Signs of a bad, defective, or aged battery include constant or intermittent static, a shorter work day, and intermittent or poor transmit. Transmit problems are an early indicator of a old or bad battery. It is simple, it takes more energy to transmit than to receive. So if you have a radio that receives perfectly, but is iffy on transmit, check your battery.

So then the question arises… What happens if I continue to use the old battery? Just like any home appliance operating on low voltage, your radio will eventually have failures associated with the brown out. Then the simple need for a replacement battery turns into a battery + radio repair. As you can see, it would be much cheaper and wiser to replace the old battery when needed.

How do you know the age of a battery?

On Motorola brand batteries you will find either a 3-digit code or 4-digit code on the label of the battery or embossed in the plastic of the battery itself.  (See above photo for an example.) The first number on the 3-digit code represent the year of manufacture, the next two numbers are the week of the year. Example: 611 would be 2016 (or heaven-forbid 2006) the 11th week of the year. The newer 4-digit date codes are easier, 1611 would be 2016, the 11th week.

If you have difficulty determining the age of a battery, give us a call here at Delmmar Communications, 800-872-2627. We are always happy to help.