Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems.

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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

I bought a set of Uniden GMR2240-2CK walkie talkies for a song on Ebay, and
at first everything looked perfect. But later one of the radios refused to
transmit, and showed a low battery indicator, earlier than it should have. I
switched the batteries between the radios, recharged both, and tested again.
The shutdown happened again, but the good news is the problem followed the
battery to the other radio. Well, the date code is 2211, so I think it's
time.

I see that I can buy a set of two replacement EBL brand battery packs (BP40)
on Ebay for under $8 delivered for the pair. I've always had good luck with
generic batteries, but I know others haven't. Has anyone here had experience
with these? Genuine Uniden replacements would be about $40.

And just to check my logic, it does make sense, doesn't it, that if the
problem follows the battery, then the battery is the problem, not the radio?
The thing that's curious is that if I wait a while after the shutdown, I can
fire up the radio again, and it shows a full battery indicator, and the thing
will run in listening mode for another hour or two. Maybe it's a heat
related connection issue inside the battery pack. I further assume that at
these prices for replacements, it makes no sense to try to replace the NiMH
AAA cells in the pack, particularly since I don't know for sure that the
problem isn't in the electronics inside the battery pack.


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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

On Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 2:34:38 PM UTC-7, Peabody wrote:
I bought a set of Uniden GMR2240-2CK walkie talkies... one of the radios refused to
transmit, and showed a low battery indicator, earlier than it should have.


The thing that's curious is that if I wait a while after the shutdown, I can
fire up the radio again, and it shows a full battery indicator...


Probably there's an internal battery connection that's gone faulty. Internal
faults account for lots of flaky battery behavior, usually there's just a bit
of electrode material slightly loose against a crimped-in cap.

It's not age related, but it IS very very annoying. You might be able to get
two good cells from a 3-cell pack, though, if it's worth the trouble of
doing a pack disassembly.
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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

On Sun, 15 Oct 2017 16:34:32 -0500, Peabody
wrote:

And just to check my logic, it does make sense, doesn't it, that if the
problem follows the battery, then the battery is the problem, not the radio?


Yep. It's probably the battery. However, if both BP40 battery packs
are the same age, it's likely the working battery pack will soon fail.
Buy a replacement BP40 for both radios.

I usually don't have any problems with NiCd or in this case NiMH
battery packs. You're probably safe at buying the cheapest. However,
LiIon batteries and packs are another story, which are full of
counterfeits and defective cells.

NiMH cells come in different capacities varying from 500 to 1000 ma-hr
capacity. For example, the BP38 battery is rated at 4.8v 700 ma-hr,
while the BP40 is rated at 550 ma-hr. For a dollar more, the BP38
seems like a better deal. The problem is with no-name pre-packaged
battery packs, you don't really know what capacity you're getting
until it arrives.

If this were my radio, I would buy 4ea AAA NiMH LSD (low self
discharge) cells, such as Eneloop cells, and weld them into a
replacement battery pack. The ability to charge the battery and know
that it will be mostly at full charge months later, is worthwhile.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eneloop
Be sure to check the charge current to make sure that you're not
overcharging or quick charging the Eneloop batteries.

The thing that's curious is that if I wait a while after the shutdown, I can
fire up the radio again, and it shows a full battery indicator, and the thing
will run in listening mode for another hour or two. Maybe it's a heat
related connection issue inside the battery pack. I further assume that at
these prices for replacements, it makes no sense to try to replace the NiMH
AAA cells in the pack, particularly since I don't know for sure that the
problem isn't in the electronics inside the battery pack.


One of the NiMH failure modes is accellerated self discharge. It will
charge up to normal terminal voltage, but rapidly discharge itself
(without a load). It also acts like a battery with much lower
capacity than might be expected. I think that's what you're seeing.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

On Sun, 15 Oct 2017 16:34:32 -0500, Peabody
wrote:

I see that I can buy a set of two replacement EBL brand battery packs (BP40)
on Ebay for under $8 delivered for the pair. I've always had good luck with
generic batteries, but I know others haven't. Has anyone here had experience
with these? Genuine Uniden replacements would be about $40.


A totally different battery, but my cellphone battery was getting real
weak, The phone is a basic phone, not a smartphone, and the whole phone
cost me $20. I went to "Batteries Plus". I was shocked when he quoted me
$50 for a battery. I was gonna just buy another phone, but first I went
to Ebay. Bought a battery on ebay for $5 shipped. It lasted well over 2
years, until the phone needed to be updated/replaced. I still have that
battery, because the new phone uses the same. That way I have a spare.

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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

wrote on 10/16/2017 3:37 AM:
On Sun, 15 Oct 2017 16:34:32 -0500, Peabody
wrote:

I see that I can buy a set of two replacement EBL brand battery packs (BP40)
on Ebay for under $8 delivered for the pair. I've always had good luck with
generic batteries, but I know others haven't. Has anyone here had experience
with these? Genuine Uniden replacements would be about $40.


A totally different battery, but my cellphone battery was getting real
weak, The phone is a basic phone, not a smartphone, and the whole phone
cost me $20. I went to "Batteries Plus". I was shocked when he quoted me
$50 for a battery. I was gonna just buy another phone, but first I went
to Ebay. Bought a battery on ebay for $5 shipped. It lasted well over 2
years, until the phone needed to be updated/replaced. I still have that
battery, because the new phone uses the same. That way I have a spare.


I used to be on a pay by the minute cell plan and it costs $30 for a minutes
card. Or I could buy a new phone and get a $30 minutes card with it for
$30. So I ended up with a collection of phones all using the same battery
and accessories. Unfortunately that phone couldn't be used with my new
carrier, so I have a different phone, but like you when I thought my battery
was getting weak, I found a new phone for $12 was much cheaper than even the
low cost replacement batteries for $20.

Eventually I'll end up with a smart phone. Resistance is futile...

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998


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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

On Monday, October 16, 2017 at 8:34:50 AM UTC-4, Foxs Mercantile wrote:

Congratulations, you bought a Chinese battery.


What comes from eBay typically does not carry an imprimatur. That, alone, would be enough to make the price suspicious.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA


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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

Jeff Liebermann says...

Yep. It's probably the battery. However, if both BP40
battery packs are the same age, it's likely the working
battery pack will soon fail. Buy a replacement BP40 for
both radios.


I did that. One of the big suppliers of generic BP40s also
runs auctions from time to time, with a starting bid of $.01
plus $5.39 shipping for a pair. One of those was ending as
I was about to buy, so I bid a penny and won the auction.
So $5.40 for two BP40s. They claim to be 700 mAh, but of
course there's no way to know about that for sure. But I
think not a bad gamble overall.

If this were my radio, I would buy 4ea AAA NiMH LSD (low
self discharge) cells, such as Eneloop cells, and weld
them into a replacement battery pack. The ability to
charge the battery and know that it will be mostly at
full charge months later, is worthwhile.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eneloop
Be sure to check the charge current to make sure that
you're not overcharging or quick charging the Eneloop
batteries.


I've always used Eneloops in my speedlights, and am a big
fan. But the charging setup here is very strange. The
charging cradle appears to put out a minimum of 7V to each
radio, sometimes 12.5V, and it loods like the BP40 has some
smarts built into it that actually controls the charging.
So if I used Eneloops, I would have to take them out of the
radios to charge them. So for the moment I'm going to stick
with the BP40s and use the charging cradle.

The charging contacts on the BP40 are not directly connected
to the outside battery terminals of the 4-pack. So there's
some circuitry in there. When the new ones arrive, I may
take the old bad one apart and see what's in there besides
the cells.

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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

rickman says...

Eventually I'll end up with a smart phone. Resistance
is futile...


I thought I was the only one.


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Default Walkie Talkie battery replacement

Once upon a time on usenet Peabody wrote:
rickman says...

Eventually I'll end up with a smart phone. Resistance
is futile...


I thought I was the only one.


I'm still using a Nokia flip (and trying to treat it very carefully...).

I really don't want to have to use a smartphone (well I actually have a
couple but don't use them as phones.)
--
Shaun.

"Humans will have advanced a long, long way when religious belief has a cozy
little classification in the DSM*."
David Melville (in r.a.s.f1)
(*Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)


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