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GP68 desktop charger, what do the lights mean?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:08 am
by lalaland
Hi all,
Just plugged in my GP68 VHF to the desktop charger and I have three LEDs on it.
One that's labelled Y-DI, another HS and one SC.
I was told this was a fast charger, but there's no fast charge button as mentioned in the manual.
The Y-DI light isn't on, the HS is green and lit and the SC is red and lit.
The two that are lit, lit up as soon as I put my radio in there.
I don't know what's meant to be on when, anyone got any ideas?
Thanks
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:57 am
by lalaland
The seller just replied to me via email stating the two selections on the back of the charger on the switch set it to fast or normal charge.
Unfortunatly he didn't tell me anything else, like answers to the above, or which one of the modes H or L is fast or normal charge.
Anyone got any ideas?
Thanks
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:17 am
by lalaland
Ok, I've found out that H is basically fast charge an L is trickle.
The light always seem to stay on regardless, but at least I know that.
If anyone could decipher what the letters under the LEDs mean then that would be appreciated still.
Thanks
GP-68 Charger
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:43 am
by STEVE W
What kind of charger is it? I have 2 GP68 and the Motorola charger that came with them only has one tri-color LED, Orange when first put in the charger, red when the fast charge button is pushed and green when the three hour charge is complete. It sounds like you have some other type of charger.
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:18 am
by lalaland
It's not a standard one from what I've heard here and on other sites.
Unfortunatly the GP68 seems to be almost mythical in some places for information, I guess that's what I get for buying an import radio.
Anyway, I was told when I bought it from the Hong Kong supplier that he would supply a desktop fast charger for an extra £7.99. I took this offer, but it appears the charger I bought is quite different from the charger that you normally get.
I have now purchased, via Ebay, a proper Motorola fast charger complete with single LED and red button from the USA. Just got to wait for the new year now until it's hear and will just keep my mystery charger as a spare I think.
I currently only have the one battery, the standard type. Do the Motorola chargers do both types or if I get a larger battery do I need to purchase a charger for that too?
Thanks
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:23 am
by lalaland
This is a photo of my current mystery charger supplied with my GP68

The image above shows the charger just turned on without a battery in it. The red LED is on while the powers on.

The image above shows the charger on the L setting with my battery in. Now the green LED is on with the red LED. It seems to stay like this as I left it like this for about 6 hours at work today.

The image above shows the charger on the H setting with my battery in. The yellow LED is now on with the red LED as before.
Anyone identify it?
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:32 am
by lalaland
Finally got a reply from the Chinese seller about the charger
the 'h' is for rapid amd 'L' is for slow. there's nor reporting ternimal on the charger. so the lighter wont change when it's done. the standard charging time is 10 hrs for 'slow' charging, and 5 hrs for 'fast' charging.
so it's making sense now.
Think I'll stick to using my fast charger when it arrives.
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:45 am
by va3wxm
That's quite a bit different from my GP68 rapid charger. It only has one light and one button to switch between fast and slow.
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:06 am
by lalaland
va3wxm wrote:That's quite a bit different from my GP68 rapid charger. It only has one light and one button to switch between fast and slow.
I've just ordered one the same as yours from the US on Ebay so won't be using this one much longer.
It's not the best of quality, is there any chance it's not a genuine Motorola product or do they make their products with less quality for the Chinese market? (has chinese writing all over the bottom of it).
better dead than red...
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:43 am
by Woody_99
lalaland wrote:va3wxm wrote:
is there any chance it's not a genuine Motorola product or do they make their products with less quality for the Chinese market? (has chinese writing all over the bottom of it).
Well.... it costs the average foreigner about $30K or less to set up a quality, fully
operational and staffed factory in China.... Furniture, batteries, scooters, whatever....
So I wonder how easy it would be for a Chinese native?? LOL, yeah there is a chance.
But it could be as legit as anything else too.