LaCrosse Charger + Sanyo 2700 Combo

[this_is_nascar]

I have a LaCrosse Charger that I use from time to time to charge my AA-sized NiMH cells. I'm going to be purchasing some Sanyo 2700 cells and also have Sanyo 2500 cells lying around, which hardly get used. More specifically to the 2700 cells, how do you recommend I charge them initially and then going forward? What settings should I use? Should I do a REFRESH before I do anything else?

 

[Handlobraesing]

I have a LaCrosse Charger that I use from time to time to charge my AA-sized NiMH cells. I'm going to be purchasing some Sanyo 2700 cells and also have Sanyo 2500 cells lying around, which hardly get used. More specifically to the 2700 cells, how do you recommend I charge them initially and then going forward? What settings should I use? Should I do a REFRESH before I do anything else?

Do the Charge Test fuction at 500mA. It will charge, discharage, then recharge.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Thanks.

 

[wptski]

You should do a C/10 for 16 hours on new cells but since you can't on a BC900, so do the first charge at 200ma. Do the math! Lots of BC900 v32 have melted with new high capacity cells, they may terminate early or not at all, so time the cycle. I don't trust the BC900 since mine(v32) melted.

 

[Flash007]

I've received my Lacrosse BC-900 (v32) today.

I have putted 4 used Ansmann 2300 mAh to refresh mode (700/350 mA).
Hope the charger will not melt. I work during this night, and I'll not be at home to supervise the charge process.

I have 2 years warranty on the product.

 

[jayflash]

The possibility of the cells, themselves, being the meltdown cause was previously mentioned by SilverFox, I believe. I'm not saying that was your case but I'm curious if other charger brands have suffered this problem? Sure hope this is a statistically rare event as I really like my LaCrosse and would miss all its features if I had to send it in.

 

[Billson]

I've received my Lacrosse BC-900 (v32) today.

I have putted 4 used Ansmann 2300 mAh to refresh mode (700/350 mA).
Hope the charger will not melt. I work during this night, and I'll not be at home to supervise the charge process.

I have 2 years warranty on the product.

Where did you buy yours from? Mine came from Amondotech a couple of weeks ago and it was already v33. Since there were problems with the v32, I would assume LaCrosse would've updated all their new chargers.

 

[wptski]

Actually SilverFox was one of the BC900 V32 owners that didn't melt, mine did! It seems that there are lots of V32 unit out there still being sold. La Crosse replaces them with V33 but it appears that they are out of stock till the end of the year which was mentioned in another thread.

Most meltdowns occured using brand new cells at a slow charging rate. Mine happened in Test Mode 700/350ma on new cells that were cycled about 5/6 times.

 

[Flash007]

I've buyed mine in a online store in France :

www.nouveauxobjets.com

 

[Flash007]

Ordered on 08 june, received yesterday.

 

[Long John]

I'm really happy with my LaCrosse/Sanyo 2700mAh combo.

I charge the batteries with 700mA and sometimes in testmodus with 700/350 mA.

All of my Sanyos have a minimum capacity of 2,8 Ah - 2,93 Ah. Great result.

During charging I use a 12V PC-vent to cool the charger, batteries and AC/DC adaptors (for the charger and vent).

I hope all of you will be so happy like me,

best regards

_____
Tom

 

[coppertrail]

I have a BC-900, rev 33. I've not had any problems. But, note of caution. My Powerex 2700 AA Cells didn't fully charge using the 200 mA setting on the BC-900. I had to use a higher mA current to acheive a full charge. I recommend either the 500 or 700 mA charge current. I ordered some Sanyo 2700s today. Let us know how your initial charge went

 

[Lite_me]

Billson asking Flash007

Where did you buy yours from? Mine came from Amondotech a couple of weeks ago and it was already v33. Since there were problems with the v32, I would assume LaCrosse would've updated all their new chargers.

I ordered one June 10th from Thomas Distributing and received a v32. It's been in use about half the time since then without issues. So far, so good.
I keep a close eye on it tho. I haven't done much with it over the 700ma setting tho either. I mounted a smoke detector directly above it over the bench and have it setting on some pieces of kitchen tile. :thumbsup:

 

[VidPro]

You should do a C/10 for 16 hours on new cells but since you can't on a BC900, so do the first charge at 200ma. Do the math! Lots of BC900 v32 have melted with new high capacity cells, they may terminate early or not at all, so time the cycle. I don't trust the BC900 since mine(v32) melted.

at 200 it is at c-10 or less, being a sanyo battery it might not CUTOFF.
i dont recommend charging energyser or sanyo high capacity mi-mhys at low rates on chargers that look for voltage drops.
because at low currents there wont BE a voltage drop.
the sanyos/energysers are very durable and might not Vdrop.
if the charger is DEPENDANT on a vdrop, then you just bake the batts, with Low currents, and that could be a possible reason the charger melts down.

i have seen a bat sit there and not get to a cutoff, it should be an adequite overcharge occurance. meaning it should NOT get the batts hot at c/10 or less. but it did, and it didnt look like a good situation.

back 10+ years ago, when they had DUMB chargers, they would be c/10-c/16, and you just left it on the charger. BUT there was a big diffferance between the voltage MAX they could reach and current controls.
a DUMB charger would slow down at the end. A smart charger cannot slow at the end, and they dont unless they have High voltage cutoff ALSO.

a smart charger using current control, might not slow down at the end, in fact if it did, it would not be able to reach voltage drop, because the battery is handling the overcharge. overcharge ITSELF is why the batt drops voltage.

dang why is it so confusing to explain.
try this

dumb chargers had a protection sort that they COULD be dumb, so they could be left on forever , unless the battery was ruined.
smart chargers will prefer to charge faster, so they can SEE the vdrop. and they arent really smart

 

[VidPro]

other notes:
a good charger should know if stuff is getting to hot, and shut off, via a thremal probe.
IF there is a thermal probe ON the battery and or in the curcuit, Cooling the outside of the things will keep the thermal probe from reading a problem.
so its a ketch22. you cool so it does not overheat, by cooling you stop the thermal probe from reading any overheat.

SO
if a charger has a perfect thermal probe thing and it works properly, an overheat should be detected.
if you stop the thermal probe from reading by cooling the whole thing, the battery could internally degass, and blow open, wheras a proper thermal reading could have possibly prevent that.

Which Means
if these things HAD proper and fully sensitive thermal shutdown, cooling it would defeat the thermal shutdown.
BUT
because none of them have proper and fully sensitive anything its probably better to cool it.

confused yet