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

Wackyracer

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I haven't seen any 3:rd party charger being available. Both scanner and Unidens external charger works in the same way.

/Ubbe
Any usb charger with a usb A to usb mini cable will plugin into the sds100....those would be considered 3rd party IMO. One scenario is if you use one with 2000ma, you may be charging too fast.
 

Ubbe

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Any usb charger with a usb A to usb mini cable will plugin into the sds100....those would be considered 3rd party IMO. One scenario is if you use one with 2000ma, you may be charging too fast.
The USB 5V goes to Unidens charger circuit in the scanner, not directly to the battery. It's the same in Unidens external charger, that it takes the external power and regulate the charge current to max 500mA to the battery and then sense both temperature and voltage and cut the charge completely to the battery when it's fully charged, no trickle charge. If the USB power are low and cannot supply 500mA, that could happen if it also needs to power the scanner at something like a total of 1300mA, then charge current can be lower than 500mA.

/Ubbe
 

Ensnared

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I'm sorry, you can't wait for knockoff batteries?
First and foremost, I never ever said, "I can't wait" for knockoff batteries. Perhaps, you can reread my post where it clearly states that I just ordered two more Uniden batteries. This makes absolutely no sense. I did not wait, Bubba.

First of all, since these batteries have "not" been made to my knowledge, how would you even know if these were "knockoff batteries?" Sweet Jesus, that was a great joke. Keep them coming.

In my experiences, I have had wonderful with batteries made by other companies. I own a Nikon FX D750, a professional DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex).

The battery replacement for the Nikon battery was >than the quality of the original battery.

Here is yet another example. I used to own several inferior quality wrapped batteries with the pigtail. I improved the original batteries with another build with significantly better specs and quality.

Perhaps, the engineers of a replacement to the SDS 100 will come up with other improvements compatible with the SDS 100.

Now, I don't own a crystal ball. I seriously doubt you have/use one as well.

If you can read the future, tell me when you hit the lottery.

Thank you so much for you highly amusing response. Bravo, buddy.


 
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VE3THO

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Received my SDS100 back from the repair shop on March 8th .

Wow , now that is a scanner . The thing now works for the first time ever . It picks up all manner of radio traffic in various different bands .
 

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VE3THO

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Received my SDS100 back from the repair shop on March 8th .

Wow , now that is a scanner . The thing now works for the first time ever . It picks up all manner of radio traffic in various different bands .
 

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dispatcher812

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Took my battery out of my SDS100 due to it not charging and constantly getting the low USB bus warning. Looked fine when i took it out and put it in my center console for when i need it it again. Found this today.
 

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Ubbe

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Found this today.
You can probably cut the connectors to the bottom cell and use the battery at 2/3 of its capacity, like I have done, or even cut the middle cell too and run at 1/3 capacity as a spare battery when only using it at home and still have recording and other functions still working. All three cells are connected in parallel.

/Ubbe
 

n1chu

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You can probably cut the connectors to the bottom cell and use the battery at 2/3 of its capacity, like I have done, or even cut the middle cell too and run at 1/3 capacity as a spare battery when only using it at home and still have recording and other functions still working. All three cells are connected in parallel.

/Ubbe
Three 3.7VDC 1800mAh cells in parallel for the larger battery pack. I imagine the smaller pack consists of two 3.7VDC 1800mAh cells connected in parallel? Or are the cells in the smaller pack rated at something less than 1800mAh?
 

KI4VBR

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What is the overall temp (not literally) of your sds 100 while charging? Mine is borderline hot. Is this normal? I am using a small USB charging wall plug, nothing high current.
 

n1chu

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The SDS100 tends to run hot, the CPU used for SDR (to allow for eliminating simulcast problems) suck power and produces heat in the process. But your question relates to charging the battery and I assume you are charging the battery while still in the radio while off. If the battery is on its way out, it will get noticeably warmer… even a good battery will get warm. Suggest you invest in an external charger. Remove the battery and charge it outside the radio. (If you’ve got a bad battery you need to replace it anyway so buy the package deal from Uniden that comes with an external charger and battery.
 

KI4VBR

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The SDS100 tends to run hot, the CPU used for SDR (to allow for eliminating simulcast problems) suck power and produces heat in the process. But your question relates to charging the battery and I assume you are charging the battery while still in the radio while off. If the battery is on its way out, it will get noticeably warmer… even a good battery will get warm. Suggest you invest in an external charger. Remove the battery and charge it outside the radio. (If you’ve got a bad battery you need to replace it anyway so buy the package deal from Uniden that comes with an external charger and battery.
TY, was just curious.
 

cshustak

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I had this happen to an Apple laptop. They advise NOT leaving it on the charger all the time. That will swell the battery.
 

n1chu

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Whoever advised you to NOT leave the laptop plugged in all the time is incorrect. The charging circuitry monitors the condition of the battery and shuts down charging when the battery is fully charged. My laptop stay plugged in 24/7.

How old is the battery? Are you using the power cable that came with it? Some power cables have circuitry in-line, meaning before it gets to the laptop. Possibly time to have it checked before you replace the swelled battery… and have that battery swapped out ASAP. Or, scrap the old laptop and buy a new one.
 

sempai

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modern day battery management is definitely significantly more advanced than it was 10 years ago. but as recently as three years ago i have had batteries in laptops and phones end up only capable of 75% or less of original capacity within 3 years of use. the vast majority of the time any laptop i use is when it's hitched up to a thunderbolt dock at a desk where my moonlander and displays are because i can't stand laptop keyboards. lately i use the "only charge to 80%" option on my phones.

but my SDS100 spends a lot of time plugged in, scanning, and recording. i am a little freaked out that i'm going to start a fire now because it's been up there since i got back from a trip two weeks ago 😬 i bought a Uniden battery as a spare for my scanner, but it wasn't third party and since I got mine within the last four months i don't seem to have the batteries they later replaced? i saw discussions of some changes made to the battery shipping in them but both of mine are BPS100s which i believe are what i'm supposed to be using?
 

n1chu

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To the best of my knowledge there is only one battery that is available specifically for the SDS100. It’s the one offerred by Uniden. No aftermarket exists. And I’ve NOT heard of one case where the stock battery has become hot enough to cause a fire or explosion… it may swell but thats it. I’ve had my SDS100 since the first production run. Never have I had a swelling problem with the original battery, the free upgrade, or the spare I purchased along with Uniden’s external charger. I’m not saying swelling doesnt happen, it does. But swelling happens on such a small percentage of the batteries it doesn’t look like anyone will bother producing a better one-thats my guess.
 

sempai

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I got my SDS100 ordered with all the options including Waterfall in March and I haven't shipped it back to anyone for any reason so I've been trying to see if there was some warranty service I should have had done or if it would have been addressed in firmware and configuration before they shipped it to me.

I get anxious hearing about bulging batteries. I had a Rev A MBA (the original core 2 with the slowest SSD money could buy) and like after owning it for 8 years I put it in a box and one afternoon I was in that box and the laptop was forced into a half-open lid position because it looked like half a grapefruit was emerging from the keyboard. I wanted to take it to an Apple Store and ask a genius why it doesn't work but I figured the humor would be lost quickly if it burst and injured everybody so I put it in a safe and drove it to my electronics recycling guy that i give my dead TVs and drives to immediately like i was jack bauer or something.
 

Squad101

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I had no idea this was an issue. I did hear a noise the other day but didn’t realize it was my SDS 100 battery compartment popping open because the battery puffed up. It broke the latch for the battery compartment. And it wasn’t plugged in. Any suggestions on a fix?
IMG_3455.jpeg
IMG_3457.jpeg
 

KevinC

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I had no idea this was an issue. I did hear a noise the other day but didn’t realize it was my SDS 100 battery compartment popping open because the battery puffed up. It broke the latch for the battery compartment. And it wasn’t plugged in. Any suggestions on a fix?
View attachment 166442
View attachment 166441
Get a new battery and clip.
 

Ubbe

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Any suggestions on a fix?
It's only that left cell in the picture that have swelled. Cut that off from the pack and you can continue to use the battery with a less capacity.
I use a shoe string around the battery lid to keep it in place and can easily push it off and on the scanner if I want to switch battery.
I believe the latch to be a safety latch, to let the lid release by breaking the latch when the pressure builds up from a swelled battery, or it could go off like a fire cracker if you use a reinforced latch much stronger than the original Uniden part.

/Ubbe
 
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