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ICOM F21 "beep"

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wa1nic

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I have an ICOM F21GM (same as an F21 without "GM" factory programming as far as I know) that all of a sudden started to emit a loud beep when I key it.

I use it as a GMRS small base station. It sits in a charger all the time and uses an external mike and antenna.

The user manual is vague on the "beep". I think it maybe is supposed to beep when you turn it on, but since it has been on continuously for about 4 years I don't recall for sure.

I am thinking that the battery pack is toast and when I key it the battery pack voltage drops and it power resets itself and "beeps" as it powers back on but I am sort of guessing. It no longer actually transmits when keyed, just beeps.

The charger shows "green" (charged) all the time.

I have a new battery coming but wondered if anyone knew more than me if a bad battery pack is the likely culprit?

Rick
 

mmckenna

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Yeah, storing the radio in the charger is one of the harsher things you can do to the battery.

So what exactly happens?
Key up radio?
Radio resets?
Radio beeps?
Radio resets?
Radio beeps?
etc. etc. etc...

Or does it just beep continually when you key up?
 

wa1nic

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Ya, I know storing it in the charger is bad... so is drinking too much beer ;-)

It held up several years.

It beeps for about 3 seconds every time I key it. It sounds just like the beep that it beeps when it gets turned on. Is it a low battery beep maybe? It does not actually transmit when the mike is keyed.

The manual (both user and also service) does not talk about this.
 

mmckenna

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Ya, I know storing it in the charger is bad... so is drinking too much beer ;-)

Dang it. ruined my afternoon.

It held up several years.

It beeps for about 3 seconds every time I key it. It sounds just like the beep that it beeps when it gets turned on. Is it a low battery beep maybe? It does not actually transmit when the mike is keyed.

The manual (both user and also service) does not talk about this.

Sounds like it's the battery and it's just going through a restart sequence. I'd bet your new battery will fix the issue. A number of our older Motorola's would do the same thing.
 

wa1nic

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I hope your right... I almost think it did something like this once before when it didn't sit right in the charger and the battery went dead. Crossing my fingers... otherwise I just spent 35 bucks for a battery that fits a brick.

Plus if it is a brick, I would no doubt use that as an excuse to buy something better. I have a VHF commercial ICOM F5021 transceiver for a part 90 VHF base station. It would look more symmetrical with a matching UHF F6021 sitting next to it. At least I already have the cable and software it it comes to that.


I'll post something when it comes in.
 

12dbsinad

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Ya, I know storing it in the charger is bad... so is drinking too much beer ;-)

But, it's better than drinking tons of soda, isn't it!?

Yep, battery pack is toast. It's drawing to much during TX and basically re-poweing itself, thus the power on beep when keyed. I'd bet a 6 pack on it... hell, maybe even a 12 pack ;-)
 

seh911

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When the battery on this radio runs out of juice, it does emit a constant beep. Really annoying when you forget to turn it off, battery runs down in the middle of the night, and it takes you awhile to find it.
 

wa1nic

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Yes, I did have it "not quite in the charger" at least once. The battery does seem to like to go dead around 3AM.
 

cabletech

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Radio in charger, turned on and trying to transmit and getting BEEP> YES YES YES BAD BATTERY

People just due not under stand that keeping a radio in a charger all the does not keep the battery charged.

Unless you have the very high $$ SMART CHARGER, (that WILL not due NiCad's) then when the battery is charged, the charging circuit turns off and now you have a DISCHARGE unit.

The same thing happens when you have the radio in the charger and you leave the radio turned on, it is always discharging.

I have a lot of customers that I deal with that due the same thing then ***** when the radio does not work.

After betting them on the head about NOT leaving it in the charger, then they find out the batteries last 3 times as long.

This whole thing is like having a hole in a bucket and still trying to fill it with water and it never gets full.

Turn radio off, place in charger, remove after 2 hours, then use it unit it beeps again, then do a recharge and start over.
 

wa1nic

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I totally agree. I have a number of VHF ICOM F3021's that I pull out of the charger when they are charged.

This one is being used as a GMRS "small base" however. Leaving it in the charger is the easiest way to do that.

If I can get another 4 years out of another $35 battery I will accept the risk.

I know there are fancier ways to do this, and if I stumble across a really good deal on a UHF F6021, I will probably snag it and use it instead. I already have a battery backed up power source for my F5021 VHF base, so it would take about 5 minutes to do the installation. For now though, the F21 is doing the job.

BTW, I have lost a few of the batteries on the F3021's as well. even though I treat them much better. NiMH batteries seem to age no matter if you use them or not.
 

wa1nic

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I suspect that many "internet stores" are really old ladies in trailer parks working off a PC on their kitchen table.
 

wa1nic

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replacement battery pack arrived.

Beep gone... life is good... it's Miller time (well, actually, its homebrew Oktoberfest time).
 
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