Motorola Radios That Can Use Alkaline Batteries

Jim1348 · Post by **Jim1348** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:43 am

Occasionally my family and I will go camping and/or ATVing for a long enough period of time that it might be worthy to get some Motorolas, either VHF for legal, license free MURS or UHF for licensed GMRS. Anyway, I am wondering what portables have an option to use non-rechargeable batteries. I don't want "bubble pack" radios. I doesn't have to be the newest transceiver either, though. For example, does Motorola have a means to use alkaline batteries in say an older JT1000 or perhaps an HT1550? If so, does anybody happen to have the Motorola part number?

Tom in D.C. · Post by **Tom in D.C.** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:28 am

Jim,

I can't help you with advice on what exact radios (except the XTS) have alkaline packs available, but I can share with you what I discovered last year in a situation where a commercial user decided he'd do away with chargers and rechargeable batteries and just slap in new alkalines for each event. Turned out that the voltage "stiffness" of the alkalines was awful at the high power (5 watt) setting, and for decent results the radios (Vertex VX180s) had to be run at low power. The Nicad and NiMH batteries run strong and then will drop dead on you, but they'll be good for high power until that happens. Not so with alkalines; they simply can't handle the high power needs of the average portable.

Overall I believe that Vertex and Icom seem to have alkaline packs (despite their shortcomings) much more readily available than Motorola does if you need to go that way.

Regards,

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:07 pm

I think the voltage "stiffness" is one of the reasons the XTS packs use 12 batteries - 2 6-packs in a series/parallel combination, thus allowing them to better handle high power. Most of the AA packs for Kenwood (which use 6 AAs) require the radio to be set for a lower power output - 1-3 watts.

Tom in D.C. · Post by **Tom in D.C.** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:36 pm

Terry,

I was working with one of the XTS alkaline packs this afternoon, changing to a new set of batteries. God, what a handful of radio! I think it's about the size, or almost the size, of the old HT200. But leave it to Motorola to figure out the weak points of alkalines and the resultant doubling up of the cells. I believe the switchover to low power is automatic with these units and the keypad power setting is inoperative as a result.

Regards,

Jim1348 · Post by **Jim1348** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:12 pm

Thank you for the replies!

MotoFAN · Post by **MotoFAN** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:21 am

I have alkaline battery case for XTS3000. Anything similar is available for Astro Saber, XTS2500 and Waris Portable?

sourapple613 · Post by **sourapple613** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:48 pm

MotoFAN wrote:I have alkaline battery case for XTS3000. Anything similar is available for Astro Saber, XTS2500 and Waris Portable?

I do have a battery case for the XTS2500 and HT1550XLS... I use the same one on both radios.

If interested PM and I can find where I put it and get you the part number.

MotoFAN · Post by **MotoFAN** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:24 am

sourapple613 wrote:I do have a battery case for the XTS2500 and HT1550XLS... I use the same one on both radios.

If interested PM and I can find where I put it and get you the part number.

Yes, I am interested! Beforehand thanks!

sourapple613 · Post by **sourapple613** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:29 am

MotoFAN wrote:
sourapple613 wrote:I do have a battery case for the XTS2500 and HT1550XLS... I use the same one on both radios.

If interested PM and I can find where I put it and get you the part number.
Yes, I am interested! Beforehand thanks!

I'll check tommorow and post back on here.

I bought them off ebay from panter88 a while back.

If I can find more than one I MIGHT be willing to part with one. I don't tend to use them frequently to say the least which is why I don't remember where they are.

Post by **avguy** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:31 am

XTN series can use 4 AA batteries instead of the battery pack.

sourapple613 · Post by **sourapple613** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:09 pm

sourapple613 wrote:
MotoFAN wrote:
sourapple613 wrote:I do have a battery case for the XTS2500 and HT1550XLS... I use the same one on both radios.

If interested PM and I can find where I put it and get you the part number.
Yes, I am interested! Beforehand thanks!
I'll check tommorow and post back on here.

I bought them off ebay from panter88 a while back.

If I can find more than one I MIGHT be willing to part with one. I don't tend to use them frequently to say the least which is why I don't remember where they are.

Part Number
NNTN6686A
3406

I don't know the significance of 3406... I think the only the part number is only the NNTN6686A.

Enjoy.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:25 am

3406 is a date code... 34th week of 2006.

NNTN6686B is available with a 20-day lead time. List price is $90.

Post by **mattulance** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:35 pm

I got a HT-90 once that had a alkaline pack with it.

While I know it may not be what you want I have seen a lot of Kings with the Alkaline packs.