La Crosse Technology BC700-CBP Alpha Power Battery Charger
Brand | La Crosse Technology |
Color | Black |
Product Dimensions | 1.5"D x 3"W x 5"H |
Input Voltage | 240 Volts |
Charging Time | 4 seconds |
About this item
- Battery charger for 4 rechargeable NiMH and NiCad AA and AAA batteries; with 4 modes: charge, discharge, refresh, and test
- With individual compartment for each battery with own LCD display and mode selection for multitasking
- Operates on 100-240-volt AC input for international use; 3 charging rate options of 200 mA, 500 mA, and 700 mA
- Detects overheating for safety; not for use with any other batteries other than those specified
- Measures 5 inches long by 3 inches wide by 1-1/2 inches high; limited 1-year warranty
Similar items that may ship from close to you
- BT-C2400 Battery Charger Analyzer Tester for AA AAA NiMH NiCd Rechargeable BatteriesFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
- Tenergy TN456 Intelligent Universal Battery Charger with 4 Slots, LCD Display, USB Output, Power Adapter, Rechargeable Battery Charger for Li-ion/NiMH/NiCD Rechargeable BatteriesAmazon's Choicein Household Battery & Charger SetsFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
- Panasonic BQ-CC65AKBBA Super Advanced eneloop pro and eneloop 4-Position Quick Charger with LCD Indicator Panel and USB Charging Port, BlackAmazon's Choicein Camera Battery ChargersFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
- Panasonic BQ-CC55KSBHA Advanced eneloop pro Rechargeable Battery 4 Hour Quick Charger with 4 LED Charge Indicator Lights, BlackAmazon's Choicein Household Battery ChargersFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
- Panasonic K-KJ17MCA4BA Advanced Individual Cell Battery Charger Pack with 4 AA eneloop 2100 Cycle Rechargeable BatteriesAmazon's Choicein AA BatteriesFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
- Panasonic BQ-CC55SBA Advanced eneloop Individual Rechargeable Battery 3 Hour Quick Charger with 4 LED Color Charge Indicator LightsFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
Compare with similar items
This Item La Crosse Technology BC700-CBP Alpha Power Battery Charger | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | ||
Price | Currently unavailable. | -5% $39.36$39.36 Typical: $41.29 | $32.46$32.46 | $14.25$14.25 | $59.30$59.30 | -8% $36.98$36.98 List: $39.99 |
Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | — |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Value for money | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 | — | 4.5 | 4.3 |
Battery life | 4.6 | 4.5 | — | 3.7 | — | 4.6 |
Easy to use | — | — | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
Durability | 4.1 | — | — | 4.1 | — | 4.6 |
Sold By | — | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | DC Workshop | Amazon.com |
input voltage | 240 volts | 5 volts | 240 volts | 240 volts | 240 volts | 110 volts |
battery charge time | 4 seconds | 1.5 hours | 3 hours | 4 hours | — | 9 hours |
weight | — | 225 grams | 0.26 pounds | 0.23 pounds | 0.65 kilograms | — |
From the manufacturer
La Crosse Technology BC700 Battery Charger
Charge AA and AAA batteries simultaneously at the of rate of 200 mAh (default) when you need to. LCD displays voltage, charging current, charging percentage, and cumulative capacity for each cell, with a simple one button operation. It will detect a defective battery and works with all NiCd and NiMH, both AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. Auto detection that will not charge defective batteries.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Simple Button Operation7 Easy to use function keys: 4 Bay number buttons and 3 Operational (Current, Display, Mode) buttons. Automatically defaults to 200 mAh charge (the optimal setting for prolonging battery life) . LCD shows capacity for each battery when charging has completed. Will not charge defective batteries. |
Multiple Charging Current CompartmentsCharge mode (charging current). Discharge mode (discharging current). Refresh mode (time elapsed). Test mode (accumulated capacity). Select different charging current for each channel. Automatic trickle charge when charging has completed to ensure maximum battery capacity. Overheat detection to protect over-charging. |
Works With All NiCd and NiMh Rechargeable AA/AAA BatteriesSpecifications: Input voltage for AC/DC adapter: 100-240 VAC. Charging current range: 200 mAh - 700 mAh. Max charging capacity: 3000 mAh. Charger: 3.00”L x 1.50”W x 5.10”H. Includes 12V 0.75A AC/DC adapter. |
Looking for specific info?
Product information
Product Dimensions | 2 x 3 x 5 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 9.6 ounces |
ASIN | B000RSOV50 |
Item model number | BC700-CBP |
Batteries | 4 AA batteries required. |
Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | October 2, 2003 |
Manufacturer | La Crosse Technology |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
The La Crosse Technology BC700 Alpha Power Battery Charger has four modes and charges all NiCd and NiMH AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. The four modes include charge, discharge (discharges the batteries and then recharges them), recharge (discharges and recharges up to 20 times to bring old batteries back to life) and test (displays the battery capacity). BC-700 Battery Charger " Features: • All modes automatically default to 200 mA charge on the BC-700 Battery charger • Charge both AA and AAA rechargeable batteries simultaneously and will charge all Low-Discharge batteries. Sanyo Eneloop, Uniross Hybrio, Nexcell EnergyOn, Accupower Acculoop and other future low discharge batteries. • Hhas Four independent channels - Charges 1, 2, 3 , or 4 rechargeable batteries at a time. • Overheat detection to protect over-charging and LCD shows capacity for each battery when charging is complete • Charge Mode - allows a range of user selectable milliamp settings from 200 to 700 for faster charging times. Within 4 seconds after rechargeable batteries are inserted charging automatically begins at 200mA, or you may select 500, or 700mA charge rates for faster charging times. • Discharge Mode - reduces memory effect by discharging rechargeable battery completely before recharging to full capacity. User selectable. • Refresh Mode - discharges and recharges up to 20 cycles or until rechargeable battery is refreshed to full capacity. User Selectable. • Test Mode- First charges the rechargeable battery to full capacity, then discharges completely to measure rechargeable battery capacity for display in mAh or Ah, and then recharges each rechargeable battery to full battery capacity. • UL approved, BC 700 charger also has safeguards that sense rechargeable battery polarity, rechargeable battery temperature and defective rechargeable batteries. • World Voltage capable - Operates on 100~240V AC Input.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the charging capabilities of the battery charger. For example, they say it's an excellent charger that operates more efficiently and is less degrading to the battery. Customers are also impresseded with the performance, saying it works well and continues to perform without problems. They appreciate the ability to charge each battery separately, ensuring that they are optimally charged. Customers also like the value, quality, and features of the charger. However, some customers disagree on ease of use.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the charging of the battery charger. They say it's an excellent charger, with smart charging features that allow it to operate more efficiently and is less degrading to the battery. They also appreciate the ability to speed charge, charge a single battery, and use full discharge cycles. Customers also say it charges batteries easily and is the best entry-level charger.
"...It is super quick, but I noticed that my non-Eneloop batteries seemed to deteriorate after less than a hundred charges...." Read more
"...Overall, this is an excellent charger, especially for $30. The overall construction isn't top notch, but i feel it's excellent at this price...." Read more
"...Both AA and AAA NiCads or NiMHs will fit very well .. and charge or discharge well in this unit...." Read more
"...Pros:- 4 operating modes, 3 variants of charge / discharge currents, which provides full control over the batteries and a long service..." Read more
Customers like the performance of the battery charger. They say it works well, continues to perform without problems, and is completely satisfied with the set of functions. Some customers also mention that the results are excellent and the charger is perfectly adequate for the task. Overall, customers are happy with the performance and functionality of the product.
"...UPDATE JAN 2015***This charger is still fully functional and continues to get the job done. Very happy with this purchase.***..." Read more
"...Perfectly adequate for the task. The fact that I can get all of this data real-time off of the display for each battery is, to me, great value...." Read more
"...This charger is relatively small and can be used by a complete newbie...." Read more
"...I use EnerLoops almost exclusively and this La Crosse works very well with them...." Read more
Customers like the battery life of the charger. They say it not only keeps the lifetime of their batteries, but it can extend battery life and prevent tossing. Customers say it has given new life to battery sets that were three, five, and even six years old. They are also amazed at how well the batteries did and how the charger did at displaying. They mention that the batteries rejuvenated at different rates and that it is less degrading to the battery. They also say it's a great way of maintaining these batteries and not having to worry anymore. Customers also mention that it has a refresh function that will repeatedly discharge and recharge the battery, and that this BC-700 really does make many batteries work well again.
"...This means you can leave batteries charging overnight and not worry about overcharging...." Read more
"...This feature alone can greatly improve battery lifetimes by allowing the user to single out bad cells and match old or new cells while also..." Read more
"...a specific charge "memory" like that, they just continue to lose capacity over time - rapidly if used incorrectly...." Read more
"...However, faster & adjustable rate charging currents, battery reconditioning, testing etc. drew me to the BC700...." Read more
Customers like the battery charging of the charger. They mention that it charges each battery separately, regardless of mAh rating or type. They appreciate that each battery gets optimally charged. They also mention that the modes allow not only charging, but also special combinations of discharge and charge.
"...before getting this charger: it is "smart" and dials back the charging rate when it receives a signal from the battery that it is full...." Read more
"...The charger also has "modes." The modes allow not only charging, but also special combinations of discharge/charge functionality...." Read more
"...charge modes and currents, but it also means that each battery gets optimally charged. Beware of cheap chargers that charge batteries in pairs...." Read more
"...Each compartment is serviced separately, it is also possible to assign different functions to each compartment at the same time...." Read more
Customers like the value of the battery charger. They say it's good value for the money, worth their hard-earned money, and saves them a lot of money on batteries.
"...this data real-time off of the display for each battery is, to me, great value...." Read more
"...The overall construction isn't top notch, but i feel it's excellent at this price. At it's most simple, you plunk in your batteries and walk away...." Read more
"...And the LaCrosse has all the smart charger features you need, at a lower price than the hyped brand...." Read more
"...An adequate price;Cons:-..." Read more
Customers like the quality of the battery charger. For example, they say it has a decent enough build quality, holds up well, and has not experienced any quality issues. Customers also appreciate the solid features and the proven design. Overall, customers find it to be a great product and recommend it to others.
"...I have not experienced any quality issues of any kind with this charger...." Read more
"...If you want a nice, reliable four holer, go with this unit and be a kinder, gentler battery maintainer...." Read more
"...I chose this LaCrosse charger because of great reviews, solid features, and reasonable price...." Read more
"...Crystals and bubbles form in the innards of the battery on the electrodes and in the chemical goop that is between the electrodes...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the battery charger's features. They mention that it has many advanced capabilities, high-end features, and useful settings/modes. They also appreciate the various display options during the cycle. Overall, customers are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"...And the LaCrosse has all the smart charger features you need, at a lower price than the hyped brand...." Read more
"Pros:+ versatile with high-end features at affordable price (at time of writing)+ capacity measurement a must-have feature..." Read more
"...OVERALL THE UNIT HAS GREAT FEATURES AND GIVES YOU A FAIRLY GOOD DISPLAY OF THE 4 MODES AND READINGS OF VOLTAGE, mA, mAh AND ELAPSED TIME FOR EACH..." Read more
"...This comes with many features and has held up so far.I have only used this on the low current charge mode...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the battery charger. Some mention that it works well, the control interface is much simpler than Maha's MH-C9000, and it requires no brainpower to operate. However, others say that it can be a bit tedious initially, programming is complicated, and the instructions are not intuitive.
"...If you want to change the particular settings for it, the way to do so is easy once you know how, but may not be intuitive for non-technically..." Read more
"...The only thing I don't care for is its input requirement: 3 VDC from the wall wart...." Read more
"...very simple control of the charger;- lack of heating of the power adapter and the charger itself;- An adequate price;Cons:-..." Read more
"...The latest firmware v2.1 fixed the REFRESH function and offers better user interface." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Just a quick note to say this charger is still going strong and I have since bought a second to let me charge more batteries at once. I use them regularly to keep all my Eneloop batteries topped off. The only challenge I've had -- which is not related to the charger itself -- is that sometimes a completely depleted battery will not be recognized by the charger and thus won't begin charging. You can circumvent this by putting a paperclip across the positive terminals of a full battery and the depleted one when they are both in the charger (with the charger turned OFF) for about 10 seconds, and then start charging.
***UPDATE JAN 2015***
This charger is still fully functional and continues to get the job done. Very happy with this purchase.
***ORIGINAL REVIEW***
Anyone on the internet who is thinking of buying a battery charger should consult the reviews of N.Lee on Amazon. He or she is clearly an electrical engineer or has equivalent knowledge and performs detailed takedowns and tests of a variety of chargers. Their guidance is what helped me decide to buy this item.
My personal use pattern of the charger is fairly mundane -- just charging up batteries for use in various toys, flashlights, etc. I expect is the case for many people looking to buy a charger, so I wanted to give a perspective on how this charger works for a limited, everyday task.
This is a great charger. Things I immediately liked about it are:
-Can charge odd numbers of batteries
-Can charge AA and AAA, including at the same time
-Can set independent charging rates for each battery, e.g. in case you really need two batteries quick but want to slow charge the others, which helps extend their life
The charger has a couple functions I never use, and that's OK with me. Most of my batteries are pretty new, but I expect that I will start using the battery cycle/testing function to help identify which batteries may be getting old and need replacing.
The best thing about this charger, especially for average users like me, is something I never knew about before getting this charger: it is "smart" and dials back the charging rate when it receives a signal from the battery that it is full. This means you can leave batteries charging overnight and not worry about overcharging. Or you can start charging half used batteries and know that the charger will top them off and then stop charging. The regular dumb chargers you get for $5.99 at your local grocery store along with a pack of batteries will keep pumping electricity into a battery until god knows what happens -- certainly shortening the life of the battery.
The peace of mind of being able to set this thing and come back after a few hours is great.
I have not experienced any quality issues of any kind with this charger. If you want to change the particular settings for it, the way to do so is easy once you know how, but may not be intuitive for non-technically oriented people (e.g., like my mother). However, the default settings for charging are complete adequate for such cases.
Test Function:
To check this out, I used the BC-700 to test some of my old, non-Eneloop batteries. These were NiMH in AA and AAA size from Panasonic, Lenmar, Xi, and some eBay brand called "McNair". I measured about a dozen assorted batteries and found that many of them were only holding about a tenth of their rated charge. For instance, some of my supposed 2400mAH batteries were only coming out with ~200mA of charge. Some others of the same brand would charge up to near their rated capacity. I had been assuming that if I had four units of the same brand battery, all charged in the same charger at the same time, that they would all be about the same capacity. The way the flashes are wired in the battery compartment (four in series) means the set is only as good as its weakest battery. Thus, I am now able to weed out the weak batteries. This can take an hour or two since the test works by discharging the batteries, then re-charging them while measuring the current and voltage during charging. When it is finished, it knows how much charge each battery took and displays it on a per battery basis. To get all of this to happen, you need to read the instructions, which is not a bid deal. It's just that the charger has just three control buttons as well as a select button for each battery. Most of the advanced functions require multiple button pushes, much like setting a digital watch, and your life will be easier if you read the manual to find out the magic combos. Also, there are fairly short "time-outs' on the mode button (8 seconds) so you don't have a lot of time to blunder about. That said, this is a cool feature.
Discharge Refresh:
As nice as it is to find out my supposed "1000 charge" battery is not so good after closer to 100 charges, getting it back up to some usable level is something this charger is supposed to be able to do. What this mode does is to repeatedly discharge and charge the batteries until their capacity does not increase any more or it has completed 20 cycles, whichever comes first. I read up on this effect and why it's supposed to work, so please bear with the "fruits" of my meager research. NiMH batteries do not have the classic "memory" effect, which is a complex chemical interaction in lead acid and NiCd batteries. In short, if those batteries are repeatedly charged to a specific level, they will eventually only be chargeable to that level. NiMH batteries don't have a specific charge "memory" like that, they just continue to lose capacity over time - rapidly if used incorrectly. One cause is that if you constantly use them in an application that heats them up (like my photo flashes) along with using a rapid charger, which also heats them up, they just get weak. Crystals and bubbles form in the innards of the battery on the electrodes and in the chemical goop that is between the electrodes. If this gets too severe, they will just quit totally. If you catch it in time, you can recover some of the capacity by (this is technically incorrect, but go with it as a behavioral model) electrically stirring the stuff up with repeated cycling. For optimal impact, this cycling must be controlled all during the process, and the BC-700 does this with voltage and current monitors connected to a microprocessor. Wow! So, I took all of the older batteries that I had and started running them all through the refresh cycle. I also took the worst of the batteries that were tested on the BC-700 when I first received it and did a refresh on those. After going through more than three dozen batteries, I can say that the refresh function always increased the capacity of the old batteries and that in most cases it brought them to 80-90 % of rated charge. Great! This was as much as a 10x improvement for some of them. Although I will not use these recovered batteries for my photo jobs, I can use them for many less critical tasks and get usable amounts of life out of them.
Quality & Durability:
The BC-700 came nicely packaged and looks well made. It is made in China, but apparently in a decent factory because it feels and looks like it is of high quality. The big deal for most of us is reliability, however. I have run the BC-700 for about ten days with no rest doing all of the testing and refresh cycles mentioned above. Since it always comes up in a default mode of 200mA charging, I did a lot of button pushing during those ten days, and the buttons held up well. I suspect that if the LaCrosse were going to die young, it would have already done so. :-)
Readout Accuracy:
It's hard to check the accuracy of the devices current meter without making a kludgy wire harness and devoting a DVM for a few hours (if you don't understand any of that, just know I thought it was too much bother and didn't check it out). However, when I compared the Voltage measurements of the BC-700 to my 4.5 digit DVM, they were within 10-20mV. This is very acceptable to me as the resolution of the BC-700 is likely in the 2.5 digit range. Perfectly adequate for the task. The fact that I can get all of this data real-time off of the display for each battery is, to me, great value. I suspect that since the measurement system will have common reference, the current will be similar in accuracy.
Conclusion:
I am very, very happy with the BC-700. By recovering substantial use of some batteries I had thought bad, it has already paid for itself. Just get it. In fact, I'm considering getting another one since each of my three flash rigs uses 12 AA batteries with the external pack connected. I need to do a little parallel processing, and at the current discounted price on Amazon, that is very affordable. I can keep my rapid charger for on-the-job emergencies and use the dual BC-700s for charging the three dozen ore more batteries, as well as reconditioning the inventory on a periodic basis. Go for it!
Top reviews from other countries
================================
Pros:
- Acepta de 1 a 4 baterias con carga independiente.
- Descarga completamente baterías.
- Selección de velocidad de carga/descarga.
- Función de "refrescar" y "prueba" de baterías.
Cons:
- No incluye estuche.
- Baterías no incluidas.
================================
Es dificil justificar pagar mas de 500 pesos por un cargador de baterías que venga sin baterías, pero cuando tienes en uso muchas baterías recargables entonces se vuelve una opción interesante.
En mi caso tenia varias baterías recargables con un cargador sencillo y con algunos años de uso. Este cargador me ayudó a identificar las baterías que ya retenian poca carga y a juntar baterías con una carga similar.
Tiene la función de "refrescar baterías" que consiste en cargar y descargar multiples veces las pilas para regresarlas al mejor estado posible.
El cargador tampoco va a hacer milagros, por ello necesitamos baterías de calidad; las mejores baterías del mercado que podemos conseguir en Mexico son las Eneloop de Panasonic que vienen de la planta de Japón y se pueden conseguir aqui en Amazon.
Si es la primera vez que vas a comprar baterias recargables y no quieres hacer una gran inversión, recomiendo este pack de Eneloop (B00JHKSLSW) que tiene un cargador decente y algunas baterías y adaptadores.
Un buen cargador tiene que tener como mínimo una carga independiente de baterías para evitar sobrecargas o pilas mal cargadas.
El BC-700 es mas que suficiente para un uso moderado/rudo, hay cargadores que pueden reducir el tiempo de carga de las baterías, pero esto puede reducir el tiempo de vida de las mismas, el mejor balance es 500mA de carga y 250 mA de descarga.
Pros:
- Has all the features you could want in a charger.
- Can recharge single batteries.
- The LCD display offers some great information.
- Can set different modes per battery.
- Accepts both AAA and AA batteries.
- Powered by an AC adapter and cord (you don't plug the charger directly into the wall).
- Fast charging is a nice option.
- The "refresh" feature is great if you have a lot of older batteries.
Cons:
- No indicator light telling you that batteries are charged at a distance (you have to look at the LCD display).
- I wish the power cord was longer.
- Not as fast to charge as the BC1000.
- Does not include batteries (unlike the BC1000)
***************************
This is my first "high-end" charger that I purchased after reading several positive reviews about it online.
What attracted me most was having a display which tells me exactly where the battery is at in a charging cycle - my older charges just have a light telling you whether the battery is charging or not.
The charger comes in a simple box with an AC adapter, quick start guide and a rather thick manual (which has been very useful!).
There are no included batteries, unlike the slightly more expensive BC1000 model (which I would have gone with had I known it included batteries ahead of time).
The charger has four battery slots that you can put either AAA and AA batteries in. The nice thing about this charger is that you can put a single battery in there and charge it up (not two, like my other chargers required).
Each slot has a button that allows you to make specific mode changes to an individual battery - this is extremely useful and I've found myself charging a battery while "refreshing" another all at the same time.
Below those buttons is an LCD display that gives you information about each battery:
- current voltage.
- current charge/discharge current.
- time spend charging/discharging.
- the amount of current it's put back into the battery
It'll also indicate "full" when it's full. There's no light or sound that beeps when the battery is full, which would have come in handy since you wouldn't have to keep looking at the display to see whether the battery can be removed or not.
There are three buttons below the display which help you select a current, change the display mode, and change the charging mode.
For charging modes you can:
- Charge normally.
- Discharge the battery.
- "Refresh" the battery, which discharges and charges until the battery capacity is maxed (great if you have older batteries that aren't holding a charge).
- Test mode, which charges to full then discharges to measure the true capacity of the battery. It'll charge it back up after that.
The "current" button allows you select currents ranging between 200mA, 500mA, and 700mA. Higher currents charge the batteries faster, but lower currents are better for the batteries longevity. By comparison, the BC1000 model allows for up to 1800mA, which is really fast, provided your batteries allow for that type of fast charge.
Charging speeds vary from a few hours to over 12 hours depending on the capacity of your battery and the current used. If you select the "refresh" mode, it can take days to complete at the lower current.
Overall, this is an excellent charger that I have no problems recommending. It's more expensive than basic chargers but offers so much more.
Personally, I would have gone with the BC1000 model since it supports much faster charging and includes batteries.
Reviewed in Canada on November 22, 2016
Pros:
- Has all the features you could want in a charger.
- Can recharge single batteries.
- The LCD display offers some great information.
- Can set different modes per battery.
- Accepts both AAA and AA batteries.
- Powered by an AC adapter and cord (you don't plug the charger directly into the wall).
- Fast charging is a nice option.
- The "refresh" feature is great if you have a lot of older batteries.
Cons:
- No indicator light telling you that batteries are charged at a distance (you have to look at the LCD display).
- I wish the power cord was longer.
- Not as fast to charge as the BC1000.
- Does not include batteries (unlike the BC1000)
***************************
This is my first "high-end" charger that I purchased after reading several positive reviews about it online.
What attracted me most was having a display which tells me exactly where the battery is at in a charging cycle - my older charges just have a light telling you whether the battery is charging or not.
The charger comes in a simple box with an AC adapter, quick start guide and a rather thick manual (which has been very useful!).
There are no included batteries, unlike the slightly more expensive BC1000 model (which I would have gone with had I known it included batteries ahead of time).
The charger has four battery slots that you can put either AAA and AA batteries in. The nice thing about this charger is that you can put a single battery in there and charge it up (not two, like my other chargers required).
Each slot has a button that allows you to make specific mode changes to an individual battery - this is extremely useful and I've found myself charging a battery while "refreshing" another all at the same time.
Below those buttons is an LCD display that gives you information about each battery:
- current voltage.
- current charge/discharge current.
- time spend charging/discharging.
- the amount of current it's put back into the battery
It'll also indicate "full" when it's full. There's no light or sound that beeps when the battery is full, which would have come in handy since you wouldn't have to keep looking at the display to see whether the battery can be removed or not.
There are three buttons below the display which help you select a current, change the display mode, and change the charging mode.
For charging modes you can:
- Charge normally.
- Discharge the battery.
- "Refresh" the battery, which discharges and charges until the battery capacity is maxed (great if you have older batteries that aren't holding a charge).
- Test mode, which charges to full then discharges to measure the true capacity of the battery. It'll charge it back up after that.
The "current" button allows you select currents ranging between 200mA, 500mA, and 700mA. Higher currents charge the batteries faster, but lower currents are better for the batteries longevity. By comparison, the BC1000 model allows for up to 1800mA, which is really fast, provided your batteries allow for that type of fast charge.
Charging speeds vary from a few hours to over 12 hours depending on the capacity of your battery and the current used. If you select the "refresh" mode, it can take days to complete at the lower current.
Overall, this is an excellent charger that I have no problems recommending. It's more expensive than basic chargers but offers so much more.
Personally, I would have gone with the BC1000 model since it supports much faster charging and includes batteries.