Refractometers

[Mr Adagio]

Has anyone a recommendation for a reasonably priced refractometer which they are happy with?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

Roger

[MtB]

28 minutes ago, Mr Adagio said:

Has anyone a recommendation for a reasonably priced refractometer which they are happy with?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

Roger

 

There are loads of them on ebay for about £20. All seem to be the same!

 

I have one and it seems to give credible results. A right fiddle to use though. And terribly easy to drop the clear plastic cover on the acid droplet splashing a fine spray over your clothes, which turn into lace three weeks later. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

Save your money and put it towards new batteries.

 

Use them , recharge them as best as you can, when the lights go-out buy some new ones. Simples !!

 

Batteries are consumables, like gas, water, coal - when they are used up you just buy some more. In an ideal world you would do all the 'right stuff' and recharge to 100% every half-hour, wrap them up in a blanket, sing songs to them and give them a goodnight kiss, but life is not 'ideal'.

 

If you get 1 year out of a 5x battery bank, that's less than £1 a day, 2 years and under 50p a day, you'll spend more than that in diesel trying to keep them charged.

 

 

[cuthound]

3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

There are loads of them on ebay for about £20. All seem to be the same!

 

I have one and it seems to give credible results. A right fiddle to use though. And terribly easy to drop the clear plastic cover on the acid droplet splashing a fine spray over your clothes, which turn into lace three weeks later. 

 

 

 

Same disadvantages as a hydrometer then? ?

Edited August 12, 2018 by cuthound

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

Same disadvantages as a hydrometer then? ?

 

No, a hydrometer doesn't actively spay acid out sideways directly at you like a refractometer, if you are even slightly clumsy closing the lid.

 

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by Mike the Boilerman

[WotEver]

33 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

terribly easy to drop the clear plastic cover on the acid droplet splashing a fine spray over your clothes, which turn into lace three weeks later. 

You’re wearing the wrong clothes for checking acid...

[rusty69]

Just now, WotEver said:

You’re wearing the wrong clothes for checking acid...

It looks nice and shiny!

[WotEver]

Just now, rusty69 said:

It looks nice and shiny!

It’s not had acid sprayed on it yet...

[cuthound]

I recall that when I started work in 1972 I was given a felt apron, a mica face shield and some rubber gloves with hard knobbly bits on the fingers to wear when working on batteries. Early protective clothing.

 

After the first time I only wore the felt apron (and that didn't stop the acid holes from appearing in the areas of my jeans not covered by the apron).

 

The mica face shield misted up when you breathed, causing you to drip acid everywhere, coz you couldn't see what you were doing, and the hard knobbly bits on the gloves removed all feel and didn't grip the glass splash plates, causing you to drop them.

 

My boss went mad at me until I asked him to try working on a battery with them on. Having ruined his shoes when a glass splash plate fell on his foot he quickly bought me some acid proof overalls (the acid still soaked through to your jeans though) and a tube of acid proof barrier cream. Much safer.

Edited August 12, 2018 by cuthound
To add missing worms