Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: www.batteriesamerica.com

Category: Batteries & Chargers for Amateur Radio

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : www.batteriesamerica.com
Reviews: 63MSRP:
Description:
Wide selection of HT batteries and accessories. Great service. I give them a 5/5
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.batteriesamerica.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00633.2
WB0KWJ Rating: 2022-03-27
High failure rate Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I’ve bought four or five lithium HT battery packs from Batteries America. Of those, two failed, swelling up, after about a year and fewer than 20 charging cycles with the OEM chargers.
W4FID Rating: 2022-03-26
Done lots of business with them for decades Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have known Batteries America for about 30 years. Met the owners many times at hamfests. Talked to them on the phone a few times. They are available and responsive. Bought their packs for several HTs and months ago the high capacity one for my IC-705. Happy with all of them. Only one time did I ever have a problem and it was replaced immediately including return shipping charges. Sadly they -- like about everybody -- has supplier problems and quality issues on stuff these days. Anyone ever have to take their car in for service? Or have a new appliance with problems? But their offerings are as good as what's available and at attractive prices. Stuff is made where it's made these days often with few or no alternatives for manufacturer to choose from. They are a company of integrity and do stand by their issues if any arise.
W2WIR Rating: 2022-03-25
Battery does not last for very long Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased a BP-173x for my Icom T7H. The battery worked fine for the first 10 cycles or so. After 10 cycles the battery would not hold a charge.
NO6B Rating: 2021-05-08
Misrepresented product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought an FNB-83xe battery for a Yaesu VX-177 that was advertised on their web page as using "Eneloop" cells. Since I didn't use the radio much I decided to do a lifetime test: first I charged the battery & drained it while measuring the current (110 mA) to measure the freshly charged capacity. I then charged the battery again, removed it from the radio, set it on the shelf for 5 months, & repeated the drain test. The battery had lost nearly half its capacity! Real Eneloops typically lose less than 20% after 12 months. When I tried to contact BA about this they claimed that the cells they use were "Eneloop-like". WTH is "Eneloop like"?! Also the sticker they put on the battery has the stylized "eneloop" logo on it. When I tried to go back to their web page to show them where their advertising says Eneloop, they had already changed it (update: I just looked at their web page for the FNB-83xe & they're back to showing the exact same battery I bought. The picture resolution is low but you can still make out the "eneloop" logo in the upper right corner of the sticker). Also within 2 years the battery developed a high internal resistance: it still has near rated capacity but I can't transmit at all with that battery now because of the high resistance. I wonder if that's a feature of "Eneloop-like" batteries?

So all I can say is if you think you're buying battery packs with Eneloop cells in them, better check them first by setting the pack aside for several months & testing it. Or better yet, save yourself several months of time & don't buy from Batteries America ;)
PE1HZG Rating: 2020-09-06
Loving their FT817 eneloop packs Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'm loving the battariesamerica ft817 eneloop battary packs! I used to die a battary pack every 2 years but I have two of them and they both go for more than 10 years now, still going strong.

The only problem I have is that I used to "self-import" these, but I travel less (much less with Covid) and shipping and taxes for any American product is damn expensive right now. I would like to buy more but not if I need to mortgage the house to pay shipping, and I hope they come up with a way to serve their "DX" customers.
AG5CC Rating: 2015-05-06
Point of origin is a mystery Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered the PB-42LH 4000mAh battery and the EMS-42K desktop charger. Battery fits my TH-F6A perfectly. Only had it for a few days, so can't speak to the longevity yet.

The charger weighs exactly 5 ounces, so it's not exactly substantial. It has three lights. One red—illuminates when the charger is plugged into an AC outlet. Another red—glows while the battery is charging. One green—does nothing. It's supposed to blink briefly when I plug the charger in, then illuminate to indicate a fully charged battery. Mine is always dark—DOA out of the box. After careful consideration, I determined that (a) if there's a battery in the charger, and (b) the charger is plugged in, and (c) the red charging light is out, then (d) the battery must be charged—green light or no green light. My mom would be proud of me.

I wonder what that "QC Pass" sticker on the back of the unit means.

Oddly, there is no indication of country of origin on either the charger or the battery. Not that it matters, but it would be nice to have verification that this thing wasn't made in the good ol' USA. It's not worth the hassle to send it back for a faulty light.

Just one ham's opinion. You paid nothing for it, and it's worth at least that. 73!
W4KVW Rating: 2013-06-19
Great products but SLOW! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The products at Batteries America are quality but their shipping department leaves a lot to desire. They are VERY SLOW at getting an ordered item out for shipping.They did not hesitate to take the payment from my credit card but did drag their feet on shipping the order.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by W4KVW on 2009-07-18

I forgot to say that the Batteries America repacement battery does away with the BAD battery clip issue with the ICOM T8A TRI-BAND HT so it makes the ICOM T8A an ALMOST "PERFECT" TRI-BAND HT in my opinion.I would NOT trade it for ANY other HT that I've ever seen.The battery clip on the BP-200XL(9.6V 1450MAH)is SOLID like it SHOULD have been with the factory battery & it has EXTRA LONG LIFE even on HIGH POWER(5 watts)!

N4KVE Rating: 2013-02-15
Good quality, but make sure it fits Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using their batteries for years, & just retired a 10 year old W-32 battery they sold me that's marked Yost. [their previous name] However, since they buy from different suppliers, I have had mixed results. The W-32 batteries I purchased 10 years ago, & now look, & fit exactly like the factory Icom batteries. However, a friend asked me to pick up a Yaesu 50 battery, & it fit very poorly. Fortunately, I was at a hamfest, & went back to the car to check the fit of the battery, & it was horrible. I took my friend's radio back to their booth to try other batteries, & they all fit like crap, so I got my money back, & bought his Yaesu battery from Prostar, which fit fine. So my advice is to buy the battery in person to make sure it fits correctly, because the fit can vary between the Chinese suppliers. However, since all I use is their W-32 battery which is a perfect fit, I give them a "5".
WE7H Rating: 2013-02-14
B.A. Took good care of me! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought an FNB-102Li battery and a couple BC-102 belt clips for my Yaesu VX-8GR from B.A. The after market belt clips are spring loaded and provide a good positive hold on the belt. The battery and one of the clips was good to go.

One of the clips was not too good...weak or improperly attached spring. I sent an e-mail informing Batteries America about the problem with the clip. They responded quickly and said to send it back for replacement. I did. Got the replacement back today...about a week and a half turn around. New clip is nice and strong, nice tight hold. Also the battery I bought is well made, fits the radio and charger good, holds a good charge and lasts a lot longer than the stock 1100 mAh battery.

So, for me these guys are a good business that I feel I can rely on. They provide some good and unique products at good prices along with good service. The clips are awesome in comparison to the stock clips. That all adds up to a 5 in my book.

That's my two cents worth all y'all,

73, Ed
N7MSD Rating: 2011-12-16
Their stuff works for me Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Huh, this seems to be one of those places where you get the good stuff or the bad stuff depending on the day. I guess I got lucky, because I can't complain.

In April or May 2011 (going from memory here) I bought one each of these for my IC-T81A:

BP-200XL 1450mAh pack--note that BA is the *ONLY* company making a battery this large in this form factor, so I didn't exactly have a choice here;

EMS-30i rapid charger because the radio won't charge batteries and my Maha universal charge likes to fry battery packs or cells < 2Ah capacity or so;

and the CBE-200 battery eliminator because the radio's jack is also shot and I haven't replaced it (again) yet.

All of these have worked as expected with no problems. The people on the phone were friendly even with my repeated calls and questioning. I'll be buying from them again, probably for my IC-91AD.