TREATMENT BATTERY TRANSCEIVER | MODEL CONSTRUCTION

Station IC-V8 has stopped working – not charging Nickel-cadmium (Ni-CD) battery. After dismantling his case it turned out that two elements of the line is faulty: you do not have internal resistance (measured with a tester UNI-T IT-21). This is the price for the carelessness of the owner maintenance Ni-CD rechargeable batteries (or rather lack of it), which is recommended in each instructions. Similar situation with routine maintenance is widespread. Given the large number of devices on the Ni-CD batteries each person, for their constant readiness every day lot of time would have had to spend on such services, periodic charging. “And to live when?” asked be, in this case Goncharov Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. In the article, the author shares a simple reanimation of Ni-CD batteries by replacing faulty elements in the line. Tips you can use for other Ni-CD batteries.

Portable transceivers, kit Ni-Cd batteries that require constant attention. Range of models of transceivers is very wide. On the one hand it is a relatively inexpensive “budget” models costing up to 4,000 rubles, but, on the other hand, they are less reliable than, for example, a professional handheld transceiver Kenwood TH-F7 Li-ion battery PB-42L, price 12 000 RUB. All of the above inexpensive transceivers 3-4 years ago packaged with Ni-Cd battery BP-209N (six series-connected Ni-Cd 1.2 V elements, giving a total voltage of 7.2 V and a capacity of 1100 mA/h).

The shortcomings of (especially) Ni-Cd batteries is well known. Main -a small number of cycles of charge-discharge and susceptibility to “memory effect”. This price is for cheapness.

Selling battery BP-209N almost completely gone (still can be bought in online stores, the cost from 1400 RUB.). A comparison with the cost of the transceiver IC-V8/Sport (2800 RUB) makes a substitution marginal. Given the small number of cycles of charge-discharge (650 – technical specification of the battery), the radio Amateur’s easier at home to recover the battery, even replacing a few elements.

THE PRACTICE OF REPLACING ELEMENTS

First dismantle the case BP-209N with a screwdriver (there are no screws, the upper and lower plastic halves of the housing are connected to each other protruding parts) and get the entire line of series-connected AA batteries.

With a tester check the voltage and current on each element. As a rule, a faulty element is detected by the absence of both, or low parameters relative to other elements. To confirm the hypothesis may and the measurement of the internal resistance of the element. After the faulty elements are found, it should be “treatment.”

View of the outdoor enclosure BP-209N

To disconnect the jumpers from the elements used soldering iron: they heated the contact area of the jumper. Instead of malfunctioning parts installed new with the same parameters: 1.2 V, 1100 (allowed 1200) mA/h (I’ve used /аrtа). Because cold welding in the home laboratory no jumper solder soldering iron new elements acid. Put items in the regular case, close it and charge battery according to instructions.

The cost of 2 new elements did not exceed 100 RUB.

HOW TO “CHEAT” THE MEMORY EFFECT

Another interesting parameter that is characteristic of most Ni-Cd batteries, “memory effect”. Before active use battery BP-209N need to spend three times cycle charge-discharge. If I charge the battery connected to the radio, be sure to turn it off while charging, because the transceiver in the receive mode also consumes current. If you use quick charger, which charges the battery in 1 to 3 hours, and after this time do not remove the battery from the charger for another 10 – 12 hours Discharging the battery after charging fully repeat the cycle of charge-discharge of the battery twice.

Do not leave Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries in a fast charger for more than 24 h Under the influence of self-discharge current of the battery during the day, can lose up to 15% of capacity, which is considered a quick charger as the command to start new charging cycle. Therefore, the battery can develop a “memory effect” which reduces the working capacity of power supply elements and leads to a decrease in performance and battery, and transceiver.

The specifications of the original ICOM battery BP-209N

Type……………………………………………….Ni-Cd

(Nickel-cadmium)

The voltage, V……………………..7,2

Capacity, mAh………………………………….1100

Weight, g………………………………………………..177

Size, mm…………………………….122x55x22

Number of cycles………………650

Operation time, h

(duty cycle 90/5/5)…………………………..8

Range

operating temperature, °C……………..-30/+60

Exposure to the emergence of

memory effect…………………………high

Maintenance

(charge-discharge)……………………………..1 times

2 – 3 months

To maintain long-term performance of batteries BP-209N (and similar) in storage, to once every 2 – 3 months to produce a cycle of discharge and charge, and then, discharge them to 40 – 50% capacity, the return on storage.

Maybe the combination in the line of new and used items will make the updated BP-209N not quite appropriate parameters pristine. However, in the considered situation, when the transceiver is used infrequently (from time to time), to spend the money to buy new, but the same stop short-lived Ni-CD battery, in my opinion, it makes no sense. But considered cost-effective recovery method capable of solving the problem.

A. PETROVICH, Saint-Petersburg

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