SDS100 External Charger / Battery Photo

From this unboxing video, it looks like the battery connector is four pressure pad contacts. Any idea if it would be possible to use a generic external battery charger?

Here is the unboxing video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNPuNmixx9I

...and here is a link to a generic charger I have laying around:
https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1519

That links to a Nickel Metal Hydroxide/Ni-Cad charger. I wouldn't recommend as Lithium Polymer needs a constant current to charge properly and not pulses.

Houk

b52hbuff said:

From this unboxing video, it looks like the battery connector is four pressure pad contacts. Any idea if it would be possible to use a generic external battery charger?

Here is the unboxing video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNPuNmixx9I

...and here is a link to a generic charger I have laying around:
https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1519

Click to expand...

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The SDS100 has a Lithium Polymer battery. The charger you reference is for NiCD and NiMH batteries.

Thanks for catching that. I actually have the MH-777 Plus model. It does support Lion batteries:
https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamacc/1392om.pdf

Page 9 shows information for Lion.

Should be fine but page 17 of the manual:


400mAh max for Lithium Ion

Will charge slower than the supplied wall-wart and charging the battery from the radio.

Houk

b52hbuff said:

Thanks for catching that. I actually have the MH-777 Plus model. It does support Lion batteries:
https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamacc/1392om.pdf

Page 9 shows information for Lion.

Click to expand...

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jasonhouk said:

Should be fine but page 17 of the manual:


400mAh max for Lithium Ion

Will charge slower than the supplied wall-wart and charging the battery from the radio.

Houk

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Click to expand...

Agreed. But it will provide two potential advantages. It keeps heat out of the radio, and it will keep heat off of the battery pack since the charge is slower and pack will charge in the open air.

Great points!

Houk

b52hbuff said:

Agreed. But it will provide two potential advantages. It keeps heat out of the radio, and it will keep heat off of the battery pack since the charge is slower and pack will charge in the open air.

Click to expand...

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The Uniden battery has 3 contact pads, not 4.

The MAHA C777 IS NOT LITHIUM ION COMPLIANT for Lithium Ion you need the MAHA C777PLUS

https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1645

David

I don't know if it makes a difference but the SDS100 battery is Lithium Polymer, not Lithium Ion.

N9JIG said:

I don't know if it makes a difference but the SDS100 battery is Lithium Polymer, not Lithium Ion.

Click to expand...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_polymer_battery

I have been flying RC airplanes and helicopters with Lipo batteries for 12 years now. So I know a little about the do's and don'ts managing Lipo batteries . I have to admit that I would prefer charging the Lipo battery in my SDS100 externally just to be safe. There is a reason that there are a variety of fireproof Lipo charging bags on the market...for example:

https://www.amazon.com/Leegoal-Batt...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SASA46XM890VNC0Z756T

With that being said, the Lipo battery in the SDS100 is a small 1-cell battery and is charged at a very low rate of 0.4 amps compared to some of my larger RC batteries such as below:

https://www.motionrc.com/collection...-6s-22-2v-50c-lipo-battery-with-ec5-connector

I charge the above battery at 15 amps and it's always charged in a fireproof charging bag. The risk of a fire while charging the SDS100 battery is probably much less due to its small size, capacity and charging rate. However, even a single cell Lipo can produce a decent flame and smoke if things go wrong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-BsZhFpuv8

Imagine if the above battery was your SDS100 Lipo while being charged unattended. Yes, the above Lipo is being abused and overcharged...though there have been many incidents of Lipo batteries catching fire when charged at normal charging rates. I'm thinking about fabricating my own custom charging adapter to charge my SDS100 battery externally with the below charger I use to charge my RC Lipo batteries:

https://www.progressiverc.com/fma-p...MIl9yDkc3J2wIVjLXACh2GBgX8EAQYAiABEgI0kvD_BwE

One last thing, Lipo batteries should be stored at 50% charge...about 3.8v per cell when not in use (> 7 days or so). Though this shouldn't be an issue with a scanner since most of us are using the scanner on a frequent basis.

jonwienke said:

The Uniden battery has 3 contact pads, not 4.

Click to expand...

True, but the battery contact pad in the radio does appear to have four contact points; perhaps for future use as in the following:

The present battery has 2 cells and is using 3 wires of the four possible.

The forthcoming bigger battery has 3 cells and may use all 4 wires.

Although I would think only two wires are really needed coming from the battery bundle with batteries wired in parallel unless you need some wires for sensors &/or for better charging control of each cell.

But you are correct what is available to use and what is presently being used is different.

The scanner has 3 contacts, just like the battery.

jonwienke said:

The scanner has 3 contacts, just like the battery.

Click to expand...

LOL, I found the problem.

Jason published a nice clear pic of a beta unit that the battery had to be plugged into it via a short cable and it had four contacts but only three wires coming from the battery.

When I watched the unboxing video I thought I saw 4 contacts in the battery compartment and so did the person who posted in this tread.

Instead of re-watching the video I decided to visit your good up close pictures of a know production model and sure enough there are only three contacts on the scanner now.

I thought I had stumbled on to something instead I just stumbled.

I believe the 3rd contact would be for a thermal diode.

Houk

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racin06 said:

I have been flying RC airplanes and helicopters with Lipo batteries for 12 years now. So I know a little about the do's and don'ts managing Lipo batteries . I have to admit that I would prefer charging the Lipo battery in my SDS100 externally just to be safe. There is a reason that there are a variety of fireproof Lipo charging bags on the market...for example:

Click to expand...

People should be careful using gas stoves, heaters, fireplaces...they can explode.


:lol:

One note: the Li-Po batteries used in RC aircraft are designed differently than those used in cellphones and computers. Their chemistry is optimized for maximum discharge current, while laptop and phone and similar batteries are optimized for non-explodiness, at the cost of a lower maximum discharge current. So there's no compelling reason to change SDS100 batteries in a fireproof bag.

All Li-Po batteries have a circuit board inside to control the maximum current, short circuit proof, and to cut off the output when the cell voltage drops to a level where it could hurt the cells permanently.

/Ubbe

Ubbe said:

All Li-Po batteries have a circuit board inside to control the maximum current, short circuit proof, and to cut off the output when the cell voltage drops to a level where it could hurt the cells permanently.

/Ubbe

Click to expand...

They most certainly don't. I have some Chinese quadcopter batteries that have no extra circuits or protections.