Charging AB Battery on V Charger w/ adapter

[Ronnee Swenton]

I use primarily V mount batteries and only own a V mount battery charger. A friend of mine recently gave me a few AB batteries and a AB/V mount adapter and I was wondering if it might be hazardous to charge using this adapter.

 

I normally would assume it wouldn't be an issue, but I've heard some horror stories of batteries melting.

 

Thanks,

Ronnee Swenton

[Tim Tyler]

I have Switronix AB-mount batteries and the manufacturer states that I should only use a Switronix charger, and not to charge other makes of batteries on the Switronix charger.

 

(Update) Just checked the Switronix site and they're FAQ is a little confusing.

 

Q: Is my Switronix battery compatable with other charger models?
A: Our 3 Stud Battery Models will only charge on a Switronix 3 Stud Charger.

 

Q: Will my Switronix charger charge my current battery system?
A: Switronix V-mount batteries can charge on almost any V-mount lithium battery charger. Contact us for specific compatability questions.

[Rob Vogt]

A battery charger is basically just a power supply, technically, most batteries can be charged with most power supplies if set up properly. You should look up the power ratings of your batteries and see, if your current charger is set up for a higher power rating than the AB batteries the charger can overcharge or undercharge the battery which will affect its capacity. Also, in each AB cell pack is an EPROM or RAM which counts the number of cycles the battery has gone through, It can get damaged and then it won't charge properly. Anyone whose seen a Dionic battery when put on charge- the red and green lights just keep flashing back and forth-- that means the battery isn't communicating with the charger; either due to a problem with the input circuit on the battery (the only thing to try is the reset button next to the display) or the PCB on the charger.

 

I have charged AB batteries on non AB products, but I was able to set all the parameters and it was used on a charger which accepted the different battery types (Li-Ion, NiMH ect.)