SDS100/SDS200: **SAFETY ALERT** SDS100 battery severely swelled

[gschmitz]

Now i am wondering what the REAL reason was for Uniden swapping out batteries. Now should we trust the bigger Batteries not to do this?

Large batteries swell also. My pics are too large for the server to process.

 

[djeplett]

If anyone has had any problems with the large batteries, please let us know.

I started a thread because mine did and that thread was merged with this one but I think my pics were lost. Here they are again.
These are pics of my original large battery swollen and a replacement that I bought for comparison.

 

[darkness975]

You don't have to check the battery. If it swells up, it will break the battery cover open. The small batteries originally shipped with the radios were notorious for swelling up. Mine popped open while sitting on a desk, luckily out of the scanner. It was not being charged nor had recently been charged. My battery was one of the first failures and was sent to Uniden for them to investigate. If you have one of the small batteries in your scanner, get rid of it. I haven't noticed any reports about the large batteries. If anyone has had any problems with the large batteries, please let us know.

It's not the small battery it's the large one. My unit was purchased with the large battery already included.

 

[darkness975]

I started a thread because mine did and that thread was merged with this one but I think my pics were lost. Here they are again.View attachment 94326View attachment 94327
These are pics of my original large battery swollen and a replacement that I bought for comparison.

That's great. So we all have ticking time bombs in our homes.
Makes me want to ditch the battery and just use AC power with the SDS100. Only issue is I wouldn't be able to hear my state PD if the power goes out.

 

[djeplett]

I have to admit I did not treat my original battery well. I used it in the radio charging approximately 90% of its life. I should have ran it on battery more and left it partially charged when not in use. I have now learned better and am treating this next battery better. It's unfortunate that we have to think about this stuff but it is the nature of these radios because of that power hungry processor.

 

[darkness975]

I have to admit I did not treat my original battery well. I used it in the radio charging approximately 90% of its life. I should have ran it on battery more and left it partially charged when not in use. I have now learned better and am treating this next battery better. It's unfortunate that we have to think about this stuff but it is the nature of these radios because of that power hungry processor.

Hmmm , mine is charged most of the time. I do use the battery but usually just use AC. Basically it's plugged in most of the time.

 

[WoodburyMan]

FYI... this isn't surprising. Hasn't happened to me yet, but at this point, batteries are pretty much disposable and never last more than a few years.

The increase need for Lithium Polymer batteries has increased an order of magnitude in the last decade, last 5 years especially because of the massive demand for electric vehicle batteries. This has cause many new battery manufacturers to pop up that don't know the tech, and increased demand to shave pennies as competition is tight now. I have had at this point DOZENS of LiPo batteries swell up on me. From watches, phones, laptop batteries, clocks, you name it. The most dangerous ones have been Dell laptops (I have replaced probably 20+ in the last 2 years), where the battery is under the touchpad and pushed the touchpad up on the laptop..where users press to click and such, causing users to effectively push the battery every time they click... DANGEROUS. Most OEM's also have seperate battery warranties vs regular warranties too. (Ex 3 year parts/labor for laptops, but battery is only one year from Dell). But if the likes of Dell, Apple, and other higher quality manufacturers are having this issue, there's no real major blame on Uniden as its the technology itself that's the issue.

 

[darkness975]

FYI... this isn't surprising. Hasn't happened to me yet, but at this point, batteries are pretty much disposable and never last more than a few years.

The increase need for Lithium Polymer batteries has increased an order of magnitude in the last decade, last 5 years especially because of the massive demand for electric vehicle batteries. This has cause many new battery manufacturers to pop up that don't know the tech, and increased demand to shave pennies as competition is tight now. I have had at this point DOZENS of LiPo batteries swell up on me. From watches, phones, laptop batteries, clocks, you name it. The most dangerous ones have been Dell laptops (I have replaced probably 20+ in the last 2 years), where the battery is under the touchpad and pushed the touchpad up on the laptop..where users press to click and such, causing users to effectively push the battery every time they click... DANGEROUS. Most OEM's also have seperate battery warranties vs regular warranties too. (Ex 3 year parts/labor for laptops, but battery is only one year from Dell). But if the likes of Dell, Apple, and other higher quality manufacturers are having this issue, there's no real major blame on Uniden as its the technology itself that's the issue.

We really shouldn't have to be worried about this. We can send people to the moon but we can't make a battery that won't blow up?

If I didn't need my SDS100 to run on battery I would just dispose of it and use AC power.

 

[WoodburyMan]

We really shouldn't have to be worried about this. We can send people to the moon but we can't make a battery that won't blow up?

If I didn't need my SDS100 to run on battery I would just dispose of it and use AC power.

In all fairness... stuff blew up on the way to the moon too LOL. (Apollo 13).

I have a plastic bag I keep a bunch of batteries for HT radios and the like in I monitor every month or so and check the batteries out in case something like this happens. It's good to watch and keep an eye on them, anything that uses a battery. Just kinda how it is now. It wont change until underlying battery tech changes which should be in the next 10 years given we're reaching the end of advancements to LiPo...

You can run the SDS100 on just USB voltage. I ran mine for a few days while the battery latch was broken off and I couldn't keep the battery connected, a standard PC port I use for Data for ProScan, it seems to run fine off standard 500ma PC port supplies. It only requires more if it needs to charge the battery too, where you'd need a seperate USB charger.

 

[buddrousa]

It goes back to CHEAP CHINESE work not Uniden Dell Apple Samsung ect.

 

[darkness975]

In all fairness... stuff blew up on the way to the moon too LOL. (Apollo 13).

I have a plastic bag I keep a bunch of batteries for HT radios and the like in I monitor every month or so and check the batteries out in case something like this happens. It's good to watch and keep an eye on them, anything that uses a battery. Just kinda how it is now. It wont change until underlying battery tech changes which should be in the next 10 years given we're reaching the end of advancements to LiPo...

You can run the SDS100 on just USB voltage. I ran mine for a few days while the battery latch was broken off and I couldn't keep the battery connected, a standard PC port I use for Data for ProScan, it seems to run fine off standard 500ma PC port supplies. It only requires more if it needs to charge the battery too, where you'd need a seperate USB charger.

I only have the one unit so I can just check the battery once a month or so. I don't have any spares I just charge the battery in the SDS100.

I would just use AC power but between the frequent power outages and the ability to record I'm kind of stuck with the battery in there.

 

[kruser]

I only have the one unit so I can just check the battery once a month or so. I don't have any spares I just charge the battery in the SDS100.

I would just use AC power but between the frequent power outages and the ability to record I'm kind of stuck with the battery in there.

It's not just Uniden cells having issues.
This all started years ago when Lithium started becoming popular for laptop batteries and what not.
You may recall stories of Dell or HP laptops going up in flames. And then more stories of cell phones doing the same.

This problem can really happen with any battery manufacturer out there. I do think quality control goes a long way in preventing issues like this but some things simply cannot be 100% fixed.

I think it's just something we need to be aware of and ready to spring into action if we observe a lithium cell issue in any device we may have.

 

[darkness975]

It's not just Uniden cells having issues.
This all started years ago when Lithium started becoming popular for laptop batteries and what not.
You may recall stories of Dell or HP laptops going up in flames. And then more stories of cell phones doing the same.

This problem can really happen with any battery manufacturer out there. I do think quality control goes a long way in preventing issues like this but some things simply cannot be 100% fixed.

I think it's just something we need to be aware of and ready to spring into action if we observe a lithium cell issue in any device we may have.

I'll just try to get into the habit of checking the battery more frequently. At least for my SDS100.
Phones and tablets are a different story.

 

[kruser]

I'll just try to get into the habit of checking the battery more frequently. At least for my SDS100.
Phones and tablets are a different story.

Ha! That's pretty much what I do! Just the other night, there was a kinda large pop noise from the vicinity where my SDS100 and its spare battery (one large and one small cell) is kept. It was enough to freak out our cats and they both slinked over very slowly to the SDS100 shelf to figure out the noise.
I thought for sure I'd find the back cover popped open on the SDS100 but nope, all was good.
I never did figure out what the noise was but it still bugs me!

 

[darkness975]

Ha! That's pretty much what I do! Just the other night, there was a kinda large pop noise from the vicinity where my SDS100 and its spare battery (one large and one small cell) is kept. It was enough to freak out our cats and they both slinked over very slowly to the SDS100 shelf to figure out the noise.
I thought for sure I'd find the back cover popped open on the SDS100 but nope, all was good.
I never did figure out what the noise was but it still bugs me!

Ironic that you use the term "bugs me." It could have been a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug slamming into the wall or table. They can make loud noises due to their extra strength exoskeletons.

 

[kruser]

Ironic that you use the term "bugs me." It could have been a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug slamming into the wall or table. They can make loud noises due to their extra strength exoskeletons.

Ha, don't get me started on the stink bugs!! They are heavy here this time of year. I had one land on my head one evening while watching TV.
Natural reflexes caused me to scratch my head where I ended up with a stinkbug in my fingers that I crushed before seeing what kind of bug it was!
Yes, the DO stink!

 

[darkness975]

Ha, don't get me started on the stink bugs!! They are heavy here this time of year. I had one land on my head one evening while watching TV.
Natural reflexes caused me to scratch my head where I ended up with a stinkbug in my fingers that I crushed before seeing what kind of bug it was!
Yes, the DO stink!

And the brown ones are not native here which is even worse.

Let's hope it was that and not your SDS100 popping.

 

[kruser]

And the brown ones are not native here which is even worse.

Let's hope it was that and not your SDS100 popping.

Our stinkbugs start out green (more lime green) and turn brown later. Just as nasty though regardless of color or stage in their life.
I've never bothered researching them to see what type we have here in Missouri but it sounds like the one you described.
I always called them armour plated looking stink bugs as they are pretty heavy duty looking bugs!

 

[KK4JUG]

Talk about being off the topic..... Next week, we'll discuss why giving a horse water is called watering the horse but giving a cat milk is not called milking the cat.

 

[K4RBT]

I saw some in the days of the HT-200 and HT-220, and they were nicad.