Battery Chemistries and Chargers

Some of our customers are using different types of batteries with their portable radios which are made of different battery chemistries. You must use rapid chargers to correctly charge the Nickel Metal Hydroxide (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries. The Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries can also be charged in the rapid charger. However, the slower (10 to 16 hour) chargers can only be used with the Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries. Insufficient charging will occur if you use the slower (10 to 16 hour) chargers with the Nickel Metal Hydroxide (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries.

This is particularly important for our CP200 users. Motorola shipped a Nickel Cadmium battery and 10 hour charger (WPLN4155) with the original CP200 packages. Later Motorola switched to the Nickel Metal Hydroxide battery with the rapid charger (WPLN4138). Then again switched to the Lithium Ion battery with the rapid charger. This can get confusing for the user, but you must not use the 10 hour charger with the Nickel Metal Hydroxide or Lithium Ion batteries. You can easily tell the difference by viewing the LED on the charger. If the LED changes from red to green it is a rapid charger. If it never switches it is a 10 hour charger.

Additional information about using the rapid charger with different battery chemistries can be found here. There is also battery care tips here.