For all you smart guys, in need of battery charging advice.

[Xerothermic]

I have a 12V Black & Decker drill that is pretty old. The charger's small, circuit board took a dump and I just cut the cord between the transformer and the charger and hooked up the transformer directly to the battery. Question is how long to charge the battery for a close to max charge. No charger cradle to regulate this and I don't want any surprises.

14.5 VDC and 200mA from the transformer to the Nickel Cadmium battery. The power pack charges great now that the charging cradle is out of the picture. Is there a formula for calculating this or just plug the puppy in for four hours with an extinguisher handy.

I'm cheap and this drill has attachments, so I don't want to upgrade. I'll look on Ebay for a used charger, but projects need to be done before the holidays.

Thanks.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The circuit board is what regulates the current. Swing by a batteries and bulbs and get a universal clip on charger

 

[thebeav]

I've got a lot of 12 volt portable radio equipment. One of the often used chargers for the nicads is a wall wart that puts out 12.2 volts and 200 milliamps. I charge the nicad for 12 to 14 hours.

 

[Xerothermic]

Oh . . . okay, I didn't know that. Thought it just lit up the red light. LOL. Duh.