24
A Few Words about Batteries…
Your Roberts
Play Duo
radio has been designed to use a choice of
power sources. You may plug it into the mains using the supplied high-
ef
fi
ciency adaptor, or for listening away from the mains you may use
either alkaline or rechargeable batteries. We do not recommend the use
of carbon-zinc or zinc-chloride batteries.
It is very important that you read the advice and warnings given
below.
1) Whichever type of batteries you choose to use, it is very important
that the battery selection switch under the cover is set to the correct
type.
a. If no batteries are
fi
tted, then set the switch to the Alkaline position.
This position minimises the power consumption when the radio is
powered from the mains.
b. If Alkaline batteries are
fi
tted, then set the switch to the Alkaline
position.
c. If Rechargeable batteries are
fi
tted, then set the switch to the
NiMH position. Your radio is designed to use Nickel-Metal-Hydride
rechargeable batteries. No other type of rechargeable battery should
be used in the radio.
2)
NEVER
mix old and new Alkaline batteries. The old batteries may
suffer damage and leak which will damage your radio and whatever
the radio is standing on.
3)
NEVER
mix old and new Rechargeable batteries. This may
result in unreliable charging and shortened battery life. Never mix
Rechargeable batteries of different types or capacities even if they
are new.
4)
NEVER
mix Alkaline and Rechargeable batteries. The recharging of
Alkaline batteries can be very dangerous.
Rechargeable batteries
Your
Play Duo
radio uses a range of methods to ensure correct and safe
charging of Rechargeable Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries. These work
to protect your batteries from excessive charge and discharge. These
protections can only work properly if the advice above is followed. In
particular, the radio will not be able to correctly charge batteries if they
are a mixture of different brands, or different ages, or different capacities.
We recommend that all the rechargeable batteries used in your radio
are bought together as a set. They should always be charged together
and discharged together and not “borrowed” from time to time for other
applications. This will ensure that they give their optimum performance
in your radio.
We recommend that the rechargeable batteries that you use should
be from a quality brand, and should be of at least 2500mAh capacity.
Batteries of this capacity should power your radio for between 15 and
20 hours depending upon the volume of the radio, whether DAB or FM
mode is used (DAB mode uses slightly less power than FM), and also
depending on the condition of the batteries. Higher capacity batteries are
available and will give longer life, but will generally be more expensive.
Before you
fi
rst install a new set of rechargeable batteries into your
radio you should
fi
rst make sure that the battery type switch beneath the
battery cover is in the NiMH position. Install the batteries arranging them
as shown inside the battery compartment. Plug the mains adaptor into the
radio and then into the mains socket. While the batteries are charging the
charge indicator should show a
fl
ashing green light. When the batteries
are fully charged the indicator will stop
fl
ashing and will show a steady
green light. The time taken to charge the batteries will depend on how
much charging they require. New batteries may be partly charged when
fi
rst
fi
tted, but it is normal for a set of batteries to take several hours to
charge fully (this can be between 3 and 7 hours depending on the battery
capacity and their initial state of charge).
