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NiCD/NiMH charger that tops up?
andykn
13-09-2016
So I've got a fancy AccuPower IQ328+ which will recondition batteries and do a slow 200mAh trickle charge, but once it's done, it's done. The batteries then slowly lose charge so they're half flat by the time I need to use them.

Does anyone know of a charger that will top up NiCD/NiMH batteries occasionally once charged without overcharging them?

I've been through quite a few chargers on Amazon and can't find one that seems to do this.
Chris Frost
14-09-2016
The standard response (I think for NiCads at least) is don't top them up. This will cause a memory effect that reduces the battery's capacity. It's also not good to charge NiCads 'to the brim' as this reduces the number of charge cycles they'll provide. I have a PAG AR124PLD charger that will apply a proper step differential charging sequence, but it's a £500 charger designed for hi-capacity batteries from 1Ah to 10Ah.

Nickel-based batteries will self-discharge. Try charging just before you need to use them (i.e. night before or morning of the day of use) and monitor the temperature as a guide to the charging status. If the battery is lukewarm then that's a reasonable guide to it being close to fully charged. Take it/them off charge at that point. If a battery is getting hotter than lukewarm then it is overcharging. Stop using that charger.
diablo
14-09-2016
I use this sort of battery for my DAB radio. They claim to keep 85% of capacity after one year - much better than normal NiMH batteries. And I can't argue about that, they still have plenty of charge when my DAB radio batteries fail - after four months or so. Ordinary NiMH batteries only last six weeks and the ones I charged earlier aren't 'full' even then. I'm quite impressed by them.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
andykn
14-09-2016
Originally Posted by Chris Frost:
“The standard response (I think for NiCads at least) is don't top them up. This will cause a memory effect that reduces the battery's capacity. It's also not good to charge NiCads 'to the brim' as this reduces the number of charge cycles they'll provide. I have a PAG AR124PLD charger that will apply a proper step differential charging sequence, but it's a £500 charger designed for hi-capacity batteries from 1Ah to 10Ah.

Nickel-based batteries will self-discharge. Try charging just before you need to use them (i.e. night before or morning of the day of use) and monitor the temperature as a guide to the charging status. If the battery is lukewarm then that's a reasonable guide to it being close to fully charged. Take it/them off charge at that point. If a battery is getting hotter than lukewarm then it is overcharging. Stop using that charger.”

Yes, you're right of course about NiCd batteries, all mine are now NiMH.

The trouble is most of them are in things like my bluetooth mouse where they just stop working and need swapping out there and then.

The Accupower charger seems to be good at charging them correctly, it's just the self discharge that's annoying.
andykn
14-09-2016
Originally Posted by diablo:
“I use this sort of battery for my DAB radio. They claim to keep 85% of capacity after one year - much better than normal NiMH batteries. And I can't argue about that, they still have plenty of charge when my DAB radio batteries fail - after four months or so. Ordinary NiMH batteries only last six weeks and the ones I charged earlier aren't 'full' even then. I'm quite impressed by them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1”

Thanks for the recommendation, I've put them on my wish list for the future but am not yet ready to swap out my existing stock.
tealady
14-09-2016
I think you just want a hybrid type battery.
andykn
14-09-2016
Originally Posted by tealady:
“I think you just want a hybrid type battery.”

Thanks but I've got quite a stock of existing batteries I didn't want to get rid of.

I've bought one of these now:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ansmann-Pho.../dp/B0185POD4A

"Trickle charge after automatic battery full detection"
Soundbox
28-09-2016
Trouble is, the trickle charge current is never specified - and if an excessive trickle charge is applied, it will just be slowly killing the batteries as it is no longer charging them (they are full) but turning instead to heat inside the battery. I personally use a SkyRC MC3000 which allows for all these parameters to be set and has up to 30 customisable charge programs so that you can charge even the smallest cells at 0.05 Amp or D cells at 3 Amps. It is probably the best four channel charger out there at the moment.
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