Action Communications
Two-Way Radio Battery Care
NiCd Batteries
Work 'em ''til they drop.
Everyone has a theory about how to take care of rechargeable batteries ranging from neglect to pampering. The reality is they will tolerate all kinds of work situations and last about a year to a year-and-a-half. If you care about extending their performance, thereby saving a few dollars, there are a few preventive measures you can take -- or leave, depending on your work load and how much effort you want to put into battery preservation.
Hard work never hurt anyone, or any battery
Don't worry about the problem of "memory". In normal daily use, batteries are nearly completely discharged by the end of the day and recharged overnight. Memory is prevented by significant discharge and full recharge on a regular basis. If this is not your normal cycle, then you should schedule a full discharge once a week.
Once a week, leave the radios on until the batteries are discharged. The radio should shut off, lose its display or give you a low battery warning. The battery should then be recharged immediately. Don't allow the battery to continue discharging and don't let them remain discharged for more than two days. This beneficial discharge will cause the memory effect to disappear.
Most radios are designed to turn off when the battery voltage reaches one volt per cell. Deliberately over-discharging below one volt per cell is fatal.
Other causes of premature death are:
• Submerging a battery in water or letting it get wet in the rain. They will be D.O.A. when you get them to our shop.
• Allowing office staff to use the charger as a radio stand. Our battery coroner lists "continuous charging" as the cause of death in an astounding number of cases. (This enhances the memory effect).
• Dropping radios usually splits the battery case and destroys the internal circuitry. Carrying radios in holsters prevents a great deal of damage -- a $15 to $45 investment to protect an...