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

[10-43]

A picture is worth a thousand words... 2020

View attachment 168769

Wow! Pretty amazing. While one of my batteries is slightly fatter by 1.1mm, it still charges and has plenty of runtime. It does make closing the battery cover tighter. I am not sure if I should trust it. I ordered a battery cover from Uniden where the cost is reasonable. Elsewhere they are ridiculously expensive. I'll keep using the cover I repaired until it breaks or gets destroyed by a battery. I also decided to get a new battery.

 

[10-43]

I received a new battery from Amazon today. The thickness as measured by my digital caliper is 28.0 mm. It is labeled CR2022G. The battery I have that is labeled CR2021G measures 28.6 mm thick. These two batteries seem to exert the same pressure when latching the battery cover. The older original CR2021D that measures 29.7 mm thick exerts a much more noticeable pressure when closing the latch.

Obviously the foam pads in the battery cover could be changed to allow a thicker battery, but that would not accomodate a continuous battery expansion.

At this point I will monitor the thickness of the CR2021G and CR2022G batteries. The CR2021D is still usuable, but may be the reason the battery cover tab broke. I do not routinely change these batteries. In fact the older CR2021D was in the scanner for at least 2 months being charged in the scanner.

Maybe a battery should be suspect if the battery cover latch seems to be a little bit harder to close.

 

[Ubbe]

Maybe a battery should be suspect if the battery cover latch seems to be a little bit harder to close.

When latch or unlatch, always push hard on the battery cover. But now you have that stronger latch but it could still wear out the dent it goes into in the scanner chassi if not helping it by pushing on the cover. If it gets increasingly harder to push in the battery cover to make the latch go on or off easily then that battery are beginning to swell.

It's electrical tape around the battery and you lift it up from its plastic shell at the opposite side from the connector, its just a press fit as shown in that picture, and you can inspect the cells. I cut off the most bloated cell and still use the battery but with just 2 cells.

/Ubbe

 

[10-43]

When latch or unlatch, always push hard on the battery cover. But now you have that stronger latch but it could still wear out the dent it goes into in the scanner chassi if not helping it by pushing on the cover. If it gets increasingly harder to push in the battery cover to make the latch go on or off easily then that battery are beginning to swell.

It's electrical tape around the battery and you lift it up from its plastic shell at the opposite side from the connector, its just a press fit as shown in that picture, and you can inspect the cells. I cut off the most bloated cell and still use the battery but with just 2 cells.

/Ubbe

I have been pressing the battery cover down before latching ever since I replaced the latch. Apparently the slightly swelled battery force broke the tab at the top while just sitting in there during use. I glued the tab back, but also ordered a spare battery cover from Uniden.

I like the idea of removing the most bloated cell. I tried lifting the cells out of the plastic shell. They are stuck in there pretty well. Will I need to insert a plastic spudger tool to get more separation?

Thanks for the idea. I also considered replacing the cells if they can be sourced.

 

[Ubbe]

I tried lifting the cells out of the plastic shell. They are stuck in there pretty well. Will I need to insert a plastic spudger tool to get more separation?

Thanks for the idea. I also considered replacing the cells if they can be sourced.

It's just a press fit, it isn't glued or anything like that. The exact measurements of a cell are specific to Uniden so isn't available anywhere, but there are others a little smaller that can be used. But I think that it runs enough on two cells. Instead of 7 hours it should run for 5 hours. You can always use an external power bank, a 10AH one are pretty small and will give you an additional 15 hours, if the capacity have been stated honestly but usually its half of that.

/Ubbe

 

[10-43]

It's just a press fit, it isn't glued or anything like that. The exact measurements of a cell are specific to Uniden so isn't available anywhere, but there are others a little smaller that can be used. But I think that it runs enough on two cells. Instead of 7 hours it should run for 5 hours. You can always use an external power bank, a 10AH one are pretty small and will give you an additional 15 hours, if the capacity have been stated honestly but usually its half of that.

/Ubbe

Thanks. I will keep trying to open it. I will try it with two cells. I will also see what cells may fit inside, but of course they will be lower capacity. I ordered and received a new battery so all good with two good batteries. I have used external USB power banks with my scanners, especially with the BCD325P2 which performance wise is a great radio, especially for VHF and UHF airband, but the battery life stinks!

 

[10-43]

I took the battery apart. This particular one was much more than press fit. Double sided tape on all sides of the metal cover. Stacked cells stuck together, and double sided taped to the bottom of the plastic base. Two cells were thicker than one. Of the two thicker cells, they were about the same thickness, so I removed one of thicker cells. The 2 cell battery charged up fine. The scanner operated about 4 hrs 45 minutes.

For the effort, I think I will just buy new batteries going forward instead of trying to replace cells. I found a cell on Amazon the same capacity, and the dimensions are quite close. It does not look to be larger than the cell I removed and not as thick. 3 stacked will probably fit. But, the cost for 3 cells is still $31.00. Amazon.com

This one will definitely fit, but a bit lower capacity 1500 mAh instead of 1800. But still $27 for 3 cells. https://www.amazon.com/EEMB-Battery-1500mAh-Rechargeable-Connector/dp/B09DPNCLQZ/ref=sr_1_28?crid=LUHSBL8503TK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Q65NaQVA-iV5X6b3nO8TOEIi5Ym12DvfYWORZbtbCT8p-EEKpVu9h-lrrEHtVlvuBlHZT8zK02QssCVMsRfGTcvRvyL6RUkWWuOJiw9gpgTbrgLp0jn1zZnJvvUqg5Oir0tN2cLIbfXg-32TfJxraiaXF0kESIb55VElI8YqJJB3g6M5uGHAwTNltB0fCYFkfxZfEE01u5Q4MfNF0Gfmexk1rJsMyQkB3oVXjSHlhnKtT6TeLV-gLpztOrM_QtyX8z6h6d6kYoNuYfL3b1cXwgEQebXlzvGByNz6BKhjBho.0dPuH9Yb43oKsnB_Wjx2j1dr18LDIoxvbrNbRIB92u8&dib_tag=se&keywords=lithium+polymer+battery+3.7v&qid=1726353870&sprefix=lithium+polymer,aps,116&sr=8-28

I would have thought an aftermarket would have been available by now.

 

[Ubbe]

My battery used plain one sided electrical tape, so it was much easier to lift out the cells. But the cells where actually hot glued together but where easily separated. It's probably not worth the hazle and cost to try and replace a cell with another one. I would had cut out that second bigger cell as well, as it will probably continue to swell and no longer fit in its plastic shell. Just use the battery as is with one cell and at a lower capacity.

My other two remaining cells have not swelled anything in size since maybe 2 years when I cut out that single swelled cell from the battery. I bought one small battery and battery cover to use when I go mobile but at all other times I use that 2-cell big battery. I power the scanner almost always by its micro USB connector so I anyhow only use the battery to make the recording function operational.

/Ubbe

 

[bradenmikael]

I find it inexcusable that a lithium battery would swell this much in just over a years’ time.

I bought the scanner brand new, sealed from Bearcat Warehouse last year (8/23). The scanner has never, ever been exposed to extreme heat or extreme cold. It stays with me at home 95% of the time.

I noticed Thanksgiving 2024 that the battery was taking a long time to charge, I pulled it out and suspected it was starting to swell when I looked at the top part (silver color with the “Made in China” sticker) and could see slight rounding when looking edge on (it wasn’t flat like it used to be).

I ordered a new battery and the day or arrived, I installed it into my SDS100 and the charging time returned to normal. Incidentally, why does the scanner need to charge the battery after it’s been used on external USB power via the supplied power adapter and cable?

I left the battery out to sit in the same place to see what would happen, and within three weeks, the attached photo is the end result. Not good.

Normally, I run the scanner off USB external power using the power adapter and cable it came with from the factory, so I really don’t understand how the battery went bad in such a relatively short period of time.

I have the scanner to set to charge only when the scanner is powered off/not charged while powered on via USB external power.

I know this issue has been brought up countless times before via other threads, but seriously, this much swelling in just over a year?

I’ve had lithium battery powered devices in various sorts and never saw a battery swell like this in such a relatively short period of time.

Could this be a serious quality control issue, or is it going to be dismissed as just yet another “fluke?”

 

[I_am_Alpha1]

This has been a known issue for many years. Over two years ago, I did a post on rebuilding the battery pack. It's still working fine today.

SDS100/SDS200: - SDS100 Battery Rebuild

Has anyone done it yet? I got the dreaded swollen battery after two-years of ownership. It's the big battery. Amazon has the cheapest replacement that I've found...nearly $50. Last year I did allot of work on 18650 harvesting and pack building, so I thought I'd give this a try since...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[I_am_Alpha1]

Two years ago I did a post about rebuilding these batteries. It's still working fine today.

SDS100/SDS200: - SDS100 Battery Rebuild

Has anyone done it yet? I got the dreaded swollen battery after two-years of ownership. It's the big battery. Amazon has the cheapest replacement that I've found...nearly $50. Last year I did allot of work on 18650 harvesting and pack building, so I thought I'd give this a try since...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[n1chu]

Today I discovered one of the tabs on the battery cover of my SDS100 had broken loose. I was able to superglue it back, but I ordered a spare cover.

Neither of my 2 batteries looked bulged. One of them the cover closes quite easily. The other the cover closes without much effort, but seems a slight bit tighter. I had not really noticed before the difference in ease of battery cover closure.

I used a digital caliper and measured the thickness of each in the middle. One is 28.6mm thick and the other is 29.7mm thick. I assume the thicker one put extra pressure on the already inferior tab.

Has anyone else measured these batteries to see what the usual thickness is? Is 1.1mm extra thickness the issue, or did the battery cover just not hold up because it is not very sturdy to begin with. Both batteries are charging and working fine. I already had to replace the battery cover latch when it was only a year old. The 3D printed latch is much more sturdy.

If they bulge, wouldn't it have been better if Uniden had encased the cells to allow some minor bulge instead of a tight clearance of the cells within the case of the battery itself?

For the price of these radios you would expect a more durable case. The case of my not very expensive 2 meter/ 70cm handhelds are as robust as a Motorola brick. Dropping them never results in cracks, just scuffs or dents. I have not dropped my SDS100 yet, but it does not evoke much confidence of survival without case cracks or battery cover damage.

Considering why these batteries were developed is key to determining the most economical and time saving method of repairing/replacing (unless you are of mind to explore the possibilities of rebuilding the battery.) It’s my belief the SDS100 was rushed to market. Given that the radio was well past the design stage, where a different case might have allowed for the acceptance of an existing longer lasting Li-ion battery, Upman (RIP) explored the need for a longer lasting battery that fit into the SDS100 where the battery “nested” in the radio without any modifications to the radio case, other than providing a new battery cover. It had to be a special order that fit. And he was successful. But not totally. It was realized a longer lasting, physically larger battery was necessary. And that’s when Uniden decided to use a “rolled” method Li-ion battery. The cells could be “molded” into the existing battery compartment. No “off the shelf” Li-ion cells would fit. They rolled the cells into a conforming shape in order to fit. This method of conforming is what I believe is the cause of the battery failures in the form of swelling. Upman certainly pulled the fat out of the fire for Uniden. Who wants a handheld scanner with a 2-3 hour battery? Certainly not at the cost they want for the SDS100! As for repairing or replacing, time and effort (to repair/rebuild) dictates buying a replacement battery is the way to go, at least for me. But I tip my hat to those who choose to explore the repair/rebuild method.

I am by no means an expert on battery technology and you may disagree as to my take on how Uniden got the SDS100 to market. But given what we do know about the development of the scanner, its ability to handle simulcast issues, and the additional power it needed in order to do that, Upman is to be commended. I have the SDS100, 3 batteries and two SDS200’s. I’ve never had any swelling issues with the batteries, knock-on-wood, and they are from the first available offerings of the larger battery. They are that old!

 

[paramedic228]

I did, finally, get responses to my email(s) to Uniden customer support. Here is the first part:
"
We are so sorry to hear that you are having issues with the battery of your unit swelling.

While it is possible for the SDS100 to always remain on its charging cable with its battery still in it, it is not recommended. The reason for this is that the chemical make-up of the batteries will begin to degrade over time and react in such a way that can compromise your unit to become either inoperable or damaged due to the battery becoming expanded. At this time we do not have any information in regards to a newer battery for the SDS100 with a different chemical makeup. Should you need any additional information please see the yellow flyer provided with the products retail packaging.

To prevent the potential expansion of the battery in the SDS100, it is recommended to charge the battery, remove the battery from its housing, and place it in a cool and dry storage location in the event of an emergency. Once you remove the battery you can supply power to the unit via the USB cable as shown in the attached image. The only function that may not work while the unit is connected to the usb for powering is the recording function.

A replacement battery for the SDS100 can be purchased from our website at..."

 

[paramedic228]

Then I asked:
Thank you very much for your reply. If I could ask for a bit more of clarification though.

I seem to have read somewhere that there is circuit protection of some kind that allows for the battery to be charged in the unit safely. Assuming that is the case, it is probably NOT a case of overcharging the battery that caused, or is causing the swelling?

Perhaps, because my scanner rarely leaves my desktop and goes mobile, this is the reason for the battery failing? If I were to have cycled the battery more often then maybe the failure would have been less likely?

They replied: "
While you are able to charge your battery in the SDS100, it is not recommended to have it always remain on its charging cable with its battery still in it. We do recommend that after charging the battery, you remove the device from the cable and only reconnect when you need to charge it again.

Thank you,
Uniden Customer Support"

 

[paramedic228]

I did ask them one last question about the chemistry of the batteries. They replied:
"Thank you for your response.

The SDS100 batteries are lithium ion.

Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Thank you,
Uniden Customer Support"

 

[doc62]

Found one of mine starting to swell today when I took it out of the external charger. I’ve only used the external charger with them so it lasted since 2019.

 

[Ubbe]

When googling for info the result says: "A Lithium-Ion battery's average life span is 2 to 3 years or 300 to 500 charge cycles, whichever comes first."

It's counting full charge cycles. So if you charge from 75% to 100% it will be counted as 1/4 of a charge cycle.
Like milk it goes bad after a certain time period without even being used.

/Ubbe

 

[buddrousa]

Ubbe that is not what a Motorola Engeneer told me in a class. We were told 10% or 99% are the same 1 charge cycle. I have found that to be true with Kenwood Li batteries charging my walkie less than once a week I got 7 to 8 years of 100% service life.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Assuming that is the case, it is probably NOT a case of overcharging the battery that caused, or is causing the swelling?

Preventing overcharging (not charging to more than X volts) vs constant charging
(forever slightly discharging and charging to X volts) are two separate issues.

Constantly being on charge is not recommended for any battery and may cause premature failure.

 

[oldcowboywildbill]

I also have an SDS100 with factory battery and it swelled up in the radio. I ordered a new uniden battery and external battery charger.
My unit is only around two years old.
Go figure !