Battery Charging Question

[m Ransley]

Nimh or Nicad at 1.2v is actualy 99% discharged, Charge can be 1.35 -

1.4v Leaving any battery in a charger is a risk. Excess voltage converts to heat. Companys make their big money on batteries, Nicads and Nimh are not like Lead Acid. Storage is best discharged, Cycled , once a day and not charged or used hot. I have 20 yr old Makita packs that still work. A good peak charger is best ,cheap constant volt chagers are damaing a cell once it is fully charged if it continues to charge. Once a batterys voltage starts to drop while you are charging it , its fully charged and converting energy to heat , damaging the cells structure at cellular level. Use a voltmeter to see.

[Roger Grady]

NiCd and NiMh have a similar discharge profile. Immediately after charging they will be around 1.4v, but under load quickly drop to 1.2v and then drop very little until almost completely discharged. Fully discharged is considered to be 1.0v +/-, depending on the application and the battery.

Roger Grady [e-mail] To reply by email, remove "qlfit." from address

[m Ransley]

1v can reverse voltage- polarity - stupid idea