chocorrol, that charger scooter linked to is worth the few extra dollars. If you stay in this hobby, you'll grow into it.
You cannot pack the electrics into a batt. with 4.8V charger. You have to have higher voltage to fill the battery.
Don't let deceptive trade practices lead you into not properly charging batteries.
Not necessarily a 'deceptive trade practice', more like industry standard term. 4.8v is usually a 'nominal' term, meaning 4.8v charger for the same size battery. The charger has to put out near 6.5v to fully charge a 4.8v pack, due to various losses and EMF (electromotive force).
there is about a 20% factor in charging with this charger, meaning that to get 1000 miliamps will take about 10.2 hours or so.
A 20% increase from 10 hours should be 12 hours methinx.
with current battery chemistries there is no benefit from cycling the batteries.
I'm not sure I agree with that. (Plz don't ban me!)[8D] Not much has changed in Nicad chemistry over the last 10 years or so, and I haven't seen any battery makers recommending against cycling. Then again, some makers still debate the 'memory' thing. I still cycle my Nicads, new and old. 'Forming' new nicads (5 slow charge/discharge cycles before use) is something I still do, you can see the increase in volts and milliamps in a charger/cycler with data reporting like the Triton, Chameleon, etc.
Batteries are cheaper than airplanes.
AMEN! [8D]