Inclusive Recommends: Battery Tester
Not all batteries are created equal
Adam
Last Update a month ago
If your battery-operated toy or communication aid starts to misbehave, chances are it needs a new battery.
The first question we ask customers reporting a faulty toy or communication aid is always, “Have you tried using a new battery?”
Invariably the answer is "yes", so we book in a return. Once the device arrives for testing, the battery is the first component we check - and more often than not, it reads 0% or returns 'ERROR'.
A battery tester is an essential tool for any school, hospital, or parent caring for someone who uses a battery-operated communication aid or enjoys switch-adapted toys.
Ablenet (manufacturer of the BIGmack, Step-by-Step and QuickTalker communication aids) reccomend using good quality disposable (non-rechargeable) alkaline batteries in their devices. Rechargeable batteries may seem cost-effective, but they degrade over time and hold less charge with each cycle. When a battery fails to deliver the required voltage, many devices will start to misbehave (rather than simply failing completely). The device may appear faulty, but simply requires a new battery.
At this point, it's often tempting to try a battery from another working device, like a remote control or smoke alarm. However, these devices require less voltage to function than a motorised toy or communication aid. As a result, when two batteries that appear to work produce the same issue, it's easy to mistakenly assume the device itself is faulty.
The most reliable way to ensure your batteries are supplying adequate voltage is to invest in a battery tester. These are affordable and readily available from retailers like Amazon, RS Components, and CPC. With one on hand, you can be confident that any issue you encounter is likely a genuine fault - not just the result of a weak or failing battery.