Looking for a simple NiMH charger compatible with discharged cells

Lampe

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Hello,

I currently own the La Crosse BC700 and ThruNite MCC-4 chargers and would like to buy a cheap similar NiMH AA & AAA charger (2 slots minimum) for a friend, around 20-30$.
It would be nice if the charger can have independent slots with a digital display (voltage, charging current, estimated capacity, etc.)

The BC700 often refuses old cells or discharged cells with a near zero voltage (0.5 V for instance). I need to put them a few seconds in the MCC-4 to get the voltage up to 1V and then the BC700 accept them (and happily charge them correctly).
So it would be also nice to have a charger that accept such cells.

I've found the Panasonic BQ-CC14, but there is next to no display (and I don't know if it works well with discharged cells)
I've also noticed the MiBoxer C2-4000 (which can also do Li-Ion), but HJK found that it doesn't work well with old cells (but will it work with discharged cells ?)

Do you have perhaps some other chargers that could suit my needs ?

Thanks !
 

ChrisGarrett

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Many chargers have a minimum voltage level to start the charging process, so it's not unheard of. Many dumb chargers can start from zero volts, but the smart play is just don't let your batteries get down below .9v/1.0v and the problem is solved.

Chris
 

Lampe

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How exactly am I supposed to make sure that the batteries don't get down below 1.0 V ?

I used a lot of small electronics appliance (flashlight, night light, toys, radio, ...) and some are discharging completely the battery. I cannot be always 100% careful and aware of the current charge of each battery. And in this case, it's a gift. How am I supposed to tell someone not really into batteries, to make sure not to go below 1.0 V ?

Given that NiMH are quite safe, even if they go below 1.0 V, the most simple and convenient choice is to have a charger able to process full discharged batteries (like the MCC-4). However the MCC-4 is a bit overkill and overprice for such a gift.
 

ChrisGarrett

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How exactly am I supposed to make sure that the batteries don't get down below 1.0 V ?

I used a lot of small electronics appliance (flashlight, night light, toys, radio, ...) and some are discharging completely the battery. I cannot be always 100% careful and aware of the current charge of each battery. And in this case, it's a gift. How am I supposed to tell someone not really into batteries, to make sure not to go below 1.0 V ?

Given that NiMH are quite safe, even if they go below 1.0 V, the most simple and convenient choice is to have a charger able to process full discharged batteries (like the MCC-4). However the MCC-4 is a bit overkill and overprice for such a gift.

As with most endeavors in life, it pays to get into a routine and check things out from time to time, or just put a schedule in place. I have lots of remotes here that I don't use, but every 3-6 months, I charge the Eneloops back up and I'm fine.

I'm then good for another 3-6 months and even a full year, if for some reason, I forget for the second six months.

For my Marantz RC5000 LED remote, I change the batteries every month, or so, but I have a battery gauge on that, so it's easier.

For those times a battery discharges down to zero, get a charger that charges up from 0 volts, or just give the person a timed dumb charger. If the Eneloop chargers can charge up a battery at 0v, .50v, to .90v (Maha C9000) then that might be the easiest solution, but anything at 0v might be rejected by most smart chargers.

Go to HKJ's charger section here and see what the lower values are on each charger. I don't have everything committed to memory and I don't have any 0v batteries to check my other chargers out for you.

http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/indexBatteriesAndChargers UK.html


ETA:

I just found a bag of dead NiMH batteries that are set for the recycle bin and pulled out a couple of AccuPower 2900s that I bought with my BC-700 from rdana on Ebay in February of 2012. They have high I.R.s, so I've ditched them.

One read .735v and my Liitokala Lii 202 multi-chem charger started charging it right up.

I had another that read 25mV and the display didn't start blinking, but I removed it and it measured 45mV, so I put it back on. It's now blinking about 10 minutes later, so while not reading 0.00v, it was pretty dead and Lii 202 will work, for about $7 shipped from GearBest:

http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review Charger LiitoKala Lii-202 UK.html

Chris
 
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Lampe

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Go to HKJ's charger section here and see what the lower values are on each charger.

Thanks, could you tell me where exactly to look for these lower values ? I'm not sure I understand completely these curves.
 

TinderBox (UK)

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I always reach for my old "Duracell CEF23 Traveller Battery Charger" when i NiMh battery voltage is so low that my other smart charger will not charge it, As has been mentioned i have a couple of totally dumb chargers they don't even have a timer for my major rescue attempts, just leave the battery in the dumb charger for a couple of minutes and then put them back in the smart charger, As with all new or old battery`s i watch them for the first 15min for any premature terminations and start them off again.

John.
 

ChrisGarrett

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Thanks, could you tell me where exactly to look for these lower values ? I'm not sure I understand completely these curves.

I was looking at some of them as I was posting my reply to you late last night and didn't see him mention it, although I've been reading HKJ's reviews for 5+ years and I know he's mentioned the fact, here, or there, in past reviews.

I guess it's not always included.

Just go buy your friend a USB Liitokala Lii 202 dual bay multi-chemistry charger and let them fiddle with that. For NiMH batteries, it does a decent job and there are really only two settings to angst over: 500mA and 1A. Everything will be automatic and at about $7 shipped, you can get one for yourself.

Other than that, good luck.

Chris
 

ChrisGarrett

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Liitokala Lii 202, HKJ says the usb-out is poor, but nimh and li-ion charging is ok.

Get it for just over $5.89 at gearbest in the sale.

http://www.gearbest.com/chargers/pp_424662.html

John.

These power bank/charger reviews get knocked down because of noise and because they can't hit the standard 2.1A rate many people need these days. They still charge up fine, to a point, if you leave your device turned off and aren't trying to update your FACEBOOK status while charging from your 202.

I got my two 100s and two 202s in and snapped a photo of one of the 202s charging up my dinky LG flip phone and it worked fine, but that only needs about 500mA at its peak charge from what I gather.

36326950726_45c3e4de46_z.jpg


Chris
 

Lampe

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Thanks, I've ordered the Liitokala Lii 202. Indeed it is advertised that it has "0V rechargeable battery activation". Hope that it is what I am looking for !
 
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