Rechargeable NiMH Battery Question

[foodfightr]

So, I ordered this charger and it came with 2050 mAh batteries. I ordered an 8 pack of NiMH duracell batteries which arrived and are 2500 mAh (Great!) but will they work with the charger?

New Purchase: AA/HR6/DC1500 NiMH/1,2V/2500 mAh
Came With Charger: AA/HR6/DC1500 NiMH/1,2V/2050 mAh

 

[Matthias99]

Some of the reviews on Amazon claim to be using it with 2500mAh batteries. I don't see why it wouldn't work; it sounds like this is a 'smart' charger that will not over- or under-charge the batteries.

 

[JimPhelpsMI]

Hi, Matt has it right but, If the charger is not super inteligent and happens to be one of the timed chargers, you will just not completely charge the batts and will get the same MAH from the new ones as the old ones.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: JimPhelpsMI
Hi, Matt has it right but, If the charger is not super inteligent and happens to be one of the timed chargers, you will just not completely charge the batts and will get the same MAH from the new ones as the old ones.

Timed charger? That doesn't sound like a really good idea - what if you were to charge a battery that was only drained a little bit, just to top it off? It might be charged really fast, and then damaged if a charger was purely timer based. I think all chargers employ some kind of basic voltage detection, and when the terminal voltage reaches a certain point, they slow down to a very light trickle charge.
In that case, the charger should work fine with any NiMH batteries.

 

[Luckyboy1]

2050 mAh batteries...

That's just what the charger is rated at for maximum ability to transfer the charge. In other words, it will charge the batteries at a maximum rate of 2050 milliAmps per hour. This does NOT mean batteries that can hold 2050 mAmps will be charged in one hour. They take on charge slower as they get closer to being topped off.

 

[Jiggz]

With the charger underrated for the total capacity of the batteries, it means the charger will take longer to charge the batteries up to its rated charged capacity.

 

[JimPhelpsMI]

Hi Jeff7, I have about 20 chargers of various makes and sizes laying around. Of those 20 at least 5 are timers and the times are set for one MAH size. You don't realize how difficult it is to design a really Inteligent charger. Our engineers started that about 25 yrs ago and never got it right. Some are pretty good today. Jim

 

[TheRyuu]

I like my Energizer 15min. Quick charger for the NiMH batteries.

Even comes with a fan, lol

Now the box SAYS it'll stop when:
-gets too hot
-done with charging
-maby on a timer, not sure
-trikle charge after fast charge is done

 

[JimPhelpsMI]

Hi Wiz, That sounds like a great charger if the box is telling the truth. It must have all the known methods of determining when the charge is 100% known to man. Jim

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: JimPhelpsMI
Hi Jeff7, I have about 20 chargers of various makes and sizes laying around. Of those 20 at least 5 are timers and the times are set for one MAH size. You don't realize how difficult it is to design a really Inteligent charger. Our engineers started that about 25 yrs ago and never got it right. Some are pretty good today. Jim

What about simplistic chargers like these? Not genuinely intelligent, but not a timer charger.

With timer chargers, well, I just don't get how they'd work. Put a battery in when it's almost completely dead, and a battery that's at 85% of full capacity. Do they both get charged the same amount of time?