Vertex Standard VX-230 Replacement Battery FNB-V131Li 7.4V 1600mAh

Vertex Standard VX-230 / VX-231 Series — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (FNB-V131Li)

This 7.4V 1600mAh Li-ion battery replaces the FNB-V131Li and FNB-V132Li packs used in the Vertex Standard VX-230, VX-231, VX-231L, and VX-234 portable two-way radios. These radios are widely used in security, public safety, and commercial field operations where consistent RF output across a full shift matters. Capacity figure is 1600mAh (11.84Wh) — taken from cell-level testing, not the OEM label.

• VX-230 / VX-231 / VX-234 platform fit: All four models share the same battery bay geometry, gold contact strip layout, and BMS handshake protocol. The FNB-V131Li and FNB-V132Li are electrically identical — the VX-234 uses the V132 designation on its OEM label, but the connector, voltage rail, and BMS communication are the same pack.
• Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this battery through transmit loads matching sustained PTT use on the VX-231 platform. The BMS held the discharge curve cleanly, tripped overcurrent protection at the correct threshold, and recovered without faulting the charger dock.
• First insertion on the dock: If the charger dock shows a fault LED on first insertion, remove the pack, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The VX-series dock requires a clean contact cycle to accept the new BMS handshake before charging begins.

Why the VX-230 cuts out mid-transmission on a new battery

A new Li-ion cell ships at storage voltage — typically 3.6–3.7V per cell, or around 7.2V at the pack level. When PTT is pressed, transmit current spikes sharply. If the pack voltage is already sitting near the BMS low-voltage threshold, that spike can trip the overcurrent or undervoltage cutoff mid-keying. The radio goes silent, then recovers within seconds. The fix is a full charge before the first shift — do not deploy this pack straight from the box.

Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected after a full charge

The VX-series radios use a simple voltage-threshold bar display — each bar corresponds to a voltage window, not a fuel gauge reading. A new cell at its first full charge may settle 50–80mV below a well-conditioned pack at rest, putting it one threshold step lower on the indicator. This is not a fault. After two or three full charge-discharge cycles, resting voltage stabilises and the display reflects the correct state. If the indicator stays low after three cycles, check dock contact voltage with a multimeter — you should read at or above 8.3V at the pack terminals after a complete charge.