NiCD and NiMH are two very different types of batteries. Both must be handled differently from one another. In general, NiMH batteries cannot handle the high rate of charges or discharges that NiCD batteries can. Many modelers use high rate, peak detection or time-based chargers to charge NiCD batteries.

NiMH batteries also have approximately twice the self-discharge rate of NiCD batteries when in an used state. For example, when your radio is off, a 1650mah NiMH battery can discharge itself nearly twice as quickly as a NiCD rechargeable battery, typically within one week. Therefore, you must charge your NiMH batteries the night before each use. When handled correctly though, NIMH batteries can be very beneficial, providing much longer run times than comparably sized and weighted NiCD batteries.

Rechargeable batteries need to be recharged when they have become fully drained of power. Actually that’s not entirely accurate. A battery that is missing only a little bit of power can still be charged to be topped off of whatever power is missing. However and here’s where memory effect comes in. In a battery that does suffer from memory effect, if it is recharged before it has become fully dead, only what was missing will be replenished and this new amount will become the battery’s new total level of power. This effect happens in NICD batteries. One must wait until the lifepo4 battery is totally depleted of power before recharging to maintain the total, original volume of power capacity. In NiMH batteries, it doesn’t matter how much power has been used. The battery will NOT remember the NEW level if capacity if it is only topped off.

NiMH battery users therefore, most often choose them for that reason. They can charge and recharge them without concern for how much power was remaining in them at the time of recharge. A person will pay more for this type of battery over a battery that can sustain memory effect but to everyone who buys them. It’s well worth the price point difference for this luxury.