Ansmann Acs47

[Jedzuki]

Hi all, at present I am using an Ansmann ACS47 to charge Sanyo 2400 NiCds. I want to get some NiMH cells. Some descriptions of this charger say a maximum battery size of 3500 mAh. It does not say anything in the instructions though. Can I use it for 4300 mAh cells? These are for extra runtimes, I don't race.

The instructions mention a safety cutout at 90 minutes. Does this refer to fast or trickle charging? Many thanks.

[terry.sc]

The 3500mah limit is not down to anything more technical than the timer. As a safety cutout if the charger doesn't detect the peak and keeps on charging it has the 90 minute timer built in, which switches off the charger after 90 minutes. This means a battery with more than 3500mah capacity will not be fully charged. If the battery isn't fully flat it might be fully charged when the charger switches off any way. If the battery is flat to start with when the charger switches off just restart it to top up the battery.

[Jedzuki]

Hmmm. So I might not have been giving my 2400 mAh batts a full charge on the 1A charge rate? Will they take the 2A rate? What about the 4A rate, that should do any NiMH within the 90 minute limit?

[terry.sc]

Highly likely they weren't fully charged at 1A. BTW you shouldn't charge at so low a rate as 1A, the batteries are designed to charge at higher rates. NiMHs should be charged at 4A anyway, and at that rate the 4300mah pack will just about manage to be charged in 90 minutes.