Battery gotcha... (was Re: receiver not charging

BTW: There's one "gotcha" when using regular batteries (rechargeable  
or not) with the VR-500. It's possible to short a battery on  
insertion and damage the radio.

Yaesu used a flat spring coil on the _positive_ end of one battery  
position (at least in mine). This, combined with the tight fit of the  
battery compartment, makes it possible for a bit of the label to get  
scraped off when you insert the battery. When this happens, the  
contact can short the battery's positive post to the can.

If such a short occurs, the flat coil contact heats _very_ rapidly,  
melting the case and possibly doing other damage. I had a VR-500  
destroyed this way.

I think this problem is most likely with rechargeables _IF_ you  
charge them outside the unit. Repeated insertions makes it more  
likely for the battery label to tear and expose the can beside the  
positive post.

I strongly recommend against charging batteries outside the radio. If  
you use regular AA rechargeables, trim the label so you can recharge  
them in the unit.

Cheers,
Marcus
--
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http://area42.mwbrooks.com
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On Feb 5, 2010, at 1:12 PM, Butch Bussen wrote:

> Yep, I'm using the rechargeable that came with the receiver. I didn't
> know the trick about using regular batteries.



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