VHF Radio Battery Questions

[Mark]

I have a Standard Horizon HX851 radio. It has more capabilities than I'll ever use and does the primary functions I want very well.

I think I've had it for 4 years, maybe longer. I cannot remember precisely when I got it.

On a trip last week, the battery died prematurely. Then it wouldn't fully charge. The green light on the charger would not come on no matter how long I left the radio plugged into it.

Despite failing to fully charge, I used the radio again yesterday and once more it ran out of power before my three hour outing ended.

I have ordered a replacement battery on-line. They're not cheap.

I have two questions:

1. Is a 4-year lifespan normal for a VHF radio battery?

2. Is it proper to leave the radio in the charger (under charge) when not in use? I've read conflicting guidance on-line about that.

Many thanks,

[Cmarzahn]

As a general rule it isn't wise to leave batteries on charge. Also better to run them down before charging. I use a Novo Genius G850 for both my Standard Horizon and the battery for my depth finder.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Oldbayrunner]

Most small lithium Ion batteries have a life capacity of approx. of about 300-500 cycles or 2-3 years. Unlike NiCad or Nimh it isn't necessary to let the battery completely drain as Lithium doesn't have a battery memory. You could leave it on the shelf for a year and it would still have 80% of its charge. Most mfg's recommend it be at about that level for long term storage. As you more than likely know fortunately you can easily get a new battery as they are readily available. Most chargers that come with or are recommended for use with these type batteries are smart chargers and shut off charging after the battery has reached it full capacity so leaving it on them doesn't do any harm.

Note: Although the charger pictured is good for trickle charging Lead acid type batteries it isn't made for charging lithium-Ion or Lifepo4 ones.

[Mark]

Thanks guys.

Sounds like I should have no complaints about the life of my old battery.

I look forward to a new one and having full radio capability for the entire time I am on the water.

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks guys.

Sounds like I should have no complaints about the life of my old battery.

I look forward to a new one and having full radio capability for the entire time I am on the water.

Mark -

It sounds like you got a good lifetime out of the original battery. One other thing to check is to make sure the contact points on both the battery and radio are not corroded. On my previous radio, I found green corrosion on the battery that inhibited its charging. I took either a small piece of emery cloth or a knife blade to remove the corrosion.

[Oldbayrunner]

A little CRC electronics cleaner on a cotton swab works well for that, coupled with a minute amt of dieletric grease on the contacts.

[Mark]

Thanks guys.

I'm fastidious about my gear and clean it after every outing. My contacts have remained corrosion free. I think the battery simply expired after a lot of use. I'll know for sure when my new one arrives.

[mchottie]

Thanks guys.

I'm fastidious about my gear and clean it after every outing. My contacts have remained corrosion free. I think the battery simply expired after a lot of use. I'll know for sure when my new one arrives.

It sounds like you really got your moneys worth! About time for a new battery!

[Mark]

Update: The new battery came yesterday. It powered my radio but it was seriously discharged. I put it on the charger to bring it back. Presumably it will outlast the length of my next outing. I sure hope so.

[silasvirus82]

Note: Although the charger pictured is good for trickle charging Lead acid type batteries it isn't made for charging lithium-Ion or Lifepo4 ones.

That's not necessarily true. Most LiFePO4 batteries can be charged with standard lead acid chargers, as long as they do not have the desulfate mode. The kicker is the rated voltage. My LiFePO4 battery requires 14.6V to charge 100%, but a standard 12V charger will only charge it to maybe 50%. The only reason I know this is that my charger recently died, for the second time, so I looked for a better alternative and hopefully made a good choice.

[Oldbayrunner]

That's why I stated it wasn't made to charge a lithium battery as they wont fully charge them. Also most standard chargers (not trickle) start at the rated amps then drop down to zero as the battery charge capacity is filled. As you stated lithium require the recommended charge voltage in constant charge with a smart shut off.

[Cmarzahn]

Yeah...
I’m not really sure what the issue you are concerned with is related to the product shown. The Genius line from Noco is designed to charge both “motorcycle“ batteries (lead acid) and lithium batteries up to 12V. It has automatic shut off and trickle capabilities. I can only tell you that is charged mine to a full charge every time I've used it. I've checked it with a meter. I understand that full may be up to 13.6v.

[Mark]

I'll never understand electronic technology. Thank goodness for Franklin, Tesla, Edison, Marconi, and all you guys who have some understanding of the mysteries they unveiled. I simply do not have the mind for it. Electricity is perhaps the most miraculous and reliable convenience of modern life. Other than looking for the green light on my charger, I'm extremely challenged in this stuff.

[Oldbayrunner]

Yeah...
I’m not really sure what the issue you are concerned with is related to the product shown. The Genius line from Noco is designed to charge both “motorcycle“ batteries (lead acid) and lithium batteries up to 12V. It has automatic shut off and trickle capabilities. I can only tell you that is charged mine to a full charge every time I've used it. I've checked it with a meter. I understand that full may be up to 13.6v.

Yes Genius does have chargers designed for charging lithium batteries however the GT 750 shown as I correctly stated in my previous post is Not. The GT1100 model up will and is recommended according to the battery size. For lithium fish finder batteries the lower amp outputs would be fine but I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 15 amp charger for a deep cycle lithium unless you want to want to wait an extremely long time for one to charge. It takes my 100ah Lithium 3-5 hours or more to charge depending on it's depletion using a 15amp. This is what the GT 750 product states it's rated to charge, even then at a .75amp output it would take a 7ah Lead acid battery 9 hrs to charge if it were depleted. Figure 7ah / .75amp output = 9.3 hrs.