Turbo DV8
Flashlight Enthusiast
If you ever bought a Sony digital camera that came with the two NiMH AA cells and simple, two bay charger, don't dismiss the charger! Two of the three Sony cameras I bought came with a battery charger, model # BC-CS2A. The made-in-Japan AA cells have been fantastic performers, but I immediately tossed the chargers into a box. I mean, I have three BC-900's and two Sanyo Eneloop MQN05U chargers, so why bother, right? I may never need the Sony chargers, but I'm here to tell you, I discovered it is a damn fine charger! I was going through boxes, pulling stuff for a garage sale, and I rediscovered the Sony BC-CS2A chargers. I just about put them in the "sale" box, but thought it would be fun to see if it provided smart termination, and more importantly, independent charging for each cell. Bottom line is, it definitely charges and terminates the cells independently, and it is not a timer charger. Charge rate is 400 mA (AA) and 160 mA (AAA).
The Test: I used two each Sanyo and Sony cells, for a total of four. These have been very good performers for me. I drained one each down to 1 volt. The other two I charged on the BC-900, then drained 400 mAh from them. Then I put one fully drained cell and one partially drained cell into each Sony charger. Using an IR thermometer, I monitored each cells temperature. Within less than 90 minutes, the two partially discharged cell's temperatures rose sharply about 10-13 degrees, then dropped back down. During this time, the fully discharged cells temperatures did not rise by more than 2 degrees. At about the six hour mark, the temps of the two fully discharged cells also rose sharply about 10-13 degrees. Shortly thereafter, the charger LED turned off, indicating it had completed charging. Given the 2100 mAh and 2300 mAh cells, the charger's charge rate, and elapsed times, these indicate this is not a timer charger. The IR readings also show that it charges and terminates independently.
Then I wanted to compare how fully the Sony charges compared to the BC-900. I allowed the cells to rest a few hours, then discharged them at 500 mA on the BC-900. The two Sanyos both delivered 2150 mAh. The two Sony's delivered 2020 and 2030 mAh. Then I charged them back up on the BC-900 at 500 mA charge rate. After letting them rest a few hours, I again discharged them on the BC-900 at 500 mA. This time, the two Sanyo's delivered 2160 and 2130 mAh. The two Sony's delivered 2040 and 2020 mAh. You can see that not only does the Sony charger charge independently and have "smart" termination, it also packs as much energy into the cells as the BC-900. In an age where one expects "extras" packaged with a product to be garbage, it is pleasant to find this little gem of a charger packaged along with Sony AA-cell cameras!
The Test: I used two each Sanyo and Sony cells, for a total of four. These have been very good performers for me. I drained one each down to 1 volt. The other two I charged on the BC-900, then drained 400 mAh from them. Then I put one fully drained cell and one partially drained cell into each Sony charger. Using an IR thermometer, I monitored each cells temperature. Within less than 90 minutes, the two partially discharged cell's temperatures rose sharply about 10-13 degrees, then dropped back down. During this time, the fully discharged cells temperatures did not rise by more than 2 degrees. At about the six hour mark, the temps of the two fully discharged cells also rose sharply about 10-13 degrees. Shortly thereafter, the charger LED turned off, indicating it had completed charging. Given the 2100 mAh and 2300 mAh cells, the charger's charge rate, and elapsed times, these indicate this is not a timer charger. The IR readings also show that it charges and terminates independently.
Then I wanted to compare how fully the Sony charges compared to the BC-900. I allowed the cells to rest a few hours, then discharged them at 500 mA on the BC-900. The two Sanyos both delivered 2150 mAh. The two Sony's delivered 2020 and 2030 mAh. Then I charged them back up on the BC-900 at 500 mA charge rate. After letting them rest a few hours, I again discharged them on the BC-900 at 500 mA. This time, the two Sanyo's delivered 2160 and 2130 mAh. The two Sony's delivered 2040 and 2020 mAh. You can see that not only does the Sony charger charge independently and have "smart" termination, it also packs as much energy into the cells as the BC-900. In an age where one expects "extras" packaged with a product to be garbage, it is pleasant to find this little gem of a charger packaged along with Sony AA-cell cameras!
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