Rechargable Batteries

Simon B · Dec 23, 2002

I have searched and read through some of the older posts on batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on battery performance,

http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get more or less anywhere?

mb34928 · Dec 23, 2002

Rayvac make nice 1 hr charger - $30.00 wal-mart, I get my batteries from Big Lot (that’s right) Big lots they are the very same Panasonic Ni-MH 1600 mAh batteries found in the fuji starter kit, but 1 only paid $5.00 for set of 4. That’s the best deal in digital batteries

In my estimation

That’s a one hour charger and 28 batteries for about $65.00 bucks.

Some could argue that 1850 mAh is better then 1600 – but if you had to wait to charge 20 dollars worth of batteries you may be missing out on an incredible shot (everyone has spare – just illustrating point)

Shawn

Simon B said:
I have searched and read through some of the older posts on
batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have
a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH
charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it
being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on
battery performance,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had
these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions
either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each
individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does
worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect
charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other
recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get
more or less anywhere?

Bigjohn_th · Dec 23, 2002

Yea...I'm going to recommend MAha which you won't go for it...why not? Do you have any info about the pros and cons of Maha? Please let other people know about it.. I'm using Maha C401FS and still happy with it eventhough it's quite expensive. one and a half hour with fully charge of SANYO 1850mAh in warm condition, not hot!! and just know from the web that they are shipping new 2000mAh after New Year.

Just want to know your reason why don't like Maha only.

John...

mb34928 said:
In my estimation

That’s a one hour charger and 28 batteries for about $65.00 bucks.

Some could argue that 1850 mAh is better then 1600 – but if you had
to wait to charge 20 dollars worth of batteries you may be missing
out on an incredible shot (everyone has spare – just illustrating
point)

Shawn

Simon B said:

I have searched and read through some of the older posts on
batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have
a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH
charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it
being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on
battery performance,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had
these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions
either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each
individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does
worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect
charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other
recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get
more or less anywhere?

Click to expand...

aperture · Dec 24, 2002

Simon B said:
I have searched and read through some of the older posts on
batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have
a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH
charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it
being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on
battery performance,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had
these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions
either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each
individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does
worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect
charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other
recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get
more or less anywhere?

IMO, one hour charging is not needed and is most harmful to the cells....
With several sets of cells, there is no need to charge that fast.

Also, if they give this "Important Safety Instructions" then it's either NOT a "Smart" charger or they have no confidence in it working properly and dropping to a slow charge after the "fast" charge.

I like my Maha 3 hour charger and 4 sets of GP 1800 cells...

Happy Holidays,

Pan Shizhu · Dec 24, 2002

A slower charger does good to your batteries.

If you don't want to shorten the life cycle of your rechargable batteries do use a charger as slow as you can.

In studio work if you have plenty of batteries, I recommend you use 16h-24h recharger, this takes one day to recharge but is peaceful to your batteries. I use a 8h recharger, which I can do the recharge in the night, sleep and the batteries got charged in the morning.

Rechargers faster than 7-hour is not recommended for Ni-Mh batteries, one reason is you don't need that fast, more important reason is you ought to be peaceful to your batteries, ---- yes then the batteries will be peaceful to you.

Bob Spelchak · Dec 24, 2002

I bought the Energizer economy charger ($30.00 CAD @ Staples) to see how long it would take to charge. The first charge took 15 hours to complete. The next, and subsequent rechages were to take only five hours. I returned it propmply and got a Lightning Pack 4000N (smart charger) from Ripvan100.com, along with 8 Sanyo 1700s. It takes less than two hours to fully charge, and that is the slower charge cycle that discharges the batteries down to 1 volt (if they aren't fully discharged already). It will not overcharge, and it keeps the batteries much cooler than the Energized charger ever did. It is the heat generated from charging that harms NMH batteries, not the speed at which they're charged. The cost is about $25 US for the charger only. It is small enough to fit into my Lowepro TLZ-mini bag's front pocket, and carries my extra set of batteries inside it, and it does require a wall adapter. It works great.

Simon B said:
I have searched and read through some of the older posts on
batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have
a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH
charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it
being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on

Simon B said:
battery performance,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had
these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions
either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each
individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does
worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect
charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other
recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get
more or less anywhere?

--
Bob Spelchak

EOS 10s, Konica Z-up110, s602Z

photobob · Dec 24, 2002

Simon B said:
I have searched and read through some of the older posts on
batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have
a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH
charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it
being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on
battery performance,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had
these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions
either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each
individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does
worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect
charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other
recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get
more or less anywhere?

photobob · Dec 24, 2002

Simon B said:
I have searched and read through some of the older posts on
batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have
a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH
charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it
being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on
battery performance,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had
these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions
either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each
individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does
worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect
charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other
recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get
more or less anywhere?

(Sorry about the above empty post.)

I doubt the safety instruction requesting prompt disconnection after charging is because the charger will keep charging the batteries. However, if there is even a brief power interruption after charging is complete, the charger may then reset and start charging again and it would reheat the batteries and thus shorten their life needlessly. That's probably the reason.

If you go for a slow charger, make sure it charges each battery separately. A charger that charges in 3-4 hours individually will probably be better on a set of 4 batteries than an 18-24 hour charger that charges a couple in series. (Any charger stating you must insert 2 minimum.) When charged in series, the weaker of the two cells could be overcharged while the stronger may not get sufficient charge. That would hasten the demise of the set.

Bob

Zinc · Dec 24, 2002

Simon, first thanks for your info regarding my xD question.

I heard the new charger from Quest is pretty good. Me myself bought a pak of Quest charger & batt (1450 mAh, 1.2volt) from Walmart for 10 bucks total, an old version though, it needs 16 hrs to fully charge the whole set

, but as the charging time is not crucial point to me, an o/n will do, or get an extra batt set. I am happy with my Quest set, although its recommended to use their own products. And the price is good for me too.

Simon B said:
I have searched and read through some of the older posts on
batteries, and rather than talk about brands and performance I have
a few questions about chargers. I picked up a new Enegizer NiMH
charger with 4 batts for CA$69 today and now I'm worrying about it
being a 1 hour charger. Imaging resource did a great review on
battery performance,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM and It had
these Energizer 1850mAh batts ranked as second.

While the packaging is not very informative (no instructions
either) it does state that the charger will indicate when each
individual battery is charged via red LEDs. One thing that does
worry me is the first IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTION - Disconnect
charger from the outlet promply once charging is complete.

I dont think I'm going to go for a Maha but are there any other
recommendations for good AND Safe NiMH battery chargers I can get
more or less anywhere?

photobob · Dec 24, 2002

Zinc said:
Simon, first thanks for your info regarding my xD question.
I heard the new charger from Quest is pretty good. Me myself
bought a pak of Quest charger & batt (1450 mAh, 1.2volt) from
Walmart for 10 bucks total, an old version though, it needs 16 hrs
to fully charge the whole set , but as the charging time is not
crucial point to me, an o/n will do, or get an extra batt set. I
am happy with my Quest set, although its recommended to use their
own products. And the price is good for me too.

The Quest batteries and charger were a closeout for $9.96 at WalMart because they've now come out with a better deal: 4 1800 mah Rinpoche brand, with charger, for the same price, not a closeout. However, both chargers are slow and charge two batteries in series, a bad idea unless that match each other in strength.

Bob

Simon B · Dec 24, 2002

Frankly its the price right now. I understand it is a good investment, but right now I am looking for a good cheap charger just for my digicam. I may look into a Maha in the future, the reviews for them are great.

Thanks for your comments.

Bigjohn_th said:
Just want to know your reason why don't like Maha only.

John...

Zinc · Dec 24, 2002

Thanks for bob's info about the deal, I went with Quest because of its good review and recommendations. As matter of fact I have a Rayovac PS1 (or 2, not sure) that claims to be used with NiMH, it can charge individual batt. Since the quest recommend to use their own charger all the time, I wonder if I can still use the quest batts on my rayovac charger for individual charging?
thanks

photobob said:
The Quest batteries and charger were a closeout for $9.96 at
WalMart because they've now come out with a better deal: 4 1800 mah
Rinpoche brand, with charger, for the same price, not a closeout.
However, both chargers are slow and charge two batteries in series,
a bad idea unless that match each other in strength.

Bob

BigWaveDave · Dec 24, 2002

The Rayovac 1-hour charger works fine and can be found just about anywhere. I've had one for more than 6 months and haven't had any problems. There was some talk early on about the batteries getting too hot when charging, but the batteries seem none the worse for wear. At first I was very cautious - monitoring the batteries during their charge. But now, after countless charging cycles, I'm confident the charger is safe (at least mine is).

Simon B said:
Thanks for your comments.

Bigjohn_th said:

Just want to know your reason why don't like Maha only.

John...

Click to expand...

mb34928 · Dec 24, 2002

I agree!

To me it all boils down to dollars and sense, dollar winning the battle most of the time. Batteries and chargers fall into the dollars (bang for buck) catagory. My one hour charger enables me the ability to charge 20 batteries (yes 1600 mAh ones!) in the time it takes other quality chargers to charge 8 of the 1850 mAh batteries. Remember the higher the mAh the longer the charge time. My batteries, shown in the review, last 91 mins compared to the best of the best lasting 121 mins. 121 mins is pretty impressive, but remember the dollars and sense argument; my batts only cost 5 bucks for 4..... I'm rambling sorry, my point is there are thousands and thousands of arguments for each. Get what you feel comfortable with, and never look back. I on the other hand, am very comfortable with toting around 24+ batteries in a camera case. (24 required have vivitar 283 flash too)

Cheers
Have a very merry holiday - I expect to see photos of all the holiday cheer
Shawn

http://www.pbase.com/mb34928

tblue01 said:
Simon B said:

Thanks for your comments.

Bigjohn_th said:

Just want to know your reason why don't like Maha only.

John...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

photobob · Dec 24, 2002

Zinc, I got Quest batteries over a year ago from WalMart when they were $14.96 for 4 1200 mah ones, with charger, or $9.96 without the charger. (I already had a charger so just got the batteries.) Those batts were made in France. They seem pretty weak now. I since bought another set when I saw the power had gone up to 1400 mah, made in China. They seemed a lot stronger and not too far from my Olympus 1600 mah ones I got with my C-2100. But then came along the closeout deal and I bought the charger and batteries for $9.96, thinking I was getting a free charger. They are the same type as the previous ones, 1400 mah made in China, but are weaker. I thought it might be good to have the charger for backup in case the Oly charger had a problem or if I wanted a set of batteries topped off by the charger. (They claim you can leave the batteries in for days with hurting them, but I'm sure it would be better not to.)

I've charged the Quest batteries without a problem in the Oly charger which charges them individually in about 3 hours. It then cuts off and doesn't maintain with a trickle charge. But I also got a set of the Rinpoche with charger, and they are better than the 1600 mah Olympus batteries. The charger claims it is smart but says to charge the batteries for 24 hours and not to leave the batteries in past that. Seems pretty dumb to me. I charged the Quests with the Oly charger, let them cool and then put them in the Rinpoche charger, and they got slightly warm and stayed that way so no smart circuitry cut the charge power. Really, it is similar to the cheap 2 cell series (X2) Quest charger but with only one monitor light (though no big deal as it mainly shows power is supplied since none of them go off when charged and it's pretty obvious when the cells are inserted into the charger properly).

Once batteries are individually charged it is not quite as bad to put them into a series charger for top off or maintaining full voltage, but I wouldn't leave them there long. Of course, if the batteries are pretty well matched in capacity, the series charge will not be as detrimental, because it is starting the charge from the run down state that the weak series chargers handle the worst. That's because it is hard to get NiMH batteries to charge on weak current and the stronger battery may hardly charge at all in series with the weak one. That's a big difference between them and ni-cads. Ni-cads will charge on just a few milliamps but NiMH may require over 100 milliamps. Those cheap series chargers just provide a little over 100 milliamps and a weak battery in series with a strong one may keep the milliamps below charge threshold for the stronger battery (weaker ones will charge on less current).

Bob

Zinc said:
photobob said:

The Quest batteries and charger were a closeout for $9.96 at
WalMart because they've now come out with a better deal: 4 1800 mah
Rinpoche brand, with charger, for the same price, not a closeout.
However, both chargers are slow and charge two batteries in series,
a bad idea unless that match each other in strength.

Bob

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Rechargable Batteries

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