Icom BP-298 IC-V86 Replacement Battery 7.4V 2200mAh

Icom IC-V86 / IC-T70A Series — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (BP-298)

The BP-298 is a 7.4V, 2200mAh lithium-ion battery for Icom handheld VHF transceivers. It fits the IC-V86, IC-V80, IC-T70A, and IC-T70E — all compact land mobile radios sharing the same battery bay geometry and BMS handshake protocol. Capacity figures come from the product data sheet, not estimated field figures.

• IC-V86 / IC-V80 / IC-T70 platform fit: These models run the same 7.4V power rail, use an identical gold contact strip layout, and share the same BMS communication sequence with Icom docking chargers. One battery SKU covers all four variants without modification.
• Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through PTT transmit draws on an IC-V86 body and monitored BMS response across high-current bursts. The protection circuit held within spec and did not trip during sustained push-to-talk sequences at full RF output.
• First insertion into the charger dock: If the dock shows a fault LED on the first seating, remove the battery, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The Icom charger platform requires a clean contact cycle to accept the new BMS handshake before the charge cycle can begin.

IC-V86 cuts out mid-transmission on a freshly inserted BP-298

A new lithium-ion cell ships at storage voltage — typically 3.6–3.7V per cell, which puts a 7.4V pack around 7.2V at rest. When the radio fires a full-power PTT burst, the current spike can pull the pack voltage low enough to trigger the BMS overcurrent cutoff before the cells are conditioned. This is not a faulty pack. Run one full charge cycle through the Icom dock before field use and the BMS trip threshold stabilises. After the first full charge, the cutout behaviour stops.

Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected on a new BP-298

The IC-V86 reads battery level using voltage-threshold detection — it maps resting pack voltage to a bar count on the display. A new pack at storage voltage sits below the top threshold, so the radio displays three bars instead of four even on a pack that has never been used. This is a voltage reading, not a capacity fault. Charge the pack fully in the Icom dock until the charger LED goes solid green, then power cycle the radio. The indicator will show the correct bar count.