SDS100/SDS200: Battery Life SDS 100

[Pcamp1227]

It seems that I can only get about two hours or less running time out of the SDS100. It's probably closer to an hour.

I'm constantly charging the scanner. It charges up to 4.1v and the low battery warning with sound at 3.6v.

I have the battery save option turned on. I also have the option on to only light up when a transmission is received.

Not sure if this is normal or not.

 

[Saint]

I took my scanner on the road with me and got around 6 hours of battery life I was scanning several digital systems to find new taltgroups for the day, I also invested in a charger and extra battery for the scanner so i can double the scanning time, my scanner has been pluged into my computer all day and the battery says 4.12V
Steve

 

[buddrousa]

Both of mine charges to .4.24 as do the 2 spare batteries volume at 6 I get over 6 hours per battery very busy area.

 

[slicerwizard]

What size battery? Aren't there two sizes out there?

 

[jonwienke]

With the large battery, you should get 6-8 hours of runtime, and the small battery 5-6 hours. Sounds like your battery is need to be replaced.

 

[Saint]

Sorry I get six hours with the large battery
Steve

 

[Pcamp1227]

Is there a way to identify the small battery and the large one?

 

[SteveSimpkin]

Is there a way to identify the small battery and the large one?

The smaller battery is flush with the case. The larger battery sticks out quite a bit. See the following picture.

SDS100/SDS200: - Battery

Well, If I am not mistaken August is over. Anyone at all get the larger battery for the SDS 100? Other than the ones who bought the scanner with the new battery!

forums.radioreference.com

Original post discussing the larger battery:

SDS100/SDS200: - Battery

Well, If I am not mistaken August is over. Anyone at all get the larger battery for the SDS 100? Other than the ones who bought the scanner with the new battery!

forums.radioreference.com

 

[Ubbe]

I have the battery save option turned on.

Remember that battery save only works in one operation mode.

"Set Battery Save - Turn on to reduce power use during conventional hold mode."

/Ubbe

 

[n1chu]

A spare battery is always good to have. Suggest you order one and compare the suspect battery against it. Uniden sells the battery and external charger as a package deal-at least they’re used to? Get both. Before Paul Opitz (Upman) passed, he recommended the charging of ANY lithium-ion battery externally... outside of the radio... even though the radio allows for charging the battery while on board. It’s sound advice. Especially when you consider what we paid for the SDS100!

(Rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries should only be recharged using a Lithium-Ion battery charger due to the possibility of fire and explosion. Never use a charger designed for nicads or other rechargeables.)

 

[ScubaJungle]

I suggest keeping it plugged in all the time if possible. In the car, at home, or anywhere with a power source, I plug my 436 in because they are batteries, and they do run out.

 

[n1chu]

The difference between the 436 and the SDS100 is the type of batteries used. I’d be a bit more concerned about permanently plugging in a lithium-ion battery powered radio than a nickel cadmium battery powered radio. It’s probably not all that concerning as it is Accepted common practice but I’ve seen what happens when a LI battery goes into self destruct mode. It’s not pretty. The explosion and fire they are capable of have brought down commercial cargo aircraft. When the RC hobby started touting them for the remote controlled aircraft there were many horror stories about recharging the LI cells. It seemed the best practice was to place the cells in a army surplus metal ammo case and park it outside away from any buildings! The closest I have come to it causing me any damage was when my Apple 5 cell phone’s battery swelled up. I took it to the Apple store and the counter help guy couldn’t get it away from me quick enough! I asked what the rush was and he told me I was getting a new phone , no cost to me. But he needed to transfer my data from the old to the new before the battery gave him any trouble. He brought me my new phone and I asked him where the old one went... into a secure container outside.

 

[ScubaJungle]

The difference between the 436 and the SDS100 is the type of batteries used. I’d be a bit more concerned about permanently plugging in a lithium-ion battery powered radio than a nickel cadmium battery powered radio. It’s probably not all that concerning as it is Accepted common practice but I’ve seen what happens when a LI battery goes into self destruct mode. It’s not pretty. The explosion and fire they are capable of have brought down commercial cargo aircraft. When the RC hobby started touting them for the remote controlled aircraft there were many horror stories about recharging the LI cells. It seemed the best practice was to place the cells in a army surplus metal ammo case and park it outside away from any buildings! The closest I have come to it causing me any damage was when my Apple 5 cell phone’s battery swelled up. I took it to the Apple store and the counter help guy couldn’t get it away from me quick enough! I asked what the rush was and he told me I was getting a new phone , no cost to me. But he needed to transfer my data from the old to the new before the battery gave him any trouble. He brought me my new phone and I asked him where the old one went... into a secure container outside.

It doesnt make a difference between 436 or SDS, because the battery doesn't have to be in the unit to run when plugged in - thats the point of having it plugged in and running off power and not the battery. I have my unit running off computer USB power with no batteries in, and I dont have to worry about it dying or anything like that. When Im not able to do that, I have the batteries charged and ready, since they werent being drained.
Yes - you shouldn't leave it plugged in with batteries, as you said, but the great thing is, you don't have to.

 

[jonwienke]

Yes - you shouldn't leave it plugged in with batteries, as you said, but the great thing is, you don't have to.

That is wrong on all counts. The 436 will not charge the batteries while the scanner is on, so there is no danger of overcharging the batteries while it's running. And running it without batteries disables recording and replay functions.

The SDS100 has an intelligent charger that shuts off when the battery is fully charged, so there's no danger in letting the battery charge while the scanner is running. And running without battery disables recording and replay just like the 436.

There's no benefit to running either model without batteries, and a significant drawback.

 

[iMONITOR]

Turn the back light off when you don't need it.

 

[Ubbe]

It's less than a 7% difference in the current drawn with the display on or off. The display uses 50mA while the scanner uses a total of 750mA when in scan mode.

/Ubbe

 

[darkness975]

I leave mine plugged in all the time unless I am taking it mobile. It does charge in the radio if I return back. Other than that it just runs off AC power. I would find it very irritating to keep removing the battery every single day.
If these things are so dangerous (as I seem to be reading that doing what I am doing is guaranteed to end in my demise or the destruction of the whole house) then why have they not figured out better technology by now? Why use these batteries at all?
From what I have read, even if I took the stupid battery out and left it in a drawer it could swell and explode randomly one day for no reason.

Maybe I should get rid of the battery and just use AC power. If the power goes out I guess I'll just sit blind and read a book and hope that nothing's going on until the power is restored.

My HomePatrol II has had the same cheap chinese batteries in it that came with the unit. I don't really use it on battery though I leave it plugged in as well.

 

[dazza0768]

These are uniden devices....not samsung

 

[jonwienke]

Why use these batteries at all?
From what I have read, even if I took the stupid battery out and left it in a drawer it could swell and explode randomly one day for no reason.

Swelling doesn't happen overnight. And explosions and fires are super rare, and are usually the result of overcharging. Which the charge circuit is specifically designed to prevent. You need a defective battery and charger together to get a fire or explosion.

 

[darkness975]

Swelling doesn't happen overnight. And explosions and fires are super rare, and are usually the result of overcharging. Which the charge circuit is specifically designed to prevent. You need a defective battery and charger together to get a fire or explosion.

So a defective battery and a defective charger working simultaneously?

I haven't seen the battery since I popped it into the unit whenever I bought it (last year sometime).