BCD436HP/BCD536HP: BCD436HP Batteries

[thumper7458]

Good day, I am a new owner of a BCD436HP and I am having issues with rechargeable batteries, I read that it is not advisable to charge the batteries the suggested way (with the Scanner plugged into my computer) so I decided to used my standard Eneloops 1900Mah, however I inserted several sets of fully charged Eneloops and they run flat in about ten minutes, can I charge the rechargeable that came with the scanner in the Panasonic charger that came with the Eneloops? I can’t see how all 16 of my Eneloops can be bad, I must be doing something wrong. Can someone offer some advice? FYI, when I put the “Dead“ Eneloops back in the charger they indicate that they are fully charged, something is not right. I just installed some Energizer Ultimate Lithium’s and I’m watching the voltage drop like a countdown timer.

 

[Ubbe]

I inserted several sets of fully charged Eneloops and they run flat in about ten minutes

Something is definitely wrong. That much energy has to produce some heat in the scanner that should indicate where the problem are. Is this a brand new scanner, then take it back to the seller and complaint. If you are in US you can have it warranty repaired by Uniden and if it's an older scanner they have a flat rate repair cost that are very reasonable.

/Ubbe

 

[thumper7458]

So far its not generating any noticeable heat while in use, the batteries that it came with seam to work as expected when charged while plugged in the computer. The batteries that it came with are Lexel 2300 mah 1.2v NI-MH

 

[Hit_Factor]

Change the voltage setting in Sentinel. Reduce just a little until it's correct. Might be a setting for battery type.

It's been a long time since I had a 436, so I might be a little off.

 

[spacellamaman]

Good day, I am a new owner of a BCD436HP and I am having issues with rechargeable batteries, I read that it is not advisable to charge the batteries the suggested way (with the Scanner plugged into my computer) so I decided to used my standard Eneloops 1900Mah, however I inserted several sets of fully charged Eneloops and they run flat in about ten minutes, can I charge the rechargeable that came with the scanner in the Panasonic charger that came with the Eneloops? I can’t see how all 16 of my Eneloops can be bad, I must be doing something wrong. Can someone offer some advice? FYI, when I put the “Dead“ Eneloops back in the charger they indicate that they are fully charged, something is not right. I just installed some Energizer Ultimate Lithium’s and I’m watching the voltage drop like a countdown timer.

i would lean towards the 1900mah capacity being the issue. with anything under 2400ish, i get severely limited time. I can tell you that with my 436, the plain jane Energizer NiMh 2400mah that you can get at lowes or wal-mart etc for about $10 per 4, i get around 10 hrs run time for the first few months before performance decreases.

the subject is so complex that i just stick with those as they work well accross the board and are easily available.

i should add that with rayovac nimh in the 16-1900mah range i get around 3-4 hours depending on age and condition.

 

[Ensnared]

Speaking for myself, I have been using Eneloops for many years without any trouble. I remember when Sanyo making these batteries before Panasonic.

In my opinion, have a good charger is a must. This little boy is rather hard to find. Some of the La Crosse rechargers have been problematic, but not this one. There are more available on Ebay. I am using two 436HP scanners.

https://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technology-BC700-CBP-Battery-Charger/dp/B000RSOV50

 

[Hit_Factor]

Change the voltage setting in Sentinel. Reduce just a little until it's correct. Might be a setting for battery type.

It's been a long time since I had a 436, so I might be a little off.

I can't find anything on what I wrote above. 😕 I must be thinking of an option in some other radio I have or had.

 

[nessnet]

Is the switch in the battery compartment set correctly?
If I remember, this is for (internal) charging, but check it to be sure....(?)

 

[thumper7458]

Is the switch in the battery compartment set correctly?
If I remember, this is for (internal) charging, but check it to be sure....(?)

I just opened the battery compartment, there is no switch in there, just a memory card

 

[hexagon_keyhole]

I can't find anything on what I wrote above. 😕 I must be thinking of an option in some other radio I have or had.

You might be thinking of setting the low voltage warning threshold that is on the SDS100. You can configure when to alert you when the voltage gets to a certain point.

Is the switch in the battery compartment set correctly?
If I remember, this is for (internal) charging, but check it to be sure....(?)

No physical or battery switch for that matter on the BCD436HP.

 

[hiegtx]

For the 436HP, you can change the voltage where the "low battery" alert kicks in, but as noted, there is nothing in the Settings menu, nor a switch in the battery compartment (like the 396XT had) for alkaline or rechargeable batteries.


That only sets the point that you begin to see the low battery warning. It has no bearing on how long the scanner will actually run, If you move it too low, then the scanner may arbitrarily shut off, which can corrupt the data on the memory card.

 

[KK4JUG]

Energizers' at Walmart are only 2300mah.

If I'm not mistaken, 2300s are what originally came with my 436 seven or eight years ago.

 

[ur20v]

The batteries that come with Uniden scanners seem to be hit or miss. The batteries that came with my 125AT won't last 15 minutes fully charged, while the same brand/capacity batteries that came with my 436 will last 8 hours or longer. And I've tried charging them externally and internally, makes zero difference. I eventually ditched the 125AT batteries and just use Eneloops in it now, and they last quite a while. The 436 batteries are still going strong 6 years later. Strange.

 

[StoliRaz]

I use Ikea "Ladda" batteries (aka Eneloops in disguise) in my 436hp. They last a long time. Also make sure your power save is set to on (can be done on the scanner from the menu easily), it makes a huge difference in battery life if you hold on a single frequency. If the channel goes inactive it uses a lot less power until someone keys up

 

[RichardKramer]

I use Nuon 2500mAh batteries in my 436. I keep 3 sets in a plastic sandwich bag in my back pocket so if I'm shopping for several hours I can easily replace them on the go. In the 436 menu under settings/battery options I use a charge time of 8hrs; set battery low/voltage is set at minimum 3100. If a set runs low enough that the alert comes on, I'll put that set in an external charger. When I go to bed, if the batteries are still good I use the scanner's charger (never had an issue recharging the batteries in the scanner as some have said); and they are fully charged in about 5 - 6 hrs. I don't use the battery save feature and I usually get, (with busy calls), 7 - 9 hrs on a charge. Scanner not so busy, 10 - 12 hrs of use. Just make sure when before you pull the batteries out that the scanner is finished writing to the SD card; I made that mistake when I first was learning the programming of the scanner and I corrupted the SD card. I have my two 436's since 2014.

 

[Ubbe]

Also make sure your power save is set to on (can be done on the scanner from the menu easily), it makes a huge difference in battery life if you hold on a single frequency. If the channel goes inactive it uses a lot less power until someone keys up

I measured my 436's current consumption from the USB connector without any batteries installed. A 436 requires 200mA at max volume with white noise. While scanning or stationary on a frequency it takes 150mA. If the display light are turned off it takes 125mA from the USB connector. Using battery save mode in a stationary channel with no carrier received will after a while, some 30 sec, start to switch off the receiver in a pumping fashion reducing current to 100mA when the receiver are turned off but over time the average are 110mA, with no display backlight.

The average NiMH's are probably between 2000mAH and 2500mAH so would in worst case last 10 hours with a full charge and usually 15 hours or more of normal use.

/Ubbe

 

[iMONITOR]

FAKE ENELOOPS / How to spot counterfeit Eneloops

https://eneloop101.com/batteries/real-or-fake/

 

[ur20v]

FAKE ENELOOPS / How to spot counterfeit Eneloops

https://eneloop101.com/batteries/real-or-fake/

I just buy them from Costco when they have them in stock... You can see the date codes through the packaging and you know what you're buying. They're the same price as authorized online retailers and they occasionally go on sale.

As an aside, there's a rumor circulating teh intrawebz that Amazon Basics rechargeables are Eneloops. I don't know if there's any truth to that claim, however.

 

[thumper7458]

Thanks for the responses everyone, I have l Eneloop chargers that came with the batteries (kind of like a little blue hard case with batteries and charger) 2 of the chargers are Panasonic and 1 is Sanyo, I put the Batteries that were charged in the Panasonic charger that read fully charged in the charger (but dead in the scanner) into the Sanyo charger and they began to charge and took about 6 hrs to fully charge, so it may seem like the Panasonic chargers are not providing the correct “Charged Information”, going to test with my other Eneloops and the batteries that came with the scanner. I still me look for Higher MAh Batteries even though I have enough Batteries for swap outs (19) , I don’t wasn’t to keep swapping constantly. With regards to my comments on the Energizer Ultimates, the voltage “Stabalized” at 4.5v after a few minutes of use.

 

[spacellamaman]

Energizers' at Walmart are only 2300mah.

oh i stand corrected. Wal-Mart is spelled with a -.