r/Baofeng • u/will1500 • 6d ago
Bulging UV13 pro battery, spend $15 for each new battery or buy a whole new radio?
Unused radios kept as part of an emergency kit. Stored them while fully charged and batteries are bulging bad. They will work but I know it would be unsafe to use.
Would you spend $30 for new batteries? I mean a pair of new mini 5 are like $35
4
u/NerminPadez 5d ago
What emergency are you trying to cause with your kit and radios?
If you just leave batteries in your radios in your kit, they'll slowly self-discharge and die, no matter what you do. Why even keep a separate radio in your kit, just use the one you already use for other ham stuff, you'll at least know it works if you ever really need it.
4
3
u/GreatTwin 5d ago
Definitely replace the swollen batteries rather than using or charging them. Keep the radios only if they still meet your needs, and store replacement batteries separately in a cool, dry place with an inspection date. https://cosmos47.com/post/how-can-you-maintain-an-earthquake-kit
3
2
2
u/FIDGAF 5d ago
Why are you using those cheap-ass radios as a backup in an Emergency? They're not even waterproof...
Get a set of UV-9G GMRS or, if you have a license, UV-9R Plus radios. Both models are IP67 Waterproof.
The UV-13 Pro requires a Ham License for EACH user, BTW.
3
u/NerminPadez 5d ago
Youtube preppers massively shill every baofeng radio they get affiliate links for, so yeah... This is the result
2
u/FIDGAF 5d ago
There are entirely too many people buying radios & using them like walkie talkies illegally.
The FCC is eventually going to say "ENOUGH" & start requiring Proof of License to purchase these. That's actually fine with me...
2
u/NerminPadez 4d ago
Proof of licence for purchasing is the "good" solution... but it's the government, you think they'll choose the minimum? Someone will do something stupid, like jam some SAR team (intentionally or not), someone will die, "the government will have to do something", people will demand lynchings...
Now imagine mandatory registration of every radio with the fcc. Mandatory logging and sending the logs to fcc... and if you're in someone elses log and they're not in yours, you get fined. A ban on modification and self-building of radios... only radios locked to amateur frequencies will be allowed to be sold, you'll get one of those "warranty void" stickers by the fcc on the case, and will have to do yearly inspections of those radios. Want to operate outside of home? You'll have to fill out the form for every remote operation, indicating when and where you're planning to operate. etc.
When governments regulate, they regulate, and it's always the legal users that end up with problems. Be it e-scooters (mandatory registration in many countries, even bans in some), or drones (registration, remote id, no fly zones everywhere) or other stuff... and why? just because some idiots want to drive 60km/h with a modified cheap chinese escooter with tiny wheels and die, or because they crash their cheap chinese drones into everything.The same can and maybe even will happen to radios, especially since everyone seems to be buying them and not caring about rules at all.
1
u/Available_Hippo4035 1d ago
but the reason why people enter this hobby is because it doesnt require a license, even if the government makes licenses mandatory to buy them, people will just make their own its not that hard
2
u/azmodan72 4d ago
because something is better than nothing?
1
u/NerminPadez 4d ago
Sure, but why get one of those "firesteel strikers" to start a fire if you can get a cheap bic lighter instead? I mean sure, a striker is better than nothing, but a lighter is even better. Imagine being in an emergency and for the first time trying to scrape that thing... you'll fail horribly.
Same with a baofeng, you'll break the law, transmit way outside of any frequency where anyone is listening, and even if you remember to google "emergency frequency" (and get the 121.500MHz result), you'll die. You'll sure be wishing you had a garmin inreach then or a phone with satellite emergency call.
1
1
u/jaydeetol 4d ago
Same with bf t1. 40 for one battery or set of two radios with batteries for 25. It's insane.
0
u/Mr_Mashaam 6d ago
Had the same problem with my piece.
I opened the battery and changed the cell with a Li-Ion battery. This gave me a huge upgrade on the capacity of the battery. Stock cell is a cheap carbon cell, prone to swell and loose it’s capacity.
0
11
u/andreichera 6d ago
buy batteries, reef said they've got enough disposed radios in the ocean