Need charger for 4.5 ah packs

[Yukon_72]

I have been searching for a charger to charge 4.5 amp hour NiMh packs that does a good job and is affordable as I am putting togethor a package of light, batery pack and charging system. Finding an affordable charger seems to be the toughest part. I use a Span charger myself- it is great but a bit too much for our project. Any help would be great.

 

[Doug Owen]

What's the voltage?

Does it need to be a fast charge? Are you willing to put a sensor in the battery pack?

Details, man, details....

Doug Owen

 

[Yukon_72]

I think I will go with 6 volt or 7.2 volt packs, no problem to put sensor in pack if afforable. System will be used in extreme conditions so fewer parts the better.

 

[Doug Owen]

If slow chargers are OK, how about a wall wort (like the 12 Volt, one Amp one currently on sale at MPJA for $2.50) and either a resistor or (better still) LM317 based constant current charger. Figure half a buck or a bit over a dollar respectively. For a buck or two more, you can provide a car charge cord.

How's that for cheap/simple/dependable?

Doug Owen