[Elecraft] KX3 Internal battery issue

[Matt Zilmer]

You may have a bad cell in your Eneloops.  Try monitoring the current 
drain while discharging the battery.  At idle, it should be200 mA or 
less.  If it's much more than that, there may be a different problem 
with the KX3 itself.  But I'd guess you're looking for a single bad 
cells in the bunch.

After a load is removed, most types of batteries recover to a much 
higher open-circuit voltage.  The internal resistance doesn't add 
voltage drop without the load present.

There are instruments out there that assess battery health. Can you get 
access to one?  I believe MFJ makes one...

73,

matt W6NIA


On 4/10/2017 7:00 AM, Anthony de Maillet wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a new (last week) KX3 built by Waters and Stanton in the UK.  It has all the extras other than the 2m/4m Transverter.  I have installed a fully charged and new set of Eneloop 1900mah NiMH batteries.  If I trun the radio on the battery voltage drops from 10.9 volts to 7.9 volts over about 2 minutes then the radio switches off.  If I plug in the external power (13.6 Volts) the battery voltage inceases back up to about 10.7 volts - again over about 2 minutes.  Presumeably the batteries are recovering? The Batt Chg in the menu is OFF at this point.
>
> Any ideas?  Radio issue, Battery issue or normal behaviour?  I’m wasn’t intending running from internal batteries except in an emergency.  Pre amp, NB, NR etc. all off.  Backlight is on though.  I’m a bit puzzled.
>
> Tony
> M0ZZA
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-- 
"A delay is better than a disaster."
-- unknonwn

Matt Zilmer, W6NIA
[Shiraz]