NiCad batteries

[alanporter]

The NiCad battery packs for my Standard HX220 handheld VHF radio are failing. They hold only two hours use on standby, and very much less on transmit. Does anyone know of any means of giving them a little more life ?

<hr width=100% size=1>Alan Porter

 

[Avocet]

I have a Raytheon hand held which did the same thing and a replacement battery pack was obscenely expensive. I broke the two halves of the plastic battery shell apart VERY CAREFULLY with a Stanley knife / pen knife. It took me ages but it's worth taking time over so you can glue the two halves back together again afterwards.

Inside was an array of (I think 6) standard sized NiCd batteries soldered together in series and heat-shrunk together. I went down to my local Maplins shop and bought six new NiMh batteries of the same capacity (or bigger if you want) and soldered them together in the same arrangement, taped them all back together and glued the battery box shells back round the lot.

I now get something daft like 24h on standby and as long as I'd ever need when transmitting AND I don't have to worry about the NiCd "memory effect" so I can charge it when it is only half discharged!

I'd not hesitate to do it again although I would probably be completely stuffed if I wanted to make a warranty claim (it's far too old anyway!)

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