Charging a new NiMH battery

[mitchie]

Hey Guys:

I just recieved a LARGE SIZED Intellect NiMH 3600mAh 9.6V battery and I have a TLP-15 Charger at home. When i'm quick-charging, what charging rate do people typically use on this type of battery?

I did some searching from past threads and there seems to be too many mixed messages with some people saying that we should charge as slow as possible (1.0-1.5A) all the way to people saying that 4.0-5.0A charge is the way to go is the way to go.

So what is the consensus now?

[Gryphon]

A fast charge is defined as a one hour charge. Therefore you should be charging at 3.6 amps. You can increase this to give your battery a bigger punch but you'll be sacrificing capacity and longevity. A slow charge can usually fit a few more mA into the cells though your discharge curve is more gradual. Makes more of a difference if you're racing RC cars; typical AEGs don't need anything fancy.

[ThunderCactus]

i just divide the MaH by 100, so 3600MaH battery charge at 3.6A, thats my rule of thumb