Review on Maximize Battery Performance with Auto Meter SB-300 Intelligent Handheld Battery Tester by Bryan Finken

My brother in law is an electrical troubleshooting engineer at Learjet and I gave him this battery tester as he also repairs cars and motorcycles. He is therefore familiar with many mechanical disciplines. Minutes after trying it, he was immediately struck by its intuitive simplicity. First off, the little printed manual that came with it was very well written and easy to understand (even for a novice like me with no experience). Reading the manual explains exactly how the various tests are performed AND what the test results mean. Therefore, this manual does not assume any experience or knowledge in the automotive field. The manual includes the following instructions and/or cautions (with a tester screen shot for clarity): 1) "Connection": Requires battery temperature input during test. So you may need an infrared temperature sensor, especially if the battery has been drained with the engine running. If the battery has been sitting in the car you can certainly put in the ambient temperature unless your car has been sitting in the sun and the engine compartment temperature has increased. If you swapped the battery terminals on the battery posts, an error message will appear on the screen. If you don't have an "audio" connection to posts, you will also be prompted to "check connections". 2) "Battery Test": If the battery temperature is over 180 degrees after entering the battery temperature, you will get a warning "Battery is too hot for safe test". At this point, return to the main menu and wait for the battery to cool down. If the battery temperature is OK, select the battery type, e.g. B. "Standard" or "AGM", and in these two categories you can select "Start" or "Deep Cycle". Then enter the nominal CCA of the battery and an overview screen will open. When it finishes, it will start the test. And if the reading is below 7.2V, it will ask you if it is a 6V battery. 3) If it passes the digital pulse test, it removes the surface charge and has a status bar at the bottom of the screen. , shows the progress of the battery test. 4) The screen will display one of the following test results: (a) The battery passed the test and is ready for use again. (b) The battery has insufficient remaining capacity to pass the test and the battery should be replaced immediately. (c) The battery is fine, but needs to be charged before use. (d) The battery was not sufficiently charged for the digital pulse test, so you must charge the battery and then repeat the test. (e) The battery has been tested but is near the end of its life. This is normal in mild climates, but may not start the vehicle in hot or cold conditions. 5) After completing the test, you can print the results on an infrared printer (optional to purchase if you use it in a shop). to share with customers. Bottom line, this is an amazing product that definitely has INDUSTRIAL toughness. Extremely "durable construction" with an Otterbox-style rubber housing to withstand rough handling in a commercial garage environment. It also comes with a pair of pillar connector adapters. One for the side speakers and one for the top speakers. They recommend these to use for the most accurate test results. If the price is within your budget then feel free to buy this as it is worth every penny. Although I suspect it would also be more appealing to mechanics who can get the most out of it on a daily basis. Wish blue. It is about perspective and necessity.