The last thing you want to happen when you’re out on an adventure with your friends is not being able to bring a charger for your walkie-talkie. Or, you have lost it somewhere. It’s a hassle, right?
If you don’t have any options left, don’t worry. This guide will help you to give simple and easy tricks to charge your walkie-talkie. However, make sure you have ample knowledge and technical skills to pull off the following methods.
Short Answer
Yes., you can charge a walkie-talkie without a charger. Batteries eligible for charging are rechargeable ones such as NiMH, NiCad, and Li-ion batteries. Moreover, you need to know more about the battery’s information to charge your walkie-talkie successfully.
Long Answer
There are different ways you can charge your walkie-talkie without a charger. However, it’s only possible for rechargeable batteries such as NiMH, NiCad, and Li-ion batteries. On the other hand, alkaline batteries are not likely to charge because they are not rechargeable.
Moreover, the methods for charging a walkie-talkie without a charger are risky. You need to know the details and information regarding different walkie-talkie batteries to pull off the task. But if you don’t have any options left, you can follow the procedures to make sure you can use your walkie-talkie again.
Different Types of Walkie-Talkie Chargers
Before anything else, let’s dive into the different types of walkie-talkie batteries. This way, it will help us determine what types of batteries are eligible for charging without a charger.
Nickel-Cadmium or Ni-Cad Battery
It is one of the original batteries used for walkie-talkies. It lasts longer than any type of battery despite overcharging it countless times. However, it’s the heaviest and susceptible to partial charging, which is called memory burn.
It is a rechargeable battery, which means you can recharge it every time the battery runs out. If you take care of it properly, it can last up to 3 years.
Nickel Metal Hydride or NiMH Battery
It has the same chemistry and properties as Ni-Cad batteries, but the good thing is, they are tolerant of memory burn. However, overcharging it can cause the battery to shorten its lifespan.
The charging efficiency of NiMH is 70 to 100% charge. Once you notice the warming temperature, it is close to a fully-charged battery. Also, it is better to fast charge a NiMH to prevent memory burn.
Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) Battery
It is the most expensive rechargeable battery. It doesn’t get a memory burn, but it is limited to specific charging cycles. Once it reaches the cycle limit, let’s say, 1000 cycles, you won’t be able to charge them. Over time, you may notice the battery runs out faster than before.
When charging a Li-ion battery, it is better to charge it partially. Fully charging it will increase the cycle, reducing the life of the battery.
Alkaline Battery
An alkaline battery that is used for a walkie-talkie is usually non-rechargeable. Out of the bunch, it has a longer shelf life. But once the cycles run out of the battery, you won’t be able to recharge it.
Hence, you cannot charge a walkie-talkie with an alkaline battery. However, you can use the alkaline battery to charge rechargeable batteries.
You can charge Ni-Cad, NiMH, and Li-ion batteries without a charger. On the other hand, alkaline batteries can be used as a means to replenish the rechargeable batteries.
Furthermore, read the different methods of charging regardless of what type of walkie-talkie battery you have. You might need more technical skills to do it, so make sure to do your research and practice on your part. Besides, we don’t want to encounter a dead walkie-talkie during our adventure, right?
Charge using a USB Port
If you happen to have a walkie-talkie with a USB port for charging, you can easily do it by just plugging it into any device or equipment. To do it, these are the following steps you should consider:
- If you didn’t bring a USB port for your walkie-talkie, but you have a smartphone USB cable with you, you can use it to charge your walkie-talkie. Make sure your smartphone’s USB port is the same as the walkie-talkie.
- Connect the USB to your laptop, PC, power bank, or even in your car that has a USB port.
- Connect the USB cable’s other to your walkie-talkie.
- Turn on your chosen device to charge successfully.
You will notice smooth charging with your walkie-talkie. For safety measures, keep the battery inside the walkie-talkie during charging.
Charge Using Alkaline Battery
For this type of method, you need to follow the steps to charge your walkie-talkie successfully.
- First, remove the battery from the walkie-talkie.
- Bring out your AA, AAA, or 9-volt alkaline battery.
- Match the battery’s voltage to the alkaline battery to supply power to your dead battery. If the alkaline batteries you’ll use for charging have lower voltage than the walkie-talkie battery, it will be difficult to charge it, or it won’t charge at all.
Furthermore, a typical household battery has 1.5V each. If you have a Li-ion battery of 3.7V, you need 3 AA or AAA batteries to connect everything to form a series.
- Connect your alkaline batteries to form a series.
- Acquire two metal wire pieces.
- Tape the wires to the connected alkaline batteries and the walkie-talkie battery. Remember that wires may get hot when in contact with these batteries, so take precautionary measures when doing it.
- After a while, the charge should start.
A word of caution, it’s possible to charge a NiMH battery using this method, but it will take quite a lot of time. Slow charging can cause memory to burn to the NiMH battery. If you don’t want it to happen, make sure to avoid using this method if you have a NiMH battery.
Charge Using Clip Charger
Another option for charging your walkie-talkie is by using a clip charger. To execute this method, you need to follow these steps:
- Remove the battery from the walkie-talkie
- Place the battery on the clip charger’s charging platform.
- Plugin the charger and turn it on.
This method is the easiest way to charge your battery. However, you can use a clip charger for Li-ion batteries only. If you happen to have one, make sure to bring it with you at all times because you can quickly charge your battery, similar to what a USB does.
Conclusion – How to charge a Walkie Talkie without a Charger
You can charge a walkie-talkie battery without a charger, as long as it’s rechargeable. Otherwise, you might be causing harm to yourself.
For successful charging, you can use a USB port for all types of walkie-talkie batteries, as long as the walkie-talkie has a USB port.
Another way is to charge your battery using an alkaline battery such as AA, AAA, and 9-volt. However, alkaline battery charging is slow; hence, it might threaten the NiMH battery as it requires fast charging.
The clip charger, on the other hand, is only useful for a Li-ion battery. It’s a fast and efficient way to charge your walkie-talkie. The clip charger comes with a manual so make sure to read it before using it.
While these methods are useful for charging your walkie-talkies, it’s still essential to bring a charger with you. Or, you can bring an alkaline battery for backup if your walkie-talkie is an alkaline-enabled device.
These methods might require you to conduct in-depth research on the type of battery you have and experience to pull off the tasks. Besides, it is a bit more hassle to do this stuff compared to bringing your charger.
