PSR-800: Legacy upgrade - battery charging

[AuntEnvy]

I got the whistler legacy upgrade and noticed it took a very long time - almost a whole day - to be fully charged via the unit itself. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I'll assume that the charge time setting has something to do with this..? I read that people have been saying their battery time is lasting much longer after the upgrade so I'm wondering if I should change a setting or if this is normal. Thanks for any input.

 

[WB9YBM]

Generally slow charging keeps the batteries running cooler than fast charging, which is healthier for the batteries.

 

[Wackyracer]

Yes it is normal, get a external charger such as the Lacrosse BC1000 that will charge test and refresh your batteries.

 

[AuntEnvy]

Ok, thanks guys.

I have other chargers. I just leave them in the unit for "ease-ability". I just wanted to be sure there wasn't an actual problem.

 

[fourwd1]

Much better for the batteries if you charge them in a decent slow charger.

 

[hill]

It's always best to charge batteries outside of the radio. If something happens to the batteries during charging you run the risk of doing major damage to the scanner. Just do a search on this website and you can find many of these.

 

[WB9YBM]

Much better for the batteries if you charge them in a decent slow charger.

In addition, proper cycling's a good suggestion, too. CQ: Amateur Radio Magazine's got an article I can recommend on the topic: "A Better Battery Charger", pages 51-4, January 2019 issue.

 

[DJ11DLN]

Another vote for getting a good external charger. You get longer charge duration and longer battery life, plus if one decides to go ka-boom, you only killed a sub-$40 charger instead of a $500 scanner. I know popping the back cover off is a bit of a hassle -- my TRX-1 is still a bear to pop after many battery swaps, though it's getting easier (don't feel like I'm gonna have to use a Hurst tool anymore, LOL) but the safety factor to the radio alone is worth the trouble, IMHO.

 

[Wackyracer]

Get a Lacrosse battery charger, it can refresh your batteries and tells you their capacity. I write this down on the side of the battery with a sharpie every time.