I'm not convinced by the AA battery trays - in all the examples I've come across, the radio cuts the output power heavily on AA cells and the battery life expectancy is poor. On my FT-1D, the power available is reduced to 0.8W maximum.
Martin (G8FXC)
The problem is the higher internal resistance of alkaline
cells compared to NiMh or lithium: they can’t deliver
as much current (assuming that the pack has the same
voltage).
If I need the higher power, then I use rechargeable NiMh
or single-use Eveready lithium AA cells instead. But
most of my HTs are so old that they originally came
with NiCad batteries, and I don’t use them often enough
to keep the batteries charged and in good condition.
So I use AA battery packs on all of them. Since I usually
operate on low power anyway (if I need more, I improve
my antenna) the lower power from alkalines isn’t an issue,
and I can grab a 72-pack at Costco to last me when I
can’t recharge the others.
Just don’t leave the alkalines in the case when not using
the radio.