AA charger

[jugg2]

Has anyone used this AA charger? http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=1374

It seems to have some good features on it. I am thinking about getting it if it is a decent charger, since I don't want to spend a lot on a AA charger. My main question is, does it have English instructions, or is it really easy to figure out? The packaging looks Chinese or something.

 

[matrixshaman]

That's almost as much money as a LaCrosse BC-900. I'd get the BC-900 before spending $35 on that and my experience with that place was not good either. You can get a similar if not better name brand charger here for about $15 if you don't want to spend the $39 for a BC-900:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6180
or this one for ~ $14:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6152

I consider Soshine brand to be much better than most of the chargers you can pick up from Chinese sites.

 

[jugg2]

Will these charge eneloops?

 

[Zenster]

Will these charge eneloops?

Eneloops should be charged exactly like any NimH battery, so any charger designed to properly charge standard NimH batteries will handle Eneloops just fine.

 

[jugg2]

Eneloops should be charged exactly like any NimH battery, so any charger designed to properly charge standard NimH batteries will handle Eneloops just fine.

Thanks, the reason I asked that is because when you read the description of some Maha chargers, it specifically mentions eneloops.

 

[Zenster]

Thanks, the reason I asked that is because when you read the description of some Maha chargers, it specifically mentions eneloops.

I think Maha is just anticipating the "usual questions", and asking whether their chargers can be used with Eneloops is probably one question they get asked quite often.

But if you look to all of the manufacturers of Low-Discharge batteries (including Eneloops), every one of them points out that their Low-Discharge batteries should be treated exactly like standard NimH batteries when it comes to recharging.

Interestingly enough, I'm willing to bet that the only NimH batteries that will be available within a couple of years or so will be the Low-Discharge type. After all, as sales of L-D batteries increase over time, they should become as inexpensive as regular NimH batteries at which time people are going to ask the question: "Why buy anything OTHER than Low-Discharge batteries?"

 

[jugg2]

Thanks Zenster, I bought 16 Eneloops today. I am going to buy the charger later on tonight!

 

[jugg2]

If I were going to spend a little more on a charger, how good is this one?

http://www.nimhbattery.com/maha-mh-c800s-battery-charger.htm

 

[jugg2]

bump

 

[Zenster]

bump

You might want to have that looked at... a bump like that could get infected.

I didn't want to sway you since you can and should do your own homework and shopping, but I'd buy a Maha (any model) over many of the others.
Maha is widely distributed and supported by a strong, committed company. So warranty issues and repairs or whatever are likely to be better handled by them than by the "drive by" import companies.

That said, I use the Maha C9000 which handles everything I need to do with NimH batteries including condition and testing for capacity. http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=423
I personally don't need the 8 cell capacity of the one you linked to, but if you think you do, I think you'd be spending your money more wisely in the long run if you went with the Maha.

Check out the following link, not to see that a Maha charger failed, but to see how Maha handled the problem. Can you expect that kind of service from other "off brand" companies?
Plus, when you read about a handful of chargers having some kind of problem, keep in mind that those numbers are a 1% of 1% of total sales of the product, and ALL products (including the best of the best of anything) fail at various statistical rates. That's just the way it is.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=182573

 

[jugg2]

Thanks Zenster, I guess I'm going with the dealextreme $15 charger. Seems like it has good features, even if it's cheap made. I will upgrade down the road sometime.