Scanner Tip: Why doesn’t a charger come with my scanner?

Until recently most handheld scanners came with an AC wall charger/power supply and some even came with mobile power cords for the car. Newer models these days often do not. Why is that? Is Uniden or the others trying to save a buck here and there? Is there a conspiracy to sell more chargers?

Well, the answer is complicated and there are a couple reasons involved. The most important is that the various manufacturers are switching many portable devices, including scanners, to charge off of common USB devices. Since many different devices are going this route, like cell phones, headsets and others, scanner manufacturers are following suit. This lets consumers use a single charger with many devices. This is a good thing! Sure, scanner makers might save a buck or two here but so will you.

Another reason is regulatory. Some states have set up rules to govern consumer electronic devices including scanners and cell phones; USB charging is one way to comply with these rules.

By using USB to charge or power your scanner you can use any of the several chargers you likely already have at home. If you are reading this you almost certainly already have a USB charger. Don’t think so? How about the computer? If it has a USB port chances are it will charge your scanner just fine. Got a cell phone or tablet? Chances are it comes with a USB charger. The cable may be different but the USB charger will probably work with the scanner.

Newer scanners with USB usually come with the USB cable. This is used for both programming and charging. Older Uniden scanners, like the BCD396XT, have serial ports instead of USB and have non-USB charging ports. GRE & Whistler built scanners have either a direct USB port (like on the WS-1095) or serial ports (such as the older PSR500/PSR600)

The USB cable that comes with most scanners is called the “USB-Mini”, most newer non-Apple cell phones and cell phone accessories use the “USB-Micro”. You can usually use any USB-Mini cable for the scanner so there is a good chance you already have some lying around. Leave one in the glove box to charge the scanner in the car and another in the camera bag. ScannerMaster sells replacement cables as well.

Another thing to remember is that handheld scanners will generally NOT charge the battery while the radio is turned on. USB has limits as to the power available so if you need to charge the batteries turn the radio off. USB will power the radio if the batteries are dead or missing but it cannot power and charge at the same time.

If you don’t already have a spare USB charger and cable or two lying around ScannerMaster sells them for both the house and the car. You can also use external battery chargers; these tend to charge faster than charging in the radio. (AC Adaptors) (Mobile Adaptors)

Also remember that while most handheld scanners these days use AA batteries you cannot charge Alkaline cells. Do not try to charge alakalines. They tend to leak, burn or do other nasty things that can destroy your radio and melt your brain if you try to charge them.

One more note to remember: Base/mobile scanners that have USB ports but that do NOT run on batteries (like the BCD996P2 or BCD536HP) cannot be powered by USB, they need their included AC adaptor or some other source of 12 volts DC. These scanners use the USB port for computer access only.

If you use handheld scanners then you have to manage batteries. Most scanners come with or use rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride cells, often abbreviated to Ni-MH. There are still some older Nickel Cadmium (“Ni-Cad”) cells still around. There is also a newer technology called Lithium Ion (“LI”). If you still use one of the older scanners with composite battery packs (like the BC250D or BC296D) these likely use or NiMH battery packs.

Current scanners almost always use “AA” sized batteries. AA Ni-MH batteries are very common these days and can be found almost anywhere and are also used in a wide variety of different applications. LI batteries are more expensive but are lighter in weight and provide longer life in many instances.

If you charge your batteries in the radio then remember that it is likely set up for Ni-MH. If you use Ni-Cad or LI cells then the charge times will be different. If your radio supports altering charge times then you could change it to match.

Whatever you do make sure that ALL the cells in the radio are the same! Do not mix different types of cells. Also make sure that you do not try to charge alkaline cells like Duracell or Ray-O-Vac’s! This is an easy way to blow things up and make nasty things happen. If you do this warranty will not cover you and the repairs are on you.

If you want to use rechargeable batteries that are different than the ones that came with the radio then consider a separate charger. This would allow you to manage 2 or 3 sets, one for current use and another for standby when the current ones are depleted and a third set in the charger. Make sure the charger you use is appropriate for the batteries you use.

What about Alkalines? Alkaline batteries, such as Duracell’s, Energizer or Ray-O-Vac brands, are great for scanners. You do need to make sure that you do not try to charge them. On many Uniden scanners there is a tiny switch inside the battery compartment that you can select Alkaline or Ni-MH. If you select Alkaline the radio will not attempt to charge batteries in the radio. If you have a RadioShack, GRE or Whistler handheld scanner then the yellow battery holder will charge your batteries when the radio is plugged into an outside power source, so do not use the yellow holder for alkalines. The black battery holder is used for alkaline batteries.

One other thing to consider is that rechargeable batteries produce a slightly lower voltage than alkaline ones do. Typically rechargeable cells produce 1.2 to 1.25 volts compared to 1.5 volts for alkalines at full charge. Usually this is not a problem; the extra quarter-volt per cell is not going to burn up your radio. Using higher voltage alkaline cells will allow the radio to run a bit longer before the battery warning starts.

Here is a little hint for users of later Uniden scanners: You can see how many volts your battery has at any time by pressing the rotary knob down while scanning. Make note of the voltage with fresh cells and the voltage when the battery warning starts. This will give you a good idea of when to expect the need to change or charge the batteries.

I always try to keep an extra set of batteries handy when I am out and about. Save those little battery boxes or use something to keep the batteries from shorting and bouncing around. I use a prescription bottle; larger ones are perfect for 3 or 4 AA’s! I can then toss that in the glove box. Just remember to take off the label so the world doesn’t find out what meds you take. Do they make a pill that will cure a scanner addiction?