BC-900 battery charger

[ka3jjz]

Recently Larry Van Horn reviewed the charger below in a MT article, and really raved about it...

http://thomas-distributing.com/la_crosse_bc-900_battery_charger.php

It seems like they might have responded to a few folks that had some problems with it, as it looks like there's a new version out. Anyone have any experience with it?

73 Mike

 

[DanHenry]

BC-900 review available online

Thanks Mike for the heads up on the BC-900 review in MT. I found the review available online as a single page PDF. I'm not a subscriber so it looks like this is available to anyone.

http://www.monitoringtimes.com/mtrevujan08.pdf

-Dan

 

[Taloniilm]

Happy with my BC-900

I just checked my BC-900 and it's showing V3.3 which I believe is the current, (updated) firmware. I've had mine for several months and so far it's worked perfectly with no overheat problems noted. I've put it through it's paces using all charge currents and all compartments so far so good. I'm glad I bought it. I also got the Sanyo 2700's at the same time... not as happy with those. They don't seem to run as long as the original AA's that came with the radio, ("396").
Note: I did the full up charge program prior to installing the "2700's " in the "396"

 

[DanHenry]

Very pleased with La Crosse BC-900

Mike and Ray,

I ordered the BC-900 two weeks ago (original thread date) and just wanted to say I'm extremely pleased with it. I had done comparisons between this model and the Maha MH-C9000 at least 4 or 5 different times and finally placed my order after reading Ray's comments.

Short answer: Highly recommended for those willing to read the manual and understand the options. If you could enjoy a 10 minute conversation with a friend about rechargeable batteries and chargers then this one is for you! I would not recommend this charger for anyone that wants a simple "plug and charge" unit that isn't interested in batteries.

Longer answer below.

Like many, I had several sets of 4 x AA cells around that I always charged and used as a matched set. Over time I was having problems and tried to manually ID the weakest cell in the group. I've been using a Maha MH-C401FS (1,2,3,or 4 AA/AAA intelligent charger, approx $40) for a couple of years and had great results. The only thing I really wanted was to be able to test my older cells and match their capacity.

I've been using the BC-900 for 10 days now and I'm like a kid with a new toy. All the modes work great but what I really like is the refresh mode. I've been using a 250 ma discharge and 500 ma charge refresh cycle on all my Energizer 2500s. It cycles the cells several times or until the capacity stops increasing and then shows the results. A full test takes about two days.

One thing that pushed me towards the BC-900 (and not Maha MH-C9000) was the BC-900's display. I really like being able to monitor the status of all four cells at once.

Price was not a deciding factor for me at all, but the La Crosse at $39 is less than the Maha at $60. Quality seems very good and the included accessories (4xAAA, 4xAA, C/D adapters, and case) are a plus.

The only thing I don't like about the BC-900 is that the charge/discharge rates are always paired up. I knew about this before I purchased from the manual and am happy with the 500/250 rate I have chosen for refreshing.

Here are links for the models mentioned. I have dealt with Thomas Distributing several times and always had good results.

La Crosse BC-900
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/la_crosse_bc-900_battery_charger.php

Maha MH-C9000 (comparison model, approx $60)
http://thomasdistributing.com/shop/chargers-by-model--maha-mhc9000-c-147_148_150.html

Maha MH-C401FS (my current charger, approx $40.)
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/mhc401fs.htm

-Dan