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I found a universal battery charger dropped by MFJ.

Tim Spurgeon #4213 CMRA gang and Richard (W6RKK): Several years ago, I bought a universal battery charger, mainly for the purpose of recharging Li-ion 18650 batteries that came in my Rig Expert AA600. It wasn't until a week ago I tried a new feature on the charger; to charge alkaline AAA batteries. Over a couple of days I slowly recharged three batteries out of one of my flashlights, and sure enough it worked. I don't know any more than it worked on alkaline batteries that I use every night. I don't know how many recharge cycles I can get from alkaline batteries, but I did get one, so the price I paid for the AAA batteries is now halved. I am pleased. When I went to the MFJ catalogue, the recharger was no longer listed. However, I found it on Amazon and WalMart listed as: Universal Smart Battery Charger, or search for FC997, approximately $37 (don't get the batteries). Then you will be set up to recharge any small battery commonly used in your gear. I know that we should not use our CMRA site to sell stuff. However, batteries are part of our gear that we all must have for radio sport and I thought this information would be useful. It has sure helped me! 73 Tim E. Spurgeon W0TES
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Boback #4214 Yes you can recharge Alkaline Batteries, but be careful. They can get hot so charge slowly, can leak or split (then throw away), or pop or explode. A general rule to charge at no more than 180-190mA for AA batteries, and 90-95mA for AAA batteries. Just searched the Internet quickly and a couple of sites said to charge briefly, then let sit. One said 10 minutes on, 50 off. Another said 30 minutes on, 6 hours off. Here is one site I found with good information (in my opinion): https://bits.greenslocal.org/articles/electronics-and-computers/can-you-recharge-alkaline-batteries/ Bob, N6VZO toggle quoted message Show quoted text On 1/26/21 8:45 PM, Tim Spurgeon wrote: CMRA gang and Richard (W6RKK): Several years ago, I bought a universal battery charger, mainly for the purpose of recharging Li-ion 18650 batteries that came in my Rig Expert AA600. It wasn't until a week ago I tried a new feature on the charger; to charge alkaline AAA batteries. Over a couple of days I slowly recharged three batteries out of one of my flashlights, and sure enough it worked. I don't know any more than it worked on alkaline batteries that I use every night. I don't know how many recharge cycles I can get from alkaline batteries, but I did get one, so the price I paid for the AAA batteries is now halved. I am pleased. When I went to the MFJ catalogue, the recharger was no longer listed. However, I found it on Amazon and WalMart listed as: Universal Smart Battery Charger, or search for FC997, approximately $37 (don't get the batteries). Then you will be set up to recharge any small battery commonly used in your gear. I know that we should not use our CMRA site to sell stuff. However, batteries are part of our gear that we all must have for radio sport and I thought this information would be useful. It has sure helped me! 73 Tim E. Spurgeon W0TES
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James Wiles #4215 Very cool, thanks Bob toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Jan 27, 2021, at 7:33 AM, Boback <RNAckerman@...> wrote: Yes you can recharge Alkaline Batteries, but be careful. They can get hot so charge slowly, can leak or split (then throw away), or pop or explode. A general rule to charge at no more than 180-190mA for AA batteries, and 90-95mA for AAA batteries. Just searched the Internet quickly and a couple of sites said to charge briefly, then let sit. One said 10 minutes on, 50 off. Another said 30 minutes on, 6 hours off. Here is one site I found with good information (in my opinion): https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbits.greenslocal.org%2Farticles%2Felectronics-and-computers%2Fcan-you-recharge-alkaline-batteries%2F&;data=04%7C01%7C%7C433017b603ff47d8647208d8c2c81b11%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637473511981540794%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=GyEKKjF43PfgpKkud4SixiaAYpb7koFFpdHuEuArrHA%3D&reserved=0 Bob, N6VZO On 1/26/21 8:45 PM, Tim Spurgeon wrote: CMRA gang and Richard (W6RKK): Several years ago, I bought a universal battery charger, mainly for the purpose of recharging Li-ion 18650 batteries that came in my Rig Expert AA600. It wasn't until a week ago I tried a new feature on the charger; to charge alkaline AAA batteries. Over a couple of days I slowly recharged three batteries out of one of my flashlights, and sure enough it worked. I don't know any more than it worked on alkaline batteries that I use every night. I don't know how many recharge cycles I can get from alkaline batteries, but I did get one, so the price I paid for the AAA batteries is now halved. I am pleased. When I went to the MFJ catalogue, the recharger was no longer listed. However, I found it on Amazon and WalMart listed as: Universal Smart Battery Charger, or search for FC997, approximately $37 (don't get the batteries). Then you will be set up to recharge any small battery commonly used in your gear. I know that we should not use our CMRA site to sell stuff. However, batteries are part of our gear that we all must have for radio sport and I thought this information would be useful. It has sure helped me! 73 Tim E. Spurgeon W0TES
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Tim Spurgeon #4216 Bob, Thanks for the reply. What amazes me is that this is not widely known. It is like a secret that battery makers don't want us to know, so we keep buying more "use once" batteries. The key, as you also discovered, is to keep alkaline batteries from getting too hot during the charging process. So why were battery chargers not available 40 years ago, with timers that would allow short term charging, followed by a timed cool down? Think of the money and resources that could have been saved - money that went into the battery companies' pockets. I am very pleased with the MFJ battery charger that I purchased several years ago, and I am glad that I found the same charger (different name) still being sold by another name on Walmart/Amazon. 73 Tim E. Spurgeon ************************************ toggle quoted message Show quoted text ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Ackerman" <RNAckerman@...> To: "main" <main@CMRA.groups.io> Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 7:33:10 AM Subject: Re: [CMRA] I found a universal battery charger dropped by MFJ. Yes you can recharge Alkaline Batteries, but be careful. They can get hot so charge slowly, can leak or split (then throw away), or pop or explode. A general rule to charge at no more than 180-190mA for AA batteries, and 90-95mA for AAA batteries. Just searched the Internet quickly and a couple of sites said to charge briefly, then let sit. One said 10 minutes on, 50 off. Another said 30 minutes on, 6 hours off. Here is one site I found with good information (in my opinion): https://bits.greenslocal.org/articles/electronics-and-computers/can-you-recharge-alkaline-batteries/ Bob, N6VZO On 1/26/21 8:45 PM, Tim Spurgeon wrote: CMRA gang and Richard (W6RKK): Several years ago, I bought a universal battery charger, mainly for the purpose of recharging Li-ion 18650 batteries that came in my Rig Expert AA600. It wasn't until a week ago I tried a new feature on the charger; to charge alkaline AAA batteries. Over a couple of days I slowly recharged three batteries out of one of my flashlights, and sure enough it worked. I don't know any more than it worked on alkaline batteries that I use every night. I don't know how many recharge cycles I can get from alkaline batteries, but I did get one, so the price I paid for the AAA batteries is now halved. I am pleased. When I went to the MFJ catalogue, the recharger was no longer listed. However, I found it on Amazon and WalMart listed as: Universal Smart Battery Charger, or search for FC997, approximately $37 (don't get the batteries). Then you will be set up to recharge any small battery commonly used in your gear. I know that we should not use our CMRA site to sell stuff. However, batteries are part of our gear that we all must have for radio sport and I thought this information would be useful. It has sure helped me! 73 Tim E. Spurgeon W0TES
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Jon Cole #4217 I remember those times. The big reason that the chargers aren’t recommended for those battery types is that too many people had their batteries explode, with all the damage and acid burns that go with it. Also, the more you charge ‘single use’ batteries, the more likely they are to have a catastrophic failure. IF you are going to recharge that type of battery, make sure that the battery/ cell is in a sturdy container that will mitigate the damage if it leaks or explodes. My RC racer friends put their batteries in the freezer while charging to keep cool and mitigate damage if they explode. The down side to using the freezer, though, is that freezers are expensive compared to batteries. In short, assume that you will eventually explode a battery, take appropriate safety precautions, and you should be fine. Jon Cole, N0OFJ toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Jan 27, 2021, at 11:15 AM, Tim Spurgeon <tims173@...> wrote: Bob, Thanks for the reply. What amazes me is that this is not widely known. It is like a secret that battery makers don't want us to know, so we keep buying more "use once" batteries. The key, as you also discovered, is to keep alkaline batteries from getting too hot during the charging process. So why were battery chargers not available 40 years ago, with timers that would allow short term charging, followed by a timed cool down? Think of the money and resources that could have been saved - money that went into the battery companies' pockets. I am very pleased with the MFJ battery charger that I purchased several years ago, and I am glad that I found the same charger (different name) still being sold by another name on Walmart/Amazon. 73 Tim E. Spurgeon ************************************ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Ackerman" <RNAckerman@...> To: "main" <main@CMRA.groups.io> Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 7:33:10 AM Subject: Re: [CMRA] I found a universal battery charger dropped by MFJ. Yes you can recharge Alkaline Batteries, but be careful. They can get hot so charge slowly, can leak or split (then throw away), or pop or explode. A general rule to charge at no more than 180-190mA for AA batteries, and 90-95mA for AAA batteries. Just searched the Internet quickly and a couple of sites said to charge briefly, then let sit. One said 10 minutes on, 50 off. Another said 30 minutes on, 6 hours off. Here is one site I found with good information (in my opinion): https://bits.greenslocal.org/articles/electronics-and-computers/can-you-recharge-alkaline-batteries/ Bob, N6VZO On 1/26/21 8:45 PM, Tim Spurgeon wrote: CMRA gang and Richard (W6RKK): Several years ago, I bought a universal battery charger, mainly for the purpose of recharging Li-ion 18650 batteries that came in my Rig Expert AA600. It wasn't until a week ago I tried a new feature on the charger; to charge alkaline AAA batteries. Over a couple of days I slowly recharged three batteries out of one of my flashlights, and sure enough it worked. I don't know any more than it worked on alkaline batteries that I use every night. I don't know how many recharge cycles I can get from alkaline batteries, but I did get one, so the price I paid for the AAA batteries is now halved. I am pleased. When I went to the MFJ catalogue, the recharger was no longer listed. However, I found it on Amazon and WalMart listed as: Universal Smart Battery Charger, or search for FC997, approximately $37 (don't get the batteries). Then you will be set up to recharge any small battery commonly used in your gear. I know that we should not use our CMRA site to sell stuff. However, batteries are part of our gear that we all must have for radio sport and I thought this information would be useful. It has sure helped me! 73 Tim E. Spurgeon W0TES
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Boback #4218 A lot of my RC friends have fire and explosive resistant bags that we can put our batteries in while charging. There are some metal boxes people use (BatBox is a brand). Lipo batteries, commonly used in RC are difficult if not impossible to put out if they catch fire. I always charge on a concrete floor, with a metal pan (baking sheet) to contain any possible problem, or out in the open (gravel). I have had no issues, but I know people who have, and they usually charge the batteries way too fast. Whether lipo or Alkaline, be safe, Bob, N6VZO toggle quoted message Show quoted text On 1/27/21 1:57 PM, Jon Cole via groups.io wrote: I remember those times. The big reason that the chargers aren’t recommended for those battery types is that too many people had their batteries explode, with all the damage and acid burns that go with it. Also, the more you charge ‘single use’ batteries, the more likely they are to have a catastrophic failure. IF you are going to recharge that type of battery, make sure that the battery/ cell is in a sturdy container that will mitigate the damage if it leaks or explodes. My RC racer friends put their batteries in the freezer while charging to keep cool and mitigate damage if they explode. The down side to using the freezer, though, is that freezers are expensive compared to batteries. In short, assume that you will eventually explode a battery, take appropriate safety precautions, and you should be fine. Jon Cole, N0OFJ On Jan 27, 2021, at 11:15 AM, Tim Spurgeon <tims173@...> wrote: Bob, Thanks for the reply. What amazes me is that this is not widely known. It is like a secret that battery makers don't want us to know, so we keep buying more "use once" batteries. The key, as you also discovered, is to keep alkaline batteries from getting too hot during the charging process. So why were battery chargers not available 40 years ago, with timers that would allow short term charging, followed by a timed cool down? Think of the money and resources that could have been saved - money that went into the battery companies' pockets. I am very pleased with the MFJ battery charger that I purchased several years ago, and I am glad that I found the same charger (different name) still being sold by another name on Walmart/Amazon. 73 Tim E. Spurgeon ************************************ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Ackerman" <RNAckerman@...> To: "main" <main@CMRA.groups.io> Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 7:33:10 AM Subject: Re: [CMRA] I found a universal battery charger dropped by MFJ. Yes you can recharge Alkaline Batteries, but be careful. They can get hot so charge slowly, can leak or split (then throw away), or pop or explode. A general rule to charge at no more than 180-190mA for AA batteries, and 90-95mA for AAA batteries. Just searched the Internet quickly and a couple of sites said to charge briefly, then let sit. One said 10 minutes on, 50 off. Another said 30 minutes on, 6 hours off. Here is one site I found with good information (in my opinion): https://bits.greenslocal.org/articles/electronics-and-computers/can-you-recharge-alkaline-batteries/ Bob, N6VZO On 1/26/21 8:45 PM, Tim Spurgeon wrote: CMRA gang and Richard (W6RKK): Several years ago, I bought a universal battery charger, mainly for the purpose of recharging Li-ion 18650 batteries that came in my Rig Expert AA600. It wasn't until a week ago I tried a new feature on the charger; to charge alkaline AAA batteries. Over a couple of days I slowly recharged three batteries out of one of my flashlights, and sure enough it worked. I don't know any more than it worked on alkaline batteries that I use every night. I don't know how many recharge cycles I can get from alkaline batteries, but I did get one, so the price I paid for the AAA batteries is now halved. I am pleased. When I went to the MFJ catalogue, the recharger was no longer listed. However, I found it on Amazon and WalMart listed as: Universal Smart Battery Charger, or search for FC997, approximately $37 (don't get the batteries). Then you will be set up to recharge any small battery commonly used in your gear. I know that we should not use our CMRA site to sell stuff. However, batteries are part of our gear that we all must have for radio sport and I thought this information would be useful. It has sure helped me! 73 Tim E. Spurgeon W0TES
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Boback #4219 Where I used to work, we were required to dispose of AAA and AA batteries into a special trash can or recycling. Think about the trash space that could have been saved if all batteries were either properly recycled or properly recharged. It would not be hard to put a heat sensor within the charger to auto shutdown when getting hot. I think that the long time to recharge may affect whether people recharge or dispose and buy new. Bob, N6VZO toggle quoted message Show quoted text On 1/27/21 11:15 AM, Tim Spurgeon wrote: Bob, Thanks for the reply. What amazes me is that this is not widely known. It is like a secret that battery makers don't want us to know, so we keep buying more "use once" batteries. The key, as you also discovered, is to keep alkaline batteries from getting too hot during the charging process. So why were battery chargers not available 40 years ago, with timers that would allow short term charging, followed by a timed cool down? Think of the money and resources that could have been saved - money that went into the battery companies' pockets. I am very pleased with the MFJ battery charger that I purchased several years ago, and I am glad that I found the same charger (different name) still being sold by another name on Walmart/Amazon. 73 Tim E. Spurgeon ************************************ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Ackerman" <RNAckerman@...> To: "main" <main@CMRA.groups.io> Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 7:33:10 AM Subject: Re: [CMRA] I found a universal battery charger dropped by MFJ. Yes you can recharge Alkaline Batteries, but be careful. They can get hot so charge slowly, can leak or split (then throw away), or pop or explode. A general rule to charge at no more than 180-190mA for AA batteries, and 90-95mA for AAA batteries. Just searched the Internet quickly and a couple of sites said to charge briefly, then let sit. One said 10 minutes on, 50 off. Another said 30 minutes on, 6 hours off. Here is one site I found with good information (in my opinion): https://bits.greenslocal.org/articles/electronics-and-computers/can-you-recharge-alkaline-batteries/ Bob, N6VZO On 1/26/21 8:45 PM, Tim Spurgeon wrote: CMRA gang and Richard (W6RKK): Several years ago, I bought a universal battery charger, mainly for the purpose of recharging Li-ion 18650 batteries that came in my Rig Expert AA600. It wasn't until a week ago I tried a new feature on the charger; to charge alkaline AAA batteries. Over a couple of days I slowly recharged three batteries out of one of my flashlights, and sure enough it worked. I don't know any more than it worked on alkaline batteries that I use every night. I don't know how many recharge cycles I can get from alkaline batteries, but I did get one, so the price I paid for the AAA batteries is now halved. I am pleased. When I went to the MFJ catalogue, the recharger was no longer listed. However, I found it on Amazon and WalMart listed as: Universal Smart Battery Charger, or search for FC997, approximately $37 (don't get the batteries). Then you will be set up to recharge any small battery commonly used in your gear. I know that we should not use our CMRA site to sell stuff. However, batteries are part of our gear that we all must have for radio sport and I thought this information would be useful. It has sure helped me! 73 Tim E. Spurgeon W0TES
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