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Testing a lithium-battery tester. How good are Kodak's new Photolife AAs?
A specialized lithium-battery tester was introduced at last year's PMA photo show. I have been testing the ZTS, Inc. product and the results may interest photographic equipment dealers and those of our readers who use sufficient quantities of 123, 223, CR2, or 2CRS batteries to justify spending $59, plus $6 shipping and handling.
Unlike many testers, the ZTS Lithium Battery Tester doesn't have a regular meter with familiar moving pointer and red, yellow, and green scales. Instead, it has six red, yellow, and green LEDs which light up in sequence to indicate the condition of the battery being tested. A 9-volt transistor battery powers the electronics inside. A bit large to carry around in your camera bag, this tester is more suited for countertop use.
To test a 6-volt lithium battery, you simply press it down on the two pins sticking out of the tester's front. For 3volt batteries, since they have their terminals on opposite ends, you press one end down on the pin marked "123" and touch the red test lead to the battery's other end.
When the circuitry inside the tester senses that a battery is connected, it places an 1,100-milliampere load across the battery. At this point, the LEDs light to indicate the battery's condition. If all the LEDs are lit, the battery is as good as new. Fewer LEDs lit indicates partial rundown. After two seconds the...