NiMh Batteries and Chargers Issues

[Pfc.Macdonald.J]

Played at Ex-Site on Sunday, had two 9.6v 1600mAh NiMh batteries with me, of which I thought were fully charged (I use a Nuprol NiMh3 Compact Charger). Within the first 20 minutes both batteries go down, much to the amusement of the all Welsh site team, instigating a myriad of rubbish Englishman related banter. Not great for me. I've used these batteries for a year or so, rotating them from game to game. Charge time has varied from charge to charge, but i've not had any issues like yesterday previously.  

Went through my kit today and tried to charge up the batteries. They won't charge: red charging light goes green after roughly three minutes. No warmth to the battery at all. I went to a local RC hobby shop and had the chaps take a look at the batteries: one of them has at least one dead cell, which is most likely the cause of it not working/charging. But the other charges fine, on his charger. 

So, is my charger likely the cause? Does anyone know of or has had similar issues? 

 

[Prisce]

Yes, I had a cheap Nuprol charger for about a  week when I first started out and it did exactly the same. I got a replacement FOC from the shop I got it from, but this one started being intermittent about 2 months after owning it. 

I now now use an IMAX b6 AC balance charger and wouldn’t use anything else. It’s brilliant for all types of battery.

 

[Sitting Duck]

Nimah's do die, often they refuse to charge

or they hold charge for a few hours....

charge them night before game, just as they leave they are half drained

Sound advise buy a B6, charge anything and when the 9.6v crap out go LiPo

B6 all ready to charge anything

 

[scalawag]

Have to agree with the others buy an iMax B6 type charger, its pretty much all the charger you will ever need for airsoft and your batteries will love you for it.  

To keep NiMh batteries in top condition throughout their life, and to get the most from them, a complete discharge once in a while is needed too. The Nuprol charger will not allow you to do this, as it only allows you to charge the battery.

A B6 charger will give you everything you need to condition and care for your batteries, and as SD said if you want to go to LiPo batteries at some point then you will already have the best charger for those too.

Its a no brainer.

My advice would always be to buy batteries and chargers from somewhere that specialises in Batteries, because batteries can vary wildly in their quality, and you will get better battery advice  and good quality products from a battery specialist.

I most often go to Component store:

https://www.componentshop.co.uk

 

[Pfc.Macdonald.J]

Many thanks chaps, solid advice echoing what else i'd read online.

I'm tempted to go lipo, but i don't have enough faith in my memory to not run it too low when playing. But when i grow up and buy some big boy pants, i might make the switch!

Cheers

 

[Sitting Duck]

7.4v is fine - packs same punch as 8.4v or even nigh on as 9.6v

The 3.7v cells get charged to 4.2v (making a fresh 7.4v actually 8.4v or 8.36v)

(but all batteries have more juice, your 9.6v might have say 10.6v off charge)

It is more about the burst or power or grunt or zest in LiPo's

If you run on 7.4v you should be ok at say 20c

BUT - big Kim Kardashian butt (no pic this time)

It f**king annoys the hell out me when they say "LiPo Ready" bollox.....

It is NOT 11.1v LiPo ready because it does not have a mosfet in there

Or I'm 99% sure it doesn't have one in there.....

soz not in English but there is no mosfet in there so a 11.1v mofo will not be wise imho

Now it is a nice gun, but it is really a TomTac or Army Action or something or other name box in there

Lovely quick change spring (not bearing)

Full rack piston, gears look good - might be JG or similar and they are smooth tanky gears

However (avoiding Kim or Nicki Minaj but/butt jokes)

However they plop this bespoke parts crap in there too

Yup the metal selector plate (already in D-Boys PDW)

well it is more durable but it is a bespoke part you can't source from anywhere, but should hold up so OK

The main bone of contention though is the trigger and more so the switch system

It has a funny/weird trigger in multiple parts that disengages and whatnot on semi etc...

(try finding one of those bastids should it wear/fail)

Not only that  it has a microswitch - well not so much micro, but general clicky tactile limit switch

Now THESE are easy to source from Maplins - ooh maybe not, well most places RS Farnell or maybe fleabay

(as long you know the size/part/reference number to general contact switch)

THESE switches on high burst or bigger juice will cook/arc/burn out quicker than ye olde school contacts

It isn't so much they used this switch but more so that they placed a:

LIPO READY label on gun....

YES they recommend 7.4v and rightly so as stated

HOWEVER - imho for a mid range gun they should have put a mosfet in there before using "LiPo Ready" label

For the gun's price tag, it SHOULD have a mosfet in there as many £200+ guns are now doing

(some better than others (G&G DairyLea ETU's etc....))

The gun is a lovely gun, with some some good bits in there, even the qwirky box is ok and actually decent

It is just let down by a £5 or £10 basic mosfet imho and the Lipo label to be exact

It is not a pop at your gun (honest)

it is more a pop at Nuprol cutting a corner imho that with micro trigger contacts SHOULD HAVE a mosfet in there

All of this crap is more of a warning or word of caution not to go nutz jumping to 11.1v LiPo

but if/when you upgrade your batteries - stay on 7.4v say 20c like they recommend

If or most likely when the switch gives up, likely it go quicker than old school type

it will need to resoldered in, but so would old school trigger contacts too

not end of the world - but could have increased the lifespan of switch if they fitted a mosfet - 1st mistake Nuprol

Followed by their second mistake of slapping a LIPO READY badge on it - no it f**king ain't truly LiPo ready ffs !!!

Soz for long rant - but stuff like this marketing cost cutting BS really winds me up sometimes

Go easy on da juice though....

 

[Pfc.Macdonald.J]

That is quality. Really useful perspective, thanks mate. I'm gonna stay Nimh for now, but you've given me some solid food for thought. 

 

[AvaMartin]

Hi.. there are different kinds of smart chargers, though. Dumb chargers simply charge the battery for some fixed period of time. Smart chargers charge until a set voltage is reached. But the lower-end smart chargers don't come with much in the way of features: a lot of them don't give any feedback other than whether the battery is done charging, and many also can only charge batteries in pairs. Higher end chargers can charge batteries individually, measure voltage and capacity, charge at different rates, and even cycle the batteries to "refresh" them.
 

printed board assembly

 

[Rogerborg]

Smart chargers charge until a set voltage is reached.

Nimh chargers do that, do they?

 

[L3wisD]

 

[Rogerborg]

Ah, I see  Moss has chosen to use a Nuprol smart charger.

 

[Musica]

Ah, I see  Moss has chosen to use a Nuprol smart charger.

nuprol and smart don't seem right in the same sentance.

 

[Rogerborg]

nuprol and smart don't seem right in the same sentance.

It has an advanced temperature sensor system: once the wires melt in the fire, it cuts off.