BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Battery for BCD325P2

[Golay]

I went to a fundraiser. People donated different things for the cause.
Bought a used BCD325P2. Anyone care to recommend their preferred rechargeable battery for this radio.
Thanks

 

[Enforcer52]

Try these, it what I use.

LADDA rechargeable battery, HR06 AA 1.2V, 2450mAh - IKEA

LADDA rechargeable battery, HR06 AA 1.2V, 2450mAh You reduce costs and waste by switching to rechargeable batteries, especially if you are a frequent user of traditional alkaline ones. In addition, you will always have working batteries when needed! The battery is ready to use.

www.ikea.com

 

[wtp]

whatever you get, always have 2 more in your pocket ...

 

[es93546]

I went to a fundraiser. People donated different things for the cause.
Bought a used BCD325P2. Anyone care to recommend their preferred rechargeable battery for this radio.
Thanks

I use Powerex batteries from Maha. I have a charger from them as well. Good products! My 325P2 gets about 3.5-4 hours on a set of batteries, depending on how much traffic is received. As WTP said always carry two more batteries as you only get part of a day from the first set.

 

[bearcatrp]

Have posted a couple of places that I use an external USB battery. Get about 24 hours of continuous scanning. My posts include the cable needed to connect. I use an older army magazine pouch to carry them around.

 

[brcoz]

When out and about I use Eneloop Panasonic AA 2100 Ni-MH. I connect the scanner to a USB power in the car.

Yes have extras.

 

[n1chu]

When I know I will need batteries for an all day event I use the Eveready lithium disposables. They cost more but since I attend only a few of these all day events, such as airshows, I chalk it up to part of the trip’s costs. I’ve experimented with the newer RECHARGABLE lithium AA’s (Amazon) with good results. My hope was that these rechargables would give me better use time than the nicad’s or NMH’s, more like the disposable Lithium’s from Eveready, before a recharge is needed and save some money overall, but since I’ve not compared them as yet, I can’t say. What I have learned is that they do as well as the nicad’s or NMH’s… maybe even a bit better. (That may be due to the nicad’s and NMH’s being older, where performance has diminished somewhat.)

 

[BinaryMode]

I would stay far away from lithium rechargeable batteries if I were you. The 1.5v AA style or others have a regulator of sorts (buck convertor?) that drops the (3.7v?) down to 1.5v. If that convertor goes buckus your electronics (scanner) are toast. It's why I don't use rechargeable lithium's anymore and just buy rechargeable NiMH Energizers. Certainly not as Amp hour great as the lithiums, but at least they won't have the risk of over volting and frying my expensive scanners. Note: this applies to the rechargeable lithium, not the single use versions like you find at a grocery store that cost two lungs, a pancreas and stock options. Those are pretty decent. And energizer is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest lasting version, too. Energizer® sets record for longest-lasting AA battery just in time for the holidays Though, I'd like to see the numbers. Could be by 2 minutes for all we know. LOL Also note: The rechargeable NiMH batteries may have a Non-UL listed charger. If so, don't leave the room while charging... That goes for CCRs (Cheap Chinese Radios) for all that matter.

As was mentioned, you can buy a portable lithium battery bank that has USB and use that with a long cable. Make sure the USB cable is the same connector as the one for the 325P. I believe it's USB mini B. USB-C, USB-B, and USB-A: What's the Difference? - ViewSonic Library

Amazon.com : usb mini b

I have this one. Bought it from Newegg.: Tripp Lite Portable 2-Port USB Battery Charger Mobile Power Bank 10.4k mAh power bank - Li-Ion - USB - UPB-10K4-S2U - Office Basics - CDW.com

Also have an Adata portable battery bank bought from NewEgg.

Both are many years old but still have a charge. I rarely have to recharge them just sitting here which I find odd compared to my drone batteries and other lithium batteries. Probably because DJI supplies cheap batteries or something.

So there you have it. If others have good luck with rechargeable lithium AA batteries all the more power (no pun intended). But that convertor there I don't trust with my $400+ scanners.

 

[n1chu]

Good write up. Thanks for the input.

 

[10-43]

I would stay far away from lithium rechargeable batteries if I were you. The 1.5v AA style or others have a regulator of sorts (buck convertor?) that drops the (3.7v?) down to 1.5v. If that convertor goes buckus your electronics (scanner) are toast. It's why I don't use rechargeable lithium's anymore and just buy rechargeable NiMH Energizers. Certainly not as Amp hour great as the lithiums, but at least they won't have the risk of over volting and frying my expensive scanners. Note: this applies to the rechargeable lithium, not the single use versions like you find at a grocery store that cost two lungs, a pancreas and stock options. Those are pretty decent. And energizer is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest lasting version, too. Energizer® sets record for longest-lasting AA battery just in time for the holidays Though, I'd like to see the numbers. Could be by 2 minutes for all we know. LOL Also note: The rechargeable NiMH batteries may have a Non-UL listed charger. If so, don't leave the room while charging... That goes for CCRs (Cheap Chinese Radios) for all that matter.

As was mentioned, you can buy a portable lithium battery bank that has USB and use that with a long cable. Make sure the USB cable is the same connector as the one for the 325P. I believe it's USB mini B. USB-C, USB-B, and USB-A: What's the Difference? - ViewSonic Library

Amazon.com : usb mini b

I have this one. Bought it from Newegg.: Tripp Lite Portable 2-Port USB Battery Charger Mobile Power Bank 10.4k mAh power bank - Li-Ion - USB - UPB-10K4-S2U - Office Basics - CDW.com

Also have an Adata portable battery bank bought from NewEgg.

Both are many years old but still have a charge. I rarely have to recharge them just sitting here which I find odd compared to my drone batteries and other lithium batteries. Probably because DJI supplies cheap batteries or something.

So there you have it. If others have good luck with rechargeable lithium AA batteries all the more power (no pun intended). But that convertor there I don't trust with my $400+ scanners.

I tried lithium rechargeable. The internal 3.7 volt cell is stepped down to 1.5 volts. That internal circuitry generated so much RF noise it made my BCD325P2 deaf.

 

[n1chu]

I tried lithium rechargeable. The internal 3.7 volt cell is stepped down to 1.5 volts. That internal circuitry generated so much RF noise it made my BCD325P2 deaf.

I did the same without any RF noise. I’m using the TENAVOLTS 2775mWh In my BCD325P2. What’s the brand name you use? I’m not saying your results are bogus, but there’s got to be a reason yours generate RF to an unacceptable degree and I notice nothing. Could it be different manufacturers? Or possibly the RF is prevalent only on certain portions of a band?

 

[10-43]

I did the same without any RF noise. I’m using the TENAVOLTS 2775mWh In my BCD325P2. What’s the brand name you use? I’m not saying your results are bogus, but there’s got to be a reason yours generate RF to an unacceptable degree and I notice nothing. Could it be different manufacturers? Or possibly the RF is prevalent only on certain portions of a band?

I'm sure it's probably the brand. The radio was deaf everywhere. I don't remember the brand. I disposed of them.

What kind of operation time do you get with those Tenavolt? Can you compare them to the 2300 mA batteries that came with the scanner?

 

[n1chu]

I haven’t done any good comparison testing against any other type battery but what I can tell you is the Tenavolt’s came 4 to a pack, WITH their charger. Each cell have a little led light that glows when being charged and goes off when fully charged. As for how long they last… they are rated by the manufacturer at 2775mWh so if you can believe what they claim, they beat the 2300’s. I’ve always used a conservative length of use time of 4 hours. (I say conservative because I average a battery over its total service life before it should be replaced… a battery’s “operation time” as you state will diminish over time, so, I figured 4 hours.) The TENAVOLTS haven’t disappointed me, I notice no less than nicads or NMHs but not as much as the disposable AA Eveready Lithium batteries. Do they last longer than the nicads/NMH? I can’t say for sure but my guess is yes. My intention was to get a rechargable lithium battery that approached the operation time of the Eveready disposable Lithium batteries and save some money over the life of the battery, the Eveready disposable lithium batteries aren’t cheap. My guess without doing any real comparisons is that yes, they last longer than the nicads/NMH but less than the Eveready disposables. Are they worth it? It depends… with the warning about how the circuitry a rechargeable lithium battery uses to drop the voltage from something like 7 volts to 1.5 volts, as described in another post, it’s possible if that circuitry fails, you could ruin your radio by feeding it too much voltage. (I don’t know if the battery or radio has over-voltage protection built into it. So, until I learn if that protection exists, I’d choose the nicads or NMH.

Bottom line, you are still going to need to carry 2 extra batteries for an 8 hour work shift, more if you pull an extra 4 hours of overtime! On the flip side of the coin, to date, I’ve seen no reports of any internal battery circuitry failing on these rechargable lithium batteries… that doesn’t mean the caution should be disregarded, there’s just not enough documentation on it as yet because they are relatively new. Time will tell. Hope this helps.

 

[BinaryMode]

I tried lithium rechargeable. The internal 3.7 volt cell is stepped down to 1.5 volts. That internal circuitry generated so much RF noise it made my BCD325P2 deaf.

Now THAT I had not thought of before. Thanks for adding that bit of useful Info.

 

[Golay]

Thanks to all for the replies.
Next project is learning the radio. I have a 6 hour shift of just sitting babysitting a building next week. Downloaded Freescan, read the radio, looked at what's in there. I'm semi-confident by the end of the shift I'll have a fairly good grasp of it.

 

[bearcatrp]

Thanks to all for the replies.
Next project is learning the radio. I have a 6 hour shift of just sitting babysitting a building next week. Downloaded Freescan, read the radio, looked at what's in there. I'm semi-confident by the end of the shift I'll have a fairly good grasp of it.

After reading the manual twice, go through all the menus to see the function it does. Then go into the edit to see how Uniden programmed it. You will be able to see what frequencies are covered. Good luck and have fun.

 

[n1chu]

My TENAVOLTS are not causing the RF interference. But yours are. I am not doubting your findings but it sure would be helpful if you could identify the battery (manufacturer) by name. I know it does nothing to reduce the concern over the possibility of a failed voltage reduction circuit within the battery, which is really enough to shy people away from using them. But since my findings show no RF noise I wonder if it is simply a matter that concerns a certain manufacturer.

 

[n1chu]

Thanks to all for the replies.
Next project is learning the radio. I have a 6 hour shift of just sitting babysitting a building next week. Downloaded Freescan, read the radio, looked at what's in there. I'm semi-confident by the end of the shift I'll have a fairly good grasp of it.

It’s a nice little scanner if you don’t have any simulcast issues. My only complaint with the Uniden BCD325P2 is its form factor. The BCD396XLT used 3 AA batteries (I wonder if they could have kept that third battery and increased the time between battery swaps?) But since I’m not bothered by simulcast, (not yet anyway) It’s a great scanner as long as I remember to bring along a second set of batteries. Good luck programming-you won’t have any trouble.

 

[10-43]

My TENAVOLTS are not causing the RF interference. But yours are. I am not doubting your findings but it sure would be helpful if you could identify the battery (manufacturer) by name. I know it does nothing to reduce the concern over the possibility of a failed voltage reduction circuit within the battery, which is really enough to shy people away from using them. But since my findings show no RF noise I wonder if it is simply a matter that concerns a certain manufacturer.

I couldn't care less about those batteries. I certainly don't doubt they generated nuisance RF. Scanner works fine without them. If Tenavolts works for you. Stick with them.

 

[es93546]

Whenever batteries are discussed, it always sparks controversy. Everyone will defend their choices no matter what.