how do i charge NMH cells?

[mike nill]

I have some NMH packs and I need to know at what rate do I charge them?they are 120ma cells.I have a hitec charger (the kind with the LCD screen)that I used to charge them with on .50 amps but it doesn't seem like there charging all the way.I really need some help!they will charge for about 7-10 min. but then they discharge really fast with a kp00 motor a balsa products receiver and two HS 50 servos.

[jberg]

Hi,

I charge mine with ~120mA or ~250mAh (only if I am in a hurry). Don't use higher current, and stop charging when the voltage stops rising (the cells should not get warmer than your hand)(I don't know how cold your hands are http://www.rcmicroflight.com/ubb/smile.gif).

If you draw about 0.8-1A from the cells then you can expect around 80mAh of capacity until the cells go down to 0.9V. The nominal 120mAh are only valid at much lower currents. My measurements show only 30mAh for Sanyo 50mAh cells under the same conditions, to help comparing.

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Jochen