SDS100/SDS200: 2nd swollen SDS100 battery in 1 year
- Thread starter W5ATX
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2002
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- 224
And here's the Safety Data Sheet: http://sds.staples.com/msds/24418669.pdf
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2002
- Messages
- 224
Update: i've cycled the "good" battery a few more times, then charged it fully then discharged it to 3.85V for each cell. I let it sit for almost 2 months in a lipo safe box inside an ammo can and just took it out. there is no swelling and the cells measured 3.811 and 3.808 vdc. if they only made all batteries like this. 
I'll sleep better now leaving this in the scanner on the desk, or when it comes time to trading it for an SDS200. FWIW, the date code on this battery is 2018. I've seen 2018, 2020 and 2021 batteries swell so there's still no way to identify a culprit battery. With my luck this will swell overnight and break the radio. fingers are crossed that it doesn't!
I'll sleep better now leaving this in the scanner on the desk, or when it comes time to trading it for an SDS200. FWIW, the date code on this battery is 2018. I've seen 2018, 2020 and 2021 batteries swell so there's still no way to identify a culprit battery. With my luck this will swell overnight and break the radio. fingers are crossed that it doesn't!
I have two 21’s that have swollen and an 18 that’s still fine.
“a lipo safe box inside an ammo can” I’ve heard that LI-ion cells can come in differing chemistry makeups. And so far the only ones I’ve heard of that have caught fire or exploded were the ones the early experimenters were using on the RC circuit (model radio control airplanes, etc,). The cell phone and radio batteries we discuss here only seem to swell. Can someone expound on my observations? Do we really need a metal ammo can to protect against fire and/or explosion for an SDS100 battery? Why , when we don’t place our smart phones inside that ammo case each night when we charge them. There’s got to be a difference in the chemistry or how a better quality battery is builtUpdate: i've cycled the "good" battery a few more times, then charged it fully then discharged it to 3.85V for each cell. I let it sit for almost 2 months in a lipo safe box inside an ammo can and just took it out. there is no swelling and the cells measured 3.811 and 3.808 vdc. if they only made all batteries like this.
You just can't be too careful, and so I always recommend this attire while charging Li-ion batteries:
I bought 2 SDS-100s at the same time from different retailers. One is cycled from home to mobile to idle and the battery is kept near full charge. It's been a couple of years and no issues. After seeing this issue I removed the battery from the 2nd SDS as it is always powered. It had been charging in the SDS for over a year (I'd see the charge light cycle from off-green-red periodically). Regardless, after sitting on the desk for 2 months the 2nd battery started to expand and then broke apart into its pieces. I can't tell if the battery is among a bad group or the lack of keeping it charged made this happen. Scary either way.
palmerjrusa
Member
Weird, bought my SDS100 shortly after it was released (came with the smaller battery). Got the bigger battery free via Uniden's program and purchased another large battery with the Uniden external charger which I use to recharge all three batteries.
To date, haven't experienced any swollen battery problems.
To date, haven't experienced any swollen battery problems.
Well I've had the SDS 100 for about 2 1/2 years and one of the high capacity batteries swelled up and is now useless. I'm guessing it was after being in my hot vehicle for a while. The same evening I noticed the swelling, a battery in my XTS 5k which was also in the vehicle had to wait a few minutes to starting charging on the impress charger due to being to hot.
In any event, what is the temperature at which these SDS batteries start to swell?
In any event, what is the temperature at which these SDS batteries start to swell?
Ubbe
Member
It doesn't seem to be temperature related or age related or during charging or if just being left in a drawer in different state of charge. It seems to be a quality issues with the cells, too cheap and low quality. I had one cell of the three swell and cut that out, they are all in parallell, and the two remaining cells have been working fine without swelling.
/Ubbe
Adding to what Ubbe provided, one additional suggestion… But I believe as does Ubbe, it’s a quality issue as stated in his post. My suggestion; Before recharging the battery, let it sit dormant. If it’s hot or not let it return to the ambient temp before attempting to charge. I’m just taking a shot in the dark here, remembering the recharge process from my son’s RC vehicles he raced. The batteries were rather warm when first depleted and it was advised to allow for a cooling period first. I’m not saying we see a normally “hot” battery when it’s time for a charge with the SDS100 but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to let a depleted battery sit for an hour before putting it on the charger.
Personally, I’ve never had an issue. I own 3 (4 if you include the first battery the SDS100 was shipped with). All 3 are used (but since I use the scanner infrequently, all have significant downtime between charges. So, I can’t provide any reliable data that would aid in drawing reasonable conclusions.
On the upside of this issue, I’ve never seen an instance of overheating, flame or explosion… only swelling. True, there must be some level of heat generation during swelling but it’s nowhere near the amount of heat required to “flame” the battery so that’s why I list no overheating along with flame or explosion.
Personally, I’ve never had an issue. I own 3 (4 if you include the first battery the SDS100 was shipped with). All 3 are used (but since I use the scanner infrequently, all have significant downtime between charges. So, I can’t provide any reliable data that would aid in drawing reasonable conclusions.
On the upside of this issue, I’ve never seen an instance of overheating, flame or explosion… only swelling. True, there must be some level of heat generation during swelling but it’s nowhere near the amount of heat required to “flame” the battery so that’s why I list no overheating along with flame or explosion.
tvengr
Well Known Member
I had already received the replacement large battery. My thin battery swelled at room temperature while sitting on a desk on its original thin battery case plastic cover. It was neither charging nor had recently been charged. Mine was one of the first. Uniden Corporate requested that I ship it to them for inspection. In return, I received a second large battery plus charger.
This is similar to what I experienced. I took the battery out of a unit that sits on external power 24/7 and set it on the desk. After a couple of weeks it started to swell. It was charged when I took it from the scanner, and was not being charged when it expanded. Very scary.
You did well.
Ubbe
Member
That's true for most R/C models. I have both cars, motorcycle, helicopter and airplanes and they all draw a lot more current than a scanner and their Li-Po battery cells get hot after every use. The SDS100 doesn't draw enough current to heat up the battery. I had my SDS100 battery always fully charged to be ready to take the scanner with me so it never charged for an enough time to heat up but still swelled.
/Ubbe
Uniden should have went with a battery similar to the Icom R30. Zero issues!!!!
I would have preferred Impress style.
As stated previously, Uniden’s SDS100 battery offering is spec’ed to provide acceptable service and do it at a reasonable cost both to Uniden and the end user. While the terms “acceptable” and “reasonable” are both subjective, we have no alternative aftermarket offerings… it’s all we have to choose from. And since it’s been a few years without any aftermarket offerings, I doubt any will be.
Does anyone have an Amazon or eBay link to the internal cells with the same physical size and current specs for the cells they used in the Uniden packs? I've seen specs on the OEM cells used but I'd probably try another manufacturer if possible being as the OEM's cells do swell in some cases. Being from China, finding a replacement made by other than the OEM could be hard to determine.
These things look very simple to rebuild providing no physical damage occurred from a swelling internal cell to the battery housing.
I guess the small battery had two flat cells while the large battery has three. I've never opened my small battery pack to confirm that however.
I've lost one large pack to swelling and have since bought another large pack plus the original small pack plus the door that fits when using the small pack.
I leave the large cell in the scanner 24x7 and it's set to always charge. The small cell I keep as a spare and store it with maybe a 20% or lower charge. It's never swelled nor has the 2nd large cell in my SDS100 right now.
I still have the large cells housing and charge protection control board which is integral to the battery pack. I'd rebuild it but I'm not sure what others have used to rebuild their bad SDS100 battery packs. I've seen several people here and at other online boards or message groups that claimed they rebuilt their battery packs but I never saw a post with a link to the internal cells used.
These things look very simple to rebuild providing no physical damage occurred from a swelling internal cell to the battery housing.
I guess the small battery had two flat cells while the large battery has three. I've never opened my small battery pack to confirm that however.
I've lost one large pack to swelling and have since bought another large pack plus the original small pack plus the door that fits when using the small pack.
I leave the large cell in the scanner 24x7 and it's set to always charge. The small cell I keep as a spare and store it with maybe a 20% or lower charge. It's never swelled nor has the 2nd large cell in my SDS100 right now.
I still have the large cells housing and charge protection control board which is integral to the battery pack. I'd rebuild it but I'm not sure what others have used to rebuild their bad SDS100 battery packs. I've seen several people here and at other online boards or message groups that claimed they rebuilt their battery packs but I never saw a post with a link to the internal cells used.
I have two batteries, and have never had a lick of trouble with either of them, maybe I shouldn't have said that, because with my luck it's almost like asking for trouble. Still, I've been happy with the batteries. If I could go back and do it all over again I'd probably buy the 200 instead.
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