Question on Rechargeable Batteries

[Mossy Oak]

I found Rayovac 1 hour battery charger (with car adapter) at Wal-Mart for $30.00. The charger was rated for 1800mAh. Can I use Energizer batteries, which are rated at 1850mAh? Or do you need to match (mAh) batteries / charger?

 

Dose anyone use Monster batteries?

[targetdrone]

You should be able to use those. Make sure you don't mix different batteries when you charge them. If the charger simply has a timer, don't use batteries lower than 1800mah. If it uses voltage peak detection or logorythm peak prediction, you could use lower mah rating batteries. Ni-Mh batteries aren't as durable as NiCads. They don't react well to heat, and capacity will diminish quickly. I fly R/C gliders and have spent a bit on chargers, so GPSr batteries can help spread the cost out a bit.

 

Don't blame me, I voted for Jeremy.

[+Gliderguy]

If that charger is model number PS4B then it is one of the very few that actually charges each cell individually instead of in pairs like most chargers. It is thusly one of the few that will let you mix and match capacity batteries, or charge an odd number of batteres.

 

It is a semi-intelligent charger that senses when the battery has reached around 90% charged and then swaps to a trickle mode that can be left on just about indefinitely (days).

 

You can tell it charges each cell individually because there is an LED for each cell, and as you load the cells into the charger (if already plugged into power) the lights come on as each corresponding cell is inserted.

 

It won't be picky about capacity, just make sure that the NiMh/NiCd switch is set to match the kind of batteries you are charging.