dumb question on battery testing

can somebody recomend a simple way to test which battery is good and which is dead?
SlickRCBD wrote on :

A while ago I had to replace the battery in my powermac 6500. At the time, I ordered two batteries. I stuck the spare in a box with spare computer junk. Then, later, I stumbled on the old dead battery that I pulled out and had put aside, and tossed it in the box without realizing it. I was just going through the box today and noticed my error. The problem is, I can't tell which battery is the good one and which is the bad one.

Short of having to pull my 6500 apart and insert the battery (a bigger project than it should be given where it is and how the cables are), can somebody recomend a simple way to test which battery is good and which is dead? Due to the connector on the end, there aren't exposed contacts, and I don't want to damage the good battery in any way.

Oh, here's a link to which kind of battery they are. http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Ray%2DO%2DVac/MAC45V/

Shawn Hirn replied on :

In article dNWdna6F-7Jef_HanZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@redacted.invalid, SlickRCBD spamyourself@redacted.invalid wrote:

A while ago I had to replace the battery in my powermac 6500. At the time, I ordered two batteries. I stuck the spare in a box with spare computer junk. Then, later, I stumbled on the old dead battery that I pulled out and had put aside, and tossed it in the box without realizing it. I was just going through the box today and noticed my error. The problem is, I can't tell which battery is the good one and which is the bad one.

Short of having to pull my 6500 apart and insert the battery (a bigger project than it should be given where it is and how the cables are), can somebody recomend a simple way to test which battery is good and which is dead? Due to the connector on the end, there aren't exposed contacts, and I don't want to damage the good battery in any way.

Oh, here's a link to which kind of battery they are. http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Ray%2DO%2DVac/MAC45V/

Go to Radio Shack and ask someone there to test both batteries. It should be a simple matter of putting the battery on a voltmeter. I imagine Radio Shack has a voltmeter on hand, but if not, find another electronics store in your area.

D. Kirkpatrick replied on :

In article dNWdna6F-7Jef_HanZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@redacted.invalid, SlickRCBD spamyourself@redacted.invalid wrote:

Short of having to pull my 6500 apart and insert the battery (a bigger project than it should be given where it is and how the cables are), can somebody recomend a simple way to test which battery is good and which is dead? Due to the connector on the end, there aren't exposed contacts, and I don't want to damage the good battery in any way.

Well, I have a slightly techie approach...

Depending on where you live and what stores are available, a small volt meter can run $5 to $15 these days. I have a couple of shops near me that have them for el-cheapo. They're about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and you would then have it for a wide number of other things such as testing batteries, other voltages throughout the house, continuity within a wire, etc.

I have a golden-oldie-moldie that I got from Radio Shack decades ago that runs on a penlight (AA) battery, which is only necessary when doing a continuity check. Its an old analog swing needle face.

Nowadays everything is digital.