School me on Electronic Load Testers

[valley001]

Hello all,

I am in need of a device that will drain a battery and then report capacity.  Well, I guess I don't need one.....I could always just strap on the inverter and drain it while monitoring with my current meter but what fun is that?  I never shy away from an opportunity to irrationally purchase test equipment.

Anyway....I see the amazon and ebay offerings for these devices that are basically a pcb with readout and massive heatsink/fan for $40-$90, however I prefer something more impractical like legacy lab equipment.  I see the HP/Agilent 6051A and 6060B.  Are these devices suitable?  I see they are pricy in comparison to the 6033a/6038a I bought to charge batteries.    I like the legacy stuff because I can fix it in most cases, and I know it will be reliable.  AND it helps my home remain firmly planted to the earth.

I am a big fan of the legacy HP gear.  Am I missing some others that are equally good but perhaps more affordable?

[larsdenmark]

I haven't tried it but it may be an idea to use a 6631B or 6632B power supply. These power supplies can also sink current.

You'll probably need to fiddle with some GPIB programming, but one of these devices should allow you to charge and discharge batteries and get the measurements you need.

[Grandchuck]

I recently purchased this one and so far am pleased with its performance.
https://www.newark.com/multicomp-pro/mp710259-us/dc-electronic-load-300w-120v-30a/dp/52AH6649?st=electronic%20load
There is also a 150 Watt model at lower cost.