Why is maintaining your two-way radio battery life important?  The obvious answer is if your batteries are not looked after properly, they won’t be performing to their full capacity.

Firstly, losing communication mid-way through a shift can leave team members vulnerable in an emergency. Communication loss can lead to decreased productivity and efficiency due to a lack of communication. And last but by no means least, poor battery maintenance is going to end up costing you in the long run when batteries need replacing more often than they are designed to be.

We are going to break down what factors affect your two-way radio battery life and things you can do to extend it.

The average lifespan of a two-way radio battery is around 18-24 months. This depends on how well the battery has been cared for and the quality of the battery.

Battery Initializing

Before using a new battery for the first time read the manufacturer’s instructions and Charge a new battery overnight before first use. This is sometimes called initializing the battery to obtain the highest battery capacity. It’s also best practice to charge your battery for the first time within a month of receiving it.

Reduce Drainage

When you are not using your two-way radio, remove the battery from the radio and store them separately. This reduces battery drainage and reduces the effect of ‘self-discharge’

‘Self Discharge’ is when a battery loses charge over time even if it is not being used.

Store Properly

Always store your two-way radio batteries at room temperature in well-ventilated dry locations. Never freeze a battery or store it below 0 degrees. New batteries can be stored as you receive them, but if the battery has been used, it’s best to charge (or discharge) it to around 50%.

Educate Two-way Radio users.

Educate all two-way radio users on how to properly charge the radios.

One of the worst habits your employees can practice is to put two-way radios back on the charger at the end of a workday—no matter what amount of charge it has.

You should only place two-way radio batteries on the charger when it has almost no charge left

Furthermore, do not leave fully charged batteries in the charger – overcharging can shorten the battery life.

Don’t over Charge

Similarly, do not use the battery charging dock as a stand or holding spot if it’s plugged in. If a battery experiences continuous charging, it will lose its capacity and diminish its battery life.

A worker should only place two-way radio batteries on the charger when they have no charge left. 

Invest in a Battery Analyzer / Recondition

We would recommend purchasing a battery analyser or conditioning charger. These are game changers when it comes to battery life extensions and maintenance. Analysers and conditioners tell you how much charge capacity your battery has left. They can also recondition your batteries back to normal capacity. This is helpful to know when your battery is reaching the end of its life cycle and will need replacing.

Minimize Physical Damage

This is probably one of the more obvious tips, but do not disassemble, crush, puncture, shred, or otherwise damage the battery physically.

Keep up routine Cleaning

Make sure that you are cleaning your battery and radio battery contacts regularly.  Routine cleaning to remove dirt and residue can optimize battery performance.

Discharge batteries before storage

Discharge Used and Stored Batteries Before Recharging: When batteries are used or drained to 50 per cent and stored, it’s best to conduct a deep discharge before recharging again. Don’t confuse this with the initializing process.

Know when to Replace

And last but by no means least, know when to replace your batteries. Using a battery past its natural life cycle can cause transmit and receive issues when using the two-way radio.

Here at 2WayRadioShop, we stock a wide selection of batteries from leading suppliers such as Motorola, Hytera and Entel to name a few. We also stock affordable battery analysers and conditioners for game-changing battery maintenance.