ORIGINAL: ameyam
If you are having trouble with your NiCd or NiMH batteries, you should look at the LiFe batteries. I have a couple from Hobbico and their charger. These are awesome. I didn't charge it in a couple of months as this is currently my spare. When I put it on the charger, it was still full. Discharging insing a NiCd routine on another charger it gave 3200mah even after a couple of months of not being used. They are still safer than using LiPo batteries and can take a lot more abuse
Ameyam
If people like myself are set up and using Nicad and Nim then they have to go to the added expense of a new charger plus the batteries. This isn't such a big deal right now, the chargers have come way down in price. I got lucky and someone gave me there old charger when they bought a couple of new ones. I also got lucky, the one I was given will go AC/DC so it can be used in the field. It charges all types of batteries we use in RC, more luck.
Chargers are good but unless you can cycle your batteries you don't know the condition of them. I just picked up two new packs I had made up for me, both 6 volt NIM. Before I set them on a charger I used an unloaded meter, they are both right at 6 volts, under load they took a drop to about 4.8. Being brand new they will be charged and cycled from three to four times to get them up to full capacity. Unless you can cycle all you know is the voltage. Volt watch and meters can tell you it's safe to take off but that fully charged battery can poop out on you within minutes of that take off. It only takes one bad cell to kill the pack.