Mike,

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I've been using a Sirus fast charger for the past ten years charging a 5 cell 1,500 mAh ni-cad pack without any problem. I do cycle my batteries with the Sirus Super Tester every other month and record the discharge rate. As long as the battery discharge rate is at least 75% to 80% of the battery's capacity, I will continue to use that particular pack. However, I do replace all of my Rx batteries once a year regardless of their condition.

Good luck,

Adrian