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<DIV>My Accucycle has always seemed to detect a peak reliably at less than C/1. However, I always have it connected directly to the pack instead of going through the transmitter charge connector (with its associated diode, etc.) Anyway, if it does "think" that it has detected a peak, it does not shut off but will simply start charging at the lower rate, which I usually have set for C/10. </DIV>
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<DIV>A "maintenance" charge on a lead acid battery is a completely different beast. It is simply a constant voltage charge at a lower voltage, such as 13.2v for a 12v battery. All charging for nicads should be constant current.</DIV>
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<DIV>I have some old nicad packs for my cordless drills that will short internally if I don't keep them under a constant charge. I know I should replace them, but they work fine for what I need as long as I remember to plug them in after I am done.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>Bob R.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>--- On <B>Tue, 11/3/09, John Pavlick <I><jpavlick@idseng.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
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<DIV>I always thought that "peak" charging with a typical negative delta-V type charger was not the best way to terminate a charge cycle unless you were charging at at least 1C. Most chargers will "false peak" when they're charging a battery at a low rate (C/10). This depends on the battery of course but I've found it to be true for the most part. I have an old Alpha-4 that I use to maintain my Ni packs. Works great but they're a bit hard to find.</DIV>
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<DIV>You even need to be careful when using a "slow" charger. From my experience, I've found it best to charge overnight for 12 - 14 hours with a constant current at C/10. Anything less than C/10 may not fully charge the pack even if you leave it on for the proper amount of time (eg. C/50 for at least 50 hours). A very low current "maintenance" charge is OK for a short time after you've fully charged the pack but I wouldn't leave one on it indefinitely. Lead Acid batteries seem to tolerate a "maintenance" charge but Ni packs don't seem to like it.</DIV>
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<DIV>John Pavlick<BR><BR>--- On <B>Tue, 11/3/09, Bob Richards <I><bob@toprudder.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: Bob Richards <bob@toprudder.com><BR>Subject: Re: [<SPAN>NSRCA</SPAN>-discussion] 12X Failure<BR>To: "General pattern discussion" <nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org><BR>Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 2:34 PM<BR><BR>
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<DIV>Jim,</DIV>
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<DIV>I have an Accucyle Elite that I use. I can set the charge current to anything I want, and typically I will set it for 100 - 150ma charge rate for my regular transmitter batteries, and have it switch over to a 50 or 60ma rate after the peak detect. I like doing that since it will detect a peak and tell me how much it put back into the pack, then continue with a slow charge to equalize the cells after that.</DIV>
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<DIV>Bob R.</DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>--- On <B>Tue, 11/3/09, J N Hiller <I><jnhiller@earthlink.net></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=EmailStyle15><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Bob I tend to agree. </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=EmailStyle15><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Where can I get an adjustable non-peak detecting charger with a 110 - 120 vac input. I don't trust a peak detecting charger to fully charge / balance the battery, even on a C/10 charge rate.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=EmailStyle15><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Jim Hiller</SPAN></FONT></SPAN>
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