Newbie Eneloop Questions

28gauge

Newly Enlightened
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Jan 30, 2010
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Tucson
Newbie to Eneloops and charging in general. Bought the latest generation Panasonic/Eneloop charger BQ-CC17 which is supposed to be somewhat "smart". Can I re-charge Eneloops with just this charger with relative efficiency, or do I need a more sophisticated unit that can discharge and re-cycle to maximize run times and battery life. I read that Eneloops don't have much of a memory. If I stick with this unit, does it matter when I re-charge? Can I top-off, or should I discharge in my flashlights as much as possible? On a better unit, what charging currents are best for Eneloop AA's and AAA's? Any suggestions on a user friendly charger for an upgrade.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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Jun 18, 2014
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Newbie to Eneloops and charging in general. Bought the latest generation Panasonic/Eneloop charger BQ-CC17 which is supposed to be somewhat "smart". Can I re-charge Eneloops with just this charger with relative efficiency, or do I need a more sophisticated unit that can discharge and re-cycle to maximize run times and battery life. I read that Eneloops don't have much of a memory. If I stick with this unit, does it matter when I re-charge? Can I top-off, or should I discharge in my flashlights as much as possible? On a better unit, what charging currents are best for Eneloop AA's and AAA's? Any suggestions on a user friendly charger for an upgrade.

The BQ-CC17 is a good charger. It's all you need, unless you want to charge quicker. Eneloops have no memory, nor do they need to be cycled. Charge whenever you like, from any level they're at.

The BQ-CC17 charges at only 300mA (or 150mA for AAA), so it will take about 6.5 hours to charge a fully depleted regular Eneloop (longer for Eneloop pros). Eneloops can be charged at up to 2000mA, which can charge them in as little as 1 hour. You'll obviously need a different charger for that, and obviously make sure it's a smart charger too. Most people seem to like to charge them at about 1000mA, for a 2-hour charge. It's a little easier on them, and still gives you a pretty quick charge.
 

28gauge

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
24
Location
Tucson
Newbie to Eneloops and charging in general. Bought the latest generation Panasonic/Eneloop charger BQ-CC17 which is supposed to be somewhat "smart". Can I re-charge Eneloops with just this charger with relative efficiency, or do I need a more sophisticated unit that can discharge and re-cycle to maximize run times and battery life. I read that Eneloops don't have much of a memory. If I stick with this unit, does it matter when I re-charge? Can I top-off, or should I discharge in my flashlights as much as possible? On a better unit, what charging currents are best for Eneloop AA's and AAA's? Any suggestions on a user friendly charger for an upgrade.

Thanks. Given that, I think I'll run with the BQ-CC17 for a while and enjoy the versatility of the Eneloops. For anyone interested, Costco is running a special for the charger with 10 AA's and 4 AAA's (Panasonic/Sanyo Gen 4) for $21.00. There is a manufacturer's instant rebate that I think is still going on for a day or two.
 

Kouryu

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Jun 14, 2015
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114
That's a close out sale at Costco. They want to get rid of the older packaging which says "70% after 5 years"... the new package will say "70% after 10 years"... the cells still have the same product # though, so it's just a packaging change
 
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