DIYbanter - View Single Post

E Z Peaces

wrote:
How about you? Have you tested the capacity and self-discharge of cells
exposed to current from a cheap charger two hours a day over a period of
months or years?

I've been charging Ni-Cads since 1983, NIMH AA's since 1996.

I've used fast chargers, medium chargers, slow chargers, smart
fast chargers, smart medium rate chargers, and just plain dumb
slow chargers. Then I started using the most inexpensive slow
dumb chargers I could find along with the cheapest mechanical
timer I could find. That reduced the rate of charge so slow that I
could keep the setup plugged into the wall continuously.

I've tossed AA NIMH batteries from fast smart chargers. I have never
had any AA NIMH battery go bad from the 8 day charge method.

What I have learned is this. When comparing much more expensive
smart chargers to my setup the only advantage to fast or mediums rate
smart chargers is time to charge. That's it.

The advantage of my 8 day to charge setup is it's impossible to harm
the batteries. I'll always have fully charged batteries on hand. The
price of the setup is ridiculously low.

When you said a person who set his timer for 2 hours a day would always
have a fresh set of batteries, I assumed you meant to keep them fresh by
charging every day.

How do you decide when to recharge? Did it work before hybrids were
available?

Panasonic says heat won't hurt NiMH until they reach a temperature where
they vent. I've never seen them nearly that hot. Panasonic says the
cumulative effect of overcharging will damage cells. That's why I like
a charger that senses the voltage drop when a cell is charged.

Eleven years ago I spent about $25 for a fast charger and four AA cells
from the Thompson Company, already mentioned in this thread. I have had
no trouble with those cells or the others I've added to my collection.