Abstract: A conditioning and charging circuit for NiCd battries includes a switch for initially connecting the battery to a discharge resistor to discharge the battery. The battery voltage is monitored during the discharge. When the battery voltage falls to predetermined value, a timer is triggered and the switch is actuated to connect the battery to a charger. The charger charges the battery until the timer times out after a predetermined period, at which point charging is terminated. The predetermined period may be fixed, or it may be a function of ambient temperature. Thus, the battery is first discharged to a predetermined voltage and then charged for a predetermined period of time.