Rechargeable Battery Pack
WARNING
Do not dispose of the battery pack in fire because it may explode. Battery packs should be disposed of in accor-
dance with local ordinances.
Battery Life - With proper care, the Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery pack used in this transceiver should provide
many months of service. When a battery pack no longer holds a charge or provides only a short operating time, it must
be replaced with a new one. To remove the battery pack from the transceiver for recharging or replacement, press the
spring-loaded button on the side of the transceiver and rotate the pack counterclockwise (when viewed from the
bottom). To install a new pack, simply insert it in the socket and rotate it clockwise until it locks in place. A new pack
must be charged before use.
One cause of shortened battery life is repeated deep discharge. Therefore, it is good practice to recharge a battery
soon after the low-battery indication “battery” appears (see “Low-Battery Indicator”). Do not continue using the battery
until the transceiver becomes inoperative. Another cause of reduced battery life is recharging at the temperature
extremes. For maximum life, recharge at ambient temperature of 68-77
°
F. It is also not good practice to regularly leave
a battery in a charger for extended periods after it is fully charged.
Battery Operating Time - The typical operating times for the various configurations are shown below. These times
assume that 90% of the time the transceiver is in the standby mode (receive with audio muted), 5% in the receive mode
(audio present), and 5% in the transmit mode. If more time is spent in the receive or transmit modes, operating time is
proportionately shorter.
Transceiver
1000 mAH Pack
1400 mAH Pack
1 watt only models
11 hours
14 hours
1.5/2.5W models, 1.5 W
Not Used
10.5 hours
1/2.5W models, 2.5 W
Not Used
9 hours
As indicated, the typical operating time before recharging depends on what transceiver and battery pack you
have. The 85x0-85x3 transceivers have a single power output level of 1 watt, and the 8585-8588 transceivers have
selectable power output of 1.5 and 2.5 watts. The standard 1000 mAH pack has a “0” as the last digit of the part
number, and the heavy-duty 1400 mAH pack has a “1” as the last digit.
Recharging - The battery pack can be recharged while it is attached to the transceiver or it can be removed
and recharged. Approximate charge times with the various chargers are shown below. These times assume that the
battery is discharged to the point where the low-battery indication appears. Charging time is somewhat longer with
the trickle charger if the pack is attached to the transceiver and power is left on. With the rapid and vehicle
chargers, the red indicator lights in the rapid charge mode, and the green indicator lights in the trickle mode. The
battery is almost fully charged when the green indicator lights.
Charger
Charger Part No.
Approx Charge Time
Trickle (100 mA)
563-0001-003
12.5 (16)* hours
Rapid
239-5800-300/-376
2 (3)* hours
Vehicle Adapter
239-5810-500
1.5 (2)* hours
* The charge time for the 1400 mAH pack is shown in parentheses.
