I just acquired two used Uniden GMR1588-2CK FRS/GMRS radios without the charging bases. With this model it’s pain to remove the battery cover and replace the (4) AAA batteries to recharge them separately, so I’m trying to find and buy used drop-in charging bases on eBay or somewhere for cheap (I only paid $2 for the radios without the chargers and they work fine.)
I’m assuming that Uniden used the same charging base design for several of their radio models, and that if I knew all of those models it would help me in my search. Can anyone here help me identify which other Uniden radio models used the same charging base design that the Uniden GMR1588-2CK uses?
Interestingly, while researching this Uniden GMR1588-CK I learned the FCC fined Uniden $23K for marketing this radio because it supports speech scrambling on GMRS channels, which is illegal.
Uniden argued unsuccessfully with FCC and ended up paying the fine and eventually pulling this radio from the market after selling off all their old stock, which the FCC took further issue with. Some forum members might find this case summary amusing. https://transition.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2009/DA-09-2374A1.html
Also, I find it interesting that the GMR1588-2CK’s “boost” feature–which when you push the red button increases GMRS transmitter power from 600mW to about 1.4W–only works when you’re using NiMH batteries and is disabled when using alkaline batteries.
I can’t figure out why Uniden did that, since there’s no way this little radio could ever exceed the GMRS legal power limit. So naturally I’m wondering if there’s any way to modify this radio to defeat that restriction. Thoughts, anyone?
The radio was discontinued well over a decade ago, so finding the chargers for it may be a challenge. According the the original manual, the GMR1588-2CK was part of a series that included the GMR1595-2CK. Apparently these shared the same drop-in charger, so if you cannot find it specifically for your model, you may be able to find one for the GMR-1595-2CK. The model number for the charging cradle is RC-1581.
Just a note about the batteries. You mentioned you wanted to be able to recharge the AAA batteries outside of the radio. The charger was intended for use with the supplied NiMH battery pack part number BP38. Although the radio also supports 4 AAA alkaline batteries, these are not rechargeable, so I would highly advise you not to attempt to charge them either in or outside the radio.
If you are referring to rechargeable AAA batteries, that would also not be a good idea, as those generally require a specific type of charger and the chargers supplied with the radio were not designed to charge them.
Thanks, Rick for your detailed and helpful reply. Since I couldn’t find ether a GMR1588-2CK or a GMR1595-2CK drop-in charging base on eBay for a reasonable price, I’ll try to fashion an alternative from wood or something to at least keep this rounded-base radio radio upright.
My intent is to allow the radio to stand up on a desk while scanning so I can continually monitor all 22 channels without having to manually pull out the batteries to charge them every day or two
Thanks also for noting that AAA NiMH batteries may not charge properly in this radio with Uniden’s charger, which is designed to charge Uniden’s battery pack. And of course, it’s unwise to try to recharge Alkaline batteries!
I wonder how Uniden’s circuit in this radio detects if NiMH or Alkalline baterries are installed so it disables the (RF power) “boost” feature when the red button is pressed to increase GMRS transmitter power from 600mW to about 1.4W. That feature is somehow disabled when Alkaline batteries are installed. Strange.
I’m not aware of any circuitry in this radio that would detect changes in the battery types. I would imagine the Power Boost limitation would depend more on the battery level to determine if there was enough power available to provide a boost, than the type of power source used.