How Weather, Improper Use, and Storage Affect Two-Way Battery Life

Communications professionals trust two-way radios in even the most challenging environments. Immune to the threat of outages that can hamper other forms of communication, they are reliable when it matters most. That said, a two-way radio is useless with a dead radio battery. Properly maintaining the batteries that serve your two-way radios is essential if you are going to get the reliable, lasting performance you expect. Let’s take a closer look at the variables that can impact battery life and what you can do to keep yours from wearing down prematurely.

The Impact of Temperature on Battery Lifespan

Batteries are directly impacted by temperature extremes, both hot and cold. It’s important to keep batteries in a relatively stable, neutral temperature range whenever possible. Batteries can swell and leak on the high end of the spectrum – above 95*F. It's even possible for a battery to explode in particularly hot temperatures. The impact can be particularly damaging when charging batteries in such conditions. The problems you'll experience in cold temperatures are different but just as concerning. When temperatures fall, batteries discharge quickly and have a reduced overall capacity. They may be damaged if you use or charge batteries in sub-freezing conditions.

Naturally, the best thing you can do for your batteries is to keep them out of harsh temperature conditions whenever possible. They should be stored – and charged – in a space that is kept somewhere in the 60*F to 80*F range.

One hazardous environment for batteries is the interior of a vehicle on a hot day. Temperatures inside the car can reach far beyond the outdoor temperature, and any batteries left inside for an extended time will be at risk of damage.

Moisture and Humidity Are Also of Concern

Hot and cold temperatures aren't the only threats to your two-way batteries. Water is another potential problem to consider. The danger here is pretty obvious—water and electricity don't mix. If water enters your batteries, short circuits and corrosion are inevitable.

Allowing your batteries to be directly exposed to water, through submersion or rain, can cause them to fail immediately. Even if the worst-case scenario doesn't play out, the exposure can cause long-term degradation.

High humidity is a slower form of moisture exposure that can also lead to issues later on. If you operate in an environment where high humidity is the norm, upgrading to water-resistant batteries may be necessary. 

Watch Out for These Improper Use Habits

Keeping Motorola radios or other devices' batteries in moderate temperatures whenever possible and away from water will go a long way. But you can also damage them simply by not using them properly day after day.

Overcharging is one common mistake. If you leave the batteries on the charger long after fully charging, they may lose capacity. Please avoid using your chargers as battery storage locations and instead have another designated spot for the batteries to live when they aren't receiving a charge.

It's also a big no-no to drop your radios and their connected batteries. Blunt force impacts can damage the battery cells and may knock loose the connections that allow the batteries to function correctly.

A Few Notes on Proper Storage and Shelf Life

It's easy to find an appropriate place to store a 2-way battery when you know what conditions are ideal for maintaining its condition. As mentioned earlier, you want to store them at room temperature and be as close to comfortable as possible. You also want to keep them in a place where they will stay dry and away from high humidity. So, indoors in a climate-controlled environment is your best bet.

Also, consider storing the batteries at approximately 50% charge. This will help minimize capacity loss over the long run. Don't store the batteries in the radios, as this opens up the potential for accidental discharge. Instead, store the radios and batteries separately but near each other so you can quickly connect them when using them.

Mastering the Art of Battery Maintenance

Like all other equipment, batteries need maintenance to reach their potential. This applies to Kenwood, ICOM, Motorola, and units from any other brand. For starters, use date codes to monitor the age of your batteries and know the recommended service life of the models you are using. As the end of the service life approaches, plan to have those batteries replaced so you can avoid costly disruptions in performance.

You can also look for conditioning chargers to help maintain battery capacity as long as possible. You can avoid power-related troubles while operating your two-way radios by using a quality conditioning charger and regularly testing your batteries to identify any weak units in the collection.

With proper care, your two-way batteries can last long and be reliable between charges. Of course, nothing lasts forever, and you must replace your portable radio battery at some point. When that time comes, Waveband Communications will proudly serve you with our selection of quality batteries and other radio accessories. Shop now or call us toll-free at 1-800-806-1076 to ask any questions. We are excited to serve you.

Works Cited

“Motorola Solutions Recommendations for New Battery Use, Storage, and Care” Motorola Solutions, https://www.motorolasolutions.com/content/dam/msi/docs/products/two-way-radio-accessories/batteries/brochures/motorola_solutions_battery_care_tips.pdf

“How to Store Batteries” Battery University, https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-702-how-to-store-batteries

“Moisture behavior of lithium-ion battery components along the production process” Science Direct, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352152X22021636