Can I safely fast charge NiMH Rx and Tx packs?
You bet, providing the charger MFG’s documentation clearly indicates the peak charge algorithm is appropriate for NiMH packs. Some examples of NiMH safe fast chargers are the current model Multiplex, Hobbico, AstroFlight and the Trition Charger from Great Planes. Programmable Digital Charger / Cyclers generally range in price from $80-150..** but will be able to form charge, fast charge, cycle test and display the capacity info for any battery type your likely to encounter in the hobby. Normally, fast charging of NiMH packs is done at the 1C charge rate. (1000ma pack = 1 amp charge rate) Cell type and impedance can impact the ‘1C’ rule, normally we recomend a maximum fast charge rate of 1.0 to 1.5 amps on all the High Capacity Sanyo AA Tx packs and cells.. significantly less than the 1C rate. All our packs come with the recomended slow and fast charge rates right on the pack label. ** An excellent example of a modern programmable Charger / Cycler at the lower end of the price scale is
