The Importance of Fully Charged Batteries
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The Importance of Fully Charged Batteries
“Energy nearly gone . . . Must finish . . .” When incorporated into a movie script, such a quote can provide high drama; spoken by a thermographer, it could foretell of temperature measurement errors.
Experienced thermographers know what it feels like to be near the end of an inspection only to have a low battery indicator appear on their instrument’s display screen. When fresh batteries are unavailable or far away, thermographers are often tempted to try to finish their inspection without switching batteries.
Although many portable thermal imagers and radiometers are designed to be used with batteries, few thermographers appreciate the impact of supply voltage on temperature measurement. Using infrared equipment with low batteries or incorrect voltage can cause significant errors in temperature measurement. Because of this, it is imperative to ensure that equipment batteries are always fully charged.
To help avoid measurement errors caused by low voltage, keep the following in mind:
- Only use batteries that are appropriate for your equipment
- Ensure that batteries are fully charged before each use
- When working in remote locations, carry spare batteries with you
- Change batteries immediately whenever a low power warning appears
Lastly, when working away from your office, it is a good practice to keep your battery charger(s) handy. Doing so will enable you to recharge dead batteries while you continue to work, helping to ensure that fresh ones are available when you need them.
Infraspection Institute Certified Infrared Thermographer® training courses teach the proper use of thermal imagers and radiometers along with proven techniques to help ensure accurate temperature measurement. For more information or to register for a course, call 609-239-4788 or visit us online at: www.infraspection.com.
