IC-R20 Batteries, Charging & Power

Summary: How to power the IC-R20 from alkaline batteries, the BP-206 Li-ion pack or an external supply, and how to charge it safely.

Alkaline Batteries

1. Turn the receiver off (hold [POWER] for 1 second).
2. Remove the battery cover.
3. Attach the supplied battery spacer for alkaline use.
4. Fit three R6 (AA) alkaline batteries with the correct polarity.

Keep the battery contacts clean; the manual suggests cleaning them about once a week. Never mix old and new batteries or different brands, types or capacities, and never throw batteries on a fire.

Li-ion Battery Pack (BP-206)

1. Remove the battery cover and remove the battery spacer.
2. Fit the BP-206 in the correct direction and charge it before use.

The BP-206 is 3.7 V, 1650 mAh. Avoid leaving it fully charged or fully discharged for a long time: for long storage discharge it first or use it for two or three hours, then remove it. If a charged pack seems to have no capacity, charge it fully again, and replace it if it still doesn’t hold a charge.

Charging

1. Attach the BP-206.
2. Plug the BC-149A/D AC adaptor into an outlet (or the optional CP-18A/E cigarette lighter cable into the car socket).
3. Plug the adaptor into the [DC] jack (keep the jack cover on when it’s not in use).

Charging time is about 8 hours (a maximum of up to 8 hours is recommended; Li-ion packs don’t need to be fully discharged first, so charging in intervals is fine). Charge at 0 to +35 C and use only the supplied or Icom optional chargers. Never try to charge dry cells. Disconnect the CP-18A/E from the car socket when finished, since a small current still flows and can flatten the car battery. Its fuse is 5 A (FGB).

BC-156 rapid charger (optional): about 2.5 hours. Shorten or remove the antenna before charging so the receiver doesn’t tip over. A flashing orange charge indicator means a problem with the pack or charger: reseat the pack or contact your dealer.

External Power

The receiver can also run from 6.0 V DC +/-5% through the BC-149A/D or CP-18A/E. Never connect it to more than 6 V DC directly or with reverse polarity, and never connect it to an AC outlet.

Battery Indicator

The battery icon shows ample capacity or nearly exhausted (with the BP-206 charge it now; alkaline cells may run a little longer), scrolls while charging and blinks when charging is complete. It isn’t shown on external power.

Power Saving

Set mode, POWER SAVE (default AUTO) conserves battery: after 5 seconds without a signal the receiver samples in a 1:4 ratio (125 ms on, 500 ms off), and 1:8 (125 ms on, 1 s off) after a further 60 seconds. AUTO POWER OFF can switch the receiver off after 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes or 3 minutes of no activity (BUSY). See IC-R20 Set Mode Reference.

Remove the batteries or pack for long storage; a small current flows even when the receiver is off.