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Author Topic: BAOFENG CHARGERS  (Read 377 times)

K1QQQ

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BAOFENG CHARGERS
« on: September 09, 2022, 04:06:31 AM »

I went on a Baofeng fling a few years ago maybe like many.

Turn on the computer and buy a new Baofeng. Different colors and off brand names.

I think I quit when there is no activity on repeaters.

My experience is (I could be all wrong) that if you never put electricity into radios they might never work after years.

The chargers. Every one went bad short order. No red light anymore and they seem to do zero charging.

Anybody got any tutorial on repair of such ? Seems flimsy flimsy construction.

It seems the price of these things has gone up. $20-$30 ? Some of the 440 units worked fine but lower output. If they work with repeaters (or...) why not use them ? Maybe not signal purity but----
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K1VSK

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Re: BAOFENG CHARGERS
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2022, 09:39:00 AM »

Not sure what the consternation is - there is nothing unique to brand. You can buy the appropriate rating wall warts anywhere for $6 -$10. Guess it’s a question of whether it’s worth your time to work on one.
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AF5CC

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Re: BAOFENG CHARGERS
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2022, 02:43:20 PM »

Guess I have been lucky.  Never had the chargers go bad on me.  Using my current one for 3 or 4 years now.  Charger just keeps going.  Luckily if it goes bad I can get a whole new HT package for less than $30 with new HT, charger, and battery.


73 John AF5CC
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K1QQQ

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Re: BAOFENG CHARGERS
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2022, 05:34:43 AM »

Yep...that is what I normallydid..buy another and get another charger..

All mine quit working as when charging there is a red light that turns green when charged. -- or a flickering red/green ?  All mine just has a green light that stays and seems not to charge anything. I do nothing odd to get this.

I checked Baofeng on Ebay and I see you can still get the UV-5 variety for low prices. Buy another !!! I got several UV-82's that have 144/220 minus 440 and see that is discontinued most places. Never checked the power output.

Why not offer them for 1.2 ghz ? 900 mhz ?  If 900 is a band we probably loose it over no usage.  6 meters ? I don't usually hang around VHF/UHF but convenient for small spaces (antennas, etc.) and repeaters.

Gotta check up on Baofeng 'accessories' as to charging etc. etc. You might like an AC adapter but portable minus electricity ?

Repeaters ? In recent past I'd listen and nothing and if anything the subject of 'radio' does not exist. Populated SW Connecticut.

I did see a 'charger' tutorial a few years ago but lost the info. The Chinese use such flimsy wiring etc. that almost anything destroys something.

That Yaesu VX-6 ? seems a nice HT..general coverage receiver and 220 included. (only 1.5 watts on 220)
« Last Edit: September 10, 2022, 05:47:34 AM by K1QQQ »
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WA3SKN

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Re: BAOFENG CHARGERS
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2022, 12:20:00 PM »

Not sure what the issue is.
I googled "BAOFENG CHARGERS" and there appear to be plenty available.
Batteries do go bad, probably chargers too, if not used in awhile.
And there are plenty of active repeaters in your area.
Sounds like a good excuse to go buy a nice shiny new radio to me!
Get one that is part 97 approved though.

-Mike.
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K1QQQ

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Re: BAOFENG CHARGERS
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2022, 09:12:01 PM »

As many say.with a Baofeng etc. if you destroy it no big deal. $25 and it usually works.

I oddly do have an Alinco HT  220 mhz/900 mhz.

It is nice to have an HT that was made with quality control and maybe even more features. BUT the things 'new' they seem to charge allot for it. The Yaesu VX-6 (?) seems a nice HT  and general coverage receiver for not too much.

I still debate buying Chinese but perhaps there is more quality control now ?

Seems Technicians (the majority license) many use brands like Anytone. (usually  brand names here are in duplication by many many clones) I gotta admit some new ones like that 25x4 (Radioddity..Baofeng ) might be nice and not cost a fortune. https://baofengtech.com/product/uv-25x4/ No DMR here.
 
I personally like Alinco as my experience is they usually last forever. Bought the new  https://www.alinco.com/Products/ham/mCCbl/DR-MD520/DR-MD520TE.pdf

https://www.remtronix.com/amateur-radio/analog-radios/mobile-radios/dr-md520/

https://www.alinco.com/Products/ham/mCCbl/DR-MD520/DR-MD520TE.pdf  Not rich but seems a good base radio for VHF/UHF and maybe for a few years. 220 but 5 watts. (get a 220 amp from Btech or Baofengtech ?  https://baofengtech.com/product-category/amplifier/   ---)


(Not affiliated with any 'radio sales' etc.)

Hmmm have strayed.... I gotta figure out these 'Baofeng chargers... I had one apart a long time ago and the wiring you could breath on it it it would fall apart...


http://www.alinco.com/products.html

Hope link works as my browser is saying IN-SECURE !!! with no option to view the page. Reason I quit Firefox as some days you could surf nowhere..not even to google.com  Search settings but still...

Gotta run. The crowd will be screaming that I am     . They honestly follow you around and scream 'troll' and don not like the way you talk, post, your character or who knows what... o-never post a similar question !!!!! They usually have no email address. A similar question. Is the audience a little different at another time ?


ps..this is a 'club' so all postings do not relate to ME..(as to questions)

« Last Edit: September 26, 2022, 09:33:27 PM by K1QQQ »
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WB6BYU

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Re: BAOFENG CHARGERS
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2022, 03:02:42 PM »

Quote from: K1QQQ

...The chargers. Every one went bad short order. No red light anymore and they seem to do zero charging...



Many of the "smart" chargers (smarter than the old Ni-Cad
fixed-current chargers where you had to guess when the
battery was charged, at any rate) will only switch into
"charge" mode when they detect a battery of the proper
voltage on the other end.  If the connector or the battery
is bad, they won't attempt to charge.  Batteries can go bad
if they are left uncharged for a long time.

Probably the most common failure for the chargers is the
plug that goes into the radio.  If the wires aren't well
connected, they break off and it goes open circuit.  Replacing
the plug, and providing better strain relief, might be a
simple fix, although the thin wire in the cord can be difficult
to work with at times.


One thing that threw me for a loop with a couple newer
radios (after 1990?) where the charger plugs into the
radio, rather than into the battery pack, is that I had to
turn the radio on to charge the battery.  I still forget to
do that on occasion, and the battery doesn't charge.

N7EKU

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Re: BAOFENG CHARGERS
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2022, 09:29:13 PM »

It's not putting the electricity into the radio,

It's putting it into the battery.  If you used them years ago, and left the battery attached to the radio just sitting around, the small drain from the radio would completely deplete the battery and then it's forever dead.  Likely the charger is just fine.

It's like all these rechargeable power tools.  I'll bet 99% of every single one ever made is now in the trash heap because nobody kept up the batteries and the manufacturers do not sell replacements anymore.  The tool likely never even had a chance to be worn out because it got limited use, the battery died over some random period of non-use, and that's all she wrote.

It would help if they made smarter chargers, but practically all the NiCad and NiMH chargers on tools and radios were dumb ones that would cook the batteries of left on a long time.  Pretty much "planned obsolescence" as they say.  At least on the FT-817, the charger was a simple timed one so it would cook them for too long.  The e-mags used to have project articles for "one shot" timers for these chargers that helped a lot.  The Li-Ion ones are smarter because it's a safety issue, however if you let the batteries sit for years without charging them, they will die too.

73.





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Mark -- N7EKU/VE3
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