Troubleshooting Battery Problems: Battery Capacity, Warranty, Date Codes
Are your radios not working as well as they used to? Has the range dropped, are certain radios dropping transmissions, or are batteries not lasting a full shift? One or more of your radios may have a bad battery that needs replacing.
Old batteries mean trouble
Portable radio batteries have always been the single biggest cause of problems in a radio fleet. Defective batteries still allow the radio to operate, just in a compromised way, or they work when tested and then fail at distance or a short time later.
Portable transmitter output power depends on battery voltage. Batteries nearing or beyond their useful life cannot transmit at full power the way new batteries can, because they have higher internal impedance. In simple terms, lower power means shorter range.
Most people wrongly assume that a battery analyzed at 70% of its original nominal capacity simply has 30% less daily capacity: that it is just a smaller gas tank. A better analogy is a gas tank with a sponge in it that stops the fuel reaching the engine quickly: there is still lots of gas, but when the engine needs a lot in a hurry it cannot deliver. Portable radios draw more power while transmitting and when receiving at volume, and that is when you will see problems. Cold temperatures make it much worse, because available capacity is diminished.
Battery experts agree that 80% of nominal capacity is a more realistic line for pass or fail. For most users, below 80% capacity means the end of useful life and likely communication problems. Many batteries drop below 80% after around three years of use, so if your batteries are older than three years there is a good chance they should be replaced.
Using IMPRES technology to find your battery's rated capacity
Because battery maintenance is so important to the integrity of communications, Motorola revolutionized it with IMPRES smart battery technology, which is available in their mid to high tier radio platforms. It makes managing your battery fleet simple and automatic.
IMPRES batteries contain a chip that records the battery's usage history. If you have an IMPRES battery you can check its capacity with a Motorola Solutions multi-unit IMPRES charger that has a display, or with an IMPRES data battery reader. The important thing to note is that even when the indicator light on the charger turns green, the battery is only charged to the maximum of its rated capacity, so a battery with 85% rated capacity is fully charged at 85%. An IMPRES charger will usually flash red and green if the rated capacity drops too low.
You can learn more about the advantages of IMPRES technology, or read the IMPRES charger light codes (PDF).
If you have a non-IMPRES or standard Motorola Solutions battery, the rated capacity cannot be read with end-user equipment. Our service shop can still test those batteries using our specialized in-house CADEX battery testing equipment.
Motorola's manufacturer warranty for batteries
Unlike aftermarket batteries, Motorola premium batteries have a one-year 80% capacity exchange warranty. IMPRES batteries extend that warranty from 6 months to 18 months. Motorola premium batteries carry a 48-month construction warranty.
If your Motorola Solutions battery drops below 80% rated capacity or stops working, check whether it is still under warranty before buying a new one.
Motorola Solutions battery warranty statement (PDF)
How to read the date code on your Motorola battery
To find out whether your battery is still under warranty, check its age using the date code. The 3 or 4-digit code is printed on the sticker on the back of the battery and means YWW or YYWW (year and week). In the example below the date code is circled in red, and shows a battery made in the 13th week of 2020.
Exchanging your battery under warranty
If your battery qualifies for a manufacturer warranty, we can facilitate the exchange at no cost to you, even if you did not originally buy it from us. If you are not sure the battery is the problem, our fully equipped service department can diagnose any issues your radios may be having.
Call our service department at 604-985-0340 and select prompt 3, email support@bccommunications.ca, or use our contact page.