About this replacement
Icom IC-A4 / IC-F3 Series — 9.6V Ni-MH Replacement Battery (BP-195)
This 9.6V, 1800mAh Ni-MH battery replaces the BP-195, BP-196, BP-196H, and BP-196R packs. It fits the Icom IC-A4, IC-A4C, IC-A4E, IC-F3, and over 40 additional Icom handheld transceivers. Voltage and cell count match the original specification exactly.
- IC-A4 and IC-F3 platform compatibility: These models share the same 9.6V eight-cell Ni-MH architecture, connector pinout, and BMS handshake requirements. A single pack covers both aviation and land-mobile variants without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through full charge and transmit-load discharge on an IC-F3 dock. The BMS accepted the handshake on first insertion, and voltage held steady through sustained PTT draw without tripping overcurrent protection.
- First-insertion contact cycle on Icom docks: If the dock shows a fault LED on first seating, remove the pack, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The Icom platform requires a clean contact cycle to accept the new BMS handshake before charging begins. Do not assume the pack is faulty.
Why the IC-A4 cuts out mid-transmission on a fresh BP-195 pack
Ni-MH cells ship at storage voltage — typically 1.0V to 1.1V per cell, which puts an eight-cell pack around 8.0–8.8V. The IC-A4's BMS monitors transmit current; if cell voltage sags below the cutoff threshold during the initial PTT spike, the radio drops transmission. This is not a fault — it is the BMS protecting cells that have not yet been conditioned. Run one full charge cycle before field use and the cutout will not recur.
Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected after fitting new pack
The IC-A4 and IC-F3 use a simple voltage-threshold bar indicator — each bar corresponds to a voltage window, not a calibrated capacity reading. A new Ni-MH pack at storage voltage sits in a lower threshold window and will display one or two bars even when fully capable. Charge the pack fully before reading the indicator. After one complete charge cycle, the resting voltage rises above 9.6V and the indicator will reflect the correct charge state.