Radio Batteries: Maintenance, Management, and Replacement

Like most things, your two-way radio batteries deteriorate with age. Different environments, conditions, and uses can accelerate the deterioration, while following the basic storage and maintenance instructions that accompany your radio can extend the battery life significantly. That being said, they will still need to be replaced regularly to maintain your radios’ optimal performance.

Luckily, most manufacturers provide some assistance with respect to tracking the age of your batteries: for example on the back of each Motorola battery, there is a three- or four-digit code that identifies the manufacture date. The first digit is the year, and the second and third digits are the week within the year. For example, “1526” means that the battery was manufactured in 2015 in the 26th week.

It is essential to continually replace your batteries to ensure proper performance, as batteries tend to lose capacity over a long period of time. When that occurs, you will notice that your radios no longer perform to their full potential. This deterioration can particularly affect digital radios that run applications like GPS location and various forms of  automation in the background in addition to their regular communications uses.

Ideally, batteries should be replaced every 2 to 3 years to maintain the optimal performance of your radios, however an advanced communications specialist can make a more detailed prediction based on your specific usage criteria and environmental conditions. Our recommendation would be to establish an evaluation and replacement schedule with your specialist, so that you’ll always be prepared with fresh stock ready-to-go rather than face downtime due to poor planning and preparation.

I’d be happy to provide professional insight into how to optimize your battery management and replacement strategy. Feel free to contact me through the form below!

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