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LocalCitizen
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:34 pm

the best charger i have is a 10 years old Maha lookalike. It charges in pairs, but it has the recondition feature, which seem to do something. :) seriously, the fast then trickle feature puts more juice in my batteries, and it works with cells other charger can't handle (useless radioShack charger)

but i got into LED flash lights a few years ago. for some reason they all use 3 cells. I got multiple such flash lights over the years, which is the reason i also want a charger that works with 1 cell at a time. the Energizer was great until it self-destroyed. I have high hopes for the Maha MH-C401FS. For some reason it's sold out everywhere. There is a clearance sale at CanadaComputers. I'll grab one tomorrow. I'll let everyone know how well (or not) it works.

I'm into chargeables because I use them in cameras, dSLRs, flash lights, kid's toys, radios, and a mp3 player that lasts 8hr on a single AAA. All in all, high drain devices. I use alkalines in remotes, because a pair last many months. I use lithium in wall clock. 1 AA lasts 3-5 years.
 
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Tue Oct 14, 2014 5:55 am

clocks wrote:
just brew it! wrote:
FYI Costco currently has the charger mentioned in the first post bundled with 10 AA and 4 AAA Eneloops, for $29.99. That's roughly equivalent to getting the charger for free.

I could be wrong, but I thought I read a while back that the charger included in the Costco set is not the same and the "Advanced" charger sold on Amazon, etc... Maybe someone can verify.

In the past, it was indeed a crappy (without independent channels, have to charge in pairs) one. The one they're currently bundling is different. Just check the package and make sure you're getting the Panasonic BQ-CC17, and not the (older) Sanyo charger.
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Tue Oct 14, 2014 6:12 am

LocalCitizen wrote:
but i got into LED flash lights a few years ago. for some reason they all use 3 cells. I got multiple such flash lights over the years, which is the reason i also want a charger that works with 1 cell at a time.

Yes, this is one of the reasons I want chargers with independent channels too!

Many LED flashlights use 3 cells because the operating voltage of white LEDs is typically around 3.5V (this is inherent to the physics behind the operation of white LEDs). So 2 cells in series won't produce enough voltage, but 4 would unnecessarily add bulk and weight. 1- and 2-cell LED flashlights (like, say, the Fenix E01 or LED Lenser P4) contain a miniature boost regulator to step up the voltage.

As a tangent to this tangent, cheap LED flashlights sometimes save a few cents on parts by relying on the internal resistance of the batteries to limit the current through the LEDs to a safe amount. NiMH cells have lower internal resistance than alkalines, and this can result in excessive current which will burn out the LEDs!
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clocks
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Tue Oct 14, 2014 8:46 pm

BIF wrote:
"batteries going into landfills"

Sorry. Hot-button item for me. We're NOT filling up landfills with batteries. We're just not.
...

Try harder. :roll:



Dude, chill!!! I recycle them, but I know a lot at work don't. Even if you recycle them, I suspect using rechargables is more eco friendly.
 
LocalCitizen
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:30 am

MH-C401FS is my new fav. It works with all my old rechargeables except a few that the eneloop charger won't even detect.

i don't know how fully it charges yet, since i just got it today.

as long as it keeps working, i will be very happy with it.
 
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Wed Oct 15, 2014 7:08 am

clocks wrote:
BIF wrote:
"batteries going into landfills"

Sorry. Hot-button item for me. We're NOT filling up landfills with batteries. We're just not.
...

Try harder. :roll:

Dude, chill!!! I recycle them, but I know a lot at work don't. Even if you recycle them, I suspect using rechargables is more eco friendly.

Lead-acid and NiCd batteries in the landfill are a concern, due to the toxic heavy metal content. I am careful to recycle these.

Regular (disposable primary cell) batteries are physically small, and (relatively) inert/harmless; they represent a very small percentage of the overall waste stream. I have no qualms with tossing them in the trash.

However, I do think it makes sense to use rechargeables in pretty much all high-drain devices, and even in flashlights now that the low self-discharge type are widely available and have come down in price. Remote controls and battery-operated clocks I still use disposables.
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Airmantharp
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:37 pm

The people at Kinja did a whole series on NiMH batteries (linked in the article) and chargers. Can't say that they're right or wrong but there's a whole lot commentary that's probably a lot more reliable than reading Amazon reviews :).
 
BIF
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:19 am

just brew it! wrote:
clocks wrote:
BIF wrote:
"batteries going into landfills"

Sorry. Hot-button item for me. We're NOT filling up landfills with batteries. We're just not.
...

Try harder. :roll:

Dude, chill!!! I recycle them, but I know a lot at work don't. Even if you recycle them, I suspect using rechargables is more eco friendly.

Lead-acid and NiCd batteries in the landfill are a concern, due to the toxic heavy metal content. I am careful to recycle these.

Regular (disposable primary cell) batteries are physically small, and (relatively) inert/harmless; they represent a very small percentage of the overall waste stream. I have no qualms with tossing them in the trash.

However, I do think it makes sense to use rechargeables in pretty much all high-drain devices, and even in flashlights now that the low self-discharge type are widely available and have come down in price. Remote controls and battery-operated clocks I still use disposables.


Let me levelset the above thread a bit. My original comment was a complaint about people who claim we're "filling up landfils" ...with batteries, water bottles, calculators, whatever; just fill in the blank.

Never before in human history have we (at least here in the US) recycled so much, and at such a great cost to ourselves too, from regulations to new laws to voluntarily accepted higher taxes (from our voting habits).

So in the face of all this responsibility, "filling up landfills" is hyperbole at best, and ignorance at worst. I despise hyperbole and stupidity just about the same.

Some perfect examples: Just within the last 2-3 years, my workplace has added receptacles for accepting dead batteries of all kinds. For 10 years or more, we've had paper, bottle, and can bins. My county has curbside recycling of bottles and cans too and in fact there's a county ordinance that we must not throw recyclables into the regular garbage. The county landfill accepts (free of charge) household hazardous, chemical, and electronic waste too, for recycling where possible or at least for responsible disposal.

When somebody uses the phrase "filling up landfills" it angers me, because we're not doing this. We deserve MUCH more credit than that, at least here in the US.
 
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:00 pm

Caveat: Was just at Costco today, and they seem to have gone back to bundling the crappy 2-channel charger with the Eneloop bundle.
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MarkG509
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:48 pm

After about 4 years, I'm still very happy with my La Crosse BC-700, and a mix of various generations of Eneloop batteries. I recharge at least 4 AA or AAA batteries per week at a few cents for each recharge.
 
BIF
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:29 am

I too recharge one or two triplet-sets of NiMH batteries each week, to drive various battery-powered LED lamps around my house. It's convenient to have the battery charger in my home office, right on the desk. The Maha is still going strong.
 
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:23 pm

just brew it! wrote:
Caveat: Was just at Costco today, and they seem to have gone back to bundling the crappy 2-channel charger with the Eneloop bundle.

...and last time I was there (about a week ago) they were back to the better one again. Just make sure the charger says "ADVANCED" on it, that's the one with the four fully independent charging channels.
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Sat Mar 07, 2015 4:35 pm

Hmm, zombie thread resurrection. Despite paying ~$50 for it I have to recommend this...
http://www.amazon.com/PowerEx-MH-C9000- ... 003DIGKOG/
...because it has managed to recharge many batteries that other chargers could not. And if it can't, I know that battery is ready for recycling. In actual use, each battery when inserted makes the unit ask you what you want to do. Its typically "charge" and then you set the charge rate and forget about it. When you come back, it tells you how many mAh it has put in the battery. If its too low then its time to try for a reconditioning run.
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LASR
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Sat Mar 07, 2015 7:26 pm

I was just looking at batteries today. Alkalines now are ~20c for a AA. Makes no sense to spend $50 on chargers. A 16 pack of AA rechargeables on amazon costs ~$25. For the total of $75, I can buy an astounding 375 AAs and never have the hassle of having to charge them.
 
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Sat Mar 07, 2015 8:01 pm

LASR wrote:
I was just looking at batteries today. Alkalines now are ~20c for a AA. Makes no sense to spend $50 on chargers. A 16 pack of AA rechargeables on amazon costs ~$25. For the total of $75, I can buy an astounding 375 AAs and never have the hassle of having to charge them.

1. Are you getting quality batteries for 20c each? Some of the off-brand ones have limited capacity, or can even be DOA.

2. Even if you're getting decent batteries for 20c each, the rechargeables are still significantly more economical over the long run.

3. Most of the hassle is in discovering that the batteries in the device you're trying to use are dead and having to replace them in the first place before you can use the device! In the grand scheme of things, charging doesn't seem like much of an (additional) hassle to me?

4. With rechargeables it becomes practical/economical to make sure you start out with a fresh set of batteries if you're about to do something where it would be inconvenient if the batteries die. Just put in a freshly charged set before you start.
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LASR
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Sat Mar 07, 2015 10:19 pm

just brew it! wrote:
LASR wrote:
I was just looking at batteries today. Alkalines now are ~20c for a AA. Makes no sense to spend $50 on chargers. A 16 pack of AA rechargeables on amazon costs ~$25. For the total of $75, I can buy an astounding 375 AAs and never have the hassle of having to charge them.

1. Are you getting quality batteries for 20c each? Some of the off-brand ones have limited capacity, or can even be DOA.

2. Even if you're getting decent batteries for 20c each, the rechargeables are still significantly more economical over the long run.

3. Most of the hassle is in discovering that the batteries in the device you're trying to use are dead and having to replace them in the first place before you can use the device! In the grand scheme of things, charging doesn't seem like much of an (additional) hassle to me?

4. With rechargeables it becomes practical/economical to make sure you start out with a fresh set of batteries if you're about to do something where it would be inconvenient if the batteries die. Just put in a freshly charged set before you start.


1. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50240502/

Now Ikea is not known for making batteries. But they've been tested. And they are just as good as any other alkaline cells: http://www.batteryshowdown.com/results-lo.html

2. The more economical argument is mostly a fallacy. Sure, they can last well over 1000 cycles. You will most certainly stop using your batteries before it even comes close to that limit. What uses AA batteries anymore? Almost all newer electronics - phones, cameras - they use rechargeable Lithium Ions. High drain applications such as RC has moved on to Lithium Ions as well. The only thing I can think of that still uses AA/AAA batteries is TV remotes, wireless mice and some headphones. A fresh pair of AAs on those will last a year or so on TV remotes. For the cost of the cheapest chargers ~$10 - I can get 25 years worth of life from disposable batteries.

My G602 lasts about 250 hours/pair ~ 1 month @ full time usage. I would be spending a grand total of $10 on batteries over the couple years I intend to use this mouse. I can almost bet the next generation of wireless mice will have rechargeable onboard Li-Ion batteries - a lot of them already do now.

My Bose QC25 eats a single AAA over 35 hours of noise cancellation time. I use them mostly on the bus to and from work. ~2 hours. Again, ~$10 buys me a couple of years worth. Even if I used them full time - that's only $40.

All of the above with no hassle of having to charge my batteries.

Now if you have a specific high-drain application that requires you to charge almost every day, then yeah, I can totally accept that NiMHs are the way to go. I would love to know what those applications are.

3 & 4. I personally don't have any devices that still use AA batteries ∩ any devices that I would be inconvenienced without. I can't really think of any such devices these days. If I was still using them, I would have more reason to agree with you probably.
 
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Re: Good, affordable NiMH charger

Mon Mar 09, 2015 3:14 pm

LASR wrote:
2. The more economical argument is mostly a fallacy. Sure, they can last well over 1000 cycles. You will most certainly stop using your batteries before it even comes close to that limit. What uses AA batteries anymore?

AAs (or alternately, AAAs) are used by many small flashlights, nearly every electronic children's toy on the shelf including non-pro RC, emergency backup trays for pro/semi-pro camera battery grips, many smoke detectors, portable label makers, a variety of portable test and measurement gear (digital meter, stud finder, laser level, etc.), many portable clock radios and speakers, some gaming gear (e.g. Wiimote)...and more? Some of these applications obviously do not benefit from a rechargeable chemistry but there are plenty of AA batteries in use as-yet.

Alkaline and NiMH-rechargeable batteries do have some unique characteristics versus Li-Ion batteries that are sometimes more appropriate to a particular application:

1) Little/no tendency to overheat and catch fire under sustained high-current operation or short-circuit.
2) Little/no tendency to overheat and catch fire if the casing is dented or opened.
3) Self-discharge rate characteristics are different compared to Li-Ion.
4) A tapered and predictable volts/capacity discharge curve.

Those first two are a very good reason for continuing to use them in toys intended for use by young children. Also, the AA form factor is easily and cheaply obtained almost anywhere on earth (again, note the use as an emergency backup for pro/semi-pro photographers).
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