Q-1: In my "Battery Basics" article (in the October 2003 Model Aviation) I wrote the following: "The advantage of trickle charging is that the batteries are available the moment you want to fly. However, you can only maintain a charge level at trickle; you can't recharge a battery that has been used at the trickle charge rate." A reader was confused by the words "that has been used." He went on to point out that after reading this, he assumed that after returning from flying he should only put the battery on trickle charge!
A-1: I have to admit that including those four words was an error on my part and most unfortunately changed the sentence's entire meaning. It is no wonder my reader friend was confused. The sentence should have read: "You can't recharge a battery at the trickle charge rate." You only use trickle charge (which is a low level) to maintain the charge in a battery that has already been fully charged at C/10 overnight or at a fast charge rate (2C or 3C), but fast charging is generally only used at the flying field between flights. You can't charge a battery at the trickle rate.