Chargers A peak charger is the way to go. It is basically a constant current source, which provides an adjustable current output. The voltage required to maintain this constant current is monitored during charging. This voltage normally climbs while charging a battery and when it starts to go down (in other words has reached a peak, hence the term) the battery is considered charged. As a battery charges, the internal resistance increases, but after the chemical reaction has completed it starts to overcharge which causes the internal resistance to drop slightly. Since Ohms law tells us V=IR, increase R, hold I constant and V will go down, this explains the voltage behavior while charging. Realize this indicates that the lower the voltage at which the battery peaked is indicative of a better battery (lower internal resistance = higher voltage under load). For each battery pack, track this number, as it climbs it means the pack is getting weaker (internal resistance is going up). Batteries should be charged at three to five amps, which should take about 25 minutes to an hour depending on the capacity. Peak chargers work very well but the final check should be the touch of your hand. If the battery does not feel warm, it is probably not charged and instead false peaked. Warm is defined here as just warmer than a battery that is at ambient temperature and has not been used or charged in the past hour. Lessons Learned I bought a MRC superbrain 915 peak charger when I started. I didn't want to spend too much money on the charger and that one seemed good. When I first purchased it MRC claimed that it worked with the newer NiMh batteries. I was seeing the packs peak at odd intervals and often they did not have much punch. Further investigation showed that after the purchased MRC changed their tune and now the changer is not usable with NiMh batters as it false peaks.  I replaced the superbrain with a Astro 110D and the packs now have lots of punch and the duration is much higher. The LCD states the final voltage, the charge time and the total current (Amps) that went into the pack.
 I also added a Schulze IS6 330D charger to my arsenal. It has two outputs so I can charge Rx batteries and my main cells very efficiently. It also can do pack cycling, charge LiON, lead acid batteries and more.
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