Replacing Icom battery

Sneaky Pete

Sneaky Pete

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I have an Icom M31 hand held VHF. The Ni-Cad battery BP 224 is on its last legs. The replacement is a Li-Ion type BP 252, however the Icom web site says the current charger for the BP 224 will not charge the Li-Ion battery and will also need replacing. Will the in car 12v plug type charger be alright or does this present a problem also.
 
I suspect that you will have to change the 12v. charger, but why not ask icomuk. I've found them very helpful over the 'phone. You can speak to a technical guy, not just sales.
 
Icom's normal approach is a 12V wall transformer that plugs into a desktop charger. (Might be 13.something volts - as it is usually designed to be vehicle tolerant).

So I'd expect the Cig Lighter bit to be unchanged, as it plugs into the desktop charger and the desktop bit is the bit that understands LiIon bats...
 
I'd wouldn't reuse any Ni-cad charger component for a Li-ion battery unless you are very confident it is just a plain cable with no electronics inside. Li-ions have very specific charging requirements, different to Nicads and overcharging a Li-ion can cause a fire and/or an explosion.
 
Spoke to icom uk tec help and new battery Li-ion will charge off the old 12v charge system but for 240v charging I require a new charger. Battery for the radios are only ever charged from the 12v system so problem solved and piece of mind.
 
Sneaky Pete said:
Spoke to icom uk tec help and new battery Li-ion will charge off the old 12v charge system but for 240v charging I require a new charger. Battery for the radios are only ever charged from the 12v system so problem solved and piece of mind.
Click to expand...


Generally cheaper to buy a new handheld than cope with the icom prices. Well that is what I found. Did manage to sell the old icom on ebay.
 
The NiCd and Li-ion batteries are different shapes to avoid charger mismatch. As I recall - my M31 is elsewhere - you can use a NiCd battery with a Li-ion charger, but not the other way round.
 
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