About this replacement
Icom IC-E85 / IC-F50 Series — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (BJ-193 / BP-227Li)
This 7.4V, 2800mAh Li-ion pack replaces the BJ-193, BP-227Li, BP-274, and six other OEM part numbers across the Icom IC-E85, IC-F50, IC-F50V, IC-F51, and related handheld transceivers. It fits the same contact footprint and BMS handshake protocol as the original factory pack. Capacity is 2800mAh (20.72Wh) — use the product data figure, not third-party listings.
- IC-E85 and IC-F50 series compatibility: These models share a common 7.4V two-cell architecture, identical battery connector pinout, and the same BMS communication line. That is why one pack covers all of them — the voltage rail and handshake are the same across the range.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack on an IC-F50V under simulated PTT loads. The BMS handled repeated transmit current spikes without tripping into protection mode, and the charger dock accepted the handshake cleanly after the first full cycle.
- First insertion on the charger dock: If the dock LED stays red or blinks on first insertion, remove the pack, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The Icom dock requires a clean contact cycle to complete the BMS handshake before it begins charging.
IC-E85 cutting out mid-transmission on a new BJ-193 pack
A new Li-ion cell ships at storage voltage — typically 3.7V per cell, giving around 7.4V total — not at full charge. When you press PTT, transmit current spikes sharply. If the cell voltage is already at the low end of storage, that spike can pull the pack voltage below the BMS cutoff threshold, triggering an instant shutdown. The fix is to run a full charge cycle before first use in the field. After a complete charge, resting voltage should read 8.2–8.4V across the pack terminals.
Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected after fitting new pack
The IC-E85 uses a simple voltage-threshold bar indicator — it maps measured pack voltage to a bar count, nothing more. A new pack at storage voltage reads lower than a fully charged pack, so the radio may display one or two bars even though the cells are healthy. This is not a capacity fault. Charge the pack fully and the indicator will step up to the correct level. A full charge brings pack voltage to approximately 8.4V, which maps to the top bar threshold on this platform.