5000mAh 7.2v nimh battery charging question

Selloff

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I'm using my original Circuit Stadium truck wall charger to charge a new 7.2v 5000mAh NiMh battery that i just bought. After I drain it fully, I usually charge it right back up until next use. Usually takes me 16.66 hours (5000 ÷ 300mA).
I've been reading that if the nimh battery isn't in use for 30 days, you should slap it on the charger again. So, I take it that it must be charged every month even When not in use? My question is, for how long? Say I left it fully charged and didn't use it for 30days. Should I put it on the charger for the full 16 hrs again? Because I also read that overcharging can kill the lifespan of it.

Thanks for the help.
 
NiMH batteries will self discharge over time. You store them fully charged but you should fully charge them every few months. Temperature matters and cooler is better so store them in a nice cool basement. They are ok down to -20. Most manufacturers will say fully charge them at least once a year. If you have stored them for months you may need to cycle them a few times to get them back to full performance. If you ever leave them too long they can leak and when that happens they are damaged and not recoverable.

The wall charger you are using is such a slow charge that you can’t easily overcharged them. It’s difficult to overcharge NiMH and you would need to charge at a much higher current than that charger puts out to overcharge them.
 
Thanks for the info.
Most sites and forums I've been reading are saying the nimh battery should be charged each month when not in use, not once per year. So I guess I'd have to figure that out first before I get the answer to my question, because if it's to be charged once a year, then yes I'm sure I'd have to charge it fully for the 16.66hrs, but if it's stored unused, and left fully charged and I'm supposed to charge it each month, then I need to know if I have to fully charge it each month, or partially charge it each month. Because Im assuming it won't self drain down to 0% in 30days, and I don't want to overcharge it.
NiMH batteries will self discharge over time. You store them fully charged but you should fully charge them every few months. Temperature matters and cooler is better so store them in a nice cool basement. They are ok down to -20. Most manufacturers will say fully charge them at least once a year. If you have stored them for months you may need to cycle them a few times to get them back to full performance. If you ever leave them too long they can leak and when that happens they are damaged and not recoverable.

The wall charger you are using is such a slow charge that you can’t easily overcharged them. It’s difficult to overcharge NiMH and you would need to charge at a much higher current than that charger puts out to overcharge them.
 
I dont have your specific charger, but I've used cheap rtr chargers before, and they all would shut off automatically. I would imagine your charger has some sort of shut off built into it, so i wouldnt worry too much about over charging it. When i used nihm, i would always charge them for about 10 to 15 minutes the day i planned on using them, even if they only sat 1 week. that's on 1 amp, or 1000mah, to compare to your 300mah charger. Is there any kind of indicating lights on your charger?
 

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