La Crosse BC700 or BC900??????

[Bearcat]

OK, I'm about to pull the trigger (I think), on either the BC700 or BC900 after weeks of reading and trying to decide between the MAHA 9000 and these two La Crosse models. I went with La Crosse, because their chargers seemed less complicated and I liked their individual display function of each battery all shown at once.

I'm not making a big mistake by selecting La Crosse over MAHA, I'm I?

I can get the BC700 for $32.99 with free shipping from Amazon.

I can get the BC900 for $37.99 with free shipping from Amazon and a travel bag, C&D battery adaptors, 4 AAA 700mah batteries, 4 AA 2000mah batteries. I probably won't use the bag, may use the adaptors, so are the La Crosse batteries worth the extra $5??????

The really big question, is there any difference between the 700 and 900 other than the default settings of their charge rates and that the 900 can charge at a higher and faster rate, because I will most likely charge at a lower setting anyway and I don't mind over riding the default charge rate on the 900 to set it at a lower charge rate.

The reason I'm hesitant, is because I read somewhere (can't find it again) that someone said they think that the BC700 will replace the BC900 and they did not say why.

Did La Crosse do something other than lower the charge rates on the BC700 to make them better and safer than the BC900???

 

[Light Sabre]

I have 2 of the BC-900's and they have been excellent battery chargers. They have 1.0 amp, 1.5 amp, and 1.8 amp charging modes that the BC-700 doesn't have. Some people have reported having meltdowns with the BC-900, but I think that they're using the high amperage modes on batteries that can't handle that much current. Probably the main reason for the new BC-700 charger. For AAA batteries I only use the 200 ma charge mode. For AA batteries I use the 500 ma charge mode 99% of the time. Have used the 700 ma charge mode a time or 2 when I was really in a big hurry. Tried the 1.0A mode a time or 2 just to see how things went. In my opinion the batteries got too hot for my tastes. Have never even tried the 1.5A or 1.8A modes. The Rayovac IC3 batteires (their charger would charge their 2000 maH batteries in 15 min) could probably handle that, but I only charge them at the 500 ma rate in the BC-900. La-Crosse probably updated the firmware, some people said the 3.2 version had a bad UI, just takes some time to get used to it. Hope this helps.

 

[Bearcat]

I have 2 of the BC-900's and they have been excellent battery chargers. They have 1.0 amp, 1.5 amp, and 1.8 amp charging modes that the BC-700 doesn't have. Some people have reported having meltdowns with the BC-900, but I think that they're using the high amperage modes on batteries that can't handle that much current. Probably the main reason for the new BC-700 charger. For AAA batteries I only use the 200 ma charge mode. For AA batteries I use the 500 ma charge mode 99% of the time. Have used the 700 ma charge mode a time or 2 when I was really in a big hurry. Tried the 1.0A mode a time or 2 just to see how things went. In my opinion the batteries got too hot for my tastes. Have never even tried the 1.5A or 1.8A modes. The Rayovac IC3 batteires (their charger would charge their 2000 maH batteries in 15 min) could probably handle that, but I only charge them at the 500 ma rate in the BC-900. La-Crosse probably updated the firmware, some people said the 3.2 version had a bad UI, just takes some time to get used to it. Hope this helps.

It sounds like the higher charging modes on the BC-900 are about as good as **** on a boar hog, since you never use them, because they heat up your batteries so much. I was leaning toward the BC-700, but I figured that I could overide the default mode on the BC-900 if the accesories that come with it are worth $5.

Thanks, you have been very helpful.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Bearcat,

Some of us have studied up on what the battery manufacturers recommend for charging rates, and then spent some time following them and observing our results. I, for one, have been very pleased with the results. Originally, I thought that the 500 charge/discharge cycle life was grossly exaggerated, but after following the manufacturers recommendations, I am getting much closer, or even exceeding it.

The battery manufacturers recommend charging at a rate that completes the charge in 1 - 2 hours when the charger terminates on -dV or dT. Since the LaCrosse BC700 features -dV termination and a 700 mA charging rate, it will be excellent for cells up to 1400 mAh. This should take care of all of your AAA cells. The BC900 is better suited to AA cells, but for cells over 2000 mAh, you are limited to only being able to charge 2 cells at a time.

You can charge at lower charging rates, but you should expect sub par performance from your cells. Cells that get hot when charging at "normal" charging rates usually show lower voltage under load, and reduced capacity. I call those cells "crap" cells, and recycle them. Others feel that as long as a cell will take a charge it is good for something, however, they also often complain about poor cell performance.

Many people charge at slow charging rates thinking that cool cells will be better cared for. In actuality, you can overcharge cells at slow rates, and while the cell stays cool, damage is done during the overcharge. You may ask why do the cells become overcharged at low rates? The answer has to do with the chargers termination method. In order to generate a strong end of charge signal when the charger uses -dV for termination, you need to charge at a rate that generates a strong signal. Thus the recommendation to charge at a rate that completes the charge in 1 - 2 hours.

The original issue with the BC900 seems to be related to a substandard component being run at maximum levels. This seems to have been resolved with the later units. We have not heard of a BC900 melting down in quite some time now. If I remember correctly, the melt downs occurred when charging at the default 200 mA rate.

The BC700 was introduced before the BC900, so it is an older unit. We believe LaCrosse sold a warehouse of these units off to make room for other units, and now they are in the sales stream being "re-introduced" as if they are a new item.

As you can see, your impressions are backward. The BC900 replaced the BC700.

The accessories that come with the BC900 are nice. The adapters work well and the case is convenient. The cells are inconsistent, but if you get good ones they seem to work well. If you get bad ones, just recycle them and go on. I don't think they test out to their labeled capacity, but are actually closer to around 90% of their labeled capacity.

While most of us wish the C9000 had a similar display to the BC900, the feature that sets the C9000 ahead of the BC900 is the Break-In mode. Properly used, this function can extend the life of your cells and pay for the difference in the cost of the charger.

Tom

 

[Bearcat]

Wow, SilverFox, you are loaded with information. I don't know where I got the information from that the BC700 came after the BC900. The only thing that really concerns me about the MA9000 is that I have read it's a little complicated to operate and difficult to understand.

I bought a boat load of ROV Hybrids AAA and AA cells with my $5 off coupons, so that what I will be using for a very long time. Might get get some Enloops when the Hybrids die off. One reason that I wanted to upgrade from my ROV PS4 charger is where I could test my batteries to see what kind of charge that they had, so I could properly group them and discard the bad cells.

I guess I'm back to trying to decide again between the MA9000 and the BC900:(

Thanks for your time, your information was very helpful.

 

[Mr Happy]

The only thing that really concerns me about the MA9000 is that I have read it's a little complicated to operate and difficult to understand.

It's really not. If you know what volts, amps, mAh, capacity, charging, discharging mean, then it's very straightforward. You just follow the guided menus to get to the operation you want. There is also an instruction booklet that explains when to use each option in some detail.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Bearcat,

I might add that for the low self discharge rate cells, the default settings on the C9000 are great for AA cells. Just put them in and pull them out when the charge is done.

Tom

 

[Black Rose]

I guess I'm back to trying to decide again between the MA9000 and the BC900:(

Earlier this year I was in the exact same situation deciding between those two chargers.
After reading numerous threads and checking out all I could about them, I opted for the C9000.

The C9000 can appear to be complicated but once you understand the functions, it's quite easy to work with.

If all you want to do is charge a 2000 or 2100 mAh AA, insert the cell and press the enter button and it will charge the cell using the default 1000 mA charge rate. The charge will complete in about 2 hours as noted in SilverFox's first response.

Quite a few members have the C9000, so there is lots of help here as well.

The manual for the MH-C9000 is available in PDF format here.

And to avoid being labelled a C9000 fanboy :D , the manual for the BC900 is also available in PDF format here.

 

[Bones]

You are going to have to garner essentially the same knowledge to use any of these chargers effectively Bearcat, so I wouldn't use operational complexity as a deciding factor.

And while the LaCrosse chargers are somewhat more convenient to use for the routine tasks, they do lack the Wizard One's advanced forming functions which will better enable you to maximize your Hybrids' performance and longevity.

A side-by-side view of both chargers as posted on Amazon.com by NLee the Engineer:

 

[RobertD]

I was in your shoes a year ago, and opted for the BC900. After using it for a year, I just purchased a Maha MH-C801D charger. I went with the LaCrosse first because of price and what appeared to be somewhat equal features to the C9000.

Why did I switch?
I'm getting annoyed with the charging sequence needed to alter the default charge rate of the BC900. Put in a battery, push the button a few times to get the rate up to 1A, wait a few seconds for the 'flash' to indicate the change, then repeat for the next cell, then the third cell, then the fourth cell. Sometimes the button push registers, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it skips and I have to press a bunch of times to get back around to the rate I want. And the wait seems like forever.

I just spent the weekend doing a conditioning 56 AA batteries (Eneloop 2000mah & Kodak 2100mah) with the 801D. It was a pure joy to just pop in 8 batteries as fast as I could and cycle them at a 2A charge without all the mess and fuss the BC900 would give me.

I say go with the C9000. I only went for the 801D because I wanted to be able to do 8 cells at a time, plus I'll still have the BC900 sitting around if I want to check true capacity of that oddball cell. But the 801D will be the on my desk doing the real work.

 

[Lite_me]

Why did I switch?
I'm getting annoyed with the charging sequence needed to alter the default charge rate of the BC900. Put in a battery, push the button a few times to get the rate up to 1A, wait a few seconds for the 'flash' to indicate the change, then repeat for the next cell, then the third cell, then the fourth cell. Sometimes the button push registers, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it skips and I have to press a bunch of times to get back around to the rate I want. And the wait seems like forever.

I don't understand why you're doing it this way. You can place all 4 batteries in the charger first, and then choose the charge rate. It applies it to all the batteries at once. At least that's the way I do it. You're making it more complicated than need be. :)

 

[bcwang]

I'm getting annoyed with the charging sequence needed to alter the default charge rate of the BC900. Put in a battery, push the button a few times to get the rate up to 1A, wait a few seconds for the 'flash' to indicate the change, then repeat for the next cell, then the third cell, then the fourth cell.

Actually, with the bc900 you can pop in all cells at once and the charge rate and mode of operation can be set together. It's the Maha C9000 that requires individual setting on each cell.

 

[Ziemas]

Wow, SilverFox, you are loaded with information. I don't know where I got the information from that the BC700 came after the BC900. The only thing that really concerns me about the MA9000 is that I have read it's a little complicated to operate and difficult to understand.

I'm not a technical person, and I can say for sure that the Maha C-9000 is dead easy to use and understand.

 

[Bearcat]

Actually, with the bc900 you can pop in all cells at once and the charge rate and mode of operation can be set together. It's the Maha C9000 that requires individual setting on each cell.

Is the above underlined really correct, for 100% certain?:sigh:

My head is beginning to hurt.:sick:

 

[Mr Happy]

Is the above underlined really correct, for 100% certain?

Yes, it is, but the interface is easy enough to use that it is not such a huge bother as it might seem.

 

[Bearcat]

I'm I going to at a later date, after I learn more about chargers, hate myself and go to Hell:devil: if I go ahead and purchase the BC900 rather the C9000?

I really, really hate making the wrong choice on anything. All my experience gained from making incorrect decisions sure has been costly to me.:broke:

 

[Mr Happy]

I can only tell you, as a C9000 owner, that I am completely satisfied with it -- and like you, I am very fussy about making the right purchase. I don't regret buying it at all.

 

[phenwick]

I can only tell you, as a C9000 owner, that I am completely satisfied with it -- and like you, I am very fussy about making the right purchase. I don't regret buying it at all.

I completely agree. When it comes to these types of decisions, I ask myself would I do it over again, and this is one I definitely would do again. However, I use a lot of 700 mAh NiCad cells in my solar lights and the BC700 would do nicely, especially when it can be often found for $25.00. so I'm considering this as well. So sometimes a persons particular application can be a deciding factor.

 

[Ziemas]

Is the above underlined really correct, for 100% certain?:sigh:

My head is beginning to hurt.:sick:

It's really not an issue, and you are totally over thinking this.

It takes me no more than 15 seconds to program the C-9000 for all four batteries. If taking 15 seconds to program a charger to charge 4 batteries is unacceptable to you than stay away from the c-9000. If you are willing to spend 15 seconds programing your charger to charge 4 batteries than the C-9000 is a wonderful choice.

 

[Black Rose]

I can only tell you, as a C9000 owner, that I am completely satisfied with it -- and like you, I am very fussy about making the right purchase. I don't regret buying it at all.

I totally agree.

I don't regret buying it and would have no problem buying another one.