Icom BP196 Two-way radio Batteries

The Lifespan of the Icom BP196 Battery

The life of a rechargeable battery for Icom BP196 Two-way radio operating under normal conditions is generally between 500 to 800 charge-discharge cycles.

This translates into one and a half to three years of battery life for the average user. As the BP196 battery begins to die, the user will notice a decline in the running time of the battery. When a battery that originally operated the device for two hours is only supplying the user with an hour's worth of use, it's time for a new Icom BP196 replacement battery.

Is it Possible to Upgrade the Two-way radio Battery to a Newer Chemistry?

NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion are all fundamentally different from one another and cannot be substituted unless the Two-way radio has been pre-configured from the factory to accept more than one type of rechargeable battery technology. The difference between them stems from the fact that each type requires a different charging pattern to be properly recharged. Therefore, the Icom BP196 Two-way radio internal charger must be properly configured to handle a given type of rechargeable battery.