Ordered a Ancell BST200

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
1,330
Location
indiana
[Linked Image]

My car battery is 5 years and 2 months old . So i went an ordered a Ancell BST 200 battery tester off Ebay.
They get good reviews. Any one use this model?
 
https://shop.harborfreight.com/medi...33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/3/63592_I.jpg
The Ancel hasn`t arrived yet but I live close to a Harbor Freight and picked one of these up. They sell for only $4.99 and I use a 20% off coupon. They get real ggod reviews on their website.
Tried it this morning and get 2 lights up ,which is labeled as "Fair" battery. I will compare it to the Ancell in a few days after it arrives.
 
The harborfreight unit looks like it is just a voltmeter which can only measure the state of charge of a battery, not its health. Funny how it gets down to 5 volts of battery voltage.

The Ancell could be a conductance tester.
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
I guess you are going to have to tell us what you think of it once you get it.

Looks intersting though.

OK, the Ancell 200 came yesterday,here are my readings:

BATTERY RESULT-GOOD BATTERY
VOLTS > 12.65
MEASURED > 333 AMPS
RATING > 355 AMPS
SOC.> 79%
SOH.>100%
RES.>9.16

SOC. Is (state of charge)
SOH. Is 9state of health)
RES . I don`t know what that means , it is not explained in the manual. Any ideas?
 
I took the test again this morning the results are very similar .
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Quote
RATING > 355 AMPS

How does it know what the battery's CCA rating is?


My best guess - user inputs it prior to the test.

Use of ">" instead of "=" is annoying.
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Quote
RATING > 355 AMPS

How does it know what the battery's CCA rating is?


You have to key that in. It should be right on top of your battery.
 
I have ordered an almost similar device from ebay (ships from China so I expect it delivered after 2-4 weeks) called AUTOOL BT-360 which is a direct clone of another device (forget the name).I think its quite funny that the same product price ranges from 25 to 50 euros.They probably are not high end devices ,mostly useful toys.
We'll see what happens when it arrives,I have 3 flooded batteries to test used previously , currently and the last is not used yet (all properly maintained) in my Ford Fiesta.
-one 12 year Ford original (Silver Calcium) old worn (but not dead) battery 43Ah 390CCA,worked for 6 years then replaced with the:
-one working but old (6+ year old) currently in the vehicle , Banner Uni-bull 5100 47AH 390CCA
-one made in Greece (no brand name) 3 years old but never used (only charged periodically) supposed to be 50Ah and unknown CCA
It would be interesting , if there are quite a difference between the results ,this little thing should work as expected
I also have an AGM 4,5 year old and well maintanied battery in my Honda , and a LiFePO4 in my Kawasaki
Should be interesting to see the result on those too.
 
Originally Posted by Jimkobb
RES . I don`t know what that means , it is not explained in the manual. Any ideas?

RES could be internal resistance (in mOhm), but that's just a guess, based on what other similar devices report.
 
I was getting ready to replace my battery before I ordered the Ancel 200 but I think I will hold off now . I will keep checking it on a regular basis .
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Jimkobb
RES . I don`t know what that means , it is not explained in the manual. Any ideas?

RES could be internal resistance (in mOhm), but that's just a guess, based on what other similar devices report.


Thanks Pete. So my RES. reading is 9.16 , do you know what numbers would be good and bad?
 
Was wondering if the best top RES. reading is 10? Then 9.16 would be pretty good?
 
Originally Posted by Jimkobb
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Jimkobb
RES . I don`t know what that means , it is not explained in the manual. Any ideas?

RES could be internal resistance (in mOhm), but that's just a guess, based on what other similar devices report.


Thanks Pete. So my RES. reading is 9.16 , do you know what numbers would be good and bad?

I am no expert on this, but I was reading through the user manual of the HF Centech battery tester, and it mentions this:

Quote
Battery Resistance

1. Resistance (also called "impedance") is a
measure of the resistance of free flow of electrons
within the battery. Lower resistance is better.

2. In a 12V lead-acid battery, 9-13 mOhms (milliOhms)
is a good range. Resistance levels over
20 mOhms may indicate a problem.

3. A battery that has just been charged shows
increased resistance, therefore the battery must
be rested before being tested. Low electrolytes
cause increased resistance. Resistance increases
during use as the battery is discharged.


FYI, I'm thinking of picking up the Foxwell BT100 which seems to be a similar unit to your Ancel.
 
Pete , I think they are exactly the same. Only difference is the color. Prices are the same also. I bet they are made by one company and sold in both brands. I am glad I bought one and it seems to work well. I would not hesitate to get the Foxwell or Ancel.
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Jim, what is the maximum CCA value that the Ancel lets you set?

100 to 1100 cca
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
FYI, I'm thinking of picking up the Foxwell BT100 which seems to be a similar unit to your Ancel.
I decided not to get it. According to the seller on Amazon, it cannot measure internal resistance, even though some Youtube videos showed that it can. Not sure why the discrepancy.

I really like Foxwell BT705, as it can do some more comprehensive tests, including testing your alternator, alas it's quite a bit more expensive.
 
Pete , did you review the Ancel BA101? It is only slightly more cost than the Ancel BST200? I don`t know the specs but I was concerned with something basic and meeting my needs for my choice.On second thought I don`t think it will test alternator , but it will test up to 2000 CCA.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top