[Premium-Rx] WJ Battery Care - Replacement

[Steve Pappin]

Your WJ radio might need a new memory battery if these conditions are 
present:

1) Battery acid is leaking from seals
2) Loss of data and programming
3) Display flickering or resetting
4) Radio will not boot or turn on
5) Erratic operation

It's time to replace the battery before the radio is permanently damaged! A 
lot of radios come in where this is the only problem. The damage ranges from 
blown charging circuits to acid damage. Radios that have the wrong batteries 
installed can be severely damaged.

The wrong batteries include these types:

1) Cordless phone - toy - RC model
2) Alkaline or Lead Acid or the wrong chemistry
3) Consumer Grade - Room Temperature - Non Rechargeable
4) Capacitors - not a battery

I just posted battery replacement procedures for the WJ 8617 / 18 and 8716 / 
18 on the WEB site. The WJ 8711, 8712, and HF1000 procedures are in the 
manuals. Some of the batteries can cause damage if they are not replaced 
properly. Others, like the 8711 battery failure, can cause the radio to stop 
functioning properly. A2U5 is not just a battery. It is a clock, battery, 
and RAM module and it should be initialized after replacement. Failure to 
use the right battery in any of these radios can damage the radio. Acid 
leakage and explosion can occur. Cordless phone or consumer grade batteries 
are poor choices because of the temperatures inside the radios. They start 
leaking within a few weeks. I keep pictures of these installations and the 
clean up required. The batteries should be checked every 5 years and 
replaced every 10 years. It's a small investment to keep your valuable radio 
running properly.

For WJ battery kits and procedures: www.pcs-associates.com.

Best Regards,
Steve