Batboard

I am using a SABER charger to charge a VISAR battery.

The only info I have found on the SABER charger is that it charges a "Nicad" battery in 2 hours (120 minutes).

The VISAR battery is a high capacity NiMH battery.

At switch on , each of the SABER indicator lights came on in turn then the RED charging light.

After exactly 2 hours , the orange flashing light (bottom right hand corner) came on. There was no GREEN light (although I did not leave the battery in the charger after the flashing orange light came on).

Anybody know what the flashing orange light means?

If it means a duff battery , why did it take 2 hours before it came on?

Does a red charging light mean that the Visar charger is definately FAST charging (or might it just be doing a trickle charge because it detects a duff battery?). After 2 hours , the Visar battery was not hot but the voltage (no load) was at 8.4V compared to a start voltage of 4.6V (ie very flat).

Maybe the Visar battery is too high capacity and the SABER charger only charges for a maximum of 2 hours?

Thanks

the battery is too hot It looks like a thermostat in the picture. If your battery is bad it will show a red with an X though it

Maybe you should buy a proper Visar charger? They're available on ebay for little-to-nothing.

Just because you can insert a square peg into a round hole with a large enough hammer, doesn't mean you should.

I am certainly looking for a Visar charger!!

Plenty in USA but none in England. Only Ebayer willing to post to England wanted $39 just for postage ie. 4 times cost of charger. Fair postage is around $15-16 for 2ib package via USPS First Class.

As a radio ham , I am "forced" to experiment and therefore have to test out the Saber charger with Visar batteries

I used a saber charger to charge a visar battery too many moons ago. Never had that problem though.