Any users of Wasabi batteries for the EM-1?

Caledonia wrote:

Hey Mel --

Do me a favor, and do a little homework for me.

Pop one of your own Wasabi batteries in a BCN-1 and see if it will charge. I've done this, and mine won't; they're about a year and a half old. So I believe your blanket statement about third-party batteries always charging in the BCN-1 (and attendant disparaging comment) is incorrect.

Wasabis charge just fine in the Wasabi charger, of course. And yes, the BCN-1 will charge DSTEs and other nondescript third-party batteries, but these Wasabi batteries will not charge -- and I've been careful *not* to put a fully-charged Wasabi in the BCN-1 for this test, by the way -- the packs are partially discharged, and should accept charge.

Could be, of course, that a newer generation of the battery incorporates different management circuitry and will charge in the BCN-1. Mine definitely won't.

Thanks. I've appreciated the reports on non-OEM batteries you've made in the past, and agree in general with your assessment.

There is no question that the BCN-1 will charge third party battery packs. I have tested this any number of times. Here are some of the details I referred to in my previous post:

1. If the BCN-1 detects a genuine BLN-1, it will cease charging at ~8.6v.
2. If the BCN-1 fails to detect a genuine pack, it will cease charging at ~8.0v.
3. All of the third party chargers I have tested cease charging at ~8.3v.

Since Li-Ion packs charge capacity is directly related to final charge voltage, it follows that using an OEM charger with a third party pack doesn't permit the pack to be fully charged.

As a result of the above, I am careful to test each model battery pack only after it has been fully charged with its native charger.

To provide a more thorough answer to your question, I have just placed two depleted Wasabi BLN-1 clones in Oly BCN-1 chargers and will report back with their final charge voltages when I am back from dancing tonight.