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Battery Replacement

The radio microphones run on batteries. A flat battery is the single most common reason a microphone "stops working". This page explains how to check and replace them.

Which microphones use batteries?

Only the wireless ones:

  • Channel 2 — Handheld radio microphone
  • Channel 3 — Handheld radio microphone
  • Channel 4 — Headset radio microphone

The lectern (Ch 1), pulpit (Ch 5) and the Rode M5 choir/organ pair are wired and need no batteries.

Before every service

  1. Switch on each radio microphone.
  2. Check the battery indicator (on the mic and/or its receiver).
  3. If the battery is low or uncertain, replace it now — not during the service.

Don't gamble on a half-full battery

A battery that looks "half full" before the service may die mid-sermon. For an important service, start with fresh or fully-charged batteries.

How to replace a battery

Handheld microphones (Channels 2 and 3)

  1. Switch the microphone off.
  2. Unscrew or slide open the battery compartment (usually the lower barrel).
  3. Remove the old batteries, noting the + / − direction.
  4. Insert the new batteries the same way around.
  5. Close the compartment and switch the microphone on.
  6. Check the battery indicator now shows full.

📷 Screenshot placeholder: handheld mic battery compartment open.

Headset microphone (Channel 4)

  1. Find the bodypack transmitter (the small box worn on a belt or pocket).
  2. Switch it off.
  3. Open the battery door.
  4. Replace the batteries the same way around.
  5. Close, switch on, and check the indicator.

📷 Screenshot placeholder: bodypack transmitter battery door.

Rechargeable vs disposable

Follow whichever the church uses:

  • Rechargeable: put used batteries on the charger after each service so a full set is ready next week. Keep a charged spare set in the AV area.
  • Disposable: keep a stock of the correct size (commonly AA) and replace as needed. Don't leave near-flat batteries in the mics.

Match the battery type

Use the size and type the microphones are designed for. If unsure, check the old battery or ask Mills IT before buying.

After the service

  • Switch the radio microphones off.
  • Put rechargeables on charge, or remove batteries if that is the church's storage policy.

➡️ See Sunday Shutdown — Step 7.

Keep a small stock

Keep in the AV area:

  • A charged (or fresh) spare set for each radio microphone.
  • A note of the correct battery size/type.

Log low batteries

If a microphone keeps going flat quickly, note it on the Regular Checks log — the battery or charger may need replacing.