two-way Radio Tips

What's the best battery for two-way radios?
Most two-way radios use nickel-cadmium. These batteries are durable and forgiving if abused. The recommended alternative is nickel-metal-hydride, a battery that has higher energy density and contains no toxic metals.

Comparing the two, nickel-cadmium has the advantage of maintaining steady high capacity and low internal resistance through most of its service life. Nickel-metal-hydride, on the other hand, starts with good capacity and low internal resistance but the resistance increases after a few hundred cycles.

Nickel-based two-way radio batteries are high in maintenance. Periodic discharge cycles are needed to prevent crystalline formation on the cell plates, also known as memory. Nickel-cadmium is more receptive to memory than nickel-metal-hydride because both nickel and cadmium plates are affected by memory.

What are the charging cycles of Nickel-cadmium and Nickel-metal-hydride batteries?
Nickel-cadmium should be exercised once ever 1 to 2 months, whereas nickel-metal-hydride can get by with a deliberate full discharge once every 3 months. Without proper maintenance, the advantage of nickel-cadmium over nickel-metal-hydride in terms of cycle life cannot be realized.

Can I use a Lithium Ion battery on my two-way Radio?
Lithium-ion has been tested for two-way radios and the results are positive. Substituting lithium-ion with nickel-based will require chargers specifically suited for this chemistry. Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal-hydride can often share the same charger. Check our two-way Radio Battery Finder (link to Two-Way radio battery finder: Select manufacturer) to see if lithium batteries are available for your two-way radio.