About this replacement
Kenwood TK-208 / TH-22AT Series — 6V Ni-MH Replacement Battery (PB-32)
This is a 6V, 1000mAh Ni-MH battery for the Kenwood TK-208, TK-308, TH-22AT, TH-42AT, and compatible handheld two-way radios. It replaces OEM part numbers PB-32, PB-33, PB-34, and PB-32H. Physical dimensions are 63.63 × 56.20 × 24.85mm — check these against your existing pack before ordering if you are unsure of your exact model variant.
- TK-208 / TK-308 / TH-22AT platform fit: These models share the same 6V Ni-MH form factor, connector pinout, and BMS handshake protocol. The PB-32 family was used across the full run of this radio series, so one cell pack covers the group without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through transmit loads on the TK-208 platform and monitored BMS behaviour under PTT current draw. Cell voltage held stable across the discharge curve, and the pack accepted charge on the first dock insertion without fault.
- Contact strip condition on first insertion: If the charger dock shows a fault LED immediately after inserting this pack, remove it, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The Kenwood dock requires a clean contact cycle to complete the BMS handshake before charging begins — oxidation on a new pack's contacts is a common cause of the fault.
Why the TK-208 cuts out mid-transmission on a freshly charged pack
Pressing PTT on the TK-208 pulls a sharp current spike as the RF stage ramps up. If the Ni-MH cells have been sitting in storage, their internal impedance is elevated and the BMS may interpret that spike as an overcurrent event, cutting the pack before transmission completes. This is not a faulty battery — it is a first-cycle characteristic of Ni-MH chemistry. Running two or three full charge-discharge cycles through the radio normalises cell impedance and the cutout behaviour stops. Do not test the pack by holding PTT for an extended burst on the first charge.
Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected after a full charge
The TK-208 uses a voltage-threshold bar indicator — it reads pack voltage directly and maps it to bars. A new Ni-MH pack ships at storage voltage, typically around 5.4V, which sits below the top threshold the radio uses to display a full indicator. After the first complete charge cycle on the dock, the resting voltage should settle at or above 6.0V, and the bar display will reflect that. If the indicator still reads low after a confirmed full charge, check that the dock contacts are clean and the charge cycle ran to completion — a partial charge due to a dirty contact is the most common cause.