Symbol PTC-870IM Barcode Scanner Replacement Battery 6V 800mAh

Symbol PTC-870IM Terminal — 6V Ni-MH Replacement Battery (19158-001)

This is a 6V 800mAh Ni-MH replacement battery for the Symbol PTC-870IM and PTC-870IM Terminal handheld barcode scanners. It matches OEM part numbers 19158-001 and 20386-000-01. Use it to restore scanning function on units where the original cell no longer holds a charge through a full shift.

• PTC-870IM and PTC-870IM Terminal fit: Both models run the same 6V rail, share the same connector pinout, and use the same BMS handshake — one pack covers both variants without modification.
• Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through scan-trigger inrush at full burst rate and monitored the BMS cutoff thresholds. The cell held voltage within spec under combined scan-trigger and wireless polling loads.
• First-shift pre-charge: After installing, seat the scanner in its cradle and run a full charge cycle before using it in pick-and-pack. Scan-trigger inrush current is highest when the cell is near minimum, and a pre-charged pack prevents false BMS trips on the first shift.

Cradle showing charging error on a new pack

A Ni-MH pack fresh out of packaging often has contact surfaces that read as high resistance at the dock. The cradle's charge controller sees this as a fault and throws an error rather than initiating a charge cycle. Wipe the gold contacts on both the battery and the cradle with a dry cloth, then firmly reseat the scanner until you hear the click. The charge indicator should switch to active within 10 seconds of a clean seat.

Scanner losing wireless connection during rapid scan bursts

The PTC-870IM draws simultaneously from the radio transceiver and the scan trigger during a rapid burst — these two loads combine to create a short, sharp current spike. If the cell voltage sags below the radio's minimum operating threshold during that spike, the wireless link drops even though the scanner appears to stay on. This is more common on a partially discharged pack. Start shifts with a fully charged cell and check that the battery contacts are clean to keep contact resistance low.