Yaesu FNB-V131Li VX-230 Replacement Battery 7.4V 2600mAh

Yaesu VX-230 / VX-231 Series — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (FNB-V131Li / FNB-V132Li)

This is a 7.4V, 2600mAh Li-ion battery replacing the FNB-V131Li and FNB-V132Li packs used in the Yaesu VX-230, VX-231, VX-231L, and VX-234 handheld transceivers. It fits directly into the battery compartment on all four models without modification. Capacity is rated at 19.24Wh.

• VX-230 / VX-231 / VX-234 platform fit: All four models share the same 7.4V battery bay, connector pinout, and BMS communication protocol — that is why a single pack covers the entire series. The FNB-V131Li and FNB-V132Li are interchangeable across these radios; the only difference is production batch, not electrical spec.
• Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack on a VX-231 under PTT load. The BMS held steady during the transmit current spike and did not trip on successive keying cycles. Charge acceptance via the standard Yaesu rapid charger dock was confirmed from the first insertion.
• First insertion on a Vertex charger dock: If the dock LED blinks fault on first seating, remove the pack, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The Vertex Standard platform requires a clean contact cycle to complete the BMS handshake before the charger begins the charge sequence.

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

New Li-ion cells ship at storage voltage — typically 3.6–3.7V per cell, not the 4.2V full-charge ceiling. Under the sustained current draw of a PTT transmit event, a cell at storage voltage can sag below the BMS cutoff threshold and trigger a momentary shutdown. This is not a faulty pack. Charge the battery fully before the first shift and the cutouts stop. A full charge brings each cell to 4.2V, giving the BMS enough headroom to absorb the transmit spike without tripping.

Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected after charging

The VX-230 series uses a simple voltage-threshold bar display — it reads resting cell voltage, not a calibrated capacity figure. A new pack that has only been through one charge cycle may rest at 4.15V per cell rather than the 4.2V peak, which the radio reads as one bar short. Run one full charge-to-green cycle on the Yaesu dock, then let the pack rest for 15 minutes before reinserting. At that point resting voltage should sit at or above 8.3V total and the display will show correctly.