tca2267 Loc: Florida

Does anyone know if there is a battery checker to check the batteries [ EN-EL15 EN-EL15a ] 
used in the Nikon D7200...D750....D500 and d850....

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This might help.
https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/18612/how-to-measure-capacity-of-a-lithium-ion-battery/18613#18613

Connecting a multimeter will tell you what's going on inside.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Just slip them into the camera - it will tell all, and it just takes a moment. I use a rubber band to I.D charged vs discharged.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

That’s a good idea.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

You beat me to it.

Quixdraw Loc: x

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

The problem is that with the latest technology batteries, there is no way for you or a battery checker to make a connection with the battery itself...only with the output terminals of the control circuit that manages that battery and protects it (and you) from damage and injury. If you don't have the "secret code" that controls that circuitry, about all you can do is measure the output voltage that it is providing.

You may be able to see minor changes in output voltage to determine whether the battery is charged or not, but probing around the output terminals of a battery can be dangerous, even with their protective circuits. Accidentally connecting a multimeter that is set to measure current could be dangerous to the meter, the battery, and to you. There is an incredible amount of energy stored in a lithium ion battery, and the heat generated by a short circuit can release a lot of it in a very short time.

As has been stated, the battery meter in the camera is your best bet. Even the techniques described in the article using the charger indicator can give misleading resultd, especially with third party batteries that may not provide proper charge indication.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

A simple way to mark the batteries you have.
Currently, I put a small red sticker on one side of the battery bottom where the cover goes on. The covers have a small hole on one side so when the battery is charged, I put the cover on so the red sticker is not visible. Drained, the cover hole goes over the red sticker indicating it is dead.
I like yours, I could just rubber band the cover to the battery to indicate it is dead.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

What quixdraw and joer said. All of the cameras you mentioned have the ability to give the % of charge left.

Kozan Loc: Trenton Tennessee

You really have to check batteries under a load. Usually with a 1K resistor. Batteries can have the full-charge voltage but are not able to produce the proper current.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Even if you could access the terminal on your camera battery, or any battery for that matter, a proper tester will only indicate if there's sufficient voltage under load at the time of testing. It usually can not indicate the degree of remaining charge, how many more discharge/recharge cycles are left before the battery is no longer viable. Some of the latest battery technologies have very different charismatics than their predecessors.

If your camera has the internal circuitry to monitor your batteries, that is your best bet, however, any battery, regardless of make, model, type, OEM or a third party, and even brand new out of the box can unceremoniously fail or drop dead at the most inopportune times. Always keep sufficient spares on hand and keep track of age and charging cycles.

As I have posted many times, today's cameras are entirely dependent on electronics- not only the meter or the motor drove, but the entire system and there is no single mechanical shutter speed that will function when the battery is down. Gone are the days wehn you could stop off at just about any handy store and buy a bunch of Coppertops, Energizers, or button batters and fire up a dead camera.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Upper right corner on the lcd

FotoHam

Right on, Larry.
Thanks
W6BEB

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

This from Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Electrical Tests
• External Short Circuit Test — The
external short circuit test creates
a direct connection between the
anode and cathode terminals of
a cell to determine its ability to
withstand a maximum current
flow condition without causing
an explosion or fire
• Abnormal Charging or Overcharging
Test — The abnormal charging
test applies an over-charging
current rate and charging time to
determine whether a sample can
withstand the condition without
causing an explosion or fire. The
overcharge test attempts to
charge a battery to greater than
100% state of charge through
various methods
• Forced Discharge or Overdischarge
Test — The forced discharge test
determines a battery’s behavior
when a discharged cell is connected
in series with a specified number
of charged cells of the same type.
The goal is to create an imbalanced
series connected pack, which is
then short-circuited. To pass this
test, no sample cell may explode
or catch fire. The overdischarge
attempts to continue discharging
beyond the specified of the
discharge limit
Mechanical Tests
• Crush Test — The crush test
determines a cell’s ability to
withstand a specified crushing
force (typically 13 kN) applied by
two flat plates (typically although
some crush methods such as SAE
J2929 include a steel rod crush
for cells and ribbed platen for
batteries). To pass this test, a
sample may not explode or ignite.
There are additional criteria for
high voltage or large batteries
such as those used in electric
vehicle applications
• Impact Test (cell) — The impact
test determines a cell’s ability
to withstand a specified impact
applied to a cylindrical steel rod
placed across the cell under test.
To pass this test, a sample
may not explode or ignite
• Shock Test — The shock test is
conducting by securing a cell or
battery under test to a testing
machine that has been calibrated
to apply a specified average and
peak acceleration for the specified
duration of the test. To pass this
test, a sample may not explode,
ignite, leak or vent
• Vibration Test — The vibration
test applies a simple harmonic
motion at a specified amplitude,
with variable frequency and time
to each sample. To pass this test, a
sample may not explode, ignite,
leak or vent
• Drop Test — The drop test subjects
each cell and/or battery sample
to a specified number of free falls
to a hard surface. The sample is
examined after a time following
each drop. To pass this test, a
sample may not explode or ignite.
There are additional criteria for
high voltage or large batteries
such as those used in electric
vehicle applications
Environmental Tests
• Heating Test — The heating
test evaluates a cell’s ability to
withstand a specified application
of an elevated temperature for
a period of time. To pass this test,
a sample may not explode or ignite
• Temperature Cycling Test —
The temperature cycling test
subjects each sample to specified
temperature excursions above
and below room temperature
for a specified number of cycles.
To pass this test, a sample may
not explode, ignite, vent or leak.
There are additional criteria for
high voltage or large batteries such
as those used in electric vehicle
applications
• Low Pressure (altitude) Test —
The low-pressure test evaluates a
sample for its ability to withstand
exposure to less than standard
atmospheric pressure (such as
might be experienced in an aircraft
cabin that experiences sudden
loss of pressure). To pass this test,
a sample may not explode, ignite,
vent or leak
Additional Specialized Tests
In addition to the common abuse tests
discussed above, certain product safety
standards and testing protocols for
lithium-ion batteries require additional
specialized testing. These specialized
tests address exposure to an external
or internal fire and material/insulation
integrity evaluations.
• Projectile (fire) or Internal Fire Test
— The projectile test subjects a
cell sample to a flame from a test
Safety Issues for Lithium-Ion Batt


Lots of talk about explosion and fire! Of course, this may pertin more to automotive and aircraft applications and other heavy industrial usages of lithium-ion batteries, as opposed to relatively lower voltage camera batteries, nonetheless, I wouldn't advise poking around with a screwdriver or a test lead unless you know exactly what you are doing.

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

...and a lot of battery doom follows...

It's not that hard. If your average lithium battery is fully charged, it will read 8.4 volts. If it is discharged, it will read around 7 volts. Fully discharged, 6 volts and hopefully not less. If it doesn't last as long as it used to, it's probably bad.

Not everybody has (or needs!) a Cadex 7000 series analyzer...