2 basic charger questions

[kosPap]

gretings all!

I am new to charging and I am still fighting over my best selection (having some very specific criteria)

anyhow, questions 1

is Adjustable output chargers compatible with solar cells?
for example if a cell outputs 400mAh and the charge uses 300mAh will it work or is it 4cellsx300=1200 mah required?
Also is there a chance a 1000=mAh charger work with taht solar cell, lengthening the charging duration of course? or will the charger not work at all, receiving less than demanded current?
Is it charger depended? (LaCrosse BC900, Maha 8000, Maha 204W, Vanson 3600W)

Question 2:

I am kinda perplexed by top-off charging. reason is taht some charger manuals mention top-off capability and some others do not. I believe top-off is the action of recharging half-used batteries. Will all smart chargers allow that or they won't detect the removed mAh if the amount is small and refuse to charge? Do chargers that offer trickle charging allow top-off?

Wow these were more than 2 question! thanks beforehand guys, kostas

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Kostas,

I think the best method is to use the solar panel to charge a 12 volt battery. You then connect your charger to the 12 volt battery and run it from there.

You have to be careful to examine the specifications for your charger. Not all of them will run from 12 volts.

Batteries self discharge during storage. The top off charge refers to taking a battery that has been stored fully charged, and topping it off once again bringing it up to a full charge.

It is better to store your batteries in a discharged condition and charge them before use, but sometimes that is not convenient. In those cases, have some cells around at half charge that you can use for immediate needs while you are charging your cells.

The danger with top off charging is that it is possible for the charger to miss the end of charge signal and it will then overcharge the battery.

Healthy NiMh cells will still have over 50% of their charge after 90 days of room temperature storage. At this point, charging them should be no problem.

There is a special case for RC racing. When racing you want your cells hot for the best performance. In this case you top the fully charged pack off to heat up the cells.

Tom