NiMH and NiCd

History
So I have this RC car and it uses a 9.6V (8 1.2v cells). Its a NiCd pack, and it has been at like 4v for a few years now (yeah i take care of my batts!) now it seams it wont hold any charge, its stuck at 4v.

I have an other pack but i dono what cells it uses, but after all these years, it held a charge of around 11-12 v. Its also 8 cells, so a similar 9.6v pack.

"Question"
But both those packs are rated at like 760mAh...Thats nothing. So i was thinking if i get 8 AAs 2500 or 2000mAh batts and use a 8 bat cradle. But i'm not sure this is the most cost effective way. I have a couple of NiMH chargers so charging isn't a problem.

Also i didn't find anything on charging packs in series and parallel. Still searching.[/b]


EDIT: I just rechecked my batt pack; and it didn't hold 4 v... i had the V meter on the wrong range (im running an analog meter). This also holds 11-12 V... but its still just like 700 mAh.

I just installed some NiCd batteries in my hedge clipper that were sitting on the shelf for 18 years unused. They work perfectly so far.

With NiCd or Nimh, it's generally a bad idea to charge packs in parallel.
If you charge packs separately or in series, that's OK. Once charged, the packs can be put in parallel for discharge.

R/C NiCd's can handle a very high discharge rate, which is good for EV use. They just don't come in large capacities, so some kind of parallel setup is usually required.

One way to do it is to use a large, multi-pin connector that separates the packs for charging, and the mating connector on the vehicle puts them in parallel.

OK, well heres the AA pack i just need to mount it, and get some AAs.

So far i spent 4eu. And the cheapest cells i found are 3.5eu per cell at 2800mAh, NiMH.

Lets say i get theses 8 AAs hooked up in series, whats V should i charge them with? I have a 10.8v 300mA charger is that ok? Oh and it says NiCD ONLY

Sounds like the right charger. It should work.

What about 2 small packs charged in parallel? I have done it a few times same capacity batteries, same manufacturer with no noticable ill effects? Anyone else try this, I see it is not recommended.