Mag Charger Help

I have all the parts for the Mag Charger, and everything seems pretty self explanatory... I don't have a copy of the manuel (doubt I would have read it even if I did have one). Anything I should know about my Mag Charger batteries before I start using it? Any help would be appreciated. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

The battery pack at 2.2 Ah has lower capacity than the interchangeable Streamlight SL-20X 2.5 Ah pack or the use of 5 separate high-current Powerstream 1/2 D rechargeables.

Other than that, understand the characteristics of a NiCad battery in guiding you to arrange your charging practices (not good to leave in charger indefinitely) and discharge steepness practices (a reasonably deep cycled discharge at least every few cycles is beneficial). The discharge cycle should take care not to polarity reverse the lowest capacity or fastese self-discharging cell.

All the manual says that might be usefull is to charge the battery for 16 hours the first time, then every few months run the battery all the way down (just 'til the light dim), and then charge it for a full 16 hours.
Mag told me that a normal charge should only be about 10 hours.

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Unicorn said:
All the manual says that might be usefull is to charge the battery for 16 hours the first time, then every few months run the battery all the way down (just 'til the light dim), and then charge it for a full 16 hours.
Mag told me that a normal charge should only be about 10 hours.

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I let mine charge till it gets a little warm. I always discharge first. My experience has been that full charge to warm takes 22-26 hours. I do this about once a month. In the 15 or so years I have owned the light I think I am on my forth battery pack (Just bought #4). I've always used Mag battery packs. Having gotten an average of five years use out of each one I have no complaint. Surefire should take a lesson from Mag in "How to source battery packs" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Thanks everyone... I am very happy with the brightness of my new mag... beam quality could be improved... but hey, its still lots of fun to blind people with /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

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N162E said:
I let mine charge till it gets a little warm. I always discharge first. My experience has been that full charge to warm takes 22-26 hours. I do this about once a month. In the 15 or so years I have owned the light I think I am on my forth battery pack (Just bought #4). I've always used Mag battery packs. Having gotten an average of five years use out of each one I have no complaint. Surefire should take a lesson from Mag in "How to source battery packs" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

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Yeah, I couldn't understand how they got such a bad number of batteries. Ni-cads and chargers are such old, and well known technology that there shouldn't be any problem building battery packs and chargers for them.