SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 Battery Hack for Record/Play

[wtp]

i do agree PGH, but when it comes to fire i like to re-think things.
and a very expensive scanner could be added to the cost.
years ago i did use some 9 volt batteries so i could grab a crystal scanner and still hear stuff for a few minutes as i got into my car.
they would got quite hot, but they were on the top of a metal cased scanner and in full view. the power needed was like shorting them out.
i just got an sds100, so it will be and extra battery and an external charger in a bit.
experiment on !

 

[Omega-TI]

experiment on !

There is a long, long, history of hobbyists tinkering with and modifying their radios that goes all the back to the beginning days of radio. It can be fun and educational all at the same time, the quest for one more feature or capability. Now I remember a real cool guy I used to chat with on FidoNet back in the mid 1990's named Bill Cheek who wrote the "Scanner Modification Handbook" he made many people very happy with their scanners.

Now I must admit, since this is a public forum for people to chat in, I didn't expect someone to take issue with me mentioning that someone else might have an idea and jump in with an idea, I mean really, isn't that what these forms are for, to have fun and exchange information and ideas?

Now while it's obvious my idea for a solution is not for everyone, I thought it was pretty good if I don't say so myself, because it had the added bonus of not making any permanent changes to the scanner.

 

[pghDave]

i do agree PGH, but when it comes to fire i like to re-think things.
and a very expensive scanner could be added to the cost.

Actually that's a shared concern that got me to thinking about how eliminate the SDS-100 battery pack. I know I have dozens of lithium batteries around my house but only two of them have bulged (knock on wood) and generated concern -- yep the two Uniden batteries for my SDS-100. And I always treated these batteries very well charging externally etc.

I never liked that this scanner required proprietary batteries but other factors got me past that dislike. I loved that my HP2 uses standard AA batteries if only it dealt with simulcast better.

And I never gave the batteries much thought until they both started bulging and one did so while inside my very expensive scanner. So anyway, long story short I wondered out loud here in this forum if there was some reasonable way I could rid myself of these batteries. As I said, my use case allow for USB power in one way or another 99.9% of my listening time but I want to maintain record/playback. If Uniden allowed for turning off the "SD Card protection" this would all be moot. HINT!

All this said, I don't want to belabor my or anyone else's points.

 

[pghDave]

FidoNet back in the mid 1990's named Bill Cheek who wrote the "Scanner Modification Handbook"

WOW references to both FidoNet and Bill Cheek and I remember both. Feeling kind of old ...

Those scanner modification handbooks were great -- volume 1 was much better (for me) than volume 2 but I still have both laying around here along with the no-longer-operational Realistic 2004.

Anyway, I digress ...

 

[Omega-TI]

WOW references to both FidoNet and Bill Cheek and I remember both. Feeling kind of old ...

Those scanner modification handbooks were great -- volume 1 was much better (for me) than volume 2 but I still have both laying around here along with the no-longer-operational Realistic 2004.

Anyway, I digress ...

Well, I suppose it's better to FEEL old than to be old. Take if from me, a lot or the fun starts slipping away when you can no longer use a soldering iron like you used to, or see well enough to even contemplate doing anything with the surface mount stuff. I just hope I'm around long enough to see Karma bite all the arrogant youngsters that look down on old folks.

 

[jimskype]

I am thinking of doing what member I_am_Alpha1 did in this thread. SDS100: - SDS100 Battery Rebuild The thread is closed unfortunately. If it was open I would ask him if the rebuilt battery was still going strong or if it has swelled like all the OEM batteries seem to do. I have recently fell victim to two batteries that were bought when I got the SDS100 in 2021. I have the BMS and shell of one of the swollen batteries from Uniden. I guess I will PM him. Jim K5APD

​

 

[pghDave]

I am thinking of doing what member I_am_Alpha1 did in this thread. SDS100: - SDS100 Battery Rebuild

​

I'll be curious to hear what you learn. To be honest, this is a much more complete (elegant) hack than I was looking for but I'm interested in your progress. This solution actually powers and replaces a Uniden battery pack. I'm still leaning towards the simplest possible hack that simply says "Present" to the scanner or the firmware mod that allows me to do something stupid and disable the no-battery SD Card protection at my own risk. Both may be unicorn functionality.

Kind of a shame that the relatively expensive Uniden batteries generally suck and something better can be cobbled together with off-the-internet parts.

 

[jimskype]

I kind of want to hear from "I_am_Alpha1" first. I too would like to have a simple solution like "present" so I can record. I added up three batteries and with shipping Amazon wanted around $34 so I am hesitant. Since I am just powering the SDS100 via the upper micro usb port the scanner no longer gets very hot while listening. I also do not have a battery in it. I am waiting on the external battery charger with another of those crappy Uniden batteries. Just my opinion, but I have seen better pillow batteries in cheap RV planes I used to fly and they were less than $10 a piece! The BMI is different then the ESC with a radio controlled plane, but I do not see why that tiny board would make these batteries so expensive. 73 Jim K5APD

 

[Ubbe]

It only needs 0.2mA to the lower plus pin from a source higher than 3.3 volt. I tested a 1kohm resistor to +5v and it works to detect a battery and enable recording to the SD card.

Perhaps there's an easy to reach area in the scanner to solder a resistor to between that plus pin and a 3.3 or 5 volt source.

/Ubbe

 

[Ubbe]

For a fake battery you can probably use a super capacitor at 3.6v for a dollar or two. I don't know if they are sold having a voltage so they might need to be charged first, and also if the scanner are left powered off for too long. A 1k resistor to it will give enough detect voltage and a small trickle charge if the mini USB port are used to power the scanner.

Mouser has a $1.65 capacitor RSCXS2243R6F05013U and at 0,22F it might be right at the limit what it can handle as a charge current so perhaps choose 0.47F or even 1F size as the capacitor can handle 1.5 times in mA to its F value for charge and discharge current. The scanners full charge voltage will produce 0.4mA thru that 1k resistor so 0,47F or 1F will be safe.

/Ubbe

 

[pghDave]

It only needs 0.2mA to the lower plus pin from a source higher than 3.3 volt. I tested a 1kohm resistor to +5v and it works to detect a battery and enable recording to the SD card.

Perhaps there's an easy to reach area in the scanner to solder a resistor to between that plus pin and a 3.3 or 5 volt source.

/Ubbe

Perfect. Thanks for the info and testing. This is the minimalist solution I've been thinking of. Glad to have someone who understands his mA and uF and all that stuff do the research. ;-)

In addition to a really cheap super capacitor I see a lot of pretty cheap 3.6v batteries out there (for dog collars apparently) that could fit the space and function.

 

[Ubbe]

If you want a battery to actually power the scanner for a while, enough time to let you power it off to not get write errors, You'll need a minimum of a 1000mAH battery as the scanners charge current are 500mAH and NiMH batteries can only take half the charge current in relation to its capacity. Scanner takes 800mA so it will run for more than one hour on a 3,6v 1000mAH NiMH that costs $6 and will fit easily.

NiMH 3,6v 1000mAH Amazon

If you want a temp sensor to function you can get a $1 NTC 10k termistor and connect to middle pin and ground. A 4000K type will trigger at a lower temp than a 3000K type but the difference between them isn't much. There should be a SMD type on the original battery circuit board that might be reused, if you follow its center connector.

10k termistor Amazon

/Ubbe