How to NiMH battery care and purchase

NiMH battery can be charged 500 to 1000 times in its lifespan according to the official claim but this is actually an ideal value. It is often less than this data. But if the charger is used in a reasonable way and the battery always get proper maintenance we can still get it to reach "longevity".

1.When we get NiMH rechargeable batteries, can we use them immediately ?

Under normal circumstances, the new NIMH rechargeable batteries only contain a small amount of electricity so you have to recharge it before using. However, if the leave time of the battery is short and the power is adequate the suggestion is use it first and then recharge it. It is same as lipo battery.

2. Why the actual capacity of the battery is lower than the nominal?

Generally the new NIMH rechargeable battery need to charge and use for 3to 4 times before it plays to the best performance. There are differences between the capacity of the battery and the capacity indicated when first charged because the smart battery charger's judgement to a new battery is not reliable. Sometimes the battery can't be fully charged. The current of fast charge is too high to fully charge and activate the battery. This is why the capacity measured is lower than the actual capacity. So our suggestion is using a slow charger for ten hours first. And then discharged with a smart charger and after three cycles it can be to the maximum capacity. The dischargeable capacity also need to be measured and these problems have been solved during the process of the 3 to 4 times with charging and using.

3. Does the current of the battery destroy itself?

Chargers are divided into fast charge and slow charge. Slow charging current is small it is usually around 200mA Such as our common charge current is about 160mA. It is a long charging time for NIMH rechargeable battery .Charging 1800mAh Ni-MH battery needs 16 hours. Although time is a bit slow, but the battery will be fullly charged and it will do little harm to the battery. Usually the fast-charge current is 400mA abovet and the charging time is significantly reduced only three to four hours can charge it fully. So they satisfy lots of people. There are many different types and prices of fast charger and we often have questions: why the prices between them is very large? Chargers especially good fast chargers are equipped with the founction of anti-overcharge. Excellent design of chip software can reduce the damage to battery to a minimum when charging them.

4. Does the battery need to keep charging any time?

Although the memory effect of NiMH batteries is small I still recommend you try to use the electricity out before it charged and charge it fully each time not charge it with a short time and then charge it again and again. This would be a serious damage to our battery.