Is there any problem recharging 2000 and 2200 mAh batteries alongside each other? I have a battery that charges two at a time, and I've wondered if that can wear on the batteries. Same with using them in my camera's flash - should I be using only one kind or another? Thanks in advance!
To be safe I would use the same values but I don 't /think/ you'll have a problem.
-- Pierre Salinger Memorial Hook, Line & Sinker, June 2004 COOSN-266-06-25794
No problems as of yet... But my flash takes 5 AA batteries and I only have 4 of each kind! I might just switch over to all one kind and get a high-capacity battery and a moderately quick charger.
They not only have to be the same type, they have to all be at exactly the same state of charge. If one of them discharges before the others (they're in series, right?), then current continues to flow, the weaker one goes "below zero", i.e, gets a reverse charge, which will destroy the cell.
I'd say, get a 6- or 8-cell charger.
And as far as doing pairs, they have to be not only the same type, AH rating and so on, but probably out of the same bubble-pack, to be safe.
Good Luck! Rich
Oh my! I can't remember all that stuff. I guess the lesson would be to take them all out of the flash at once and charge them all together. Until I get one of those intelligent chargers that chargers them individually.
Yes - take them all out, charge them all, then put them back in.
Regarding using mixed mAh rated cells: Rich is right - if you want to do the best you can, then you should use identical cells. But as a practical matter, you can mix 2000 with 2200 mAh cells without instantly inviting disaster. The proviso is that you don't discharge them too far. That same proviso applies to using identical cells - don't discharge them too far. You have more margin for error when the cells are identical.
Concerning mixed rating cells: With 5 cells rated at 1.2 volts each in series, and all cells fully charged, there will not be the "cell reversal" phenomenom. That can't happen, until one of the cells becomes discharged down to about .8 volts. With identical cells, the discharge rate will be about the same for all cells; with non-identical cells, some will discharge faster than others.
Regarding charging: With some chargers, charging 2 cells of different ratings at the same time may result in improper charging. You can build a simple and very cheap charger that avoids that, and will happily charge cells of 2000 & 2200 mAh ratings simultaneously. There are "smart chargers" that can do better, but are more expensive.
One last thing - just because a charger is advertised as a "smart charger" doesn't mean it is good for all rechargeables, or for that matter, even the rechargeables it was "designed" for.
Ed
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