On 6/28/2016 12:27 PM, Shade Tree Guy wrote:
On Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 10:02:41 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Can NiMH and NiCd batteries use the same charger?

I have a charger which was originally untended to charge NiCd batteries.
I want to fully charge some of the NiHM batteries in my solar yard
lights. While the solar charger normally charges them, it likely never
gets them fully charged. I think they should be brought up to full
charge at least a few times each year.

If they need a special charger (made for NiHM), where can they be
purchased? (Such as Walmart, Radio Shack, Hardware Stores, other local
stores), since I prefer to avoid online shopping.

I sometimes can be a bit stupid concerning electronics, (if it doesn't work, either it's not plugged in or someone didn't pay the electric bill)
electrons are electrons, no matter what the source.
(unless you're using a positron based battery system)

It depends on what you are expecting from the charger and the lifetime
you expect from the cells ("batteries").

A charger designed for NiCd's will typically *cook* a NiMH cell -- it
just "doesn't know when to stop".

Most (new) NiMH chargers can also handle the NiCd cell chemistry.

A "dumb" charger (i.e., a resistor in series with a voltage source)
will typically cook ANY battery (unless the voltage source happens to be
lower than the cell voltage -- in which case, it simply won't COMPLETELY
charge the cell). Some are timer controlled (they just "charge" for
a fixed length of time and "hope for the best"). Obviously, you can
see how reintroducing the battery tot he charger before the battery
has "worked off" that previous charge will eventually result in the
battery being increasingly (over)charged. Likewise, returning the
battery to the charger after MORE than that amount of charge has been
withdrawn means the battery will never be "topped off".

"Smart" chargers are cheap. Buy one -- or five.