Service manual

June 2003 IPN: M5000-00-105 Battery packs E - 3
Battery packs
Six battery packs are available for Tait Orca
5000 portable radios. These battery packs are
not serviceable, but their construction and
expected life are described below.
The battery packs available are:
■ TOPB100 NiCD battery pack;
■ TOPB600 NiCD battery pack (slim, no belt
clip);
■ TOPB200 NiCD battery pack;
■ TOPB400 NiMH battery pack;
■ TOPB700 NiMH battery pack (slim, no belt
clip); and
■ TOPB500 NiMH battery pack.
The battery casing is constructed using a
rugged resin material, and includes two pieces
that are ultrasonically welded together.
Battery shift life
Battery shift life is outlined in Table E-1.
Battery shift life for other models and circum-
stances can be calculated from the typical
drain rates on page E-4.
For intrinsically safe batteries, see page A-11.
Preserving battery shift life
It is important that you follow the steps below
to preserve the shift life of the battery:
■ Charge or change the battery as soon as
the radio gives the ‘Low Battery’ warning.
■ Short condition the battery weekly.
■ Long condition the battery only for the
following reasons: on first use of new
battery, if performance is poor, and after
more than two weeks of storage.
■ Avoid leaving charged batteries in the
charger for more than a day.
■ Clean electrical contacts of the battery
using a fibre glass pencil, or the graphite
tip of a type 4H (#4) or harder pencil.
■ Always store the battery detached from
the radio when storing for more than a few
days.
■ Turn the radio off when it is unattended
for long periods.
■ Use only a Tait-recommended charger.
■ Maintain an ambient temperature of
between 5°C and 40°C during recharging.
Optimum battery performance will be
obtained between 15°C and 25°C.
■ Do not allow the battery pack contacts to
become short-circuited.
Table E-1: Typical battery shift life (in hours) based on a 5:5:90 duty cycle for a new conditioned battery pack*.
Battery type
Radio type
Conventional -
Medium Economy
Conventional -
No Economy
Trunked
TOPB100/600 NiCD 8.5 7 6.5
TOPB400/700 NiMH 10.5 8.5 8
TOPB200 NiCD 11.5 9 8.5
TOPB500 NiMH 15 12 11
* Users should aim to have one hour spare capacity at the end of their shift to allow for battery ageing.