Two-way radios fully rely on battery power and therefore it becomes essential for every user to care for his batteries. Many consumers are not aware of the juice left in their batteries and end up facing radio failures because their batteries just ran out of power. People use radios in various work shifts and do not care or inspect their radios regularly. Uncared-for batteries lead to radio failure and this guide will instruct you how to figure out batteries and take good care of them:

1. Manufacturers like Motorola print a digit code at the front of the battery. A 3-digit code is often printed by Motorola. The first digit signifies the year and the 2nd and 3rd digits represent the week of the year in which the battery was built. If your used battery is over 18 months old, then it needs a substitute.

2. Always charge your battery overnight or prior to your work shift. This powers up the battery and increases your talk time.

3. If you use Nickel Cadmium or Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, charge them for 14-16 hours.

4. If your batteries are Polymer or Lithium-ion, charging them for another 1-2 hours after the charger light has already turned green, is a must.

5. New batteries that are non-initialized must be saved in a cool, dry environment. This eliminates capacity loss and cycle life decrease. You will be surprised that Nickel Cadmium batteries can be saved for up to 2 years, while Lithium-ion Polymer and Nickel Metal Hydride can be stored for up to 18 months.

6. If you want to get rid of a used battery for an extended period of time, ensure that it has discharged over 50% of its capacity. After removing the battery, store it in a cool, dry place.

7. You can charge Lithium-ion batteries any time. Other batteries that are new must be charged only after a full discharge.

8. If you use the battery charger for continuous charging, it will reduce the battery life.

9. If you operate two-way radios for a prolonged period, make sure that you have spare batteries at hand.

10. If you begin using batteries that have been stocked for more than 2 months, then you must charge these before use.

11. Many individuals recommend buying branded batteries that are specific to the system-brand because such batteries are optimized for their systems.

12. Don’t consider changing batteries if it isn’t necessary. If you recharge batteries that are not completely discharged (see # 7 above), you will end up reducing their life.

This is what you need to know regarding two-way radio batteries. Lastly, know that if you take good care of your batteries, they will last for around 18 months.