The first EMTAs ever installed had batteries that were supposed to last 6 to 8 years. Time’s up. PCT International has devised what it believes is a simple, effective way for cable operators to test, recharge and re-deploy the units.

PCT’s Battery Testing and Charging System includes servers, testing software and a tester/charger, and it can be stacked to service up to 192 batteries in a single 19-inch rack.

Designed for minimal footprint, the tester/charger units are each 2U chassis high and are capable of testing/charging up to 12 batteries. Up to 16 of the units can be stacked in a standard 19-inch rack; the PCT software package allows simultaneous, real-time views of multiple tester chassis, allowing a single individual to manage the process for hundreds of batteries.

The system is capable of testing two-cell and four-cell battery packs (8.4Vdc @ 2.2Ah and 4.4Ah, respectively) and three-cell battery packs (10.95 to 12.6Vdc @ 2.2Ah) from most major manufacturers. The system provides complete testing and a battery charging linearity test. It also plots minute-by-minute charging reports for power storage and linearity plots, provides current and voltage curves during charging and discharge mode, and tests the power drain linearity of the fully charged battery.