Nicad depth of discharge and longevity

[Ypedal]

Well.. hands on experience with Nicad.. they are absolutely abuse tolerant.

Leave them on the Hi-Power charger as long as you wish, no harm done. trickle charging is perfectly ok.

If you plan to not use the packs for a few weeks. well.. then i personally suggest leaving them in what ever state of charge they are in after the last ride.

Nicad is not great if you plan to ride once every few weeks, but for daily use, they are pertty cool !

nothin beats lithium tho !

 

[dnmun]

i have a nexcell charger from justin and it shuts off when the pack is charged. it does not continue to trickle charge.

 

[huskydave]

There are two models, the older ones have two leds, the newer one has three. It will switch to supplimental charge after it has completed the charge cycle. Red led is power on yellow is charging green blinking is suppliment charge and green solid is completed.

 

[docnjoj]

I've been fast charging/trickle charging Nicads for years for various hobbies. They are really hard to kill!
otherDoc

 

[dnmun]

i thought the continued charging beyond the 1.41V just led to hydrogen formation and venting so that the cell went dry. but i agree, last for decades.

 

[OneWayTraffic]

i thought the continued charging beyond the 1.41V just led to hydrogen formation and venting so that the cell went dry. but i agree, last for decades.

It depends on the level of charge compared to the capacity of the cell. If the rate is too high you get venting. Lower rates for short periods of time are ok, and trickle rates are fine indefinitely. Problem is that the energy going into the cell in overcharging is eventually converted into heat and that isn't good for the cells. Slow charging rates also contribute to larger crystals of Cadmium forming, which can lead to voltage depression.

So it's still a good idea to only charge as much as needed, and no more.

All of this is from what I've read, where Phds explain it all in easy to understand format. I have little personal experience with Nicads myself, using NimH for most of my electronics.