We’re going to compare two battery charger analyzers options, the Waveband WI-80, and the Cadex C7X00 Series, to help you become familiar with the choices available for reconditioning your two-way radio batteries.
Reconditioning batteries through a charger analyzer, unlike a traditional charger, helps improve the life and capacity of your two-way radio battery. This will tell you when it's time to replace your battery and recondition the battery, so you get the longest use out of it.
Design
Let’s start off by comparing the design of the two analyzers.
The Cadex C7X00 series is available with either 2 or 4 banks depending on which model series you want. The 2-station analyzer is economical if you don’t have a lot of radios you need to charge or recondition at a time.
The Waveband WI-80 analyzer has 6 banks. This may be ideal if you have larger fleets of radios to charge more at a time.
The WI-80 can charge with or without your radio attached. Some radio users prefer this over removing the battery when it’s time to charge and risk losing or misplacing your battery.
Both Cadex and Waveband analyzers give you an LED display showing the battery's capacity before and after it went through the conditioning cycle and how far along the battery is in the charging process.
Interchangeable Cups
Both Waveband and Cadex analyzers have interchangeable adapter cups to charge any radio make and model. These interchangeable cups make it easier to switch and customize if you have a new radio or battery chemistry in the future.
The WI-80 analyzer is already installed with the adapter cups to fit your radio. With Cadex, you purchase the analyzer and the adapter cups separately.
Waveband analyzer adapter cups charge Motorola, Harris, BK Technologies, Icom, Kenwood, and EF Johnson two-way radio models. These adapter cups charge any battery chemistry including Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, Ni-Cd, and Li-Poly.
The Cadex C7X00 analyzer is available in over 3,200 custom Snap Lock Battery Adapters. These adapters charge not only radios like Motorola, Kenwood, Hytera, Tait but cellular, universal, game consoles, military batteries too. These adapter cups charge radio chemistries of Lithium, Nickel, and Lead Acid.
Charging Cycles
The WI-80 has 3 charging cycles for reconditioning your battery.
- Rapid Charge
- Charges your battery only without conditioning charge and analysis
- 1 Full Conditioning Charge & Analysis of Battery Capacity
- Reconditions your battery 1 full time to improve and show you the remaining battery capacity after your charge.
- 3 Full Conditioning Charges & Analysis of Battery Capacity
- Reconditions your battery 3 full times to improve capacity and give you the most accurate reading of your battery.
The C7X00 offers 18 service programs for charging and analyzing your battery. These programs below allow you to do many things from charging, cycling for maximum capacity, battery ratings, discharges, and more.
- Auto
- Charge
- Prime
- QuickSort
- Self-discharge
- Life cycle
- Discharge only
- Extended prime
- Ohm Test
- Runtime
- Boost
- Quick Test
- Q-Learn
- Learn
Price
The Cadex C7X00 series analyzer is more expensive compared to the Waveband WI-80. The Cadex is offered on dealer websites listed for $3,600. The Waveband is offered on its website for around $1,700.
Warranty
Cadex analyzer comes with a two-year warranty. Waveband comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty.
What I like about Cadex C7X00 Series
I like the Discharge Only service program which allows you to completely discharge your battery and prepare it for storage. Discharging your battery completely when it's going into storage is one of the tips for proper battery maintenance.
What I like about Waveband WI-80
Something I like about the Waveband WI-80 is the ability to charge the battery with or without the radio. I think this is a convenient way of charging, so you don’t have to remove the battery each time.
Waveband Communications is a two-way radio accessories manufacture for popular radios including Motorola, Kenwood, BK Technologies, ICOM, Harris, and more. For over 20 years, Waveband has supported public safety in improving its critical communications with the help of durable accessories.
