Odd man (battery) out

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lawman210

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Ok just pulled batteries out of 436. Then I just thought: Since its not really recommended to charge batteries in scanner and for the fact that if you want to listen to it for more then 10 hours with 14 hours off to charge you will need to charge batteries externally as we have talked about. Then I realized it's 3 batteries and you have to charge in evens. So what do when having to charge 3? Rotate out one extra battery? With 4th battery and no down time seems you will need 8 batteries and a complicated system to rotate batteries so each one gets used the same. Or do you just have 2 batteries that aren't as good that you throw it as sacrifices?

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jaspence

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Battery charging

There are charges that will charge each battery individually. The one use charges from 1 to 8 as long as they are the same type (AA, AAA, etc.).
 

kb8rvp

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Ed6698

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I have 2 of the PowerEx MH-C9000 chargers, they work good with Eneloop batteries. I always have batteries ready for my 2 scanners that use AA.
 

wtp

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maha

i use a maha myself
one big advantage is to check the real capacity of individual cells
i found using all 2500mha batteries if they were paired(tripled) with the same mha i got more time
like 1600-1600-1600 lasted longer than 1500-1500-2000
ok sometimes i had to mix them up
they are a couple of years old now but still going
the other thing is that the heat is not in the radio
 

nanZor

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I'm a fan of the Maha 9000 myself.

One great thing you can do that may not be explained fully in the manual is that it will give you a reading for the internal impedance of each cell, which you can track over time to see if your cells are degrading, or are junk / new-old-stock in the first place.

Put one cell in to charge. The very first "voltage" it displays, and is displayed ONLY ONCE upon insertion, is the internal impedance. The next time around the block it will show the actual battery voltage.

So when you get new cells, a rough guide to this impedance measurement is (lower is better):

1.60 new good cell
1.80 middle aged cell
2.00 old cell - nearing the limit where the 9000 won't accept it.

If you are a battery nut, you can keep an eye on your readings as you use the cells over the years. Not surprisingly, the el-cheapos at the drugstore may already be at 2.0 out of the package. :)

Maha's are popular single-cell chargers. Another worthy single cell charger unit for portable use is the Sony BCG34HRE4KN reviewed here in the review subforum.
 

ff75

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Ok just pulled batteries out of 436. Then I just thought: Since its not really recommended to charge batteries in scanner

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Who doesn't recommend charging the batteries in the scanner? Is that in the manual for the 436? or is it just a general recommendation?
 

ff75

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Also the 436 can not be charged while its on? If I have no Batteries can it stay plugged in and stay on?
 

jaspence

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Charging in scanner

Newer scanners have a setting for charging time, so if you leave it plugged in the setting may or may not charge the batteries fully. When the batteries are charged individually in an external charger, each cell is properly charged, which does not happen in the radio. My experience with a cell that shorted during internal charging almost destroyed my radio and permanently modified the plastic battery door.
 

lawman210

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Newer scanners have a setting for charging time, so if you leave it plugged in the setting may or may not charge the batteries fully. When the batteries are charged individually in an external charger, each cell is properly charged, which does not happen in the radio. My experience with a cell that shorted during internal charging almost destroyed my radio and permanently modified the plastic battery door.

That is why FF75. I ordered the Maha Mc9000 charger from Newegg
Thank you for that info Kb8rvp

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ff75

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I have never had a problem with that between my HP1 and my BC246T. I haven't received my 436 yet but it sounds like a step backwards in that Dept. I just don't want to have to carry around extra batteries if I don't have to. But to answer the other question does it turn on if you don't have batteries if its plugged in?
 

SCPD

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I have never had a problem with that between my HP1 and my BC246T. I haven't received my 436 yet but it sounds like a step backwards in that Dept. I just don't want to have to carry around extra batteries if I don't have to. But to answer the other question does it turn on if you don't have batteries if its plugged in?

Yes it will run
 
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