BCD436HP/BCD536HP: BCD436HP Batteries?

[jeffhochberg]

What do you all recommend for the low battery alert on the SDS100.

I saw a recommendation of 3100 mAh for the 436 earlier in the thread. Just wondering if you have a recommendation for the SDS100.


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[KK4JUG]

I think its mV instead of mAh,. Anyway, I was wondering the same thing, The default setting on arrival for the SDS100 is 3500. I intentionally ran my battery down today and it had lasted almost 9 hours so the 3500 may not be a bad setting.

 

[jeffhochberg]

Correct. Auto correct seems to have remembered mAh from a chat I was having with someone over the weekend.

 

[whooey]

Eneloop Pro, costs more, but worth it.

 

[iMONITOR]

Eneloop Pro, costs more, but worth it.

Except they normally can only be re-charged up to 500 times, vs up to 2,100 times for the regular eneloop batteries.

 

[bgav]

Eneloop Pro, costs more, but worth it.

As stated earlier in thread, cost about 2X for only about 20% increase in battery life in my experience, and can only be recharged about 1/4 the number of times as regular Eneloops... If you're a pro photographer and use them in flashes, then yes, but for scanner use that's not high draw then it's not a very good cost/benefit proposition IMHO. YMMV.

 

[Valeriy]

Lithium-ion batteries

Well, since the 436 works from 4.3+ V down to 3.30 V (actually the unit shuts down at 2.99 V, but under 3.30 V recording and replay are disabled),
the nominal voltage of 3.7 V of a lithium-ion battery should be directly compatible with the 436.
The issue is to have to interface with the radio more than one battery, because of the low capacity of a single cell...
For example, I already have six 16340 batteries, initially purchased for other purposes.
Each battery has a capacity of just 2000 mAh, thus they should be connected in parallel in order to increase the autonomy,
but a defective cell could short-circuit and drain current from the others, and that could lead to a dangerous overheating of
the non-defective cells...
Diodes put in series to each cell could prevent that issue, but semiconductor junctions introduce about 0.6...0.7 V loss in the voltage...
And the same is true in the case of other lithium-ion cells such as the 14500 or the 18650, of course.
So, it seems better to interface a single battery, such as those for mobile phones (batteries for transceivers usually have smaller capacity),
but I'd rather prefer to interface with the 436 (and with other handhelds I have) several batteries like the 16340, 18650, etc.
Has someone already done that?

P.S.: I forgot a little detail: the lithium-ion batteries would be placed in an external holder, of course.

 

[theDISpatch]

I have noticed that my bcd436hp will last much longer on a charge if the 'replay duration' setting is set to '30 sec.' (or 'off' but I like having the feature so I use 30 sec) If I increase it to 60 sec or more it dramatically lowers battery life.

 

[Bugal402]

What I do is take any 3 AA new batteries, put them in the scanner and run them down until the scanner shuts off. Then use your data/charging cable that came with your scanner (I have used other cables as well that have a mini USB and they work) and plug that end into a battery pack that is normally used for recharging cell phones. I have a 15000 mAh battery pack (even has a flashlight!) that was laying around so I'm sure most of you already have something like this. Once you plug both ends in (one in the scanner one in the battery pack) your scanner will turn on (unless there is a button on your battery pack, if so press the button) and your scanner will ask if you'd like to charge the scanner. Hit "No" and release the button then hit "power" and release. Now the scanner will boot up and you will have endless hours as long as your battery pack is charged.

That is the gist of it above, here is some more detail, you will need to deplete a new set of AA batteries eventually however with this set up. For me this set up lasted about a year, and I think this will very depending on use. IMO in order to extend the "life" of your depleted AA batteries that are in the scanner, use some sort of lithium batteries to begin with. I use energizer ultimate lithium batteries and my thought is that even though they are depleted in order to run the scanner, they will hold whatever voltage they have left longer than some harbor freight type batteries.

Enjoy!