They say “Your radio is only as good as the battery inside.” Two-way batteries are central to the proper functioning of your radios and clear communications with your team. Read this to make sure you are getting the most out of your batteries!
Checking the battery age
- Look for a 3-digit date code on the front of your battery
- The first number stands for the year, the 2nd & 3rd numbers stand for the week of the year the battery was manufactured
- If the date is more than 1.5 years old, it’s time to replace the battery!
Look below for an example
The battery on the left was made during the first week of April in 2013, or week 14, 2013
The battery on the right was made during the third week of March in 2016, or week 11, 2016
Battery Maintenance
- Charging a new battery overnight is crucial and is referred to as “initializing” this will enable you to gain maximum battery capacity
- The charger will indicate a calibration cycle displaying a steady yellow light on the status indicator. This process will complete when the battery is fully charged and the indicator displays a steady green light
- 14-16 hour charge time for NiCad or NiMH batteries
- Charge Li-Ion/LiPo batteries 1-2 more hours after the charger light turns green
- It is not recommended to use the battery charger as radio storage; continuous charging will result in a shorter battery life
- Charged batteries that have been stored for two months or more should be recharged before use
- Only charge a battery when it is fully discharged
- If using a Motorola rapid charger to charge non-IMPRES batteries, leave the battery in the charger for an additional 1-2 hours after the steady green light appears
- Returning fully charged non-IMPRES batteries to the charger will reduce cycle life
Battery Storage
- New, non-initialized batteries should be stored in a well-ventilated, cool & dry location in order to minimize capacity loss & cycle life reduction
- If storing batteries for extended periods of time they should be discharged to 50% of their capacity and stored in a cool, dry location
- NiCad batteries will last up to 2 years
- NiMH batteries will last up to 18 months
- Li-Ion batteries will last up to 18 months
Tips
- A dead battery is the first clue to a potential problem
- Inspect your radios on a regular basis
- Keep spare batteries charged & on-hand for swapping out dead ones
- With proper care, batteries should last you 1.5 years
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