I have a few questions relating to a new charger I've bought and general battery maintenance stuff, so here goes:
1. Charging rate - I can choose between 300mA and 600mA, obviously the 600mA will charge a battery faster, but is there a downside to fast charging?
2. I can charge between 2 - 10 cells at the same time. Why would I not want to charge all of them at the same time?
3. Discharge - Am I right in thinking that NiMH batteries don't require this?
4. Overcharging - This unit apparently cuts to trickle charge once the battery is full. My other charger doesn't. What are the problems with overcharging?
1. My principle is the slower the charge, the better for the battery. If you ain't got the time then you have to use faster charge!
2. 8.4v cells have 7 cells, higher or lower voltage cells have higher or lower numbers of batteries. Count the number of actual batteries and use that setting
3. Yes
4. Overcharging fries batteries (imagine filling a bath - water all over the floor isn't a good idea - a trickling tap combats evaporation)
Intelligent chargers are a very good idea - pretty much plug in and forget (within common sense reason)
Fanks Guv.
I've a charger that charges fully then trickles to keep it topped up. I put the battery on and leave it for a few days before a game.
I've never had any issues with batteries and they last an entire weekend. Mind you, I've a light trigger finger....
I also read (on a very dull technical forum) that the self discharge rate is quite high, especially in the first few days. So if you get ahead of the game by charging your batteries a week before the event they're probably only at 80-90% charge by the time you switch the gun on. True or cobblers?
I'd estimate a lot lower than 80-90% actually, nearer 50%.
They will probably be fully discharged in 2-3 weeks after charging.
I do know that NiMH self-discharge rates are high enough to be a liability. I have loads of AA NiMH batteries in various camera bags but don't actually use them that often (many being spare, spare, spare packs if you know what I mean) and yet when I do come to use then they are so flat as to be useless. And I use a really fancy charger too so I know they are absolute perfection when they come of the charger. Three months later they are useless for any practical purpose.
in case there is someone who didn't knew
number of cells in battery= Voltage /1.2
eg.
9.6V=8 cells
8,4V=7cells
I do know that NiMH self-discharge rates are high enough to be a liability. I have loads of AA NiMH batteries in various camera bags but don't actually use them that often (many being spare, spare, spare packs if you know what I mean) and yet when I do come to use then they are so flat as to be useless. And I use a really fancy charger too so I know they are absolute perfection when they come of the charger. Three months later they are useless for any practical purpose.
Thoes inteligent chargers need to see some current in the battery or they will not charge the cells, get yourself a bog standard uniross 120 & put your single cells into that for a hour or so if they won't charge in the smart charger,then put them in smart charger & they will normaly charge up ok, same goes with the smart chargers for AEG batteries, put the battery on a bog standard tricke charger for a few hours before hand if the smart charger won't charge it, the batteies sometimes go to low for the circuity in smart chargers to see 
Steve.D
