jhs%Mitre-Bedford@d3unix.UUCP (05/22/85)
HINTS AND KINKS Department: -------------------------- If anybody out there in network-landt has had their IC2aT quit working with BP-4 packs and wonders why, it may be the same phenomenon that had me perplexed a couple of years ago: There is a little spring contact which ties the two halves of the BP-4 pack together. The spring may lose its oomph after awhile and the two halves suddenly lose electrical contact. This mysterious spring is in the upper left-hand corner if you hold the BP-4 pack with the "business end" facing you and the open side facing down (the side that you start it onto the radio with). By prying the contact up with a sharp instrument, you can restore contact. Another problem I used to have with BP-4s is that the spring contacts at the ends of the AA cells tended to lose their oomph and leave the cells loose. This especially happens if you drop the pack on a hard surface. I cured this by buying a small sheet of cork material about 1/16 inch thick and cutting out some little pads maybe 1/8 or 3/16 inch square to glue in place inside each spring contact. Now the cork is what ultimately provides the spring tension, and my BP-4 cells NEVER lose their grip on the AA cells. I understand that ICOM now sells a BP-4A battery pack, which is MUCH better contructed than the old BP-4s which I have. If you have a choice, insist on BP-4A not plain old BP-4 packs, and you may not have the problems I described in the foist place. 73, John Sangster, W3IKG jhs at mitre-bedford