Man checking a walkie talkie battery at an office desk

Keep Your Walkie Talkies Powered: Battery Care Made Easy

Whether you’re out on a hike, managing a busy site, or just keeping the kids entertained, walkie talkies only work as well as their batteries do. And yet, most people don’t think much about battery care — until their radio dies mid-conversation.

Looking after your walkie talkie batteries isn’t hard, but it does take a little know-how. A few simple habits can make a big difference in battery life, performance, and how often you need to replace them.

Here’s how to get the best out of your two-way radio batteries.

1. Charge Before You Store

If you’re putting your walkie talkies away for a while, don’t leave them with empty batteries. Batteries can suffer when stored flat. Ideally, charge them to around 50% and power the radio off before storing.

Make sure they’re stored in a cool, dry place — not a glove box or shed where temperatures swing wildly.

2. Don’t Overcharge

Most modern chargers have overcharge protection, but it’s still a good habit not to leave your radios on charge longer than needed. Constantly keeping batteries on the charger can cause unnecessary wear over time.

A good rule of thumb? Once it’s full, unplug it.

3. Let Them Cool Down

Just finished using your radio for hours? Don’t stick it straight on charge. Give it a bit of time to cool. Charging a battery that’s still hot can shorten its life or even cause damage in the long run.

Same goes the other way around — if you’ve just taken it off the charger, let it sit for a few minutes before diving back into use.

4. Top Up Regularly, Don’t Drain Completely

There’s no need to run your batteries all the way down before charging. In fact, deep discharging can actually be harmful.

Instead, charge them regularly. Don’t wait until they’re fully drained before plugging in.

5. Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Walkie talkie batteries don’t do well in extreme heat or cold. Leaving your device in direct sun or a freezing van overnight? That’s a quick way to ruin your battery life.

Try to keep your radios (and their chargers) somewhere around room temperature. Cold weather drains battery life faster, and high heat can permanently damage cells.

6. Clean the Contacts

Sometimes it’s not the battery that’s the issue — it’s the connection. Dirt, dust, and corrosion on battery contacts can mess with performance.

Now and then, have a quick look at the metal contacts on your radio and battery. If there’s any dirt or buildup, a gentle wipe with a clean cloth or alcohol pad usually does the trick.

7. Rotate If You Have Spares

Using multiple walkie talkies for a group or a team? Rotate your batteries. That way, one battery doesn’t end up overworked while the others sit idle. Even batteries in storage slowly degrade, so regular use helps keep them healthy.

8. Look Out for the Warning Signs

Sometimes, batteries start showing signs that they’re on their way out. If you notice any of the following, it might be time to replace it:

  • The radio doesn’t hold a charge as long as it used to
  • It gets unusually hot during use or charging
  • The battery looks swollen or deformed
  • It won’t fully charge even after hours on the dock

Better to swap it out than take chances with a failing battery — especially in work or outdoor environments where clear communication is key.

9. Use the Right Charger

It sounds obvious, but always use a charger that matches your battery’s requirements. Off-brand or incorrect chargers can cause all sorts of issues — from slow charging to long-term damage.

If you’ve lost or broken your charger, check your walkie talkie brand’s recommended accessories before picking a replacement.

10. Replace Batteries When Needed

No battery lasts forever. Even with the best care, batteries usually start to decline after 1–2 years, depending on use. When performance starts to drop, replacing the battery (rather than the whole radio) is often the simplest and cheapest fix.

Don’t Let Power Be the Problem

A few mindful habits can keep your walkie talkie batteries going strong for years. Avoid heat, don’t overcharge, and charge them regularly — that’s really the heart of it. Take care of your battery, and it’ll take care of you when it matters most.

Looking for spare batteries, chargers, or just want a backup for peace of mind?

Check out all our walkie talkie accessories here — and if you’re not sure what fits your device, just ask. We’re always happy to help.

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Walkie talkie accessories

The Importance of Having the Right Accessories for your Two-Way Radio Device

In order to achieve efficient communications, Two-Way Radio accessories can be almost as important as the device itself.

They are designed to facilitate the use of the two-way radios by making them more portable, more movable, more accessible and easier to operate.

Using a two-way radio device without the right accessories can be almost impossible in some occasions, like when the two-way radio is not at hands reach, requiring push-to-talk when you don’t have your hands free, among numerous other situations.

But how and where can these accessories help?

Well, here you can find some tips and ideas on how walkie talkie accessories can improve your two-way radio use:

Carrying solutions

Carry accessories can prove to be very handy in hectic and hazardous working environments! Belt clips can make your walkie talkies easy to haul, pick up and put down, while other accessories can help you keep them intact during use and transport, like a carrying case for one or several devices.

Improving Audio Quality

In noisy and hard to communicate areas, any audio improvement is welcomed. Environments such as factories or crowded locations require something better than regular audio quality to assure clear communication.

  • Noise-cancelling mics or headsets – they aid you to hear and be heard better in loud environments. Some two-way radios do include these features as standard, but if yours doesn’t, you can get it upgraded without having to swap devices.
  • Earpieces – designed to keep calls private, not leaking sound through the radio.
  • Remote Speaker Microphones lightweight built and made to be worn in a reachable spot like your shoulder to give you greater freedom of movement.
  • Covert equipment for example, finger-worn push-to-talk buttons and hidden earpieces that allow you to keep your communications as discreet as possible.

Power options

Everybody knows that even if you have the most technologically advanced device, if the battery discharges quickly, you won’t be able to use it for too long, especially during long work shifts. What isn’t so clear is the range of solutions that can take care of this problem.

Choosing a higher capacity battery doesn’t always prove to be the best option in those cases when mobility is essential as they are bulkier, heavier and therefore, less portable.

The best way to avoid this issue is to opt for a battery efficient radio when you’re buying a device. Assure the battery life is enough for your regular use and that it has an included on-the-go charging solution.

Wireless solutions

Bluetooth® accessories that can be connected wirelessly can help in situations where holding a portable radio to communicate isn’t practical. If you’re on the market for a two-way radio and your work requires hands-free use, go for one that has Bluetooth® connectivity. This feature will allow for the use of a range of Bluetooth® accessories that can be wirelessly paired to your device. This way, you can communicate with your team maintaining your hands free and your eyes on the job at hand.

Intrinsically Safe (IS) Accessories

If you work in dangerous environments, you most certainly know about the importance of Intrinsically Safe certified devices. What you probably don’t know is that if you pair your IS radio with non-IS approved accessories, your system rating is void. Only IS approved accessories should be used with matching IS approved radios, with the system rating being determined by the lowest rate in the devices.

Go for matching IS ratings for any accessories your work requires and make sure your IS radio system has the appropriate level of protection.

If you are not sure about all these ratings and terms, we have the solution for you.

Give us a call and ask our professional sales team for information on the solutions we can provide for your specific situation. At Walkie Talkie Solutions, we are experts in two-way radio devices and will guarantee you with quality products suitable for your requirements.

We have the highest standards and experience in two-way radio systems and can optimise your communication whatever your business and industry might be, providing an excellent range of Motorola Walkie Talkies and accessories like batteries, carrying cases or hands-free solutions. For stricter industries, we also supply Intrinsically Safe (IS) approved devices and accessories with limited electrical and thermal output for safe use in hazardous or flammable environments.

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