Uniden batteries

[Dafe1er]

Can someone help Jake out here? Does Uniden expressly prohibit in-scanner charging?

Gotta give me a minute or two looking through tons of threads for this information....unless someone else wants to chime in.

Not that it is prohibited, just the fact of things like what happened to Jake is the problems.....still looking

 

[Jakeportland]

Is anybody mad at me

 

[Dafe1er]

Found one thread, Here you are:

http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-scanners/234411-uniden-home-patrol-nimh-batteries.html

Post # 4 sums it up really well.

Post #22 is from UPman.

 

[Dafe1er]

Is anybody mad at me

No, not mad. Just need to calm down a little and see what we can or cannot do for you. Blaming UPman in this instance is just not needed. That is where I was coming from with my posting.


How is the scanner? Is it damaged?

 

[LIScanner101]

Found one thread, Here you are:

http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-scanners/234411-uniden-home-patrol-nimh-batteries.html

Post # 4 sums it up really well.

Post #22 is from UPman.

Where does Uniden Inc. expressly forbid/prohibit charging batteries inside either the Home Patrol or 436HP? Because that’s really all that matters. It doesn’t matter what UPMan says on this site, or what anybody else says. It’s really Uniden’s responsibility to put such prohibitions in writing. If they are, then I guess Jake is SOL.

 

[LIScanner101]

As per UPMan (post #22):

"As noted by many, the best way to ensure full charge with minimal overcharge when using NiMH batteries is to use an external charger designed to charge and monitor individual cells at a rate of C or higher. However, the methods used in scanners is also safe and reliable (but not as convenient when you need to rapidly cycle a set of batteries)."

So, it seems that it's OK to charge batteries in their scanners, at least according to UPMan. However, you can't go by that. Someone should not have to rely on this site for manufacturer's recommendations. Such info should be in the manual. Is it in there? If so, then they're covered.

 

[Jakeportland]

The home patrol with the batteries melted

 

[Jakeportland]

How long do I charge the batteries for

 

[LIScanner101]

Jake - Before you do anything else, let's first find out if Uniden Inc. says its OK to charge batteries while they are inside your scanner. If they do, then we can take it from there. If they don't then you are out of luck.

What does the manual say?

 

[Jakeportland]

these batteries or what I have
Enercell 1'2 v 2500mah How long do I charge his batteries for
Energizer 2300mah how long were charges batteries for
Energizer 1300mah how long do I charge his batteries for

 

[Jakeportland]

The home patrol one manual didn't come with it

 

[Dafe1er]

Jake - Before you do anything else, let's first find out if Uniden Inc. says its OK to charge batteries while they are inside your scanner. If they do, then we can take it from there. If they don't then you are out of luck.

What does the manual say?

these batteries or what I have
Enercell 1'2 v 2500mah How long do I charge his batteries for
Energizer 2300mah how long were charges batteries for
Energizer 1300mah how long do I charge his batteries for

See there smart guy! The batteries are all different. If he does not change the correct time for charge he or anyone else will run into problems.

The reason they say to not charge them in the scanner is just for this reason. WHY damage a $500+ scanner for $12 batteries that can charge in a $20. charger.

Breaking people balls is getting really old LIScanner101. You post some good things and then come along an bust people nutz for NO REASON!

 

[safetyobc]

I would buy an external charger like this one: Amazon.com : Maha PowerEx MH-C9000 WizardOne Charger-Analyzer for 4 AA/AAA Batteries : General Use Batteries : Electronics

I've used one for years and it works great. It tells you when the batteries are charged.

 

[Jakeportland]

Is anybody mad at me ?????

 

[KevinC]

Is anybody mad at me ?????

No Jake, no one is mad at you.

 

[Jakeportland]

Well I guess I won't use those batteries that came with the home patrol
I'm going to try using other battery

 

[Dafe1er]

Here is a reply you received in the thread I posted above.

Just a copy and paste for you:

Jake, it depends on how much is remaining in the batteries. If they're completely dead, 2300 mah cells will require about 14 hours to charge in most scanners. However, as we've discussed many times, NIMH cells are impossible to charge in-series and be sure they're matched to each other. You should really use an external charger which measures the voltage of each cell and monitors its temperature. These smart-chargers will either turn off or light a certain color LED when they're fully charged. It's pretty idiot-proof.

Since this thread is about the HomePatrol and not the BC436HP, I can't tell you what (if anything) Uniden has done to the charging system on that scanner. On a HomePatrol, it's somewhat of a problem because you need to tell the scanner how many hours or how many mah to put back into the batteries. I still don't recommend doing a full charge in the scanner - I use the external charger and a spare set of batteries for 'instant' charging of the scanner.

 

[LIScanner101]

See there smart guy! The batteries are all different. If he does not change the correct time for charge he or anyone else will run into problems.

The reason they say to not charge them in the scanner is just for this reason. WHY damage a $500+ scanner for $12 batteries that can charge in a $20. charger.

Breaking people balls is getting really old LIScanner101. You post some good things and then come along an bust people nutz for NO REASON!

Dafe1er,

I'm just sticking to the facts. I'm not busting anybody's balls, but I think you're busting MINE.

I just reviewed all 65 pages of the Home Patrol manual. NOWHERE in there does it specifically say to NOT charge batteries in it.

There IS this section that MAY be a weak disclaimer:


Follow these steps to update your HomePatrol‐1’s firmware to the latest version:
1.
Plug in the HomePatrol‐1’s AC adapter or ensure that the HomePatrol‐1 has fully charged batteries installed.


To me - or to any other normal person - this does NOT mean that you CANNOT charge batteries in the scanner. If it is really that god-awful critical NOT to do that, then there should be something like "WARNING: DO NOT CHARGE BATTERIES IN THE SCANNER!" or something like that.

Since this scanner was marketed for the newbie the manual should have been more explicit for the newbie!

I agree that the batteries that Jake used overheated due to their mAHr capacity, but that is a different issue. I was specifically talking about whether it was prohibited by Uniden to charge the stock batteries.

Again, the manual does NOT prohibit it. You have to go by what the COMPANY (manual) says, NOT what we chat about on this site, because what if some little old lady never comes on here but has a HP-1? How is she supposed to know about this?

 

[Jakeportland]

I'm just a little angry with myself I should never charge them in the first place. Not sure if my scanner is ruined can somebody help me with that

 

[Jakeportland]

Battery

How my going to charge my batteries so the next time this will happen