MarkEagleUSA
Member
I know all about the risks of recharging the batteries in the scanner along with the fact that the charger is timer-based (14 hrs IIRC).
What I'd like to know is what happens when you connect the power (for recharging), fully recharge the batteries, and then leave the scanner connected for, say, 2 or 3 days? After the timer stops the recharge, does the scanner run off the batteries or the external power?
Here's why I'm asking... I try to use an external charger but there are times when I do recharge in the 396 itself. This past weekend the scanner "slept" in the car, powered on and connected to the charger. On Monday, I grabbed the scanner and went "mobile" but only got about 1-1/2 to 2 hrs of runtime out of the batteries. It seemed like it ran off the batteries after the charge cycle continued and never recharged.
As a test I repeated this yesterday/last night using another fresh set of rechageables. I left the scanner on until I got the battery warning and then connected it to the power cable and let it sit overnight and all day today (almost 24 hrs). Tonight I again took it mobile and again only got 2 hrs runtime.
Under normal usage, I get anywhere from 6 to 10 hrs of runtime on a full charge. I've got to believe that the 396's charger design prevents it from ever "starting" again unless the power cable is removed/reconnected or the scanner power is toggled. After the timer times-out, it appears to me that the radio runs off battery power instead of the connected power source.
For the record, the power cord in the car is "live" all the time and has been verified to be outputting 6v @ 1000 mAH.
Anyone have any insight on this?
What I'd like to know is what happens when you connect the power (for recharging), fully recharge the batteries, and then leave the scanner connected for, say, 2 or 3 days? After the timer stops the recharge, does the scanner run off the batteries or the external power?
Here's why I'm asking... I try to use an external charger but there are times when I do recharge in the 396 itself. This past weekend the scanner "slept" in the car, powered on and connected to the charger. On Monday, I grabbed the scanner and went "mobile" but only got about 1-1/2 to 2 hrs of runtime out of the batteries. It seemed like it ran off the batteries after the charge cycle continued and never recharged.
As a test I repeated this yesterday/last night using another fresh set of rechageables. I left the scanner on until I got the battery warning and then connected it to the power cable and let it sit overnight and all day today (almost 24 hrs). Tonight I again took it mobile and again only got 2 hrs runtime.
Under normal usage, I get anywhere from 6 to 10 hrs of runtime on a full charge. I've got to believe that the 396's charger design prevents it from ever "starting" again unless the power cable is removed/reconnected or the scanner power is toggled. After the timer times-out, it appears to me that the radio runs off battery power instead of the connected power source.
For the record, the power cord in the car is "live" all the time and has been verified to be outputting 6v @ 1000 mAH.
Anyone have any insight on this?