27, 2007 20:08:22 GMT 1
Hi gigarange58. What i do with my multimeter is set it to 20v DC then stick the probes on the batt connector. As long as you set it above the voltage your about to test it should work OK. I am sure somebody will chip in with a much more detailed explanation  . Heres a couple of pics. You can also Tach your prop with this one. Without batt connected  And with batt connected  |
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Post by cjg on Mar 27, 2007 23:27:06 GMT 1
You can get an multi meter at any walmart, etc for 15-20 bucks. As stated they have a voltage range settings and will give accurate readings.
Many also can measure amps up to about 10 to test your motor draw.
SCC, have you ever clocked the rpms of the stock SC prop, motor, and battery?
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Post by SCC on Mar 28, 2007 21:30:29 GMT 1
SCC, have you ever clocked the rpms of the stock SC prop, motor, and battery? Not yet, but i will. I'm in the UK at the moment. As soon as i am back i will do some tests. |
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Post by cjg on Mar 29, 2007 1:17:34 GMT 1
Can you get rpms for 7 cell and 8 cell for comparisons?
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Post by SCC on Apr 10, 2007 21:49:19 GMT 1
Heres a test i did with the Tach. Its the 7 cell 1000mah stock batt  Times that number by 100= 4100 I am not sure how accurate the tachometer is, it would be good to get a comparison Unfortunately i forgot to bring my 8 cells back from the UK. I am going back tomorrow and will have them home in a week or so. Cheers |
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Post by flydiver on Apr 11, 2007 6:05:34 GMT 1
Is a simple multimeter very accurate for NiMh? They tend to have a pretty flat discharge curve until about exhausted. With my meter a pack that has just died on the plane will still show a respectable voltage. I thought you really had to have them under a working load.
flydiver
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Post by cjg on Apr 11, 2007 23:38:53 GMT 1
Is a simple multimeter very accurate for NiMh? They tend to have a pretty flat discharge curve until about exhausted. With my meter a pack that has just died on the plane will still show a respectable voltage. I thought you really had to have them under a working load. flydiver You are correct about needing a load for a truly accurate measurement of a discharged battery. Every toolbox should have a multimeter to test polarity, peak voltage of a battery etc. It won't test the amperage still available very well. If you tested for low voltage under load you would get some idea of discharge condition. |
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itchycods
Flight lieutenant
Crashes without warning
Posts: 48
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Post by itchycods on May 10, 2007 3:57:15 GMT 1
I broke down a while back and bought an Eflite Wattmeter but in hindsight, there are several meters out there that have all this meter has as well as a tach (like SCC's). If you're gonna spend the money, might as well get a tach one-now I gotta buy a tach if I want prop readings...
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