Review on 🔋 Amprobe BAT-200 Battery Tester: Optimizing Battery Performance and Reliability by Bill Kodba

I bought an Amprobe BAT-200 and a D-Fantix BT-168D. If I had to buy just one, it would be Amprobe. Would also recommend if you're not the type to eat volts and amps for breakfast. But everyone has their own merits. Details follow: The two testers are almost identical physically, but the Amprobe looks more solid. Amprobe uses an analog counter while D-Fantix uses a digital counter. On the back of each meter is a helpful chart that provides battery replacement instructions. The main functional difference is that the Amprobe gauge simulates battery stress when testing, while the D-Fantix does not. I find that a moderate load is a good idea when testing most batteries as it is more realistic for most applications. It's this boot idea that explains why some reviewers must be unhappy with any battery tester. The battery that you removed from the flashlight as dead can still work with your wall clock for several months. That's because turning on the flashlight is more like a sprint, while turning on the wall clock is more like a marathon. Not a perfect analogy, but the point is that you will find battery testers saying the tester is faulty because it said the battery isn't good, even though it will keep your watch running fine for months. Or they will say the tester is broken because it said the battery is fine but the flashlight won't start. The thing is, with every tester, there's a questionable area where your battery might perform well in some cases. used but fails completely in others. A tester like Amprobe that simulates battery stress will be more likely to say the battery is bad if it works well with your watch. An unloaded tester like D-Fantix will be more likely to say the battery is good even if it doesn't work with your flashlight. So the correct way to use all testers is to test them with batteries that are currently dead. If the clock stops, check the battery and record the reading. The same goes for your flashlight. Here's how to mentally adjust the tester's readings for the specific devices you use your batteries in. This leads to a final note on coin cells, watch batteries, button cells, etc. You can just tell how little they weigh in comparison to them. big buzzing D cell that they don't have much enthusiasm for. The Amprobe has a suitable load for 9V batteries and for 1.5V batteries up to AAA batteries. But I found the drain on the smallest button batteries to be too much, especially when used in low-demand applications like watches or heart-rate monitors. If you're testing a lot of these little batteries, the D-Fantix might be a better fit.