Maha c777 plus 11 @ 65.00

fenix-store
V

vetkaw63

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Messages
355
Location
virginia, us
Thomas Dist has these on sale for $65. Is this a really good deal? I would like a charger that would handle all my charging/analyzing/reconditioning chores(flashlights,general household stuff). If there is anything better is it in the same price range?
Thanks,
Mike
 
Hi Windscale,
I read your thread first. I am looking for a charger, no more expensive that the Maha c777 plus 11, that will charge lithium ion and nimh ; AA, AAA, C, D, rcr123 , 18650 and anything else I may buy in the future. I don't mind a little longer charge time as long as it is versatile and fairly inexpensive. Anything else better for around $65?
Thanks,
Mike
 
BigusLightus said:
The Maha is old technology. Have you looked at the Triton Jr.?
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/greatplanes/gpmm3152.html

There are many others used by the RC community. I'm thinking thats where the cutting edge is.
Click to expand...

Well, no.

I have a Triton, and two Orbit Microlader Pros that I use for R/C.

They're not very good for charging individual cells. They're designed for battery packs where all the batteries are at the same level of discharge. If you have two and three cell flashlights, and try to charge the mixed cells at varying levels of discharge as a pack with a Triton, it will do a horrible job.

Toshi
 
Hello Toshi,

I am a little confused...

Are you saying that the Triton will not do a good job of charging a 5 cell pack if 2 of the cells are at a different state of charge than the other 3?

Or, are you saying that the Triton will not do a good job charging 2 cells from a 2 cell flashlight and, during a separate charge cycle, 3 cells from a 3 cell flashlight?

I believe you are referring to the former. That would be like hooking 2 six cell packs, that have been discharged to different levels, in series and trying to charge them all at once.

Also, could you elaborate on any issues with charging single cells?

Tom
 
In my case I would almost always charge my batts in packs of some kind. I'm guessing that it would be smart to keep the loose cells all together (in a group) for their entire lifetime. For example: My 6D ROP will probably always keep the same 10 Ah D cells. I use all 6D cells in series and I charge all 6 in series. So far so good.

Also, I'm guessing again, it would make sense to charge each of my generic MagCharger style 6 Volt 2.5 Amp battery sticks independent of each other.

For my camera I mark my batts in sets of four and always keep them together.

In another thread I read that charging NiMH cells low and slow is a way to balance them. Is there any truth to that? And do the cells need to be in single or series or parallel?
 
Hello BigusLightus,

Never charge NiMh cells in parallel.

Normally, you charge cells together that have been used together. This means that the cells have all be discharged to roughly the same level. At the end of the charge, the cells can be balanced by applying a 0.1C charge for a few hours.

With several cells in series that are totally unbalanced from the start, the best way is to do a 0.1C charge for 16 hours. This will charge all the cells and balance them.

If you are in a hurry, you can charge the pack until one cell heats up. This requires you to pay attention and attend to the pack during the charge. When you find one cell beginning to heat up, stop the charge. Then you can top off the pack with a 0.1C charge for around 3 - 5 hours depending on the degree of imbalance.

This is only for cells that are charged in series. If you individually charge the cells, they come out fine at the end of the charge.

Tom
 
The Maha C777 is still far and away the best charger I have ever used. Yes, I have a Triton and I hated every moment working with it.

The Maha is slow, but reliable and steady, and the supplied leads go a long way to solving a lot of unexplained problems that tripped me up in the early days of my Triton. That bad start bodes ill.

The MOST welcome feature of the Maha is the charger bed and the adjustable contacts, because I need to charge many other PACKS that cannot be disassembled into individual cells. Often these packs have recessed terminals for safety so I can't simply clamp stuff onto them. There's no other way I can get a Triton to do that job.

If I had to buy another charger, it would assuredly be the Maha. I am not ONLY working with bare cells - an assumption the Triton makes. If I wasn't on such a tight budget I would consider picking up a second charger right now. In terms of versatility the Maha is untouchable.
 
Hello Mike,

My "all around charger" is the Schulze isl 6-330d/RS. It does an excellent job with NiCd and NiMh chemistries, and a very good job with the other chemistries.

So far, it has handled everything I have thrown at it. Its major disadvantage is that it is limited in discharge capabilities.

I believe this series is being replaced by a new charger from Schulze, and that charger looks very good on paper. I will have to wait and see some reports on it once it gets into production, but I may upgrade to it.

Understand that using a charger like this takes a little more ingenuity than a simple charger where you simply plop the cell in and walk away. It takes some effort to figure out how to hook things up and some time to assemble the required connectors and cell holders, but once you have everything in place, the set up for charging goes quite fast.

Tom
 
Hello Kevin,

I seem to remember reading about some of your difficulties with the Triton. The hobby chargers do require some additional hardware for connecting to the various types of battery packs, but once you have that, it is pretty straightforward.

If I may be so bold as to suggest an analogy with photography... The C777 is like a point and shoot camera, whereas the Triton is like a fully manual camera.

Tom
 
Hello Mike,

Oh... :)

Check out the Maha C808M for NiMh cells.

Another charger that has come to my attention is the Bantam BC6, I think. MilkySpit got one of these and is checking it out. It does all the chemistries and runs off of AC or DC power. I don't remember the price.

Tom
 
Last edited:
Hello Mike,

To charge Sub C cells in the 808 you need to come up with a 3/4" spacer. I use a 1/4 by 3/4" magnet and attach it to the + end of the cell. This combination fits nicely in the D cell charging contacts, but takes a little fiddling to get the + end properly set below the bump that is supposed to make contact with the nipple of the cell.

I got my magnets from K&J Magnetics. The nickel plated magnets introduce minimal resistance and are a lot better for our use than the plain ones.

Tom
 
SilverFox said:
Hello Kevin,

I seem to remember reading about some of your difficulties with the Triton. The hobby chargers do require some additional hardware for connecting to the various types of battery packs, but once you have that, it is pretty straightforward.

If I may be so bold as to suggest an analogy with photography... The C777 is like a point and shoot camera, whereas the Triton is like a fully manual camera.

Tom
Click to expand...

If your analogy is talking about a true manual camera, those are relics ;) I think what you meant to say was point and shoot (P&S) vs SLR system cameras. In that sense you are correct, not everybody is willing to put up with the weight, bulk and cost of the system cameras. There are people I simply would not recommend an SLR to, because they would not be happy with it.

Similarly I am quite tired of the Triton's foibles and its inability to charge my SLR camera packs such as the NB2LH, BP511 and NP-E3. Ripping these Canon packs apart is not an option, and their recessed contacts are too small to permit magnets (nor do the magnets stick). Really all I want is for the Maha to have a charge rate control option and I will be in heaven.

The Maha has charger contact posts built into the device itself, which can be moved to suit almost any arbitrary pack, and thus is far more versatile in this respect. I have not actually found a way to devise the hardware for the Triton to connect to these packs - so the Maha suits my diverse needs better. I do have some other gear outside of my little lights ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
XTAR VC4 PLus vs MC3000
Replies
1
Views
1K
aznsx
A
T
Maha MH-C9000 zener diode identification
Replies
8
Views
1K
Dave_H
D
J
Service life - XTAR Dragon VP4 Plus
Replies
11
Views
3K
dragosios
D
C
ZL SC 600w IV Plus … Battery Cell Recommendation. Have had the light for a couple years.
Replies
4
Views
806
Mr. LED
Mr. LED
TimMc
XTAR SC1 Plus Charger Review
Replies
0
Views
1K
TimMc
TimMc

Latest posts

Top