USB charger - charging cells through USB port

[Beacon of Light]

I bought a cheap (Digital is the brand IIRC) USB charger from of all places one of the dollar stores called Big Lots here in Florida a couple years ago. IIRC it charges at 200mA 1 to 4 cells in individually charging slots. My question is this is a great idea I am wondering why none of the bigger named manufacturers offers a charger that has the option of charging through USB.

I just tested the Duracell Mobile charger and as I figured it only provided output via the USB to power USB devices from the batteries in the charger, not that by plugging the charger into your USB port of your computer it will not charge the batteries.

I remember seeing a display on one of the Energizer chargers at Sam's Club and they show a 2AA charger that seems to be a charger made to be charged by plugging it into a USB source but it is only 2 cells and they never carried that actual model at Sam's Club or anywhere else I have looked.

 

[Beacon of Light]

I have the USBCell that came free from 4/7s when I bought my pre-ordered Nitecore EZ-AA light but those are cumbersome and take forever to charge.

 

[Marduke]

The Energizer USB duo is the only smart one I know of. The reason you don't see 4x ones is that charging from a USB port takes forever due to power restrictions.

 

[Beacon of Light]

It does take awhile now that you mention it. I used to get impatient with the 4x charger as the LCD 4 segment display of capacity took forever to change to the next highest segment when 4 batteries were loaded it in.

I still have yet to find that Energizer USB Duo in any store.

 

[Marduke]

Walgreens, CVS, Lowes, Home Depot have all carried it at one timeor another.

 

[rockz4532]

I've seen it at Best Buy.

 

[Beacon of Light]

I just looked it up online the Energizer USB Duo, and apparently it only charges AAA cells? Weird I thought I remember it was AA or AA/AAA. AAA charger is kind of useless for me.

EDIT: just downloaded the manual and it does charge either AAA or AA batteries. No mention if it charges 1 or 2 batteries, but most likely you will need 2 cells for it to charge as a pair. I really hate this as one battery can be overcharged while the other is undercharged.

Come on Energizer this is 2009 going on 2010, I've had chargers with individual charging circuits from back around 2001-2002. Get with the times.

 

[Bones]

I just looked it up online the Energizer USB Duo, and apparently it only charges AAA cells? Weird I thought I remember it was AA or AA/AAA. AAA charger is kind of useless for me.

EDIT: just downloaded the manual and it does charge either AAA or AA batteries. No mention if it charges 1 or 2 batteries, but most likely you will need 2 cells for it to charge as a pair. I really hate this as one battery can be overcharged while the other is undercharged.

Come on Energizer this is 2009 going on 2010, I've had chargers with individual charging circuits from back around 2001-2002. Get with the times.

Actually, the DUO will charge a single cell Beacon of Light.

Here's a thread that discusses this fact in some detail:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com .. post2564165

Optional software download site:

http://www.energizer.com... usb.duo
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[Marduke]

I just looked it up online the Energizer USB Duo, and apparently it only charges AAA cells? Weird I thought I remember it was AA or AA/AAA. AAA charger is kind of useless for me.

EDIT: just downloaded the manual and it does charge either AAA or AA batteries. No mention if it charges 1 or 2 batteries, but most likely you will need 2 cells for it to charge as a pair. I really hate this as one battery can be overcharged while the other is undercharged.

Come on Energizer this is 2009 going on 2010, I've had chargers with individual charging circuits from back around 2001-2002. Get with the times.

Read the manual. It explicitly states how many channels it has, as well as charge current and termination method.

 

[Beacon of Light]

Marduke I did read the manual. I am actually going to take the time to educate you this time and I won't even be smug about it asd you always like to be toweards me. Where does it mention either in this rather scant instruction manual? Learn some manners buddy.

 

[Marduke]

Marduke I did read the manual. I am actually going to take the time to educate you this time and I won't even be smug about it asd you always like to be toweards me. Where does it mention either in this rather scant instruction manual? Learn some manners buddy.

Right column

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/chusb.pdf

 

[Beacon of Light]

Thanks, but where in MINE did it mention this fact you were claiming? Let me answer that for you, it DIDN'T!

 

[Marduke]

Thanks, but where in MINE did it mention this fact you were claiming? Let me answer that for you, it DIDN'T!

I wasn't claiming anything, I was repeating the specifications publicly posted by the manufacturer.

Next time try the "what does this product do" sheet instead of the "how to plug in this product" sheet.

 

[Beacon of Light]

Where the heck is that page from on their official web site?

http://www.energizer.com/usbcharger/language/english/download.aspx

 

[Marduke]

Where the heck is that page from the official web site?

http://www.energizer.com/usbcharger/language/english/download.aspx

"Energizer USA" link in bottom right
"Technical Info" link on top right
"Product Index and Links" on top left
"Chargers" link in right column

However, the site is so useful with graphs, formulas, spec sheets, etc that I usually go straight to http://data.energizer.com/ for all Energizer information, and many battery related questions.

 

[Beacon of Light]

When I googled Energizer USB Duo charger the link I posted was the first that came up, so you can see why I posted what I posted as there is no further informationfrom the link I got, which makes me wonder why they even has a site for the page I posted being that it lacked any valuable information.

 

[Marduke]

When I googled Energizer USB Duo charger the link I posted was the first that came up, so you can see why I posted what I posted as there is no further informationfrom the link I got, which makes me wonder why they even has a site for the page I posted being that it lacked any valuable information.

Because anyone who cares enough to want the information in the first place usually also knows that searching means more than clicking on the first search result.

7th down
1st hit

 

[Beacon of Light]

Because anyone who cares enough to want the information in the first place usually also knows that searching means more than clicking on the first search result.

7th down
1st hit

Your smugness never fails to amaze me.