Maybe someone can point me in the right direction for a battery tester. The local Hobby Town told me they have never heard of a battery tester - yeah, honest - the guy looked at me like I was smoking something illegal. He said he just uses his multimeter and didn't know anything about using a load across the battery - Okay, I'm not going flying with him! The hardware store sells battery testers but they just indicate "good or bad" but not the actual voltage of the battery. I then went to Radio Shack to get a 15 ohm resistor to load the battery so I could test it with my multimeter but, of course, Radio Shack only had a very small supply of 1/8 watt resistors - I'm not sure that an 1/8 watt is big enough to handle the test. Back to square one - somebody must make battery testers for this hobby - there sure are a lot of chargers and batteries out there - got to be a way to test them.

This is the one I have and it's inexpensive.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXNK81&P=7

This Expanded Scale Voltmeter Tests Batteries using a Simulated Servo Load for Precise, Accurate Readings.

Here's the one I use and it's digital....... [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXWW16&P=ML]Hobbico voltmeter[/link]

I use the first one since it was cheaper to purchase. If you order one, you should know that it doesn't come with any connectors or wires. I ordered these to use with it. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXL332&P=ML

At the typical modern bubble pack chain hobby store its a given that frequently the owners or the help are have no experiance or know anything at all about what they are selling

You really need to know what you are looking for and not depend on a lot from some of these folks and what they may say. this gentleman you were dealing with obviously was completely ignorant of the hobby and you were prepared before hand. Its good to do your own research. Never depend on an unloaded reading.

Its not worth the bother of trying to buy the stuff to do your own loaded meter when you can get a brand new good loaded ESV for ten bucks:

And true you have to come up with your own patch cords.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXNK82&P=7

Okay - thanks guys and thanks also for the website links. Found what I wanted and bought it.
Muchas gracias (did I spell that right?)