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Battery Charging Behavior Guide

The following does not apply to the TrailBlazer 500.


Your radio's battery indicator (0–4 bars) estimates charge based on voltage. If left plugged in, the charger may trigger routine "top-up" cycles, making it appear to charge longer than expected.

To confirm your radio is fully charged:

  1. Unplug the radio and turn it on.
  2. Tune to any channel, press and hold PTT, and speak into the mic.
  3. Watch the battery icon:
    • Stays full: The radio is charged and ready to use.
    • Drops: Return the radio to the charger.

Battery Replacements (TrailBlazer 250)


Your radios ship with 3x AA NiMH rechargeable batteries for your convenience, however you may replace them with other brands and chemistries of batteries as needed. Only individual AA batteries should be used in your radio. Please read on for further information.

Supported Battery Capacities

The TrailBlazer 250 ships with complementary 1000mAh batteries to get you started; however, it can use any capacity battery that you need. Larger capacity batteries tend to add longer usage times with a trade-off of add weight and longer charge times. Smaller capacity batteries will give you less weight and shorter charge times, with the trade-off of shorter usage times.

Charging Batteries in the Radio

The TrailBlazer 250 supports charging NiMH batteries in the radio and is designed for charging that battery chemistry alone. Charging other chemistries can be unpredictable and may damage your radio. Understand that charging larger capacity NiMH batteries will take longer in the TrailBlazer 250, and it is generally recommended that you use a faster external charging device for charging larger capacity batteries.


The TrailBlazer 250 supports any standard voltage AA batteries for use in consumer electronics, either rechargeable or disposable. Any chemistry such as NiMH, Li-Ion, Alkaline, and NiCad will work in the radio. See above for information about charging batteries in the radio.

Battery Replacements (TrailBlazer 450, 500)

The TrailBlazer 450 and 500 come with a replaceable Li-Ion Battery pre-installed into the units.


Supported Batteries

TrailBlazer 450 and 500 should only be replaced with the Official Cobra CTWSB20L01 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery.