Ross,

Thanks for the info. I think you are suggesting some of the same things that I was leaning towards. I have been doing lots of searching on the net and found some "universal" chemistry battery charger chips from Maxim, can't think of the model number off the top of my head right now. Apparently it will do what I want, I just have to set up the voltage and current reference and it applies and releases the load as needed. I guess I could use the PIC as a "supervisor" if you will, to enable each cells charger and even read and display it's voltage reading.
I am currently waiting for my supply guys to order the evaluation kits for the Maxim IC's. If I get them to work, and work with a PIC I will definitely let you know how it goes.
Thank you so much for the input. It is really important for us novices to get input and helpful hints from people that have more experience.

james