About this replacement
Inrico T-298S / T320 — 3.8V Li-Polymer Replacement Battery (B-87C)
This is a 3.8V 3400mAh Li-Polymer replacement battery for the Inrico T-298S and T320 portable digital radios. It slots into the same battery compartment as the original B-87C and BAT320 packs. The T-298S and T320 are used in security, logistics, and enterprise field operations where continuous radio contact is non-negotiable.
- T-298S and T320 compatibility: Both models share the same 3.8V battery bay, connector pinout, and BMS handshake protocol — one pack fits both. The BMS on each radio uses the same voltage thresholds for charge acceptance and bar-indicator readout.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through charge and full-transmit draw on the T320 platform. The BMS handled the PTT current spike without tripping into overcurrent lockout, and voltage held steady across sustained RF output.
- First insertion on a charger dock: If the dock shows a fault LED on first insertion, remove the pack, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The Inrico dock requires a clean contact cycle to complete the BMS handshake before it begins charging.
Why the T-298S drops to reduced TX power mid-shift on a fresh pack
A new Li-Polymer cell ships at storage voltage — typically around 3.6V — not at full charge. When the radio draws peak transmit current from a partially charged cell, internal resistance causes a sharper voltage sag than it would on a fully charged pack. The T-298S interprets that sag as low battery and steps down TX power to protect the RF stage. Running a full charge cycle before field deployment eliminates this behaviour entirely.
Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected after fitting the B-87C
The T-298S and T320 use simple voltage-threshold bar indicators — each bar corresponds to a voltage band, not a calculated charge percentage. A new cell at storage voltage sits in a lower band and displays one or two bars even though the pack is not depleted. Charge the battery fully in the dock until the indicator goes solid green. After a complete charge cycle the bar display will read correctly at the top threshold.