Battery charger and battery analyzer experts

Spectro CA-12™ for Automotives
The biggest advance in battery testing

The main duty of a car battery has always been to crank the engine and in this respect, the conductivity check is useful. In newer vehicles, however, starting the engine is less of a concern. The importance of the battery is shifting to steering and braking. With these and other critical auxiliary loads added to a vehicle, it is becoming increasingly more important to ensure that the battery can carry enough energy. The Spectro CA-12 reads capacity (RC, Ah), CCA and state-of-charge with a 30 second test.

Spectro CA-12™ Automotive Battery Rapid-Tester
Batteries cause 60% of all car problems. The ability to start the motor tells little about battery health; the secret lies in the capacity.

Measures Capacity, CCA and SoC
Tests batteries in 15-seconds
Identifies hidden battery faults
Prints reports; interfaces with PC

Why car batteries fail
Electrical accessories place a heavy burden on the battery. The extra load often prevents full charge and the battery is replaced as being faulty. A luxury carmaker says that half of all failed warranty batteries have no factory fault. Battery breakdown, perceived or real, has become the largest single complaint by new car owners.

Cadex has developed a hand-held battery tester that reads CCA, capacity (Ah) and state-of-charge (SoC) in 15 seconds. The Spectro CA-12 is based on multi-model electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (Spectro™), a technology that opens the future to an entirely new way of battery testing.

How is the Spectro CA-12 different?

	Conventional Testing Single frequency excitations, a method most other battery testers use, operate on one level only. Many pieces of the puzzle are missing and critical battery information remains hidden.
	Advanced Testing Spectro™ uncovers the missing pieces and enables an in-depth performance analysis. Surface charge and difficult load conditions do not pose a problem.

More information from the battery means a better diagnosis. The Spectro CA-12 provides some of the best failure detection in the industry.

Why was this not done earlier?
Collecting data is easy; making practical use of the information is the difficult part. During the 15-second test, the CA-12 completes 40 million transactions. The heart of the instrument resides in the algorithm that calculates the results. The algorithm is unique to Spectro™ and is protected by patents.

Ease of Use
The CA-12 shows results in numeric and graphic format. You can also check the alternator and measure the resistance of the battery cables. The test is non-invasive and safe. Simply connect the Spectro CA-12 to the terminals without disconnecting the battery cables. The batteries do not need to be fully charged.

Why is Spectro CA-12 Superior?

Fast: A 15-second test enables more frequent battery checks. This minimizes unexpected down time and enhances customer confidence.

Safe: The non-invasive test does not generate heat, sparks or fumes. No cool-down is needed for continued use.

Simple: Requires minimal technical knowledge. Reverse polarity protection safeguards against misuse; rubberized housing prevents breakage.

Economical: Hidden faults, such as low capacity, can be detected early and the battery replaced before a problem occurs.

What are typical battery problems?
Conventional testers often cannot determine the cause of a battery failure. The Spectro CA-12, in comparison, discloses them with consistent accuracy. Here are examples of deficiencies the CA-12 detects.

Low Charge
Short-distance driving and heavy electrical load often prevents full charge.
The CA-12 indicates low charge. Charge recommended.

Low CCA
High capacity but low CCA. Cranking is poor and motor may not start.
The CA-12 indicates low CCA. Replacement recommended.

Low Capacity
High CCA but low capacity. Good cranking but battery may fail suddenly.
The CA-12 reveals low capacity. Replacement recommended

Is there a correlation between CCA & capacity?

This chart illustrates the discrepancy between CCA and capacity of car batteries. With a correlation of only 55%, CCA cannot be used to estimate capacity.

Prints reports, interfaces with PC

The printer interfaces to the CA-12 by an infrared link. A label sample is shown on the right.

Comes with PC-Companion software. RS232 or optional Bluetooth transfers test data to a PC