About this replacement
President Randy 3 — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (ACMR402)
This 7.4V, 1200mAh Li-ion battery replaces the ACMR402 pack in the President Randy 3, Randy III, Randy, and Randy II handheld CB radios. It fits the same connector and BMS interface as the original. Voltage and capacity figures are drawn directly from the manufacturer spec sheet.
- Randy series compatibility: The Randy, Randy II, Randy III, and Randy 3 all share the same 7.4V battery bay, connector pinout, and BMS handshake protocol. One pack covers the full lineup without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through full charge and discharge on the Randy 3 platform. The BMS handled PTT transmit current spikes without tripping, and the radio held its full TX power output across the discharge curve.
- First insertion into the charger dock: If the dock LED flashes fault on first seating, remove the pack, wipe the gold contact strip with a dry cloth, and reseat firmly. The Randy platform requires a clean contact cycle before it accepts the new BMS handshake and begins charging.
Why the Randy 3 drops to reduced TX power mid-conversation
An aged ACMR402 pack develops elevated internal impedance over time. When you press PTT, the transmit current draw pulls the pack voltage below the radio's RF output threshold faster than a fresh cell would allow. The radio responds by stepping down TX power to protect the circuit — this is not a radio fault. Fitting a new pack at full cell voltage resolves the sag and restores full output.
Bar indicator showing one fewer bar than expected after fitting a new pack
New Li-ion cells ship at storage voltage — typically around 3.7V per cell, which reads as roughly 7.4V at the pack terminals. The Randy 3's voltage-threshold bar indicator interprets this as a partially discharged state, not a full charge. This is normal and not a fault with the pack. Seat the battery in the dock and run a full charge cycle first; once the pack reaches 8.3–8.4V, the indicator will show the correct bar count.