Batteries don’t last forever (although we hope they would). Over time you’ll notice your two-way radio battery doesn’t perform as great as the first time. Knowing when it's time to replace your battery is important to maintaining the life of your two-way radio.
We’ll discuss the 4 things to look for in your battery that tell you its time to be replaced.
It's Damaged or Leaking
It’s important to inspect your battery for any damage or leakage. In the case a battery is leaking, the acid can ruin your two-way radio making it a costly fix in the end.
Inspect the gold plate contacts on the bottom of your battery. These plates align with the plates on your radio and are what is used to communicate and power the radio. If these plates are worn, scratched, or missing, it's time for a new battery.
Dying Faster than Normal
Batteries over time lose their capacity, especially after everyday use. They get weaker and weaker as time goes on.
Depending on the chemistry and mil amp hours, your battery has a certain number of charge cycles. For example, a battery with 2700 Mah may have a charge cycle of 300-400 cycles. Once that battery is charged 300 times and not being charged on an Impres conditioning charger, the battery no longer works. The lower the batteries chemistry the less charge cycles it has.
Your battery has what's called a memory effect and once that memory is gone, your battery no longer works.
If you notice your battery is not lasting you throughout the day, it may be time to either recondition your battery or swap for a new one.
Reconditioning a battery is a short-term solution that restores your battery to a better chemistry than before and restore its memory effect. A charger analyzer reads the battery data, analyzes it, and reconditions it to give it a longer life.
The Battery is More than 2 Years Old
Although batteries don’t have dedicated expiration dates and you can recharge them many times, they do have an expectation of how long they will last before becoming exhausted. On average, two-way radio batteries last between 18-24 months. We recommend replacing your battery with a new one every 1 to 2 years.
Check your battery's date code to see when it was manufactured. The bar code has four digits that resemble the year it was manufactured and the work week. Learn more about how to read your battery's date code here.
The Battery is Hot to the Touch
If in the case your battery is overheating, remove it from your radio and set it in a place to cool down. This could indicate your battery is at the end of its life or a manufacturing defect and should be replaced as soon as possible. Do not put it back into your radio, this could cause further damage.
Experiencing any of these issues means it’s time to replace your two-way radio battery. A fresh new battery helps you get the longest life and best performance of your radio.
Need to replace your battery? Waveband Communications offers durable long-lasting batteries for Motorola, Harris, Kenwood, BK Technologies, Vertex, and ICOM radios. Shop our collection of OEM comparable batteries and replace your old one today.
