I have an SR Cutie and X250. Both use the 500 Max battery pack (10 Cell). The directions for charging these say that I can charge at 10% i.e 50 mA for 14-16 hours or fast charge them at 2 amps for 15-20 minutes. I know fast charging reduces the lifespan of my battery and these are pretty expensive as batteries go. How long will a battery pack last if it is fast charged vs. slow charged and is there a compromise i.e 150mA for X amount of time? Thanks

The initial C/10 charge (50mA for 10-14hrs) is to settle the packs in. Cycle them 2 or 3 times by discharging at, say, 1A, then do your slow recharge at 50mA. After that you can charge at a faster rate every time. The 2A (=4C) sounds just a bit much - I know those are good cells, but they may be happier at about 2-3C max. (1A -1.5A).

Cheers, Phil

These are NiCds, so do they really need the "forming charge?" I'm pretty sure not, though it doesn't hurt.

Anyway, Phil's right about charging them at a lower rate. At 1 Amp, they'll charge in 1/2 hour or less. Is 10 minutes really that long to wait? You'll probably discover the batteries get pretty darned warm at 2 Amps, maybe uncomfortably so.

Thank you gentlemen. That is good information.