NiMH batteries and chargers

First of all, are these batteries dangerous, and are they less dagngerousthan LI-ion.

They give better brightness for flashlights than alkaline AA and AAA, I suppose?

I've ordered 2 1XAA flashligts so I already ordered 2 Turnigy AA LD batteries from Hobby King (on recommendation from Don I think).

Now I'll order one battery that receives (besides 18650) 3XAAA, so I need some of this also.

And I need charger too.

SO here it is what I have found:

I was thinking to order also Turnigy AAA 80mAh from hobbyking.

2) For charger I've found this, http://www.chipoteka.hr/www_new/modules/moduli/shop/product.php?sifra=8051112681 from one local shop ... but unfortunately they didnt stated current output in specifications, I've send them email asking that, so we'll see.
Price is 13,5 USD and that is max price for me for somehing lke that... What do you think about specifications?? You can find UKLEAR company products on the web, but it seems this particular model is discontinued (I cannot find it) Is it a safe charger and do I need to monitor it constantly? Is tricke charging good or bad? Of what things I should be aware of when I'm using it?

3) I've also found this thing here http://www.chipoteka.hr/artikl/2400001731 2AA + 2AAA VArta (good LSD batteries) + USB chharger for 2 batteries... Bzt thats not so good for me because flashlight Uses 2 AAA batteries so.... I'm 1 battery and one place in the charger short... for my needs. Its a pitty

I so envy my friend, he bought before few years for 8 USD Trust 4X AA/AAA charger with for batteries I think, just for 8 USD, in some shop here on discount, this charger has great build quality, I would even say top build quality,


I woudn't even bother with non-LSD batteries, too much hassle. For charger, just get any "smart" charger w/ seperate channels you can find, esp. if you can find one w/ lcd display to tell you what's going on.

can I charg one full + 1 empty, in one channel??

No. You have to charge two same one. I dunno about where you live, but here you can sometimes find decent name brands ones (like sony/panasonic/duracell) for cheap. I have the bq-390, cef23, etc which I got for like $10-15. I've seen the LCD chinese ones for ~$20. I got my la crosse bc 700 for $25.

All batteries should be handled with care, but NiMH batteries are generally pretty safe. Over-discharging them will simply reduce the lifetime of the battery, and if they're badly overcharged, there is a safety valve built in the cell to release the built up hydrogen gas. Unlike Li-Ion, it won't turn your flashlight into a pipe bomb.

umm... no. not really? 14500 batteries give better brightness for flashlights since the lights kick over into direct drive at the higher voltages Li-Ions produce, but I haven't noticed any difference between good alkalines and NiMH for brightness.

The chief advantages of NiMH batteries are price and lifetime. Li-Ion batteries degrade over time, even if not used. After a couple years, they lose a significant portion of their capacity, even if they have never been used. (I'm talking about loss of maximum capacity, not just self-discharge).

Nice. I like carrying AA lights when I'm away from home because they're small, I don't need to bring a big charger, and in emergencies, I can buy AA batteries at any drugstore or gas station.

Hope this helps!

You could get one of those little 1-bay universal chargers at DX. They will charge NiMH or li-ion and they only have one channel. It will be kind of slow if you have 3 batteries to charge though.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal-smart-quick-charger-recharges-all-batteries-100-240v-ac-14885

I already had a NiMH charger, but this was how I got started in li-ion because it was cheap and I wasn't sure if I would be using li-ion that much.

Four separate channels, LCD display, 'Refresh' function...$14.74

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/4-x-aa-aaa-battery-charger-with-1-5-lcd-display-100-240v-ac-35286

Works fine.......and rejects crappy BTY batteries with an 'Error' message.

nice find, Tas62. Not sure I want to dump 2100 mA into a cell though, it does tend to shorten the lifetime. but 4 at 525mA each isn't so bad

...Thankfully. Mine charges AA's (1-2) at 1000mA, (3-4) at 500mA. AAA's are charged at 500/250mA.

Performance accords with those specs...it takes about 2hrs to charge 1-2 AA's (Eneloop 2000mAh). Not much more to add really...it's a charger...it works.

Coincidentally I was about to post that deal on the forum. It's a 360mah slow charger, but should work fine.

I can recomend this with good price/performance. I'm using it for about a year. Most important - it has refresh function. The only thing missing is info about capacity.

Don't use any single chepo multi type charger from post above - it works if you are lucky only.

For something more I would recomend Voltcraft IPC-1L - official price here is half of yours - search and compare at www.conrad.hr and www.conrad.si.

Can you buy from amzn in croatia?