DSR PSC-12500A Owner's Manual page 16

Using the Battery Voltage Tester
Overview
This battery charger has a built-in voltmeter to test your battery's state
of charge. The charger does not have a built in load tester. As such, a
recently charged battery could have a temporarily high voltage due to
what is known as "surface charge". The voltage of such a battery will
gradually drop during the period immediately after the charging system is
disengaged. Consequently, the tester could display inconsistent values for
such a battery. For a more accurate reading, the surface charge should be
removed by temporarily creating a load on the battery, such as by turning
on lights or other accessories for a couple of minutes before you read the
display. Read it a couple of minutes after you have shut the headlights off.
Testing Sequence: There are four basic steps required to test the battery
state of charge:
1. With the charger unplugged from the AC outlet, connect the charger to
the battery following the instructions given in Sections 6 and 7.
2. Plug the charger AC power cord into the AC outlet, following the in-
structions given in Section 8.
3.
If necessary, press the BATTERY TYPE button until the correct type is
indicated.
4. Read the voltage on the digital display or press the Display Mode but-
ton to set the tester to BATTERY % to read the voltage as a percent of
charge.
Tester and Charger: When first turned on, the unit operates only as a tes-
ter, not as a charger. To continue to use it only as a tester, avoid pressing
the BATTERY SIZE button. Selecting a charge rate activates the battery
charger and deactivates the tester. Pressing the BATTERY SIZE button
when the ENGINE START LED is lit (except during the 180 second cool
down) will shut off the charger and activate the tester.
Power-Up Idle Time Limit: If no button is pressed within 15 minutes
after the battery charger is first powered up, the charger will automatically
switch from tester to charger if a battery is connected. In that case, the
charger will be set to the start up default settings.
Tester without Time Limit: If either the DISPLAY MODE or BATTERY
TYPE button is pressed within the first 10 minutes after the battery char-
ger is powered up, the unit will remain a tester (not a charger) indefinitely,
unless a charge rate is selected.
Testing After Charging: After the unit has been changed from tester to
charger (by selecting a charge rate), it remains a charger. To change the
battery charger back to a tester, press the BATTERY SIZE button until all
charge rate LED's are off.
Tester Status LED's: When the unit is operating as a battery tester, the
status LED's light under the following conditions:
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