Chargers

How should I care for my NiMH batteries?
: NiMH cells are somewhat new to the R/C market. For that reason, we are continually learning more and more about how to charge and care for these batteries. Our current battery care recommendations are to follow. Please check back periodically as we will make changes to this section should we discover better battery care methods.
: Sub-C NiMH cells that are used on a regular basis are fairly easy to maintain. You only need to discharge them after you run them and put them away. They should be discharged to .9 volts per cell in the pack. So a 6 cell pack will be discharged to 5.4 volts. This can be achieved by monitoring the voltage of the pack as it discharges with a Voltmeter. The pack will not rest at 5.4 volts. When the pack cools it is okay to charge it again. We have found more than 2 charge cycles a day is detrimental to pack performance. The packs can be stored like that if they will be used again in about a week. You only want to charge packs to be stored for a couple minutes (2-5) if they will be stored for 2 or more weeks. It is very important that you discharge them before you charge them back up or they will false peak. Packs that sit for extended periods of time may false peak when they are first used again. This is normal and will happen with all NiMH cells. You can re-peak the pack and use it. The pack will be back to normal after 2-3 charge cycles.
: If you are using a charger that uses Voltage Threshold to determine the peak of the pack, you should set the Voltage Threshold to 4 mV/cell. The Millennium Pro has NiMH2 charge mode which does not use any type of voltage threshold to determine the peak. It is the best method for peak charging NiMH cells.

How should I care for my NiCD batteries?
: NiCD cells have been around for years and are being phased out slowly due to their harmful effects to the environment. They are relatively easy to care for. After use, they should be discharged to .9 volts per cell (That's 5.4 volts for a 6-cell battery) and stored. They should only be used on time a day for optimum performance and battery pack life.
Why does my Millennium Pro false peak?
: It is very unlikely that the charger would cause the false peaking issue. Typically the battery pack is the culprit. If the pack is brand new, it will false peak until it has a few good cycles on it. If the pack is very old, or has not been used for a long time, you will see the same problems. See the Battery Care section for more information. If the pack has any loose connections between the cells it may false peak. If the connection between the charger and the pack is not clean, you will see false peaks.

What features make the Millennium different than previous Novak Chargers?
: The Millennium Charger comes equipped with three different charge modes: Reverse Pulse Mode for all NiCD (nickel-cadmium) cells, Linear Mode for NiCD and Sub-C size NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) cells, and NiMH Mode for smaller NiMH cells (AA size transmitter & receiver packs). All three modes are user-adjustable, including the charge rate, delta-peak value (see Peak Detection), reverse pulse duration, and trickle charge rate. The button and alarm tones are also adjustable. The Millennium performs complicated functions and yet it is designed for easy operation and comprehension. The large backlit LCD on the front of the Millennium is electronically adjustable for optimal viewing. An especially convenient feature is that the Millennium displays messages in actual words rather than symbols or abbreviations, which are not always easy to understand.