Rechargable Batteries

[audioguru]

Guess what caused the improvement in the capacity of your batteries?
1) Overcharging or undercharging like when they were bad.
2) Charging until fully charged.
3) Discharging then fully charging.

 

[tvtech]

Youre amazing Gary. You fly much anymore?

 

[gary350]

Youre amazing Gary. You fly much anymore?

Air Travel or Model Airplanes? Neither one these days.

 

[gary350]

DAMN #$%& I forgot about my batteries they charged for 22 hrs. I absolutely need to buy a charger that turns off automatic. Batteries are slightly warm, meter reading 1.483v each. Batteries are working good.

1.483v each.

 

[audioguru]

Good quality chargers use a Ni-MH charger IC that detects the voltage bump at a full charge then shuts off.

 

[tvtech]

Those batteries look 'cooked'
Got too hot charging for too long.

 

[JimB]

Those batteries look 'cooked'

A bold claim.
Upon what facts do you base that statement?

JimB

 

[tvtech]

A bold claim.
Upon what facts do you base that statement?

JimB

They look 'darker' than before in the previous photos....hmmm.

Lol....that's what it looks like to me

 

[tvtech]

Never mind me Jim. Now I've got 16M colours as opposed to my old phone with very little

tvtech

 

[audioguru]

I found a discarded Rayovac charger the same as his. It charges at 160mA forever which is 8% of the Eneloop cell's capacity.
Energizer says if a trickle charge is used then keep it at or below 2.5% of the capacity.
So I do not think the battery overcharge did much harm.

 

[gary350]

I found a discarded Rayovac charger the same as his. It charges at 160mA forever which is 8% of the Eneloop cell's capacity.
Energizer says if a trickle charge is used then keep it at or below 2.5% of the capacity.
So I do not think the battery overcharge did much harm.

Batteries are working fine over charging did not hurt them.

I am tired of looking & reading about battery chargers not enough information. I am not finding any that say they turn off when battery is charged. I might have to buy a 120vac timer it will set for any time I want 15 hours is probably about right.

 

[audioguru]

Energizer has 3 battery chargers that charge Ni-MH cells properly, and one that is cheap garbage. Duracell also make chargers. They all come with Eneloop type of batteries. A good battery charger refuses to overcharge batteries that are already charged. I timer allows overcharging like this.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

I am not finding any that say they turn off when battery is charged

Any branded NiMH charger that "fast charges" (less than 10 hours) will have intelligent cutoff.

Examples:

Amazon.com: EBL Smart AA AAA NiMH Rechargeable Battery Charger - 2A USB Charging Port 2 Hour Quick Charger: Home Audio & Theater

Buy EBL Smart AA AAA NiMH Rechargeable Battery Charger - 2A USB Charging Port 2 Hour Quick Charger: Battery Chargers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Panasonic BQ-CC55SBA "Advanced" eneloop Individual Battery 3 Hour Quick Charger with 4 LED Charge Indicator Lights, White: Home Audio & Theater

Buy Panasonic BQ-CC55SBA "Advanced" eneloop Individual Battery 3 Hour Quick Charger with 4 LED Charge Indicator Lights, White: Electronics - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[gary350]

Is quick charge as good as slower charge? I have always heard slow charge is better than fast but not sure about these new technology batteries. 3 & 4 hour quick charge is ok with me as long as batteries don't over heat and start a fire. Often I charge batteries over night at the camp ground. About 7 years ago I had batteries split open an produce a very large amount of smoke I don't recall the batteries or charger they are gone now.

 

[audioguru]

The EBL charger listed here says it switches to a "trickle charge" that was needed for old Ni-Cad cells, not Ni-MH and certainly not for modern Eneloop types that hold a charge for one year. Maybe this EBL charger is actually an old Ni-Cad charger that is re-labelled.

 

[audioguru]

Is quick charge as good as slower charge? I have always heard slow charge is better than fast but not sure about these new technology batteries. 3 & 4 hour quick charge is ok with me as long as batteries don't over heat and start a fire. Often I charge batteries over night at the camp ground. About 7 years ago I had batteries split open an produce a very large amount of smoke I don't recall the batteries or charger they are gone now.

A modern Smart Charger for Ni-MH batteries knows that the cell heats as it charges then it heats a lot more when fully charged so it adjusts the current and shuts off to take care of heating.
Did you know that a Ni-Cad cell actually cools as it charges then heats less than a Ni-MH cell when overcharging? That is why a Ni-Cad can be safely trickle-charged at 1/10th its capacity.

 

[gary350]

Any branded NiMH charger that "fast charges" (less than 10 hours) will have intelligent cutoff.

Examples:

Amazon.com: EBL Smart AA AAA NiMH Rechargeable Battery Charger - 2A USB Charging Port 2 Hour Quick Charger: Home Audio & Theater

Buy EBL Smart AA AAA NiMH Rechargeable Battery Charger - 2A USB Charging Port 2 Hour Quick Charger: Battery Chargers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I don't see where it tells what voltage is used to plug the charger into? I looked it up online I don't see it there either but it shows picture like the battery charger is plugged into a battery pack. I need 120 vac for home and camp ground.

 

[audioguru]

The "smart" charger sold on Amazon must be an old design that trickle charges. Modern Eneloop type of batteries hold a charge for 1 year and do not need a trickle charge.
The inputs are a Type-C USB 5VDC/2A or a micro-USB. I have never seen a 5VDC/2A wall-wart with a Type-C or a Micro-USB plug.
My cell phone "charger" is 5VDC/1A with an ordinary USB jack. Not enough current for the Chinese Ni-MH charger.

 

[JonSea]

The "smart" charger sold on Amazon must be an old design that trickle charges. Modern Eneloop type of batteries hold a charge for 1 year and do not need a trickle charge.
The inputs are a Type-C USB 5VDC/2A or a micro-USB. I have never seen a 5VDC/2A wall-wart with a Type-C or a Micro-USB plug.
My cell phone "charger" is 5VDC/1A with an ordinary USB jack. Not enough current for the Chinese Ni-MH charger.

A standard micro USB cable connects the charger to a USB wall wart. 2.1 amp wall warts are pretty common - it shouldn't be a problem to find one.

Also, you could use a USB cigarette lighter plug to power the charger which is perfect for charging on the road.

 

[gary350]

A standard micro USB cable connects the charger to a USB wall wart. 2.1 amp wall warts are pretty common - it shouldn't be a problem to find one.

Also, you could use a USB cigarette lighter plug to power the charger which is perfect for charging on the road.

View attachment 118441

INPUT from WHERE?????????????

Both cords say USB Input but it does not say where the input comes from. Car cigarette lighter? Camp ground electric box? Wall outlet 120vac?