So I just got some new batteries today and I want them to last a few years. They are not going to be race packs so I'm sticking to the 1C/no trickle charging they set-up as a guideline. Plus, they have a warranty. But, I didn't find anything about a first charge guideline? Is there one for NiMh? Most have some type of rule for that right.
I have been in RC a long time but, in the old days with race packs we just ran though them by charging them at 5 amps without a care because we wanted punch and cared less about when we had to replace them. Seeing as these are just for playing around I don't want to kill them.

Thanks for the input.

NIMH don't have the memory problems that the packs from long ago had so there is very little you have to do.....but this is what i do.

If your charger has a discharge-charge cycle I do 5 cycles just all at about 1 amp per 1000 mah of battery (i.e. 2000 mah battery would be charged/discharged at about 2 amps). That gives me a baseline capacity of the packs if all the cycles come in close to each other.

For NIMH packs I keep them charged at all times and usually don't run them to close to dead. Not like the old days when you wanted to drain them before recharging to prevent memory issues. Otherwise i store indoors in the summer to keep them out of the heat.

some good info here worth a read:

Charging Nickel-Metal-Hydride Batteries ? Battery University