Want to know how to properly store Hawker® batteries? Find out... Watch the training video at www.hawkerbattery .com in the Video Vault
When should I replace my Hawker® battery?
A Hawker® battery is considered to be at the end of its “expected operational life” when…at least one of the following is true:
1. Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) Test:   when a fully-charged battery measures less than 12.65 volts.
2. Conductance Analyzer Test:   when a fully-charged battery fails to provide at least 80% of the battery’s rated CCAs (e.g., if a Hawker® ARMASAFE™ Plus 6TAGM battery measures less than 980 CCAs).
3. Mechanic’s Load Test:   when a fully-charged battery fails to remain above 9.9 volts Closed Circuit Voltage (CCV; a.k.a., load voltage) during the load test. The specified load should be equal to 1/2 of the battery’s rated CCAs and be applied for 15 seconds (e.g., for a Hawker® ARMASAFE™ Plus 6TAGM battery, apply a 612.5 amp load for 15 seconds, during which the battery’s load voltage must remain at 10.0 volts CCV or higher. Note: Per TB 9-6140-252-13, military personnel need only apply a 550-amp load on the Hawker® ARMASAFE™ Plus 6TAGM battery, since MIL-PRF-32143C only requires a new 6TAGM battery to be at least 1100 CCA).
4. Capacity Test:   when a fully-charged battery fails to provide at least 80% of the battery’s rated Capacity when discharged at a specified C-rate (e.g., for a Hawker® ARMASAFE™ Plus 6TAGM battery, when discharged at the C20 rate, if the battery measures less than 96 Ah). Note: This test is normally only conducted by design engineers.
Typical vehicle batteries are called 12-volt batteries, but that’s just a generic term. Actually, different types of lead-acid batteries have different “top-off” voltages. In fact, new 12-volt flooded-cell batteries typically measure 12.6 volts Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) and AGM batteries typically measure 12.9 volts (OCV) when the batteries are fully charged.
The rumor on the street is... “Military units can schedule free on-site Battery Maintenance and Recovery Training at their motor-pool.” Uhm, Is that TRUE?  It sure is! Just contact your Hawker® FSR today... and we’ll make BMRT happen for you.