Old Batteries Erasing Radio Memory?

[motofreak008]

The police department I work for is in the middle of a transition to 800 mhz Motorola Astro radios. The portables are XTS models and they purchased IMPRES batteries for them. I have noticed that the IMPRES batteries are similar to the HT line of batteries and are probably interchangeable. But, someone told someone up high on the chain of command here that you can't get an old battery and put it on the radio if the battery that came with it dies or else it will erase all of the programming in the radio. I don't know about you, but that strikes a wrong cord in my book. I don't really see how Motorola would go all of those years of allowing radios to have the ability to change batteries, as long as they are compatible, and not lose any memory, and then change it with their most expensive radio line. It seems like a good way to make money, make the radios easy to lose programming so the agency has to send it in to get programmed, but I don't think M is that corrupt. Does anybody else have more knowledge on this than me?

[tvsjr]

Um, no. The programming is stored in non-volatile memory. The only thing you might lose (which you'd lose by removing any battery) would be the encryption keys, if Infinite Key Retention wasn't enabled.

Tell whoever the person is "on high" that he needs to stick to police work and leave communications to the experts.

[Tom in D.C.]

Better yet, take the guy aside and show him how removing the battery and putting it back on the radio makes the radio work just like it should, and probably the fewer words you use the better it will be for his ego and your future. Or else get someone higher up than you to "tie the bell on the cat" and do the job, so to speak.

Regards,

[Pj]

What might not have been conveyed properly..is that if you stick an IMPRESS battery into a standard charger, the impress battery will not show its information on the radio (will show "Smart data not available"). There is a way to recover that information thru the use of an IMPRESS charger and a procedure. Thats been covered in prior topics here (i don't recall the steps).

So, kill programming information, no.
Using an impress battery with a standard charger -> Batt will work just fine but you lose the battery infromation

So nothing to worry about.

[motofreak008]

That is what I thought. They have in it their heads that if you take off the battery and put an older one on the radio it will lose the memory. I didn't think it worked like that. I am new to IMPRES batteries, but I am quite impressed, no pun intended. I was reading about how they talk to the charger and will recondition themselves automatically. They seem pretty neat. So, when they were talking about that, I kinda figured they meant the battery memory, not the radio. I already have switched batteries on a few portables as that is what we are dispatching the sheriffs office on right now, and I am one of the few that doesn't use the radio while it is the charger.

While we are on the topic of batteries, why is it bad to have the radios on while the battery is charging? It might be something simple, but it is something that has confused me.

[wavetar]

While we are on the topic of batteries, why is it bad to have the radios on while the battery is charging? It might be something simple, but it is something that has confused me.

Simply put, the current drain of the radio is greater than the 'standby' current of the charger while in 'trickle' mode. So, leaving it in the charger with the radio on for a few days could easily result in a dead or near-dead battery when you go to use it.

This doesn't really affect the charging while in 'rapid' mode...other than it may possibly take a little longer for the battery to reach it's 80 or 90% cut-off to switch to trickle mode (depends on the charger).

[Pj]

My understanding is that the impress batteries on impress chargers address this. I could have sworn that I read somewhere that as long as the charge was 90% or greater that the charger would maintain the battery if the radio was on.

[motofreak008]

Here is the e-mail just sent out to all employees.

New 800 hand held radios are currently being issued. If you have not already picked up your radio, please do so as soon as possible. Please get with Director or myself between 0730 and 1700 hours to pick up your radio.



Each radio has two batteries that are marked “800”. Each battery must initially be charged at least 14 hours. The green light on the charger may come on prior to 14 hours, but still leave the battery on the charger for the full 14 hours.



DO NOT USE OLD RADIO BATTERIES WITH THE NEW RADIOS! The old batteries will clear all of the programming information in the 800 radios. All new batteries are marked.



The radios are also issued to specific employees and the officers employee number is programmed into the radio so please do not trade radios with anyone!



Further information will be given in a few days regarding the use of the radios. Please have all batteries charged prior to Friday, September 11, 2009.

[motofreak008]

Here is what I'm talking about, I'm pretty sure you all answered the question. It won't happen. I would really like to know who told them that, because that person needs his/her head checked, or find a new profession.

[wavetar]

My understanding is that the impress batteries on impress chargers address this. I could have sworn that I read somewhere that as long as the charge was 90% or greater that the charger would maintain the battery if the radio was on.

I believe you're correct, I was referring to non-Impres chargers.

[Pj]

Yeah, do that and might as well throw away money with the older stuff..

[resqguy911]

That email has to be the silliest thing I have read in a long time. Not even a salesman is that ignorant.

[escomm]

That email has to be the silliest thing I have read in a long time. Not even a salesman is that ignorant.

It's not ignorance it's a desire to sell batteries... 2 for every purchased it looks like. I wish I could get away with some of the stuff the government sales guys do...