Ni-Mh Battery Problem

[petrus]

Hi everybody,

I just bought three new aftermarket SABER 2700mAh batterys.
The problem is, I can't get them fully charged:
1. I charged them with a low current charger, discharge them, charged them again. I did that maybe three or four times,
    but they reached only a capacity of 452/535mAh. I'd tested it using a Battery Analyzer.
2. I put them into a six bay SABER charger, wich produces approximately 600mAh. The result was, the charger shows me after 15-20 min
    the green light, wich means the battery is fully charged. I put the batterys on the radio. The charge hold approximately 5 or 6 hours in
    standbay mode. I tested the batterys once more using a new, never used single charge, i got the same result.

The six bay Charger I'm using every day to charge my other Ni-Mh or Ni-Cd Batterys. The charger isn't faulty.
Do the batterys just have an "initialization problem"? I don't now how to test them anymore- does anybody have any suggestions to solve the problem?

Thanks a lot.
Best greetings

Andreas

[Bruce1807]

Did you charge them initially for about 14-16 hours?

[petrus]

I charge them maybe for 12 hours.

[Bruce1807]

could be the problem!

[petrus]

Ok they will not get the full capacity during that cycle,
but a bit more than 400/500 mAh ...

[Cowboy]

Are these the cheapo no name Saber NiMH batteries off of eBay that everyone steers clear of?

[Hightower]

Here's another reason to go with Motorola OEM batteries only:

http://www.motorola.com/governmentanden ... s/batt.zip

It's quite possable that those batteries only have 500mAh - reguardless what the aftermarket manufactures claims.

[escomm]

http://www.proventough.com

[petrus]

Ok, thanks for all Your replys. Indeed they are not build that tough as Motorola Batterys,
but if they are working, they have a much more greater capacity than Motos Batterys ,
two of them (I bought 2 years ago) are just working very good. During that time some
of my Mot Batterys still died ...
Best greetings
Andreas

[silverbk]

I don't think OEM saber batteries are available anymore. My job (FDNY) stopped buying them a few years ago. They are now buying Multiplier brand.

I have also had good luck with W & W brand.

You need to exercise the batteries in a good tri chem charger. A slow charger will not get maximum capacity out of them.

Next time let them die completely, put them on the fast charger for 14 hours, regardless of what the charger says.

[resqguy911]

silverbk: Motorola still sells about a dozen different types of battery for sabers, including Impres types.

[Connor926]

Did you charge them initially for about 14-16 hours?

I suspect this was probably more than likely they problem

[petrus]

Jup , I'm just ordering replacement batteries.
Thanks

[mr.syntrx]

I don't think OEM saber batteries are available anymore. My job (FDNY) stopped buying them a few years ago. They are now buying Multiplier brand.

Regular and IMPRES Saber batteries are still available.

[1337MTech]

Though Motorola batteries cost more, you get what you get with generic batteries. I used to think the generics were fine, until I seen their poor performance, their capacities dropping quicker than M batts, their poor construction (often they are not to size, or they are slightly not to M specs in size, causing fitment problems, most noticable with certain brands, and on low tier radios that use the 9044, 9027, and 9018 batteries), and cheaper matierials used for construction.

Often times places will sell replacement (generic) batteries, and their sell point will be higher capacities. Often times these are because the batteries and NIMH.

They work fine, but you have to use a rapid charger. Slow (10hr) chargers just don't charge them right. We run into this problem a lot at the shop, where the customer complaint is the radio will not TX, but the radio is fine, just the battery is NIMH, and they are using a slow charger.

But I see you are getting replacement batteries. If getting rapid chargers is too much a fuss (the M ones are $$$) then just getting NICADs is a good option.