top NiMH chargers?

[doubleganger]

I have the mh-c204f and really like it. It's $20 with free shipping right now at:

http://www.batterybank.net/digital/chargers/mhc204f.html

 

[Icebreak]

That is a good price.
Thanks doubleganger.

 

[James Van Artsdalen]

First you have to decide what you want in a charger.

A fast charger will charge faster by applying more current. All NiMH batteries get warm near the end of a charging cycle but “hot” can scorch the battery and shorten its life. The Maha 401 has a switch for this tradeoff.

Another issue is whether each battery is charged independently (Maha 204 vs. 401). If the batteries are charged in series (Maha 204) you run the risk that some batteries will be overcharged and some undercharged. It’s not clear how much of a problem this really is.

I suspect the C.Crane charger somehow charges batteries in parallel. This probably has the potential to overcharge batteries but it can charge odd numbers of batteries.

That’s another thing to look for: the ability to charge odd numbers of batteries. Many chargers, like the Maha 204, can only charge 2 or 4 batteries. This can be a disadvantage with LED flashlights, which often use three batteries.

Finally, a “microprocessor controlled” charger can detect when a battery reaches full capacity and switch to “trickle” charge. The value of this is that a partial discharged battery can be safety charged to full capacity without worrying about overcharging.

The Vanson BC-1HU appears to have the best all-around specs today (the Maha 401 if you only care about AA/AAA). But that Maha 204 price is hard to ignore, and the 204 is proven in the real world whereas the Vanson is fairly new. The Vanson can be purchased at BYD

Another charger that has received mention is the Rayovac PS3 which Rayovac doesn't exactly push very hard.

 

[lemlux]

James:

Nice summary.

 

[ledfanfromjuno]

I bought lots of chargers for storage. I haven't thoroughly tested them all but I'll give you my opinion. Price is no object to me for my purposes, but durability is. I purchased all my stuff from http://www.thomas-distributing.com/nimh_battery_chargers.htm .

They don't make any great charger in C or D cell size. By great I mean one that has the option to charge at slower or faster charge rates like the switch on the POWEREX MH-C401FS by maha which uses 1000 mah 500 mah 300 mah 200 mah depending on charger mode selected and battery size being charged. Also, there is NO OTHER charger I have found that includes this feature, "Regardless of the of battery’s capacity, if they cannot be fully charged users would not be able to fully realize the potential of the batteries. The PowerEx MH-C401FS delivers the most complete charge for chargers in its class. The new FLEX negative pulse algorithm also significantly enhances battery life and makes conditioning unnecessary. FLEX NEGATIVE pulse charging actually removes the crystal structure formed on battery electrodes (which is the source of "memory effect")." I have read conflicting reports on nimh batteries and memory effect. But some sites have recommended conditioning the nimh batteries after every 10 charges. Also, I found one site on all battery chemistries, LIION nicad nimh etc., that stated that nimh can be destroyed by discharging the battery fully in a device like a flashlight because it causes an irreversible change in battery chemistry. But LIION are the most susceptible to this irreversible change. I wonder if this is the crystals that maha's charger rejuvinates.

Your Price 38.97 ea MH-C401FS 100 Minute Cool Charger.

For my D or C cell batteries I bought the ALLTEK™ "PROFESSIONAL SERIES" AT-5798 PRO "SMART" CHARGER w/ Battery Conditioner. Charges " AA ", " AAA", "C", "D", and 9V NiMH ( Nickel Metal Hydride ) & NiCD Batteries Your Price $36.97 ea.. I also bought the MH-C777PLUS Your Price $82.97.

With the Maha c777plus I insert a stretched paperclip into the separately purchased battery charger to act like a dummy battery so I can charge odd numbers of batteries. I really like its LCD display. I believe its made in Taiwan and probably is much more reliable than the altek. The Altek is made in China and I don't care what anyone else says but that usually is synonymous with crap. Altek has a sliding battery contact to accomodate various battery sizes. I am worried China may have used a rubber band inside where you can't see, but I hope they used a spring. All the made in china crap knives sold on tv as the new high tech 30 buck steal deal package ginsu look a likes that are supposedly stainless steel rust right away whenever my mom gets suckered into buying them and I get to see what happens. China is a nation which seems to be founded on lying for profits with no shame even to uphold its image for customer relations that is they don't even try to make their supposed stainless knives last a reasonable amount of time.

Please note that none of the C or D size chargers include the special flex charge circuit that is found in the Maha MH-C401FS which conditions your batteries. I believe that this is because AA or AAA size batteries are more important to the battery company because this is the size that most of the digital camera consumers buy batteries for and this is the battery size that gets all the benefit of the new technologies from the parent company. The other awkward battery sizes get the old crap installed into their chargers.

I really like the MH-C401FS and the C777plus II.

I also got these to power my battery chargers in the wilderness. Solar panels with voltage regulator.

http://www.uni-solar.com/Gov_Specialty_UNIPAC.html I bought the unipac 30.

http://www.uni-solar.com/cons_products_marine.html
I bought 3 of the 11 watt flexible panels which i connect to each other with wires from the below source to create a 33 watt panel.
SAE/2SAE "Y" - PAC-023
Splits a Battery Tender cord into two outputs. Great for two heated vests. Approx 6" long. http://www.powerletproducts.com/products/cables.html

http://www.marinco2.com/showProduct.asp?p=12VXC
Catalog No. 12VXC SeaLink Receptacle With Alligator Clips 12 volt corrosion resistant plug.

http://www.nescobatteries.com/Products.html
http://www.nescobatteries.com/Products.html
The smart adapter + is the one that outputs voltage in the range needed for the battery chargers.

http://www.corrosionx.com/aviation.html
http://www.learchem.com/Aviation.htm
These are two super chemical sprays for aircraft that are specifically made so they don't damage electronic circuitry so it can be sprayed in aircraft without worrying about damaging instruments. It is supposed to be the BEST in preventing rust. I spray it on everything. I cover my batteries, my chargers contacts and computer boards, my aligator clips all electrical components so I don't have to worry about the salt air as I live by the beach.

All the stuff above when put together makes the ultimate solar battery charger system made of QUALITY parts that are durable as can be bought. ALso I coated them all with corrosion spray to make the weaker stuff stronger and the stronger stuff stronger yet.

In the stores they sell 10 watt solar panel battery charger solutions. Don't buy their crap. First,they always include shitty chargers. Second the 10 watt panel just won't cut it unless it's a crystal clear bright day and you're not using a rapid battery charger that consumes 1000 mah per battery. Third, they always use understandably the cheapest most shitty 12volt cigarrette adapter plug which is prone to self destruction. I took one apart that I purchased separate from the solar panel. Trust me they are poop. That is the reason I forked out the extra money for the marinco 12 volt system. It is quality made to last on ocean going yachts. Radio shack won't cut it unless you want to keep all your stuff only in your house where you can make sure no rust inducing contaminants will touch your crappy purchase.

 

[BeamChucker]

Lemlux, How would you compare the above chargers and their feature sets to your MRC Super Brain 959 Charger?

StreamChucker

 

[Icebreak]

ledfanfromjuno-

Considering the price of a few loads of NiMHs equals or surpasses the price of the charger; it would seem cost effective to go ahead and get a high quality charger that handles the batteries in such a way that is considerate of the caveats you've so cleary explained.

Thanks

 

[lemlux]

Streamchucker:

I'm not personally familiar with the chargers mentioned by ledfanfromjuno. I'm not familiar with any solar chargers.

The MRC SuperBrain 959 is primarily a pack charger. It can charge a single cell or from 3 to 8 cells in series. It can charge cells of AAA though F size at 500, 1000, 1500, 3000, 3500, 4000, and 4500 mA. AAA's should only use the lowest level. AA's should only use the two lowest levels. A's should only use the first three levels.

some Sub-C cells can handle 4500 mA and you're probably safe charging a C or D at 1/2 C for at least the first part of the charge. If I'm in a hurry with a group of C's or D's, I start charging at the level just under 0.5 C and, roughly 2/3 through the charge I'll reset the charger to 500 mA to assure a low temperature charge termination.

I'm also happy with my new Vanson BC-1HU so far. I think there is a place for both chargers. The Vanson will only handle single cells, and I have many packs. It is almost always better to charge a cell separately when possible, particularly with niMHs which are much less tolerant of overcharging than NiCads. The Vanson will also charge my AAA's at a safer lower 300 mA rate while stepping up to 500 mA for AA's and 700 mA for C's and D's. I'm not sure if it charges A's, 4/5 A's and sub C's at 500 mA or 700 mA.

The Vanson is a pulse charger, but I don't know if the pulse provides the same benefits as are described by ledfanfromjuno. I had not previously read that pulse charges break down the NiCad crystals that generate the memory effect. (I wonder how different the "flex negative pulse" algorithm is from other pulse processes.) That, to me, is the single most eye opening comment that ledfanfromjuno offers.

I concur with Icebreak's comment that a good charger (or complimentary set of chargers) can easily pay for themselves in extended life for CPF'ers rechargeable battery fleets.

As I said before, I think James v A's summary above is a good one.

 

[ledfanfromjuno]

I just went looking for the super brain charger the people here are talking about. I found one post on a different forum that said the guy burned out his unit; it burned up. The instructions on one site said never to leave it unattended while in use. So, I think the charger company knows it's prone to fire. I did find many stores selling this type of charger. I would go with a more expensive unit and hope it doesn't catch on fire. I've never used this type of charger and wouldn't know how to set it. But this store has lots of different units:

http://www.powermatched.com/Qstore/c000011.htm

MRC Super Brain 959 peak charger $47.00

Reedy Quasar AC/DC peak charger $108.00

Reedy Quasar/Pro peak charger $193.00

LRP Pulsar peak charger $175.00

 

[lemlux]

ledfanfromjuno:

The 959 charger is small in size and, accordingly, doesn't have the cooling fans that some RC chargers have. The specs say that it is capable of charging 3 consecutive RC packs (capacity unspecified) at the maximum charging rate of 4500 mA without overheating. I understand the cautionary language to relate to charging at the maximum current.

When charging at currents of 500 to 1500 mA I now have no qualms about leaving the charger alone. I have charged many cells and packs repeatedly over the past 6 months.

When charging at 4500 mA I stay in the room

 

[Icebreak]

I'm looking to get NiMHs and charger for my Badboys and MadMax's. I would eventually like to use C's as well.

I while back Nerd helped me with this:

Originally posted by Nerd:


If you are to buy a new charger, may I recommend you the Maha 401FS 100 min cool charger

http://www.mahaenergy.com/products/PowerEx/Digicams/mhc401fs.htm

It can condition your battery and charge it at the same time. The only draw back is the price ($50).

I personally used the 204F 3 hour charger. It's not bad and for a price of $25 for the charger only, it's reasonable.

http://www.mahaenergy.com/products/PowerEx/ce/mhc204f.htm

Another good charger is the Lightning Pack 4000N by RipVan. It's suppose to charge 4 AA 1600mah batteries in 100 mins. And it's plug can take any voltage from 100-220

http://www.ripvan100.com/products_recharger.htm

Hope tat I have been of assistance. It's always a pleasure to help.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">What are the chargers causing the most interest. I don't know much about chargers or rechargeable batteries.

Thanks

 

[Empath]

I'd be a bit cautious regarding the RipVan charger. My experience is posted here.

 

[Icebreak]

Thanks Empath.

 

[Gene]

What's wrong with the "Energizer" brand Universal NiMH charger you see for sale all over the web? It's got all the bells and whistles all the others have, (except for a meter), and is cheap, (around $15.00). Charges 4 AAA, AA, C, D or 2 9V NiMH cells. Also, I see all sizes of the Energizer brand NiMH cells around for anywhere from $2.50-$3.50 each. I'm just asking because I've never tried NiMH rechargeables and the "Energizer" brand seems cheap enough but I've never seen them mentioned on CPF.

 

[ledfanfromjuno]

The following quote answerring your question is taken from http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/C401FS/C401A.HTM

"It's no secret digicams eat batteries, so rechargeable NiMH AA cells are a must if your camera takes that battery size. Regular visitors to this site will be familiar with my "Great Battery Shootout" page, where I've been systematically testing NiMH AA batteries under controlled conditions for almost a year now. (I'm writing this in mid-October, 2002.) In the course of that testing, I discovered that having the right charger is at least as important as having the right batteries. Some chargers overcharge and can damage the batteries, while others drastically under-charge, leaving high-capacity NiMH cells little better off than garden-variety types."

As for batteries, I say just read the following review and stay with a brand that didn't fail or perform dismally in the testing. There were some that didn't even work. It looks like the energizer 1850's they tested worked fine, although I don't think they'll be cheap.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

 

[Gene]

Very interesting ledfan and thanks for the links. All in all though, they show me that NiMH cells and their chargers are STILL in their infancy and have a ways to go.

 

[BeamChucker]

ledfan, do you have any opinions on the Vanson unit?

StreamChucker

 

[James Van Artsdalen]

Originally posted by Gene:
What's wrong with the "Energizer" brand Universal NiMH charger you see for sale all over the web? It's got all the bells and whistles all the others have, (except for a meter), and is cheap, (around $15.00). Charges 4 AAA, AA, C, D or 2 9V NiMH cells.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I could find no mention of a charger on the Eveready web site. The two things I look for in a charger are:

1. “Computer control”, “microprocessor control” or “smart charger”. I’m looking for the ability of the charger to notice when a battery has been fully charged and to drop into “trickle” mode rather than charge with a timer for a set period of time. Not all chargers do this.

The advantage is that these chargers won’t overcharge batteries (which greatly shortens their life).

2. Independent charging of batteries. This is usually hinted at by having separate “Charge Complete” LEDs for each battery, or by the ability to mix chemistry (NiCad and NiMH) or size (AAA/AA/C/D). Being able to charge 1 or 3 batteries is often a hint of this ability although the C.Crane charger is an exception.

This is an advantage because it means each battery is charged to its own individual capacity. Otherwise at best some batteries are overcharged and some undercharged. It also means it isn’t so important to keep the batteries grouped by device (i.e., it’s OK to charge an fully discharged battery at the same time you top off a 75% charged battery).

Also, I see all sizes of the Energizer brand NiMH cells around for anywhere from $2.50-$3.50 each. I'm just asking because I've never tried NiMH rechargeables and the "Energizer" brand seems cheap enough but I've never seen them mentioned on CPF.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">ledfan’s note above points to the Imaging Resources battery review. That’s the most thorough review of rechargeable batteries I know of.

I wish to especially stress not to be too obsessive over mAH ratings on batteries. What matters is watt-hours: the amp-hour ratings given are measured under test methodology that does not resemble actual usage at all. I consider 10% or 20% difference between different manufacturers as being within a very large margin of error.

 

[lemlux]

Re Energizer: Many sites cheaply sell the C and D cells in 2200 mAh capacities -- about 20% more than available AA capacities. These low capacity C and D cells are presumably purchased by people who don't understand or care about capacity and look only at the price tag.

 

[ledfanfromjuno]

This is my opinion of the Vanson unit. I don't own one but I looked at its specs at http://www.vanson.com.hk/details/vansonnel2006a.html

It is an extremely slow charger as far as AA or AAA batteries go.The maha c401fs will charge 4 AA batteries in 100 minutes while the vanson will take 5 hours which is how long the maha takes in the optional slow charge setting. This is a big disadvantage.

However for C or D cell batteries it looks ok. Nobody makes a rapid charger for C or D cells that I know of. However I like my maha c777plus 2. The vanson unit looks like it might be made in china so don't expect much. China, singapore, and the like I don't trust for quality. I prefer Taiwan, Japan, Germany or US.

I found the chargers mentioned in this discussion that are used for remote car sporting events to be very interesting. Here is the link to the store selling them. http://www.powermatched.com/Qstore/c000011.htm

I especially like these two:
Reedy Quasar/Pro peak charger $193.00
LRP Pulsar peak charger $175.00

I have never used anything like these chargers before. However if I'm understanding this correctly, I could buy a battery holder from a store like this: http://www.thomas-distributing.com/battery-holders.htm

Then I'd just hook it up to the charger and crank it to a setting for RAPID charging of the C or D cells.

Problem is you'd need to call the thomas ditributing or maha or someone and get the mah setting for these chargers for each battery size and capacity that the company says you can get away with for rapid charging. The guys in this forum said they leave it on high 1500mah for the first 2/3 of the charge cycle.

This type of charger could cut the charge time for D cells in half and 8 hours is a lot better than 16 hours for 4 batteries.

I like the two units mentioned because they include a fan to cool it and prevent fires and they include an easy to read digital menu. I have never used either however and am currently out of cash I spent on the maha c401fs. I'm very happy with the maha but it won't charge my C or D cells.

As soon as I have more money I'm going to buy these newer more powerful chargers and a lot more maha batteries to boot. I'm sick of getting ripped off. I figure it's easier to stay with a reliable company. My batteries from kodak which are made in Japan work fine. My batteries from maha which are made in Taiwan work fine. However, I'm having trouble currently with a new set of D cell nimh 9000mah batteries I bought that are made in China. I ran them once in elektrolumen's starlux luxeon star flashlight. Then, today actually, I put them in my maha c777plus2 and hit the discharge button. THey discharged and then the charger kicked into charge mode. It terminated at 2000 ma approx which is wrong because I put 3 drained 9000 mah batteries into the charger. I blew $100 on 10 batteries. It's the last time I buy any batteries from CHina. I'd only buy CHina's chargers if noone else makes any. I may be wrong because this is the first time I've used the Chinese batteries. It could be my error. But I have a bad feeling about the purchase now. THey were Supreme Power nimh D 9000 mah batteries. I'd say stay with the 7500 mah maha powerex. I got greedy when I saw the 9000 mah rating and got reamed I guess.