PetSafe RFA-188 Dog Collar Replacement Battery 3V 150mAh

PetSafe RFA-188 — 3V Li-MnO2 Replacement Battery (RFA-188)

This is a 3V lithium-manganese dioxide cell rated at 150mAh (0.45Wh), built to the RFA-188 spec. It fits PetSafe wireless containment and training collar receivers, including PBC00-10782, PBC00-11047, PBC00-12725, PBC00-12726, and 19 additional compatible models. When the original cell depletes, the collar stops responding to the fence or training signal entirely.

• Cross-model fit on PetSafe collar receivers: These collar models share the same RFA-188 cell housing, contact orientation, and 3V operating threshold. The receiver circuit draws from a single cell with no parallel configuration, so voltage at replacement must match exactly — Li-MnO2 holds a flat 3V discharge curve that alkaline alternatives cannot replicate.
• Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this cell in a PBC00-10782 receiver and confirmed the collar powered on cleanly, the BMS accepted the cell without fault, and the static correction signal fired at the correct threshold.
• First signal acquisition after swap: After installing this cell in a containment collar, walk the dog to the boundary zone and allow the receiver to re-register with the transmitter before assuming the system is live — some PetSafe base stations require the collar to cycle through the boundary field once to re-sync correction levels.

Why the collar gives no correction at the boundary after a battery swap

Li-MnO2 cells ship with a thin passivation layer on the lithium anode that forms during storage. On first load, this layer causes a brief voltage dip — sometimes enough to drop below the collar receiver's operating threshold. The fix is simple: install the cell, press the test button on the collar to force an initial load, and the passivation clears within a few seconds. After that, the cell delivers a stable 3V and the receiver responds normally at the boundary.

Collar indicator light flashes but correction still not firing

A flashing indicator confirms the receiver has power and is detecting the boundary signal, but the correction prongs not firing usually points to contact corrosion or a cell seated slightly off-axis in the compartment. Remove the cell, clean the contacts with a dry cloth, and check that the cell sits flush with both terminals under light pressure. Measure voltage at the cell terminals directly — anything below 2.8V means the cell is already depleted and needs replacement.