Nicad charger for 4x sub c cells

On 4/13/2009 11:31 PM justallan spake thus:

I'd think not, as that one is made for NiMH and not NiCd batteries. Different charging rates, different cycle times.

That one is probably way too small.

There are several aftermarket R/C SMART chargers that would be more appropriate. They sense the number and type of batteries and automatically select the charge accordingly. It is important to have identical cells of the same state of charge in a pack.

Or you could build your own:

Or modify an existing surplus tool charger;

If the sub-C's have been down for a while, you may have lost one or more. You may have to replace or repack the battery. It occurs to me that a whole new lawn edger might be had for the same price, but I might be wrong.

I usually don't bother fixing up something like that unless there are enough junk parts laying around so I don't have to chase around for parts and pay top price for whatever I can get to do the job. I have found discount new power tool batteries for defunct or discontinued tools and opened them up to use as replacement cells. Occasionally RS has put R/C packs on sale too.

So, you can replace both the nicads AND the charger? Get a quad of NiMH AA cells and charger, and a four-cell battery holder, and fire 'er up!

AA cells are longer than sub C and may not fit the housing. Sub C cells are readily available in tagged versions so they can be soldered easily.

Although you might be able to get AAs with nominally the same capacity as sub C they may not be able to deliver the same current.