I’m in need of a couple 2 way radios for a mobile application. These radios will be used in close proximity, so range is not really an issue. And they will be in 1 vehicle. My main concern is the battery, how long it will last in use, and how it’s charged. What I “think” I want is a radio with li-ion batteries that can be charged from a car charger. But I’ve been unable to find such a radio. Cobra makes several consumer products that use the li-ion batteries, but they don’t have car chargers. Midland makes several with car chargers but they don’t have li-ion batteries! The reason for wanting the li-ion battery is I want to be able to just plug them into their desktop charger (which I want to mount in the vehicle) and forget about them, so they are ready to go when I need them. I don’t want to have to worry about plugging/unplugging them once they are charged. Just use them, put them back in the charger, and they are ready to go next time I need them.
I’m not against moving up to a business based product if I can find one that fits the bill economically. Thanks for the help.
Another question. How is the charger for the Li7200 made? Does it have an external DC power supply that feeds it? A post in it’s review thread, by Plasma, seems to suggest that it does since he states it measured 11.95 volts in the craddle and at the charger plug. If that’s the case, can someone post it’s specs, as well as the batteries? Prehaps I can locate, or build, a DC adapter to feed it.
Edit: I see in the description on Cobra’s website that the “wall adapter” can charge a single radio via the earpiece connection. So obviously it unplugs from the desktop craddle, which tells me the charging circuit is most likely inside the radio. Why can’t I just feed it with 12 vDC from a car’s outlet?
The 7200s have such a long charge life, you’d tire out and have to stop before they will. Over 2 days on a charge. Honestly, bring the charger and charge up when you stop for the night.
The 7200s have an external power adapter. It is a 12V supply.
They may be what I end up doing, but sure as I bring them inside for the night, I’ll forget them the next morning. I emailed Cobra and they don’t offer a car charger for them at this time, which I didn’t figure they did since I couldn’t find one.
Why couldn’t I just remove the AC adapter from the cord and wire up a cig adapter on it? If drop the voltage to 12 volts, what’s the difference?
Hasn’t the power supply got a wal wart connector on one end that plugs into the desktop charger? I’m sure it has, since it can also plug into the radio itself. Wouldn’t something like this work to power the desktop charger?
I emailed Cobra and they don’t offer a car charger for them at this time, which I didn’t figure they did since I couldn’t find one.