Melted battery holder, and melted radio...
- Thread starter TheJerk
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TheJerk
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I had a Powerex charger and the batteries at one point for a digital camera that ate batteries...it was nice in the fact it would discharge and recharge the batteries each time (if you wanted). It eventually stopped working (that was many years ago though), but that was long after the camera had died.
I've been there and gotten the T-Shirt. You may be able to replace the case back, battery compartment cover, and battery cradle to revive your PSR300.
I recommend this charger BC-900 by La Crosse Technology - Tomorrow's Weather Today or the one above, as I use both.
I recommend this charger BC-900 by La Crosse Technology - Tomorrow's Weather Today or the one above, as I use both.
I think that the point I am trying to make is that the 'manufacturer' will never admit that there is a possibility of a meltdown in their scanner. So .. you will never see a scanner manufacturer put such a warning in the owners manual.
Don't feel bad .. you are not the first, nor the last person that will have this problem. I personally just hope that this thread will be a wake up call for RadioReference members on the dangers of in scanner charging.
Just an FYI .. there are several really good chargers out on the market perfectly suited for AA batteries that we use in our scanners. I have listed the model I use for your reference above.
Don't feel bad .. you are not the first, nor the last person that will have this problem. I personally just hope that this thread will be a wake up call for RadioReference members on the dangers of in scanner charging.
Just an FYI .. there are several really good chargers out on the market perfectly suited for AA batteries that we use in our scanners. I have listed the model I use for your reference above.
cfr301
Member
I think the problem here could be any number of things..Wrong Setting for Battery Type in the Scanner,or Just plain over charging the batteries with the radio turned off.
Its like anything else HUMANS are involved. The external charges, the good ones anyway go to trickle charge when the battery charge is complete. The batteries are not ENTRAPPED in a closed case made of plastic where heat can build up. All the owners manual say you can charge the batteries in the radio, however i suggest that GRE and Radio Shack add a caution about over charging the batteries and leaving the scanner unattended while charging. Might save some grief, like the OP had in this case.
Take your batteries OUT!
My PSR equivalent Pro-106 smoked and I wasn't even charging the batteries in the unit. I had the regular black battery holder (non-charging) in the scanner and just had the radio plugged into the AC adapter with the radio turned on.
READ my post HERE:
http://forums.radioreference.com/gre-scanners/160716-battery-charging-psr-500-a.html#post1298444
Bob
My PSR equivalent Pro-106 smoked and I wasn't even charging the batteries in the unit. I had the regular black battery holder (non-charging) in the scanner and just had the radio plugged into the AC adapter with the radio turned on.
READ my post HERE:
http://forums.radioreference.com/gre-scanners/160716-battery-charging-psr-500-a.html#post1298444
Bob
RadioDaze
Member
It's a nice charger at seventy bux, but it's even better at forty nine bux:
MAHA MH-C9000 Advanced Battery ChargerFree Deluxe Storage Ca..
TheJerk
Member
This is just the holder...note where the plastic got hot enough to actually flow.
TheJerk
Member
+1 on replacing the battery door, battery holder and back case (but if you decide to chuck it, send me a PM and I'll take it off your hands).
I have had this happen with both a RS Pro-97 (x2) and my PSR-500 (you'd think the first two times were enough). I believe that it has to do with the cigarette plug in the car supplying 12V+ and the radio expects 9V. When the radio is off, it does not seem to regulating the charging current to the batteries. I would investigate more, but it was easier to just get the MAHA C9000 when it was on sale.
cfr301
Member
Last edited:
dougjgray
Member
I think Scanner manufactures should put warnings about that. but GREs stand may be that its a bad battery at fault, but what would it hurt GRE if they warned people. BUt I wouldnt thow it away when my Pro-92 gott deformed when a bad Nicad cell got to hot, I melted the case back to shape with a soldering iron and used the scanner 2 or 3 years more, I do think the excessive heat shortened the life span, but I only had the black holder after that so coldnt charge after that if I wanted to. It did look ugly.
K
kb0nly
Guest
If nothing else leave the battery holder out and the door off, put back in the case you have for it, plug it in and use that way in the truck, with the key off as you have it the radio has no power so no worries, when the key is on your there keeping an eye on it anyhow.
I wouldn't chuck it out because of it, live and learn.
I bought a Lacrosse BC700 to cycle the batteries for my BCD396T and i flipped the switch in the back to alkaline so it wouldn't charge the batteries even if it was plugged in. No worries...
I wouldn't chuck it out because of it, live and learn.
I bought a Lacrosse BC700 to cycle the batteries for my BCD396T and i flipped the switch in the back to alkaline so it wouldn't charge the batteries even if it was plugged in. No worries...
Charging in the scanner .....
1. When people write those "wish lists" of features they want in the next model scanner, one thing I've often noted is that the internal charging circuit made to be intelligent. That means not just a 'timer', but reading the battery state and temperature. Current needs to be ramped down before it is hot enough to melt plastic.
2. I have repaired a few scanners that this has happened to. You'll need a new yellow battery holder (if you even want to use one now), the back half of the scanner case, and the battery door. The total cost for those 3 items is under $20, which is cheaper than a whole new scanner.
3. I can show you identical pictures of a melted battery holder and mine also has the DuraCell 2650s in it. I have had much better luck with lower capacity batteries; specifically the Sanyo Eneloops 2000mah.
4. I have the PowerEx battery charger and do NOT recommend it. Yes it is better than charging in the scanner, but not as good of a choice as the LaCrosse. IMHO the PowerEx was designed to sell you more batteries. It will refuse to charge batteries that can be safely charged in other chargers.
1. When people write those "wish lists" of features they want in the next model scanner, one thing I've often noted is that the internal charging circuit made to be intelligent. That means not just a 'timer', but reading the battery state and temperature. Current needs to be ramped down before it is hot enough to melt plastic.
2. I have repaired a few scanners that this has happened to. You'll need a new yellow battery holder (if you even want to use one now), the back half of the scanner case, and the battery door. The total cost for those 3 items is under $20, which is cheaper than a whole new scanner.
3. I can show you identical pictures of a melted battery holder and mine also has the DuraCell 2650s in it. I have had much better luck with lower capacity batteries; specifically the Sanyo Eneloops 2000mah.
4. I have the PowerEx battery charger and do NOT recommend it. Yes it is better than charging in the scanner, but not as good of a choice as the LaCrosse. IMHO the PowerEx was designed to sell you more batteries. It will refuse to charge batteries that can be safely charged in other chargers.
RadioDaze
Member
It could be just that the PowerEx (Maha) is more conservative. There have been numerous reports of meltdowns with the LaCrosse.
Hi
Did anyone ever suggest to you that you may have had a bent prong causing a bad connection where the battery pack connects to the scanner. This would create resistance and would generate heat and possibly a fire. This could have happened just taking the battery pack in and out of your radio, and would not be a defect in the radio itself.
Did anyone ever suggest to you that you may have had a bent prong causing a bad connection where the battery pack connects to the scanner. This would create resistance and would generate heat and possibly a fire. This could have happened just taking the battery pack in and out of your radio, and would not be a defect in the radio itself.
I do agree that the Sanyo Eneloops are probably the best batteries that you can buy. Sure they may not have the highest capacity but they at least won't self discharge like the Duracell model. If you ask anyone in the battery field .. they will tell you that Sanyo is the worldwide leader in OEM battery manufacturing.
As far as the Maha charger .. I dare you to compare any battery charger to it. I have done extensive testing and it will charge batteries that other chargers are unable to charge, including the Lacrosse. The lacrosse is a good charger but in my testing it is not as good as the Maha model. I suggest that you will find that if you do a search on the internet you will find the same information that I and others have relayed about chargers.
I third this (after jpb286's second). If the damage didn't hit a pcb, then replacing the case and battery compartment cover. I don't own a PSR300 but on the 500 the "back wall" of the battery compartment is the bottom of the screen's pcb. If the scanner still works, I'd look in to replacing the case- call GRE (you'll be able to talk to a human). I found they were quite knowledgeable when replacing the case on my 500 (multiple cracks).
Oldglide
Member
Could it be the batteries?
I use the same batteries in my Uniden, work great but I never use an adaptor, always charge out of the scanner. I went to get some more at W-M and they don't have any. Went to many stores and no one is carrying Duracell re-chargeable.
I use the same batteries in my Uniden, work great but I never use an adaptor, always charge out of the scanner. I went to get some more at W-M and they don't have any. Went to many stores and no one is carrying Duracell re-chargeable.
No one carrying Duracell anymore, I have and like them, get about 10hrs from them. Will check mal-mart tommorrow here (just to see) I also charge them in the charger that came with them and boy do they get hot to the touch after charging.
I have a pro94b and I use to charging the batteries in the scanner till I picked it up one day and it was HOT to the touch so I never charged them that way again. And I NEVER leave home and leave a charger plugged in the wall because I have seen alot of fires from chargers and light dimmers switches in homes getting so hot they catch fire because of heat building up and never kick a breaker out because it never shorted to ground untill it was too late. (more in old homes) better safe than sorry
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