Maha MH-C9000AA Charger

[ekincam]

My previous charger was recalled for overheating two years ago and I've had it for three. I only now found out about it after it melted one of my batteries.

So I'm looking at either a Lacrosse BC-900 or Maha MH-C9000. Is it true on the MH-C9000 that if I want to charge every battery at a rate higher than the 1000mAH, I have to program each slot individually? I heard this is not an issue on the BC-900. I'm leaning towards the BC-900 because of the smaller size right now because it would be easier to pack and take on trips.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Ekincam,

Welcome to CPF.

You may find this thread informative.

Tom

 

[jkraus]

the Maha has a break-in mode, which is quite good. You do not have to charge above a rate of 1000 mAh, but a rate larger than 0.33C is recommended. And you have to program each slot individually, which is not a big deal.

I like the Maha C9000.

 

[Mr Happy]

I believe Maha wrote somewhere that a 1 amp charge is a good compromise on most cells between reasonably fast charging and maintaining cool cell temperatures, which is why they made it the default.

I own the C9000 and am quite satisfied with it. If you want to charge cells at the default rate then you just put them in and press 'enter' twice for each slot, which is not too inconvenient. But the other advanced features are definitely nice, especially the ability to measure cell capacity.

Physically it is quite large, so I would describe it as a 'desktop' charger rather than a travel charger. It does have a 12 V input though, so you can run from a car.

Maybe it sits alongside a compact travel charger as an extra tool, rather than being an only charger?

 

[TorchBoy]

Is it true on the MH-C9000 that if I want to charge every battery at a rate higher than the 1000mAH, I have to program each slot individually? I heard this is not an issue on the BC-900.

... because if you want to charge more than one cell on the BC-900 at more than 1000mA you have how many options?

Or if you want to charge a couple of cells at 1000mA and a couple even faster?

I own the C9000 and am quite satisfied with it. If you want to charge cells at the default rate then you just put them in and press 'enter' twice for each slot, which is not too inconvenient.

Ditto, yep, no you don't, and true, respectively. If you put a cell in, after a few seconds it starts charging at the default rate without any button pushes.

 

[Mr Happy]

If you put a cell in, after a few seconds it starts charging at the default rate without any button pushes.

I guess I'm too impatient to wait a few seconds, or I would have remembered that...

 

[ekincam]

... because if you want to charge more than one cell on the BC-900 at more than 1000mA you have how many options?

Or if you want to charge a couple of cells at 1000mA and a couple even faster?


Ditto, yep, no you don't, and true, respectively. If you put a cell in, after a few seconds it starts charging at the default rate without any button pushes.

Hrm...I finally figured out WTF you meant. I didn't know the BC900 was limited to 1000mAH for four cells and that 1500mA and 1800mA was for two cells only.

As for size.... I knew the Maha MH-C9000 was big...but it's about the same size as the 8 cell charges.

Scroll down about 2/3 on this page: http://forum.palmislife.com/viewthread.php?tid=70585

 

[TorchBoy]

Hrm...I finally figured out WTF you meant.

Sorry, I was being rather naughty not explaining myself there. :whoopin: But well done on figuring it out! :grouphug:

There's a tradeoff either way. Which features are the more important to you?

 

[Zero_Enigma]

What is the current up to date firmware on the C9000?

 

[NA8]

I didn't know the BC900 was limited to 1000mAH for four cells and that 1500mA and 1800mA was for two cells only.
...
Scroll down about 2/3 on this page: http://forum.palmislife.com/viewthread.php?tid=70585

That's a great picture.

The new La Crosse BC-700 battery charger has all the same features as the BC-900, except the BC-700 is only capable of charge rates of either 200, 500, or 700 mA. Oddly enough, it costs more.

I'd go with that big bad Maha which does 2A rates any way you want.

 

[Anders]

Hello Zero_Enigma.

I believe the latest firmware is 0G0E02.

0FAB01
0FAB02
0G0B01
0G0C01
0G0D01
0G0E01
0G0E02

I believe this is how they all was marked.

Anders

 

[bcwang]

Hello Zero_Enigma.

I believe the latest firmware is 0G0E02.

0FAB01
0FAB02
0G0B01
0G0C01
0G0D01
0G0E01
0G0E02

I believe this is how they all was marked.

Anders

I recently received an RMA replacement that is 0G0IA and seems to behave differently from other members of the 0G series. This may be the newest firmware as of now.

 

[ekincam]

My charger that was recalled only charged 4 batteries at 800mA and took over 3 hours to charge my 2300mAH cells. It could also run off USB and charge at 500mA. My cells became very hot though - to the point where I couldn't touch them and I had to find creative ways to keep the thing cool such as putting it next to the AC vent or positioning the charger so that the batteries are facing down and using a metal table as a heatsink.

Now if I charge at 1A or faster will I have these issues or was the charger just not well designed? For 2300-2500mAH cells, I estimate that it would take about 2.5-3 hours to charge at 1A rate and for most use, I don't have an issue with this time. However, there are times when I wish I could have my batteries in perhaps 1/2 that time but my higher drain devices use either 3 or 4 AA.

I love the feature set of the Maha, but not the size and that I have to program each slot individually. I like how on the Lacrosse, I can program all slots to do the same thing at the same current rate without having the program each slot individually, but the Lacrosse is limited to 1000mAH. The size is another issue, the Lacrosse is about the same size as my previous charger and 1/2 the size of the Maha.

Now, I have a bunch Eneloops and I saw the thread about the MH-C9000 and Eneloops but I haven't read through the whole thing.

Decisions...decisions...

 

[Mr Happy]

I have charged cells at 1.5 A in the C9000 and they stay quite cool. I think this is partly because the charge algorithm includes temperature sensing.

Also one reason for the large size of the charger may be to allow for more air circulation and cooling around the cells.

 

[TorchBoy]

Re: Maha MH-C9000 AA Charger

As for size.... I knew the Maha MH-C9000 was big...but it's about the same size as the 8 cell charges.

Scroll down about 2/3 on this page: http://forum.palmislife.com/viewthread.php?tid=70585

That's a great picture.

That's actually two pictures, and they're a different scale and very different focal length to each other (hence the distortion in shape of the MH-C9000). Edit: Um, you're looking at a different pic, aren't you? Yes, it is big for only 4 cells, but my first impression was that it wasn't as big as I thought it might be. I thought it looked huge in the pics I first saw of it.

If fast charge times are highly desireable you could get a 15 minute charger, and then your four cells could be charged in half an hour. :naughty:

As for temperature, see SilverFox's notes in the thread he linked to above.

 

[jkraus]

I recently received an RMA replacement that is 0G0IA and seems to behave differently from other members of the 0G series. This may be the newest firmware as of now.

I talked to the Maha tech support: anything starting with 0G has the latest firmware (which is the first revision of the original firmware).

 

[Mitch470]

LaCrosse BC-900

So I'm looking at either a Lacrosse BC-900 or Maha MH-C9000. Is it true on the MH-C9000 that if I want to charge every battery at a rate higher than the 1000mAH, I have to program each slot individually? I heard this is not an issue on the BC-900. I'm leaning towards the BC-900 because of the smaller size right now because it would be easier to pack and take on trips.

I know I'm in the minority but I'd recommend the LaCrosse BC-900 Verson 33 or higher. Its easy to operate, can have different tasks being done in each of its 4 slots and has its discharge and charge rates automatically related.

It can measure total capacity with new NIMH batteries using its Test Mode. It can charge fast using Charge Mode. It can do a full discharge and then a full charge in Discharge Mode.

It can do a proper slow charge for LSD batteries and its manual recommends the slow charge in contrast to the manual for the MH-9000. The Eneloop manual for its own chargers recommends the SLOW charge.

 

[bp044]

Thomas dist. is offering the MH -C 9000 "on sale" and with free shipping.
Does this mean a new version is in the offing ?

 

[TorchBoy]

Re: LaCrosse BC-900

It can do a proper slow charge for LSD batteries

SilverFox mentioned the safety timer for the BC-900 is set to 3000 - 3300 mAh, so a "proper" slow charge on an Eneloop (200mA for 16 hours = 3200 mAh) would just make it. What about a high capacity cell? Does it ignore the safety timer while slow charging? For example, for a 2700 mAh cell to be "properly" slow charged it would be charged at 270mA for 16 hours = 4320 mAh, more than the safety timer would allow.

Does the BC-900 even charge at 270 mA? Edit: No. 200 mA and 500 mA are its two lowest charge rates. It has no "proper" slow charge feature.

 

[lebox97]

Re: LaCrosse BC-900

right now the price diff is about $16 (from Thomas Dist. BC-900 shipped is $44 vs MH-C9000 for $60)

if you havn't already read the comparison between the two - you'll find it here...

it is a tough choice I too am trying to decide on.

I know I'm in the minority but I'd recommend the LaCrosse BC-900 Verson 33 or higher. Its easy to operate, can have different tasks being done in each of its 4 slots and has its discharge and charge rates automatically related.

It can measure total capacity with new NIMH batteries using its Test Mode. It can charge fast using Charge Mode. It can do a full discharge and then a full charge in Discharge Mode.

It can do a proper slow charge for LSD batteries and its manual recommends the slow charge in contrast to the manual for the MH-9000. The Eneloop manual for its own chargers recommends the SLOW charge.