Dynamite Mega 1 Charger Question
 

All I am trying to figure out is if I can charge a NiMh battery (6 cell...3600 mah)

The Dynamite website says you can, but after reading though a bunch of different threads/posts some say that it will not?

Can someone just set me straight? I have 2 new nimh batteries coming to me today and now I'm worried I have no way to charge them

Thanks
Steve

As long as you are getting NiMH batteries, and you're sure you have the Mega 1 AC/DC Quick Charger, part number DYN4010, you will be fine. Per the Dynamite website:

Product Specifications
Type:Timer/ Trickle
Input:AC/DC
# Cells:6-7
Charge Rate:4A
Battery Type:NiCd and Ni-MH
Voltmeter:Taps
Amp Meter:No

Maybe the other threads/posts you saw were referring to a different charger, or maybe LiPo or another type of battery?

Thanks for the info....That one looks exactly like mine, except mine is Red.

I bought it used and was worried that there might be an older version that doesn't support nimh. I'll have to check for the actual p/n on the charger

I’m guessing there are a couple issues, why some say that charger won’t/shouldn’t charge your packs.

It will take more than the 15 minute timer to charge 3600mah at 4 amps, more like an hour or so for a full charge. So you will need more than 1 crank. But ni-mh are particularly sensitive to over charging. Unlike a peak charger, a timer job won’t automatically shut down.

So you need to monitor the charge very carefully. Simplest but less reliable method is to keep checking the battery temp. They will warm slightly during charge, but at the end they will start getting warmer, then too hot to comfortably hold. Stop before they are too hot to hold, preferably before that, as they are starting to ramp up. Not easy to do.

More sophisticated, the way it was done in the day, is monitor the pack voltage. Notice the voltmeter taps? That’s what they are for. The voltage will rise slowly. Then stop and start to drop off. Soon as you see drop off, stop charging. That's what a Peak Detection charger does automatically.

Thanks Dave H!!! Thats exactly what I needed/wanted to hear. I GREATLY appreciate that.

Good to know that I can get away with the charger that I have now, but it seems like it would be a good idea to invest in a better one down the road...

Your are welcome. Please note that I reworded my comments, from too hot to touch, to too hot to hold comfortably. Temp wise no higher than perhaps 130~140F.

+1 on a more modern charger. Suggest holding out for a lipo capable deal while you're at it. Doing the old school way was bad enough when we charged batts in like 12~15 minutes, an hour is going to be just a touch tedious. But it can be done, just stick with it.

Cheers.

I have same charger w/ 7.2v200)mah
 

I come to the result of nooo!! Crank the first 15 min, then about 10 min more then the batery starts droping, it only feels warm but the charger gets hot. It Starts droping sometimes 9.40 other times 9.50, and I even tried leting it all cool down and maybe under 5 more min. Which got me to about 10.2, which is with it charging and volt meter on the ports. I just tried 15, then wound it again 😩, why did i forget and it went to tricle charge. I did the oh!sh! And came to find the srink wrap melted, all inside the car mind you..any way, it read at 7.3 connected to the ports on the trickel light, but no leaks just hot and stunk. Any way, it still worked, and i just did the first recharge 15 and 11, now batery gets hot like supposed to, i did rewrap it in electrical tape for look even put the original stickers on top. Batery reads 8.10 strait up now. But this info may be useful to others, just do 15 then no more than 10, 12 is pushing your luck. Unless you let it all cool down, you can get an extra 4 min in, which will get it reading 10.somthing before it starts droping during charge. Also btw, your question and info helped me about 8 charges or more ago, when i steped up from nicd 1500 that lasts 5 min, 30 min or more is so much better with nimd 2000, I can only imagine those lipos.I come from oldschool,they dont even have parts for my car now, so i sighned up just to answer what i just found out. 15, then 10 or vice versa.