Baofeng BF-F8HP battery and charging experience

The Baofeng BF-F8HP is a U/V portable FM transceiver. The battery supplied is labelled BL-5 and rated at 2800mAh.

Of course it is supplied with a Chinese power supply that does not comply with Australian Standards, and is illegal to sell in Australia, even second hand by a non-business seller.

It seems common that Baofeng portables use a charger cradle that is powered from nominally 10VDC. The question arises as to the maximum input voltage.

The PCB uses a XT9502 charger chip, and the datasheet for that chip specifies a maximum input voltage of 18V. This should be suitable for charging from an automotive system where voltage may well reach 17V under some charging conditions.

So, it is prudent to label the charger “18.0V Maximum”.

Further, in sourcing a safe standards compliant power supply, it needs to be no more than 18.0V, common 12V supplies should be fine.

I have no seen this one charge at more than 0.35A.

I modified the charger cradle to add a short external cable connected directly to the battery contacts and terminated in an Anderson Power Pole connector for connection to my Westmountain CBA for battery testing. Of course the cable needs labelling to prevent it being used for power input. (This battery can be discharged from the external terminals, keep in mind that shorting those terminals could have serious outcomes.)

The radio is new at the time of writing.

After one full charge – discharge – charge cycle, a discharge test indicates 43% capacity at 0.5C. Chinese battery ratings cannot be trusted.

I figure I can buy a spare battery online, and if it comes in below 60% capacity (like this one) I will claim a refund.