In article , says...
Can anyone suggest a source for the battery shown at
http://www.w8iz.com/ham/alinco/alinco%20battery.htm

I have two Alinco DJ-C5 radios that I use both at home for fun and at work
for monitoring business frequencies. I now need a new battery. Alinco
parts quotes the battery at $48.00. The radio is worth $150 new. The
battery represents one-third of the value of the radio.

The local and Internet ham radio battery shops do NOT have this battery.
Alternative ideas are also solicited. Obviously I don't want to carry a
bulky pack but even something less expensive that can be taped to the back
would be fine. For example, a Pentax L-LI8 pack (~$8.00!!!) could be taped
to the back of the radio. That battery is shown at the bottom of the page.
Where could I get a battery clip to allow me to easily install and remove
such a replacement? Another replacement was found on page 1130 of the
Mouser #617 catalog (part 521-7PN (at a cost of $6.72!!!)). It would fit
inside the case but would it charge properly?

I bet this Alinco battery is also used as a camera battery. The question is
how to find it.

Thanks,
Steve, W8IZ





It's kind of the joke/rule of ham radio, you never, ever, buy a battery
from the company that makes the radio, no matter who makes it. They are
almost always at least double what the same battery costs anywhere else.

A friend recently bought a new HT, and had the guy on the phone add two
batteries to the radio and charger he was originally buying, without
asking the price. When the radio came, the radio and charger were
cheaper than the two batteries were! He forgot about the rule.

BDK

I have two Alinco DJ-C5 radios that I use both at home for fun and at work
for monitoring business frequencies.
It's kind of the joke/rule of ham radio, you never, ever, buy a battery
from the company that makes the radio, no matter who makes it. They are
almost always at least double what the same battery costs anywhere else.

Safety/reality check:
The Alinco battery is built into the radio. There is no battery pack,
this is the 'credit card' radio with built-in battery.

This means that replacing the radio is easy: remove two screws,
take off the back cover.

The more serious issue (VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE) is that it's a
LiIon battary. Charging these is a lot more difficult than NiCd/NiMh
and wrongly trying to charge it could cause the thing to explode.
For this reason, the charger is specially built and doesn't easy fit
on other transceivers.
Don't try to charge LiIon cells on NiCd chargers w/o good fire insurance,
I don't know about the reverse.
At any rate, the voltage/capacity rating of the original pack is
probably very difficult to find with NiCd cells so stay with LiIon.

This is freaking me enough that I'd be very careful replacing it with
a battery of the same capacity (and probably size).
I think you will find that the market for replacement LiIon batteries
is a lot more complicated, for the safety issues above; you can't just
replace them easily.

In that light, $48 for a replacement is not that bad though still
expensive. Check the service manual (which is online), but I'd
consider the original replacement. I suspect you had plenty of lifetime
from the old battary.

Hope this helps, 73

Geert Jan PE1HZG

In that light, $48 for a replacement is not that bad though still
expensive. Check the service manual (which is online), but I'd
consider the original replacement. I suspect you had plenty of lifetime
from the old battary.


$ 45 is outragous for the battery pack when you can get 4 of the AA cells
and a charger for under $ 20.
That is one reason why I picked one digital camera over another brand.
It used AA cells instead of a more expensive battery pack.

$ 45 is outragous for the battery pack when you can get 4 of the AA cells
and a charger for under $ 20.

That is one reason why I picked one digital camera over another brand.
It used AA cells instead of a more expensive battery pack.

Definitely a valid consideration. There's a lot to be said for
sticking with commodity power solutions, especially if you're into
emergency communications. Being able to refill your radio's power
pack with AA's from the local drugstore can be a big advantage under
adverse circumstances

On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries have a significant advantage
in terms of storage capacity per size and storage capacity per weight,
compared with NiCd cells and batteries. I believe they also win out
over NiMH - the margin is less but is still significant.

I have an Icom T2H which I won in a raffle. I also have a Yaesu VX-5,
with its pricey Li-ion battery. The T2H's battery holder, when
stocked with generic NiNH batteries, weights just about as much as the
whole VX-5 including power pack.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

$ 45 is outragous for the battery pack when you can get 4 of the AA cells
and a charger for under $ 20.
That is one reason why I picked one digital camera over another brand.
It used AA cells instead of a more expensive battery pack.

That Pentax battery in the picture is the one that runs my tiny Pentax
Optio-S. I can get them on eBay for a couple bucks. I have a number of
batteries for it and they are cheaper than the AAs, last longer, and behave
better. I was also **VERY** concerned and figured that I was going to get
had on the batteries. I was pleasantly surprised. Even more so now that it
appears the Pentax batteries will be powering my Alinco radios.

Steve, W8IZ
www.w8iz.com/ham/alinco

"Steve Wolf" wrote in message
...
: $ 45 is outrageous for the battery pack when you can get 4 of
the AA cells
: and a charger for under $ 20.
: That is one reason why I picked one digital camera over
another brand.
: It used AA cells instead of a more expensive battery pack.
:
: That Pentax battery in the picture is the one that runs my tiny
Pentax
: Optio-S. I can get them on eBay for a couple bucks. I have a
number of
: batteries for it and they are cheaper than the AAs, last longer,
and behave
: better. I was also **VERY** concerned and figured that I was
going to get
: had on the batteries. I was pleasantly surprised. Even more so
now that it
: appears the Pentax batteries will be powering my Alinco radios.
:
: Steve, W8IZ
: www.w8iz.com/ham/alinco

So where can I get this battery for less than $0.36 ea (the cost
of an AA)????
Please!

So where can I get this battery for less than $0.36 ea (the cost
of an AA)????

This radio resides in my shirt pocket. Even if I could find a rechargeable
AA lithium ion, it would not be for $0.36. It would not fit in my pocket as
nicely as a slimmer lithium ion battery such as the Pentax. A zinc-carbon
battery pack would retrograde both the size and performance of the radio.

Steve, W8IZ

So where can I get this battery for less than $0.36 ea (the cost
of an AA)????

This radio resides in my shirt pocket. Even if I could find a rechargeable
AA lithium ion, it would not be for $0.36. It would not fit in my pocket as
nicely as a slimmer lithium ion battery such as the Pentax. A zinc-carbon
battery pack would retrograde both the size and performance of the radio.

Steve, W8IZ

"Steve Wolf" wrote in message
...
: $ 45 is outrageous for the battery pack when you can get 4 of
the AA cells
: and a charger for under $ 20.
: That is one reason why I picked one digital camera over
another brand.
: It used AA cells instead of a more expensive battery pack.
:
: That Pentax battery in the picture is the one that runs my tiny
Pentax
: Optio-S. I can get them on eBay for a couple bucks. I have a
number of
: batteries for it and they are cheaper than the AAs, last longer,
and behave
: better. I was also **VERY** concerned and figured that I was
going to get
: had on the batteries. I was pleasantly surprised. Even more so
now that it
: appears the Pentax batteries will be powering my Alinco radios.
:
: Steve, W8IZ
: www.w8iz.com/ham/alinco

So where can I get this battery for less than $0.36 ea (the cost
of an AA)????
Please!

$ 45 is outragous for the battery pack when you can get 4 of the AA cells
and a charger for under $ 20.

That is one reason why I picked one digital camera over another brand.
It used AA cells instead of a more expensive battery pack.

Definitely a valid consideration. There's a lot to be said for
sticking with commodity power solutions, especially if you're into
emergency communications. Being able to refill your radio's power
pack with AA's from the local drugstore can be a big advantage under
adverse circumstances

On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries have a significant advantage
in terms of storage capacity per size and storage capacity per weight,
compared with NiCd cells and batteries. I believe they also win out
over NiMH - the margin is less but is still significant.

I have an Icom T2H which I won in a raffle. I also have a Yaesu VX-5,
with its pricey Li-ion battery. The T2H's battery holder, when
stocked with generic NiNH batteries, weights just about as much as the
whole VX-5 including power pack.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!