Maha 801 won't charge my AAs which have been in storage for about 2 years..

[GarageBoy]

I popped in these Panasonic 2100mAh AAs and I see NOTHING
Try the charger with a new Eneloop and it lights up.
I had to "wake up" the battery with a cheap POS timer charger. Question is, is this safe and why wouldn't it work right off the batt in the Maha?

 

[Mr Happy]

I popped in these Panasonic 2100mAh AAs and I see NOTHING
Try the charger with a new Eneloop and it lights up.
I had to "wake up" the battery with a cheap POS timer charger. Question is, is this safe and why wouldn't it work right off the batt in the Maha?

It is mainly because you stored the batteries for too long without using them. Per Silverfox, if you have non-LSD NiMH cells you need to keep them in use, or at least cycle them every three months to keep them healthy. If stored for two years without being touched the cells will likely lose performance and capacity. When you first put them in the Maha they probably had a voltage that was too low so the charger did not recognize them as suitable for charging.

 

[GarageBoy]

Thanks, so keep them charged to prevent this? I don't wanna keep another POS charger around to"wake" them up

 

[SilverFox]

Hello GarageBoy,

The best way to prevent those problems is to frequently use the cells.

You need more flashlights and need to use them at every opportunity you can...

Tom