About this replacement
HYT TC-446S / TC-560 Series — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (BL1301)
This 7.4V, 1300mAh Li-ion battery replaces the BL1301 and BL1719 packs used in HYT portable two-way radios including the TC-446S, TC-518, TC-580, and TC-560. It shares the same contact layout, BMS handshake protocol, and form factor as the original. Voltage and chemistry match what the charger dock and radio's BMS expect.
- TC-446S / TC-518 / TC-560 platform fit: These models share a common battery bay geometry, contact strip pitch, and 7.4V supply rail. The BL1301 footprint covers all of them without modification. BMS communication lines align with each radio's power management circuit.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack on a TC-560 dock and TC-446S unit. The BMS accepted the dock handshake within the first insertion cycle, passed overcurrent protection checks at simulated PTT loads, and held cell voltage within the expected window across five full charge cycles.
- First-insertion contact check on HYT docks: If the dock LED holds red or blinks immediately after inserting a new pack, remove the battery and wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth before reseating. HYT charger docks require a clean contact cycle to complete the BMS handshake — residue from packaging can interrupt it before charging starts.
Why the TC-446S cuts out mid-transmission on a fresh BL1301
New Li-ion cells ship at storage voltage — typically around 3.7V per cell, not the 4.2V full-charge ceiling. When a cell is at storage voltage and you press PTT, the transmit current spike can pull pack voltage below the BMS's undervoltage cutoff threshold, triggering an instant shutdown. This is not a faulty pack. Charge the battery fully in the dock before first use — the radio will transmit without cutout once both cells are at or above 4.0V per cell. A completed charge cycle resolves this in the first session.
Bar indicator shows one fewer bar than expected after fitting the BL1301
HYT radios read battery level using voltage-threshold steps — each bar corresponds to a voltage band, not a capacity percentage. A new pack at storage voltage sits in the lower threshold band, so the radio displays one or two bars even though the cell is healthy and not depleted. This is normal behaviour for a new Li-ion cell that has not yet completed its first full charge. Place the pack in the dock and let it charge to completion. Once pack voltage reaches the upper threshold — above 8.0V across the two cells — the bar indicator will reflect the correct state.