ICOM W2a Won't power up, after full charge with two different batteries

This is a HF, VHF and UHF transceiver.
All of the specification are at:
http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/hf/7100/specifications.aspx

Charging a battery requires two components. A working charger and a functioning battery. The concept is simple. A battery charger must output more voltage than the battery does, and at an acceptable current level. First determine the battery output from the ID sticker, then measure the charger output. It must be 1 or 2 volts more than the battery output. If the charger is working, charge the battery overnight. If the battery does not charge or runs down quickly, the battery must be replaced. All batteries have a limited number of charge cycles. The most common problem with Ni-Cad batteries happens when they are re-charged before they are completely discharged. Recharging a half used Ni-Cad sets up a short term memory and the battery discharges faster than normal.

Hi Jack, (No Pun Intended)

As this is such a fine radio, I would take it to the radio doctor for a once over check-up, The technician will find the problem and give you an estimate of cost to repair the fault, Take care of you radio, it's a great unit that should give you many more years of service.

I hope this advice is of help to you.

Cheers,
Peter

This is likely the result of a high current draw, ie too high for the battery capacity, which could be simple partially discharged batteries. Have you tried transmitting on low power? Does that make a difference?

It would appear from the voltage that you are using rechargeable batteries such as NiMH which have a lower full charge voltage than alkaline cells. Though I have never used the A6, I do have several Icom handhelds, amateur and marine and they work fine using the NiMH cells, though it is possible that alkalines may help--it's worth a try.

If none of the above makes a difference it would appear that something in the transmitter circuits is drawing too much current. A likely suspect (unfortunately) is the power transistor. Ouch. Good luck. Let us know what you find.

This is likely because:

1. You are using the wrong types of batteries (Alkaline, Ni-Cd or Ni-MH batteries are recommended for digital cameras) NOTE: don't mix different types.
2. The battery is out of charging cycles and won't retain charge. (Most rechargeable batteries can be charged only about 1000 times after which they won't hold charge)
3. The batteries aren't 'powerful' enough. (low quality rechargeable batteries with low capacity shouldn't be used on digital cameras, Always buy batteries specialized for cameras (from camera stores or studios))
4. The wrong battery type is selected in the camera's settings. (Most cameras let you select the type of battery you are using from it's settings. Browse through the settings and see if this is the problem)

Hope that fixed it. Good luck.

What you have been using are consumer grade walkie talkies. The rechargeable battery packs in them should last a full business day, unless you are in a high use area. This being said, it is also possible you might need to replace the rechargeable battery pack as they usually have just a one year life expectancy. As they start to fail they will go less and less time in a day.

To answer your question about a radio which will go a full business day, any of the business division Motorola handheld radios would work. Radios such as the CP110, BPR40, CP185, and CP200 are all make to go a full day and sometimes more. Their battery packs depending on chemistry would also need to be replaced every 18-24 months.

Best regards.

The Batteries that Motorola uses will die after a while mainly because people leave them on the charger all of the time. But there is a way to refresh them. You let the battery die completely, then you charge it up for about 12 hours. Then you let the battery die completely. Do this a couple of times and the batteries will last long.
Also, Motorola use to make a battery refresher (or did when I worked there.) It will charge and drain the battery automatically. It will even give you a fault if the battery is completely dead. For the HT1000 (for example) it would be the WPPN4065BR.
For future reference, don't constantly charge a battery. Only have it on the charger when the battery is actually dead or very low. This will increase battery life.

The manual for your Icom R10 can be downloaded here:

http://www.rigpix.com/icom/icr10_manual.pdf

Pay particular attention to pages 7 & 8, as they deal specifically with NiCad & Alkaline battery usage and the charge switch.


The modifications available for te Icom R10 can be downloaded here for free (registration is required):

http://www.mods.dk/index.php?ModelId=350&RadioRec=icom

This applies to all battery powered radios. Take out the battery and measure the voltage to see if it is indeed charged. If it's not, then the fault is the charger or the battery or both. If the battery voltage shows that it is fully charged, then clean the terminals on the battery and on the radio with a pencil eraser to remove any corrosion. If still no joy, then look up in your user's manual on how to do a reset. If you don't have a manual, get on the ICOM website and download one.

Good luck.

Yes! Here is a web site
http://www.batteryprice.com/browseproducts/S-INTERNAL-Battery-ICOM-IC-W2A-IC-2SRA-IC-4SRA-IC-2SAT-IC-3SAT-IC-4SAT-IC-24AT-IC-RI-IC-X2A-7.2v-300mAh-NiCd.HTML