Is Sanyo MC-MQN06U AA/AAA charger okay for Eneloops?

[stickydoorknob]

I bought a AA/AAA batteries in store and it was bundled in with a Sanyo MC-MQN06U charger. I was told by the sales rep that this charger is not desirable for charging with eneloop batteries and he recommended I picked up a Nitecore Intellicharger along with it. I did not know that much at the time, and didn't give in to his sales tactics, so I politely declined, but is what he said true? Can anyone explain why the included Sanyo charger isn't desirable and why the Nitecore Intellicharger be more viable? They both don't seem to have any electronic displays or seem to give any battery info at all, so why would one be better than the other?

 

[ven]

the i4 will charge eneloops but i prefer a dedicated charger for nimh myself..........

I think he wanted more $ out of you ...........

 

[ChrisGarrett]

The Sanyo MQR-06 is the one you want. 4 independent channels, vs. 2 for the MQN-06.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121060028497?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I used a dumb charger the other day, just for kicks, that I got with some Eneloop Glitter AAs off of Woot and it's not going to kill your batteries in a week, but you want something that has 4 independent channels that monitor EACH battery's charge status.

It's healthier for your batteries, doing it that way.

That charger in my link is the one I would get if I didn't want to fiddle with 'smart chargers.' Sony and Panasonic offer similar models.

Look for something that has 4 separate charging channels.

Chris

 

[ven]

I have used this charger for around 12months..........probably longer,great,8 channels(still never enough so have several others too) made by vapex

 

[Viking]

I did not know that much at the time, and didn't give in to his sales tactics, so I politely declined

A wise decision. But in this particular case I think the sales representative told you the truth.
A smart charger is preferable because it has independent channels that monitors the cells individually and stops the charge when the cell is full.
The Nitecore Intellicharger is a smart charger ( I don't know whether it is a good smart charger though ), whereas the bundled sanyo charger isn't.

 

[hiuintahs]

The Sanyo MC-MQN06U charger will work OK without damage to the batteries. It's not the greatest charger from the standpoint that you have to charge in pairs and it does not have a very high charge current. I think its around 300mA. But it was designed by Sanyo and is sold in their combo battery packs. The issue with charging in pairs is what if when you go to charge 2 batteries, they are not very equal in discharge. That means that one will either get over-charged or one will be under-charged when it terminates. And my guess is that one gets over-charged. But 300mA won't destroy the battery. Again its a functional charger but not the greatest.


I got my kids all one of those setups and they did find with it for more than a year before I bought them all LaCrosse BC-700's.

 

[Crazyeddiethefirst]

I own both. Both were purchased in a package by Sanyo that included Eneloops. I agree with what has been stated that the "dumb charger" only charges in pairs. If you check your batteries with a multimeter before and after you can mitigate overcharging by the the dumb charger. Even when I use the "smart" charger, I still check the voltages before and after. It takes a few seconds, and I never have to worry about loosing an expensive light OR a few fingers...

 

[Viking]

The issue with charging in pairs is what if when you go to charge 2 batteries, they are not very equal in discharge. That means that one will either get over-charged or one will be under-charged when it terminates. And my guess is that one gets over-charged

According to NLee the Engineer , this charger will under-charge.

​- It charges in pairs only. This is very inconvenient for appliances that take odd number of cells. If you try to charge an exhausted cell together with a half-full cell, the charging process stops as soon as the second cell is full, which means the first cell is still half-empty.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Rechargable-MC-MQN06U-Hassle-Packaging/dp/B002TZUB12

 

[mcnair55]

I bought a AA/AAA batteries in store and it was bundled in with a Sanyo MC-MQN06U charger. I was told by the sales rep that this charger is not desirable for charging with eneloop batteries and he recommended I picked up a Nitecore Intellicharger along with it. I did not know that much at the time, and didn't give in to his sales tactics, so I politely declined, but is what he said true? Can anyone explain why the included Sanyo charger isn't desirable and why the Nitecore Intellicharger be more viable? They both don't seem to have any electronic displays or seem to give any battery info at all, so why would one be better than the other?

You can use any charger to charge Eneloops and take no notice of the rep he is talking rubbish. I have been using these type of batteries for years and I use any charger that comes to hand but if you intend to buy new my advice is avoid the really fast chargers and try and get the type that will charge one cell at a time.

 

[hiuintahs]

According to NLee the Engineer , this charger will under-charge.

Thanks for the clarification.