Dave VanHorn writes:

> Check the current drawn, NIMH don't like large discharge rates.
> Or long term unterminated charge either..
> This is one application where Nicads may yet be the best thing.

Can you explain this in a little more detail?  I was always under the
impression that one of the big advantages of NiMHs was their high
current capacity.  Are NiCads substantially better than NiMHs in this
department?

I'm not sure I understand "long term unterminated charge" either.  I
have noticed that my NiMHs self-discharge completely after about a
month or two, and after this has happened, they don't hold a good
charge again until after a few charge/discharge cycles.  However, if
kept on a proper float charge, they do seem to maintain full capacity.
Or, were you simply referring to the fact that a non-intelligent
charger is bad for the batteries?

> >However, I think this will just be a stop-gap solution until I can
> >splurge on a Metcal unit (which is just looking more and more
> >attractive with each new tidbit I learn about them)
> 
> I've retired my weller in favor of an SP-200 Metcal.
> A friend of mine also, after watching me do 100 pin chips, and shield cans 
> with the same tip on the metcal. 

That's exactly the one I was planning to splurge on.  ;-)

-p.
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