Storing Impres batteries in mobile charger

[TheManBornWithin]

Hello Everyone!

My EMS agency has several XTS1500s in our ambulances. The problem is that they are rarely used, and almost always sit in the charger. We currently use NiCad non-Impres batteries. I would say none of them hold a charge for more than a few minutes, thats if they even charge. If we were to switch to Impres batteries, would the batteries last longer? These lasted for maybe 2 or 3 years with little to no use. The radios are hardly ever used, maybe just for an hour or two (mostly receive only) every few months. All of our mobile chargers are Impres compatible and are wired to always be on.

Thanks!

 

[fineshot1]

Hello Everyone!

My EMS agency has several XTS1500s in our ambulances. The problem is that they are rarely used, and almost always sit in the charger. We currently use NiCad non-Impres batteries. I would say none of them hold a charge for more than a few minutes, thats if they even charge. If we were to switch to Impres batteries, would the batteries last longer? These lasted for maybe 2 or 3 years with little to no use. The radios are hardly ever used, maybe just for an hour or two (mostly receive only) every few months. All of our mobile chargers are Impres compatible and are wired to always be on.

Thanks!

2 or 3 years is about the best you can expect from any battery type technology in commercial service.
There are no magic battery technologies - if you do not use it, you lose it. If you abuse it, you lose it.
Under your circumstances you should develop a schedule of battery cycling - what I mean by that is
that at least once a week you should take the radios out of the charger, turn them on and let the batteries
drain until you get the battery warning chirp from the portables and then let them recharge again. This
should help to maintain the battery health. DO NOT let the batteries go completely dead, this is very bad for battery health. Using non impress batteries in an impress charger will not help any, and if you do switch to impress batteries you should still follow my periodic cycling advice above. This advice comes
to you from my background of many years in the radio servicing business.

 

[jackj]

Maybe investing in a battery charger/conditioner could help you. NiCd batteries have a characteristic called "memory effect". If the battery is always on charge then in a short time it refuses to supply much power to the load. A conditioner will cycle the battery through some charge/discharge cycles a few times. This will help restore the battery's capacity. This works ONLY for NiCd batteries, Ni-MH batteries do NOT have a memory.

My understanding of the Impres batteries is that they store data on their performance and communicate that info to the charger. I don't think that will do much for battery life if the battery is rarely taken out of the charger. There is a Ni-MH battery that has a very low self-discharge rate and retains about 85% of it's capacity after one year of storage. If that type of battery is available for your portables then it might be worth getting some and only putting them in a charger when the battery is low.

 

[W0JJK]

We used to use NiCad MTS batteries in our Medics for their portable, batteries last 6 months.

Switched to Impres Batteries and Impres Chargers, the batteries last 2 years average and we still see that in XTS batteries too.

Well worth the money.