Best battery charger to leave batteries in?

[EliteRetard]

Looking for good quality "smart" charger but don't know what to look for.

I found my dad has a HUGE pile of rechargeable batteries and most are toast because he leaves them in a regular stupid charger for days or weeks at a time. He complains that if he charges and then removes the batteries they always die. Since fathers day is near Id like to get him a good charger that can properly handle any rechargeable (possible to get C/D sizes too?) and wont hurt them if he leaves them in (auto off?).

I'm hoping I can get something nice for 30$? Max 50$? Is that possible?

 

[Nohr]

The La Crosse Technology BC-700 is great for AA/AAA batteries.

 

[disappoint]

Get him some Sanyo eneloop precharged batteries. They have a low self discharge rate. He will need a smart charger for them. I'll find a link and update in a few minutes.

While the La Cross BC-700 posted above is a great charger for AAA and AA I do not recommend it for older people. It may be too complicated for them to operate. That kind of charger is better suited to techies like us.

Also it cannot charge any other battery than AA and AAA.

For an older person I would recommend this:
http://www.amazon.com/BC1HU-Smart-Ba...keywords=BC1HU

It is easy to operate, when the batteries are charging the LEDs are red and receive full charge current. When they are done charging the LEDs turn green and the batteries are given a small trickle charge of 1/10th of the standard charge current, so you can leave them in there a while. You should take them out at your earliest convenience though.

Also it can charge AA, AAA, C, D and 9 volt rechargeables.

It's $22.49 right now at Amazon as opposed to $35.30 for the La Cross BC-700.

Specifications:
Cell Size Compatible: AA/AAA/C/D/9V
Compatible Chemistry: NiMH/NiCD
Input Voltage: 110V-240V
Number of Cells:
1-4 pieces of AA/AAA/C/D
1-2 pieces of 9V
Charging Current:
AA/C/D : 550mAh
AAA: 180mAh
9V: 20mAh (Amazon incorrectly states this as 25mAh, the manufacturer supplied owner's manual states 20mAh).

Charging Estimates:
AAA (180mAh - 1000mAh): 1 - 3.5 hours
AA (500mAh - 2700mAh): 1.5 - 5 hours
C (1200mAh - 5500mAh): 2.5 - 5.5 hours
D (1200mAh - 10000mAh): 3 - 10.5 hours
9V Block (100mAh - 250mAh): 6 - 11 hours

Features:
Use constant current pulse charging system
Each charging group is individual programmable in its function
Recharges batteries in single or group
Automatic charge and discharge function
Identification of defective cells
Individual LED to indicate discharge, fast charge and trickle charge

Safety:
Timer
Negative Delta V Cut-off
Reverse polarity
Over temperature and short circuit protection

I got this for my dad and he loves it. The only mistake he's ever made with it is not inserting the AA and AAA batteries all the way down. They need to be all the way down to connect to the AA or AAA rails instead of the C or D rails. I told him this and he hasn't had a problem since. SO if you do get this charger be sure and warn your dad of the necessity to insert the batteries as far down as they go.

 

[Mixolydian]

Eneloop.

 

[bononos]

Looking for good quality "smart" charger but don't know what to look for.

I found my dad has a HUGE pile of rechargeable batteries and most are toast because he leaves them in a regular stupid charger for days or weeks at a time. He complains that if he charges and then removes the batteries they always die. Since fathers day is near Id like to get him a good charger that can properly handle any rechargeable (possible to get C/D sizes too?) and wont hurt them if he leaves them in (auto off?).

I'm hoping I can get something nice for 30$? Max 50$? Is that possible?

Rechargeables shouldn't die, something is wrong.
Overcharging is bad for rechargeables and will kill ni-mh batts so you would want a smart charger with trickle charging capability. A smart charger will trickle charge at a very low rate (as low as 50mA or less) once it thinks (it checks the time and voltage) the battery is nearly or fully charged.

Don't get a dumb charger and get a smart charger which has as many as 3 sensing techniques to test for doneness (time/temps/voltage).
http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/chargers.html

 

[EliteRetard]

For an older person I would recommend this:
http://www.amazon.com/BC1HU-Smart-Ba...keywords=BC1HU

I'm leaning towards this one pretty hard...any other comments?

Thanks for all the input so far.

 

[bryanl]

Look for a charger approved by at least one of the major safety agencies, like UL or CSA, and that includes an automatic discharge feature since it's a sign the charger is rather sophisticated and treats the batteries gently. However the discharge feature should not be used more often than every 10-20 charges

Brand new rechargeable batteries and batteries not charged in the last 6 months should be left in the charger for 2-3 times the normal charging period, but normally batteries should not be left in the charger indefinitely since overcharging causes growth of internal dendrites (whiskers) that short the plates and ruin the batteries. This also applies to sophisticated chargers that automatically shut off except to maintain a low current charge to keep the batteries up, even if their maintenance charge is pulsed to destroy dendrites (it does not). Batteries should be kept together in marked sets and used and charged together so they wear and charge evenly.

 

[EliteRetard]

Look for a charger approved by at least one of the major safety agencies, like UL or CSA, and that includes an automatic discharge feature since it's a sign the charger is rather sophisticated and treats the batteries gently. However the discharge feature should not be used more often than every 10-20 charges

Brand new rechargeable batteries and batteries not charged in the last 6 months should be left in the charger for 2-3 times the normal charging period, but normally batteries should not be left in the charger indefinitely since overcharging causes growth of internal dendrites (whiskers) that short the plates and ruin the batteries. This also applies to sophisticated chargers that automatically shut off except to maintanin a low current charge to keep the batteries up, even if the maintenance charge is pulsed to destroy dendrites (it does not). Batteries should be kept together in marked sets and used and charged together so they wear and charge evenly.

WAT? That sounded to complex for even me.

So how about the charger above? Red button is supposed to be an auto discharge. How do I know if it's approved by cispa/ucla?

 

[who?]

Because some people are red green colorblind it's unacceptable for red and green to be in the same position.

 

[Jeff7]

Another vote for Eneloops.

Alas, they only come in AA and AAA sizes. I guess the C, D, and 9V markets are too small for Sanyo to bother with? (Well...sort of.)
Maha does make some low-self-discharge cells in the C and D sizes though.
C cells
D cells

I haven't used them before though, so I
Also, here's the last battery charger you'll ever need.
(Well, at least for standard consumer-type batteries. This will charge just about anything that can take a charge.)

 

[EliteRetard]

Another vote for Eneloops.

Alas, they only come in AA and AAA sizes. I guess the C, D, and 9V markets are too small for Sanyo to bother with? (Well...sort of.)
Maha does make some low-self-discharge cells in the C and D sizes though.
C cells
D cells

I haven't used them before though, so I
Also, here's the last battery charger you'll ever need.
(Well, at least for standard consumer-type batteries. This will charge just about anything that can take a charge.)

Hows that Ansmann compare to the BC1HU? It's twice the price...has it got something to be worth it?

And the other one, doesn't even list a price. Since I'd have to ask I guess I cant afford it...but since I wouldn't have a clue how to use it I don't care.

 

[Jeff7]

Hows that Ansmann compare to the BC1HU? It's twice the price...has it got something to be worth it?

And the other one, doesn't even list a price. Since I'd have to ask I guess I cant afford it...but since I wouldn't have a clue how to use it I don't care.

One's made in Germany, the other's made in China.
I don't remember the particulars anymore, unfortunately. :\ I know it was one of the dwindling number of decent chargers that could handle C and D cells. Many made anymore only target AA and AAA cells, which is where most of the market is nowadays.

I will also say that the La Crosse charger is also a good unit, at least for AA and AAA cells.
The Maha MH-C808M also looks like a delightfully excellent charger...expensive, too.

Something to watch for in some cheap chargers is that they charge in pairs - so if you were to put a AA and a AAA into two adjacent slots, it would still assume that you'd placed two identical cells in there, so the AAA might end up being overcharged. My preference is for chargers that attend to each cell individually.



The Triton2: I've got the original Triton. It's fun.
(Well, it is if you like very well-charged batteries.)
The Triton2 is about $150, more than the Triton 1.

But it can charge Li-ion, li-polymer, NiCAD/NiMH, and lead-acid, and it can output up to 8 amps - if what it's charging can handle it.
It's really meant for model airplane hobbyists.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I don't know how it works for alkaline batteries but with lead acid you can leave em on float indefinitely and they'll absorb current as required. Might be able to get a alcaline charger that does the same. Though it's good to maybe run an equalize once in a while...

What I miss is the Panasonic batteries and charger we had when I was a kid. Those batteries were put through so much abuse and always charged nicely and never died if not used. If I was to find one in a box somewhere at my parents' house bet they'd still have power.

 

[Anonemous]

Use the Eneloops from Costco and the Lacrosse BC-700 and it works well. Costco runs a sale on the batteries every now and then for $16-20 for 8 AAs and 2AAAs and 2C/2D adapters and a dumb charger. Lacrosse goes on sale for 25-29$.

 

[Aikouka]

Alas, they only come in AA and AAA sizes. I guess the C, D, and 9V markets are too small for Sanyo to bother with? (Well...sort of.)

They sell C and D spacers that you place the AA batteries into.

The La Crosse Technology BC-700 is great for AA/AAA batteries.

That's what I use. Just take the battery out when the charger says "FULL". It's really not that hard to use.

 

[EliteRetard]

As far as I know Costco no longer sells eneloop batteries...I've never seen them.

Was just thinking about buying a 4x AA set for $20 online. If I could get a bigger bundle around that price it would be sweet.

 

[Aikouka]

Hmm you've got a modest amount of time until Father's Day, so you may be able to wait and see if there are any deals on Eneloops. I checked Slickdeals, and the last deal was only 5 days ago.

 

[Cerb]

As far as I know Costco no longer sells eneloop batteries...I've never seen them.

Was just thinking about buying a 4x AA set for $20 online. If I could get a bigger bundle around that price it would be sweet.

I get Rayovac's at Target for $8 (they've got a bit lower capacity than Eneloops). All the, "ready to use," batteries are low self-discharge. Turns out they also have C cells.

 

[MWink]

I'm leaning towards this one pretty hard...any other comments?

Thanks for all the input so far.

I have the Vanson BC1HU and the old high end version of the LaCrosse. Both are decent but neither are perfect. Unless you need to charge C, D, or 9V's I would suggest going with the LaCrosse. The Vanson just doesn't seem to work right some of the time. It will indicate that it's charging or discharging but is actually doing so at a VERY low rate. I think it's because of the screwy method it has for determining the size battery you are charging. If the positive terminal doesn't hit just the right spots on the charger it can act weird. Overall the Vanson's not a bad charger, it's just not that great.

The LaCrosse isn't perfect either but at least it will tell you what it's doing and at what rate. The contacts on the buttons have a tendency to get dirty which can make them unresponsive. If you take it apart it's not too hard to clean them. Also, its default 200ma charge mode is good enough for most people and doesn't require any user input, just insert the batteries.

 

[wirednuts]

i use the rayovac hybrid lsd's. they are just a few percent lower capacity then eneloops, which is a negligible difference.

 

[stlc8tr]

As far as I know Costco no longer sells eneloop batteries...I've never seen them.

Was just thinking about buying a 4x AA set for $20 online. If I could get a bigger bundle around that price it would be sweet.

They had piles of the Eneloop 10-packs at my local Costco a few months ago. Usually $20 for the 10-pack but I've seen sales as low as $16.

 

[Shawn]

The La Crosse Technology BC-700 is great for AA/AAA batteries.

this x2

 

[bryanl]

Look for a charger approved by at least one of the major safety agencies, like UL or CSA, and that includes an automatic discharge feature since it's a sign the charger is rather sophisticated and treats the batteries gently. However the discharge feature should not be used more often than every 10-20 charges.

WAT? That sounded to complex for even me.

So how about the charger above? Red button is supposed to be an auto discharge. How do I know if it's approved by cispa/ucla?

Nothing is too complex for you, but actually that was the TL;DR version - for University of Phoenix students.

Safety approval marks are on the product label, but some are faked, typically when no registration numbers are included. You do want a safety certified product; it has something about not burning down the house. LaCrosse is UL certified. I don't know if the Tenergy charger above is, but their model TN159 is not, and it's built very poorly:

 

[wirednuts]

lolz, bryanl. nice pic. those must be hand made!! it doesnt necessarily mean its poorly made, but that definitely does look like a cheap pile of crap.

actually it looks way too little circuitry to do what it needs to do, which is an indication they cut a lot of corners. i dont see whats on the other side of that board though..

 

[bryanl]

The back of the TN159 charger:

I bought it since it came with batteries and was cheaper than just batteries sold separately.