Yaesu's New Charger for FT-60R

Yaesu is now shipping FT-60R radios with the SBH-13 desktop
charger and 500mAH AC wall wart.

From Yaesu's product insert, it appears to be an intelligent NiMH pack charger.

So - contrary to rumors - it is NOT a "direct replacement" for the
multi-chemistry intelligent VAC-370 system. Nor is it just a "dumb,
convenience-only" desktop charger.

Using the previous AC chargers (constant rate, unintelligent wall warts), we
should expect 300-500 complete discharge-charge cycles (more if you have proper
timing of the charge set up ... less if you leave your FT-60R attached for more
than 10 hours a lot of times).

With an intelligent charger for NiMH - one that senses heat and has a charging
algorithm designed for NiMH - we can expect about 75o complete discharge-charge
cycles.

SOURCES: Yaesu Musen publication 1305M-OY, telephone discussions with Yaesu-USA,
Anaheim HRO, Cadex.com.

Clint K6LCS
909-241-7666

 

Will this be able to be purchased as an accessory for existing FT-60 owners?

 

It is not listed - yet - at the U.S.' largest dealer ... But I am working on getting news for us on this.

If there's a possibility of you using Li-Ion packs on your FT-60R (or any other rig with same chassis/battery config), the VAC-370
is a dual-chemistry (NiMH and Li-Ion) intelligent charger, Yaesu advised me. This new SBH-13 is geared for NiMH packs.

 

The FT60 has been around some time and mine has given good service, but I don't think they'd be upgrading (I'm not sure about it being) to Li-Ion as it'd need the charge electronics to be changed inside the radio. I have a CD-29 drop in charger and a 900mA wall wart to go with it that I bought after having the radio for a while, that one being an automatic one and useful to be able to charge the battery out of the radio or just by dropping it in the unit. The original charger I found rather tricky as being a dumb one you couldn't tell how well it was charged.
I have retired one battery pack after a good nine year's worth of use, so I would suggest that they are a decent quality to start with.

 

>> ... Li-Ion as it'd need the charge electronics to be changed inside the radio ...

Not the case at all. Charge regulation circuitry for many consumer-grade Li-Ion packs is built into the pack itself. Using and properly charging Yaesu's Li-Ion packs on an FT-60R requires absolutely no change to the radio at all.

Clint K6LCS

 

Why not go with a Vertex FNB-67 Li 2300 mAh battery with a 300b charger? Can charge a completely dead battery in 3 hours.

Joel, n0dne

 

There are all sorts of Yaesu/Vertex "alternative" packs and chargers for this battery type. But what Yaesu has done with the "base" model of the FT-60R is keep the price amazingly low for what you get in a 2M/440 HT ... PLUS now adding a charger system that should allow us to achieve darned near 2X the total number of discharge-charge cycles from the included NiMH pack (versus just charging with a constant-current, dumb charger). This rig was a marvelous bargain when it debuted at Dayton in 2004, and remains a tremendous product today.

PS - I posted the one-page data sheet on the SBH-13 on the DOCS page at http://www.k6lcs.com for those interested.

Clint Bradford K6LCS
909-241-7666 - Cell

 

I'm going to be replacing my pack with an Li-on. Talked to the supplier, and they say the same charger will charge the Li-on just fine.

 

Just out of curiosity, why did you decide to go with a Li-Ion pack? Long periods of time between use of the radio? Cold weather conditions? Capacity? I ask because for me, I prefer NiMH because I should get about 2X the total number of discharge-charge cycles than Li-Ion ... and none of the Li-Ion benefits "sell" me for the FT-60R.

 

I've used HTs with NiMH and with Li-on. The Li-on ones far out perform the NiMH ones, in longevity of operation, and life of battery.

 

Good news for me. The Ni MH original battery in my FT60R is reaching the end of it's life. I hope "they" get it released sooner than later.

 

>> ... The Li-on ones far out perform the NiMH ones, in longevity of operation, and life of battery ...

I just love it when one's first-hand experience is contrary to published studies ... (grin) We're supposed to achieve about twice as many total discharge-charge cycles from properly-cared-for NiMH packs versus Li-Ion packs. But your experience is entirely different ...

And so it goes ...

 

It made me happy when I unpacked my ft 60r. And I have gotten great life out of the wallwart for my ft 270r

 

I can't speak for the Yaesu packs, but with the Icom IC-T70A the Li-on packs are lighter, higher capacity, and have a more consistent voltage over their discharge cycle. Additionally, it's perfectly okay to partially discharge a Li-on and then put it back on the charger to "top it off", a practice that is discouraged with NiMH batteries by many in the industry due to the dreaded "memory effect". (Going this route always ensures your battery is charged and you don't have to haul around an extra battery.) Life's too short to be a slave to our batteries - even if the service life is shorter with Li-on the extra performance is well worth the cost.

 

I was pleasantly surprised when I received my new FT-60 from HRO today and found the SBH-13 Desktop Charger as part of the package. I have two other Yaesu HTs that use the same battery type. Last year I bought two 1800 mAhr FNB-V94 batteries and I expect they will charge very well in the SBH-13. It looks to me like Yaesu is doing a lot of right things for hams.

Bill Woody K4IRC