Handheld VHF Receiver Battery Life

[0TreeLemur]

Hi everyone,

I carry around a Yaesu Pro-X handheld receiver as a backup.  At annual time I replaced the batteries with six new lithium Energizer cells.   Yesterday I attempted to switch it on to get the ATIS and the batteries were dead.   I have not used it since I replaced the batteries.   That's really disappointing.   Seems like it has battery draw when not switched on?

What handhelds to people like, and what kind of battery life do you get?

Thanks!

[ArtVandelay]

Any chance it was left on, or the “press on” button gotten accidentally pushed?

[PT20J]

I've got an old iCom. The batteries seem to last a long time unless the on/off/volume knob gets turned on in the flight bag which has happened a couple of times. I used to use lithiums, which are lighter, have higher energy density and are a good match for high current drain devices, but since it takes 10 of them and I don't use it that much, I switched to cheaper alkalines. Both should have a low self discharge rate and long shelf life. Lithiums perform better at very low temperatures.

Skip

[Mooney Dog]

51 minutes ago, 0TreeLemur said:

lithium Energizer cells

This being the 6 li-ion AA's or the actual plug and play back?

 

I use the 6 regular AA on mine and have used it quite frequently over the past 6 months with students. Havnt had to change the AA but once. I did have an issue a while back with the battery leaking and eating through the plastic, but that was easily fixed. 

[0TreeLemur]

39 minutes ago, Mooney Dog said:

This being the 6 li-ion AA's or the actual plug and play back?

AA's.  

[0TreeLemur]

1 hour ago, ArtVandelay said:

Any chance it was left on, or the “press on” button gotten accidentally pushed?

I don't think so.  Last time I used it was when I changed that batteries.   Since they are the Lithium AA's I expected to last a lot longer.  Requiring a long-press on a recessed on/of button, It's hard enough to activate.  It lives hanging from the little shelf above the co-pilot's windshield, so not easy to accidentally bump.

 

 

[Marauder]

35 minutes ago, 0TreeLemur said:

I don't think so.  Last time I used it was when I changed that batteries.   Since they are the Lithium AA's I expected to last a lot longer.  Requiring a long-press on a recessed on/of button, It's hard enough to activate.  It lives hanging from the little shelf above the co-pilot's windshield, so not easy to accidentally bump.

 

 

I have lithium batteries in my ICOM unit. Seeing your thread, I just pulled the unit out and turned it on. Haven't used it for at least 10 months. The batteries are fine. I have a Vertex receiver as well. I have rechargeable batteries for it. I noticed that after a couple of weeks they do drain down a bit. There may be a sneak circuit drawing some power. Perhaps memory for the stored frequencies?

One thing I have noticed with lithium batteries is that in some devices, when using the device, it will completely suck one lithium dead and the others are fine. I used a load tester for checking my disposable battery capacities. https://www.amazon.com/ZTS-Multi-Battery-Tester-Cleaning/dp/B07MZBHVWC/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=ZTS+battery+tester&qid=1629166015&sr=8-4

 

[0TreeLemur]

1 hour ago, Marauder said:

I have lithium batteries in my ICOM unit. Seeing your thread, I just pulled the unit out and turned it on. Haven't used it for at least 10 months. The batteries are fine. I have a Vertex receiver as well. I have rechargeable batteries for it. I noticed that after a couple of weeks they do drain down a bit. There may be a sneak circuit drawing some power. Perhaps memory for the stored frequencies?

One thing I have noticed with lithium batteries is that in some devices, when using the device, it will completely suck one lithium dead and the others are fine. I used a load tester for checking my disposable battery capacities. https://www.amazon.com/ZTS-Multi-Battery-Tester-Cleaning/dp/B07MZBHVWC/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=ZTS+battery+tester&qid=1629166015&sr=8-4

 

I tested the six cells that came out of my radio.  5 had <0.1V, one had 1.75V.  Fratricide?

[EricJ]

I use regular AA batteries.   All batteries have some self-discharge rate and will lose charge regardless of whether they're connected to anything or not.   I don't know whether that's higher with the type of lithium batt you're using or not.     I have to change the AAs on mine about every year or so regardless of whether it was used or not.

 

[ArtVandelay]

The lithium batteries have a 10 year shelf life. If one battery was drained, I could see it as a manufacturer defect, but all? Somehow the radio got turned on.

[DXB]

14 hours ago, 0TreeLemur said:

Hi everyone,

I carry around a Yaesu Pro-X handheld receiver as a backup.  At annual time I replaced the batteries with six new lithium Energizer cells.   Yesterday I attempted to switch it on to get the ATIS and the batteries were dead.   I have not used it since I replaced the batteries.   That's really disappointing.   Seems like it has battery draw when not switched on?

What handhelds to people like, and what kind of battery life do you get?

Thanks!

I dunno why AA batteries drain, but I've noted the same issue with nearly the identical handheld (Yaesu FT550).  Since I can't be bothered to check the batteries on a regular basis, I carry a second AA battery holder to snap into it so I can revive it easily in an emergency.  

[Greg Ellis]

I have an old i-Com unit.  It has the rechargeable battery in it.  Last time I went for over a year without turning it on and when I did, the battery said it was still fully charged.  So I have been happy with it.