heavy radio use… spring is here…

Many businesses are now in their busiest season, while others are gearing up for their Summer, 2-way radios are getting heavy use. Now is a good time to assess what you have. Check radios, batteries, chargers, etc.

Do you have radios that are in need of battery replacement or maintenance? A quick check of the battery and charging system can save many headaches done the road. You probably don’t need reminded, but something as simple as cleaning your battery contacts with a pencil eraser can improve your chargers’ efficiency.

Swapping a known-good battery into a troubled radio can let you know if you have a battery or charging problem. Another piece of advice is to check your battery date codes.  The life expectancy of a NiCd battery is 18-24 months, NiMH and Li-Ion are around 14-18 months. If you have good charging habits and treat your battery well, you may get up to 3 years. At the end of the battery’s life you will start to experience problems with the radio such as static, short business day, no or intermittent transmit. If you use an old battery long enough, it will eventually begin to harm the radio, resulting in a need for repair. Simply replacing an old battery would be nearly 1/2 the cost of a radio repair. Our advice… don’t ignore battery dates.

Chargers take their share of punishment. It is wise to assess your chargers when you are check your batteries. Look in the charger cup, do you see dirt and debris? If so, clean it out with a soft damp cloth, followed by gently cleaning the charge contacts with a pencil eraser. Check your wall transformer, they are known to burnout much a like a light bulb. When replacing charger transformers keep in mind they are not mix-n-match, you must use the appropriate transformer for the charging tray. Replacement chargers and individual components are usually available for most models. If in question, give us a call, 800-872-2627.

Ever think your radios’ range is getting poorer? Check your antenna. If you can see copper coils when you bend the antenna, or if the top cap is missing, you need to replace the antenna. Use the correct antenna for the radio. The original antenna which came with the radio was designed to work with the radio. Swapping antennas can cause range problems, or result in the need for repair. Some model radios have stubby antennas available, keep in mind these can reduce your range by up to 2/3s. If most of your work is nearby, they may be a good option. However, if you do a lot of work at the edge of your full range, stay away from stubby antennas.

In the event, none of these tips seem to allievate your radio issues, your radio may be in need of repair. You can find the current flat rate repair fees listed at our website www.eradiostore.com.

Happy Spring, hope you have a prosperous season. – cl

 

erase the grime

What do erasers have to do with... 2-way radios?

You want to help keep your 2-way radio working problem free and out of the repair department? SIMPLE:  Clean your battery contacts, both on the radio and charger, with a pencil eraser. This will clean off the day-to-day grime and film, allowing your battery to make better contact with the radio and charger. (Refrain from using any alcohol or cleaners, which may cause a film to develop.) Try this simple tip, and enjoy a fully charged battery and possible added battery life.

Poorly charging battery

It’s a common phone call, “my battery won’t hold a charge” or “my battery won’t take a charge”. One fast and easy tip: Clean your battery contacts, both on the radio and charger, with a pencil eraser. This will clean off the day to day grime and film, allowing your radio to make better contact with the charger. Refrain from using any alcohol or cleaners, which may cause a film to develop.

If you are still having difficulties, check your battery’s age. There should be an easy to read date code on the label. For Motorola brand batteries this will consist of a 3- or 4-digit number.  On the 3-digit date code the first number represents the year and the next two numbers are the week of the year of manufacture. On the 4-digit codes the first two numbers are the year, followed by the week of the year. Example: 0912 would be 2009, the 12th week.

Battery life depends on the chemistry and how you treat it. A typical NiCD battery will last 18-24 months before needing replaced. (NiMH 14-18 months, Li-Ion 12-14 months) If you have conditioning chargers you can typically get an additional year out of most batteries. Charging your battery only when it is nearly depleted is a good habit. Users who only put their radio on the charger once a day have better results. Placing your radio on a charge periodically throughout the day will age your battery quickly.

The technicians in the repair department will tell you many radio repairs could be avoided if the radio user would simply have replaced the battery when it was needed. Once the radio is allowed to operate with a bad battery for a while, soon that radio is needing repair. Why? The radio may have components damaged by a shorted out battery, the radio may operate in a brown-out of sorts slowly damaging components, or corrosion from the battery may eat at the charge contacts internally and eventual cause charging and power problems.

What are the signs of a bad battery, aside from checking the date code? You may experience problems with static and intermittent transmit, along with the battery not going a full day on a charge. Simple test to see if it is your battery or the radio having the problem, try a known good battery from another radio. If this clears up the problem, you need to replace your battery.

Motorola batteries have a one year warranty. If you have a battery less than one year old which is having problems. Send it to us, along with a note, and we will run the battery on the reconditioner/analyzer. If it tests bad, we will replace it under warranty.

Hope these tips help. Let us know if you have questions.
~cl