I now have 7 of these battery packs; two of them run 24 hours a day pretty much every day with 4 in rotation and have for more than a year, I’m guessing. The run times are phenomenal, up to a day and a half monitoring, and depending on many potential radio settings. Size wise the battery/radio combo can still fit in a jacket pocket easily. They can be charged anywhere you’ve got access to USB-C and can be charged much more quickly than the stock batteries. The shells are very strong though can become a tad compliant on the warmest of summer days. Overall, I LOVE THESE BATTERIES!!
Love it adds a full day to the charge
These are all great batteries I own 3 of the 4 colors. There is a standard black, and orange. Then this tan Ham Radio 2.0, along with a green 2.0. They all for well. They have about 3 times the life over the stock battery. USB-C and a really good price point.
Bought a couple for my Dad and I to do as a project together. Watch the linked video, it makes the steps go smooth. Wasn’t overwhelming or too difficult. The end product is great. After a full charge, I left the radio on with APRS running tx every 60 min and the pack got me 20 hours. No complaints here. In addition, customer service is outstanding. Communication was fast and to the point.
I've been using this battery pack for several weeks now and it's fantastic! Lasts for days and charges quickly with a high current charger.
Here's the caveat, I bought it as a kit and it was a bit intimidating, but I was up for a challenge and have pretty good soldering skills. It was difficult and I ran into a few issues that were promptly addressed by W0AEZ.
Assembled and working great, but I would highly recommend spending the money and buying already assembled.
Fun kit, but you're not going to build this with a clumsy fat soldering iron. It requires a bit of finesse and patience. Double and triple check your wiring and battery orientation before putting the batteries in it. I referred to the pdf on the website as well as a YouTube video. The 3D printed parts are very well designed and the final fit it fine. A tight mate with my FT5D. The 'finish' of the plastic prints is average. You can tell it's a 3D print. The battery capacity is fantastic. I can leave my radio monitoring on a local emergency service frequency for 36 hours or so before the radio objects. Charging is easy. The 2 lithium cells are Samsung INR21700-50E, well made and good review.
https://www.thunderheartreviews.com/2021/12/samsung-21700-50G-48G-50E-test-comparison.html
Finally, customer support from W0AEZ is top notch. He obviously cares about his product and reputation. This is what ham radio is all about.
Fits and last a long time, worth the price of admission. Get yourself one if you need a long run time, or just want to monitor all day long.
I’m impressed with the long lasting power this battery provides. I’m very pleased.
Good product, the results were what I wanted
BP-Y14L v6 | Complete | Yaesu FT1 FT2 FT3 FT5 | 5Ah Capacity | USB-C Charging
This battery definitely has the capacity. I use it generally for APRS positioning, and a fully charged battery will not only last the entire event, but when I have used it in a vehicle for just APRS, it will still be working the next morning if I forgot to turn it off. I expected a longer life than the factory batteries, but it is considerably a longer-lasting battery. I will likely purchase another one for another operator with the same radio.
I ordered a battery for my Yeasu FT5D. After it arrived I noticed it would become very hot when charging and notified W0AEZ. I was instructed to return it and the problem was corrected. I was interested I the desktop charger and ordered one but it too needed to be returned. The battery did not fit the charger and I ended up pushing the connector in the battery further back into the battery compartment where no connection was made. I am awaiting the return after W0AEZ determines what the problem is. I have complete faith the issue will be corrected as W0AEZ is very reputable (I like that W0AEZ performs testing on the battery cells used, matching them up in order to assure they are equal matches, something BA does not do.) Hopefully, after W0AEZ evaluates my issue with the charger, I won’t have a problem with pushing the battery connector out of alignment with the desktop chargers connection. The Desktop charger seems to be at fault here and it’s my hope my working with W0AEZ will provide him with the necessary insight to better his products and build his business. We need more like him looking out for the amateur community. Thank you W0AEZ.
I received this reply from Kevin, W0AEZ upon his receipt of my returned gear;
“Hi William
I got your battery pack and cradle.
I do have to say, I’m quite surprised to see an earlier version of the battery pack. Thank you for being an early adopter.
The desk cradle is only compatible with version 6 of the pack, and you had a version 5.
Not to worry though, the shells are upgradable. I’ll replace your shell and send make sure it all lines up before I ship it back.
73
Kevin Rowley
Founder | w0aez.com
E: [****]
A: W0AEZ Radio Gear, Greeley, CO, 80631”
I give W0AEZ 5 stars out of 5!
This is a well built battery. Fits perfectly on the radio.
I find this battery is a big improvement compared to Yaesu hi-cap battery in performance and time between charges.
That can make a real difference in many operating scenarios.
Larry WD4HF
I recently purchased several batteries for my FT5 radio, and I am thoroughly impressed with the performance I have observed during testing. On average, these batteries have provided approximately 12 to 18 hours of continuous use and have lasted up to 30 hours on standby. During the hurricanes Helene and Milton, I was able to monitor local SARNET signals in Florida to stay informed about the evolving weather situation.
