Batboard

We have a few secure sabers that we use for surveillance and such but no digital secure mobiles and we dont' have the $ right now to get any.

What do you guys think of SVA's? I see that the Feds use them quite a bit. I'm afraid that if I work on getting a few the guys will end up toasting the new batteries we just got. We spent enough engergy just begging for those.

I can't help but thing people would just get lazy and leave the portables in there causing the battery to roast in no time.


Other than the battery issue they seem to be ideal for what we need. I even have a few amps to put on them.


So, is it a bad idea?

mancow

Maybe some of the LA folks can clue us in a bit on the battery issue. I have SVAs and haven't seen an issue yet though. It would be nice if they came out with an IMPRES charging circuit for the SVAs though.

John

A small group within the dept. uses the sabers and they aren't regular patrol officers so it's not like they run them continually all day and then charge them at night in a regualar routine fashion.

We will go days at a time not using them then all of a sudden they will see heavy use.

Being the radio nerd I keep track of the condition of mine but most of the other guys really don't think about it. I tend to keep on them about battery maintenance as it is but I'm afraid they might just throw them in the car and leave them to charge for days without me knowing it.

As it is now the chargers are all kept in a central area and they are basically just grabbed or handed out as the situation dictates.


I guess my question is whether or not the SVA's were designed with this factor in mind and maybe the charge rate is a bit more forgiving.


mancow

I use mine all the time.. It makes for a nice mobile with the amp. The only thing is the size and the power speaker.

Um, if I'm not mistaken, the SVA will shut down the charge circuit when it loses ignition sense. I could be wrong but, I'm pretty sure that's how it operates. It definately disables TX without ignition sense.

John

True, good point!

I think I'll try to acquire a few of these and make them a poor man's spectra.


mancow

John's right .. It stops charging when there is no ignition. The only thing is if you use it for survelence the car has to be on for the TX to work

The 5487 is an automatic charger, whatever else you say about it, so the likelihood of its cooking the batttery is slim. I've used them for years on the bench and they've never given me a problem.

Hello.

The motorola CVC, be it for the STX or saber, is intended to be used as a conplete replacement for the desktop charger.
The saber CVC is a multi-rate charger, and as such will switch to trickle charge as needed.
Is is NOT a timed cycle charger.

I installed a switch to the ignition sens. So I can TX all time. And I can charge the radio over night and stop charging if I don´t use my car fore a few days.

Ah, the beauty of the GP300, GP350, and P1225...... Simply plug in a $7 cigaretter lighter cable into the single unit intellicharger and you have your desktop charger in the car. Of course, the $22 antenna adapter is a little pricy I suppose.......

But, on the other hand, the radio housings don't cost $3979 each to replace........ No securenet, though, so everything has its place.

Lee
Bradenton, FL.

When I used mt MVA on my mt1000 I applied a piece of tape across the batter contacts and slid the unit in. Now it worked like a mobile without charging the battery. Maybe try installing a smal switch inline wil one of the battery pins inside. Good ;uck getting that case open though....

Anyone can get a 5487's case open. The challenge lies in getting it back together properly. Urk! Damn! Ugh!

I can get anything open, it just requires larger hammers!. Boy was my typing bad!