Removable AA Battery Pack for Uniden Scanners Now Available

[rmiles]

Check it out on ebay. Finally, someone has come up with a battery pack so you can use AA batteries on Uniden scanners. No longer are we slaves to the battery pack. Item number 5737566809

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...p;item=5737566809&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

 

[pro92b]

Ummm, it doesn't look like that mess would fit in the radio...

 

[rmiles]

It might. And lets says your right. At least you can use regular AA's instead of those packs.

 

[pro92b]

Actually, I'm sure it would not fit in the radio. Kinda inconvenient to have the battery pack dragging around outside. Good way to tear the power connector off the scanner board.

 

[rmiles]

Well, I think your wrong on that. I'm always finding myself in need of another pack. I'll be somewhere without a charger and if I do have a second pack, half the time, it's dead too. I've been looking for an adapter that would allow uniden radio to be powered off regular alkalines for years. Now here one is. You could always through some velcro on it and stick it to the radio. Or just sit it on the desk next to the radio. Seems like a nice alternative to lugging around a wall wart. Plus, you don't always have a place to plug a wall wart into. It seems like it would be a great back up. Just my two cents. Despite what your feelings are, I still think it's a good idea. Even if it doesn't fit in the radio. BTW, how do you know? Did you ask?

 

[Forts]

Perhaps they left the pack out of the radio in that picture just to show that the scanner was indeed running off their pack. I sold my 250 quite a while ago, and I don't exactly recall the dimensions of the battery compartment, but I would think that little holder would fit in there. The length of the wire strikes me as a little odd though.

 

[rmiles]

Good point! Perhaps the wire on the one pictured was lengthened to illustrate the fact that the radio was indeed being powered from it rather than from something in the battery compartment.

 

[Voyager]

Re: Removable AA Battery Pack for Uniden Scanners Now Availa

Check it out on ebay. Finally, someone has come up with a battery pack so you can use AA batteries on Uniden scanners. No longer are we slaves to the battery pack. Item number 5737566809

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...p;item=5737566809&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Isn't that the AA holder to 9V adapter you can get at ANY Radio Shack? They simply wired a 9V conector on the correct plug for the scanner (also both available at any Radio Shack - the plugs usually free for the asking off old cordless packs).

Joe M.

 

[scanfan03]

Re: Removable AA Battery Pack for Uniden Scanners Now Availa

Isn't that the AA holder to 9V adapter you can get at ANY Radio Shack? They simply wired a 9V conector on the correct plug for the scanner (also both available at any Radio Shack - the plugs usually free for the asking off old cordless packs).

Joe M.

That's what it looks like to me. But why would radio shack sell a 9 volt to AA converter to where the AA pack could only hold 4 AA batteries, that is only 6 volts, doesn't make sense, unless the seller modified it. The AA battery pack would have to hold 6 batteries.

 

[scanbc780]

From my experience the 4 AA battery holder will NOT fit inside the BC250D and I am assuming the 296D is identical. The pack is as wide as the scanner is. Even if it was the wired one without the 9V connector its still wont fit.

 

[SCPD]

Well I did send a note to the seller asking that exact question .. as I would be surprised if it would fit the way that it is pictured.

I do agree that this isnt a big deal ... a AA battery holder and a plug from a cordless phone battery.

(I always get mine from RS from the old batteries in for recycling). Seems that you could easily make the same thing for the cost of the AA holder. But we shall see if the seller answers that it does fit, but I will be surprised if it does.

Kevin :?

 

[doctordave]

I love it. What will those folks sell next for the 250/296.....a 12v car battery w/ a 3 foot wire?

 

[AZScanner]

From my experience the 4 AA battery holder will NOT fit inside the BC250D and I am assuming the 296D is identical. The pack is as wide as the scanner is. Even if it was the wired one without the 9V connector its still wont fit.

It will NOT fit. The compartment is too small. Look at the original pack, it is the width of the batteries + a 1/16" metal strip to connect the cells together. With the pack in the radio there is barely more than 1/8" of wiggle room. The pack for the PRO-96 is the same width as this Ebay creation and it will not fit in the 250D's case - too wide. Also, the cells must be offset from each other or there isn't enough room to put the battery door back on - the case would be too deep.

I've been thinking about this for a while myself... stay tuned. I'll see what I can come up with. I know a few people that can make this dream a reality.

-AZ

 

[poltergeisty]

Deleted browser did not show botton.

 

[poltergeisty]

Good point! Perhaps the wire on the one pictured was lengthened to illustrate the fact that the radio was indeed being powered from it rather than from something in the battery compartment.

I was thinking the same thing but it seems that the wire is masked and It would be foolish to power with batterys from the external adapter port because theres probably a jungle of resistors and so fourth after the connector. I found this out when I gave my digital recorder two AA's instead of AAA's powered through the external jack. So I had to connect it right to the battery terminals. It will last me two days continuous.

If you ask me I think this seller is trying to fool us and make some money on scanner hobbyist. Read signature below.

 

[bwhite]

There was someone with How To directions on StrongSignals.com that delineated how to make your own battery holder for the BC235/245 however, now that I am trying to find it to do this myself, I can't. Go figure.

If you are considering running with the lid off of your battery compartment you might as well leave it on and just jack the power from your over-sized battery in thru the external battery plug through which you'd normally plug the A/C adapter, the power is not A/C at that point.

 

[ka3jjz]

There was someone with How To directions on StrongSignals.com that delineated how to make your own battery holder for the BC235/245 however, now that I am trying to find it to do this myself, I can't. Go figure.

If you are considering running with the lid off of your battery compartment you might as well leave it on and just jack the power from your over-sized battery in thru the external battery plug through which you'd normally plug the A/C adapter, the power is not A/C at that point.

Actually, there is a project that you can do that will convert a 245 to use AA cells; I have the page somewhere....it was just on the 245xlt Yahoo list....

Also Scanner Master sells what amounts to an adaptor so you can use a 9v battery instead of those crazy packs - again, this is for the 245, I don't know if it would work with other Uniden scanners. Seems to work well, too.

73s Mike

 

[pro92b]

The BC245 project is here: http://www.qsl.net/kc8unj/projects/bc245xlt.html. The problem is that the Uniden scanners were designed to have a battery compartment wide enough for a battery pack without a holder. Any extra width on top of the battery cell length will either not fit or will put a lot of strain on the scanner case. I don't recommend trying the project in the link above and include it just for information.

A standard 9V battery, the usual rectangular type, is good for 500 mAH at best. If connected to the scanner battery jack it puts out too much voltage initially and falls off rapidly due to the heavy scanner load current. There is a possibility of damage from overvoltage at the start of the discharge cycle. If you use the DC power jack on the scanner, the battery voltage is too low to run the internal regulators effectively. The battery run time will be quite short as the voltage sags to the point that the radio cuts off.

Despite all the half baked attempts to get around the Uniden battery packs, there is not a good alternative that is safe and fits well inside the radio.

 

[bwhite]

BC245 Battery Holder

Looks like a good snowy day project.
Thanx very much for dredging up this info I'd given up for lost.

I'm pretty sure, once I get some of the springs I need, that I'll make the attempt.

I didn't know that the voltage coming in thru the external power jack was getting modified. This may explain why the cigarette lighter cord that came with my scanner that indeed puts out expected voltage doesn't power the scanner. It's been a long time since I checked it's voltage vs. that out of the wall-wart charger.

 

[scanbc780]

I did recieve a response from him stating it was a external battery pack as there isn't one that will fit internally