ICOM battery required

[WorkingHard]

Hi All
help/information appreciated please.
I have an ICOM IC-A22E with a ni-cad battery that will not hold charge. Is this the type that has a "memory" and if so can it be recovered. If not does anyone have one for sale or where is the best place for a replacement?

Thanks

[BackPacker]

NiCd batteries indeed do have the memory effect and this cannot be recovered. So after a few years they need to be replaced.

I'm in the same situation but with a Bearcat scanner. When I tried to get replacement batteries the shop told me that the sale of NiCd batteries is no longer allowed due to EU regulations. They're not exactly environmentally friendly when disposed of. And of course NiMh or LiIon batteries are not supported with a NiCd charger.

In the end, I'm not using that scanner often enough to invest any more time. I have both a 220V mains and a 12V car adapter and that covers my needs.

In your case, I would contact Icom directly and see what they have on offer. Then hit eBay to see if you can get the same product cheaper somewhere else.

in any case, don't buy 2nd hand NiCd batteries. You may be disappointed.

[dhc83driver]

If your handy with a soldering iron then its an easy job to order more cells and change them. There are lots of good on-line battery shops that supply good replacements. I upgraded my cells to a larger capacity and changed them to NiMH as they have less memory effect. Just be careful with your calculations so that your charger can handle it. Take lots of photos as to the layout as you take it apart as its a tight squeeze. The only tricky bit is not to damage the thermal fuses when you take them off and re-solder. They are on long legs so not to much of problem.

I have not got the exact specs at hand but cells of this type are what you need.

Rechargeable Tagged Batteries

(this is were i got mine from)

If you don`t fancy the job yourself then there was a man who use to advertise in the LAA (PFA) magazine who would re-do your battery packs.

[Whopity]

You can either refill it yourself with NiMH batteries or have it filled for you. It is now illegal to sell NiCad batteries though you can still buy power tools fitted with them.

The company I recommend is Strikalite Send them the old battery pack and it comes back refilled at a reasonable price, say 50% of a new one.

[Mike Cross]

I used Lloyd Hughes to fix my ICOM A22 battery pack. That was some years ago and it's still going strong. Thoroughly recommend him. He advertises in the LAA Mag but here's his details. I went for the NimH upgrade.

ICOM BATTERIES
RECONDITIONED EXCHANGE POWERPACKS
• NimH 12V 1000mah upgrade...£39
Price inclusive of VAT and return P&P
All cells are brand new industrial grade
Delcom Nicads £28 • King KX99 £28
Phone, email or write for details
Tel: [phone]
email: [email protected]
Lloyd Hughes, 29 Godre Mynydd, Gwernymynydd
Mold, Flintshire CH7 4AD

[IO540]

Another approach is to get the empty battery back which ICOM sell (or used to sell) which takes about 8 or 10 AA cells.

This is what one uses if the ICOM is used as an emergency radio; you cannot use NIMH or NICD due to their self discharge (they usually go flat after a few months).

But instead of stuffing the pack with alkaline AAs, stuff it with rechangeable ones e.g. the Sanyo ENELOOP cells, which are NIMH compatible but have a much flatter discharge behaviour. I use them in my Pentax K200D camera and they are amazing. I used to use the lithium AAs (£8 for a pack of 4) but the Eneloops are almost as good and are rechargeable.

[WorkingHard]

Thank you one and all. What a wonderful place is PPRUNE!
I will look at the options suggested and find the different costs.

[WorkingHard]

It has just occured to me to ask you knowledgeable people, does any know of person that can repair a King KX99?

[Dan Dare]

Look for an Icom CM-166 on e-bay. Should be about £25.

LINK

[Zulu Alpha]

Try

Combat Alexander, Medical Batteries, Suffolk, UK, Two-way, Radio Batteries, Mobile Phone Batteries

[On Glide]

Try Tim Newport-Peace at Specialist Systems (01256 381465) - he can re-cell your old icom pack.

OG

[LowNSlow]

Another recommendation for Combat Alexander. They re-celled my spare battery for my Icom 5 years ago and it's still holding a charge much better than the original battery does.