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Best battery charger
- Thread starter N5JMC
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Got the charger in today. What mah do you recommend for the discharge and recharge for the refresh mode? The batteries are 2400mah.
I plugged the charger in and insert the batteries and within 8 seconds used Mode until I got it on Discharge/Refresh. Then I pushed Current and the only options were 100, 250, 350 and 500. If reading the instructions right, it should let me select 200, 500, 700 or 1000, is this not correct?
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kc2kth
Member
I thought I read the LaCrosse only supported higher charge rates when only slots 1 and 4 were in use. There also appears to be a max of something like 3A output if I recall what I read on that model.
For 2400 mah batteries I think you would be plenty safe at the 500 ma charge rate. I typically stick to one third of the rating of the cell or lower, the lower the better.
For 2400 mah batteries I think you would be plenty safe at the 500 ma charge rate. I typically stick to one third of the rating of the cell or lower, the lower the better.
So to make sure I'm not messing up my batteries. I have it on discharge/refresh at 500 and let it go till it's done? Will I ever see the mah on the screen get close to 2400? Is there a specific display I should pay more attention to? Or is there better info than the instructions and review on Amazon?
It's hard to know when it's discharging or charging. Started around 2pm today and about 10 minutes ago they were pretty warm.
I may have to buy another or maybe the c9000 model to have 1 of each. It's going to take a long time to refresh my batteries.
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On the la crosse bc1000. I'm doing a discharge/refresh. Any reason why I could see mAh yesterday when going through the displays but today I don't? Attached are pics.
Yesterday mAh displayed:
Today pics of all modes:
V
Ah
H
mA
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Yesterday mAh displayed:
Today pics of all modes:
V
Ah
H
mA
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
KE0GXN
Member
I am not familiar with the LaCrosse chargers. Maybe someone else that owns one on here can help with your question on the mAh display. However, I will also suggest you register at CP and you can post there what you posted here, I can almost guarantee you will get the answers you seek.
On your charging question in post #22 about the recommended charge current for NiMH batteries, I was directed by the folks at CP to this chart/table to charge and discharge my batteries. It is what is recommended by most battery and battery charger manufacturers:
The recommended charging current is 0.5C, or 0.5 times the battery capacity. The recommended discharging current is 0.25C, or 0.25C times the battery capacity. Here are some settings for common batteries:
2700mAh Charge: 1300mA Discharge: 700mA
2650mAh Charge: 1300mA Discharge: 700mA
2500mAh Charge: 1200mA Discharge: 600mA
2300mAh Charge: 1100mA Discharge: 600mA
2200mAh Charge: 1100mA Discharge: 600mA
2100mAh Charge: 1000mA Discharge: 500mA
2000mAh Charge: 1000mA Discharge: 500mA
1000mAh Charge: 500mA Discharge: 200mA
900mAh Charge: 400mA Discharge: 200mA
850mAh Charge: 400mA Discharge: 200mA
800mAh Charge: 400mA Discharge: 200mA
700mAh Charge: 300mA Discharge: 200mA
650mAh Charge: 300mA Discharge: 200mA
600mAh Charge: 300mA Discharge: 200mA
For the 2400mAh batteries you own, I would go with a 1200mAh charge current and a 600mAh discharge rate. If you prefer, you can never go wrong with lower currents or rates. Its the high currents or rates that cause harm to batteries. However, I will caution you that to low of a current or discharge rate can cause harm to your battery health as well.
Furthermore, if you want to learn more about batteries in general I would recommend this site:
Basic to Advanced Battery Information from Battery University
Yes, I ordered and have their book and I promise you I have a life....LOL! I have not read it yet though, due to getting into ham radio shortly after ordering it and being preoccupied with getting my tickets and learning everything I can about ham.
Hope this helps.
On your charging question in post #22 about the recommended charge current for NiMH batteries, I was directed by the folks at CP to this chart/table to charge and discharge my batteries. It is what is recommended by most battery and battery charger manufacturers:
The recommended charging current is 0.5C, or 0.5 times the battery capacity. The recommended discharging current is 0.25C, or 0.25C times the battery capacity. Here are some settings for common batteries:
2700mAh Charge: 1300mA Discharge: 700mA
2650mAh Charge: 1300mA Discharge: 700mA
2500mAh Charge: 1200mA Discharge: 600mA
2300mAh Charge: 1100mA Discharge: 600mA
2200mAh Charge: 1100mA Discharge: 600mA
2100mAh Charge: 1000mA Discharge: 500mA
2000mAh Charge: 1000mA Discharge: 500mA
1000mAh Charge: 500mA Discharge: 200mA
900mAh Charge: 400mA Discharge: 200mA
850mAh Charge: 400mA Discharge: 200mA
800mAh Charge: 400mA Discharge: 200mA
700mAh Charge: 300mA Discharge: 200mA
650mAh Charge: 300mA Discharge: 200mA
600mAh Charge: 300mA Discharge: 200mA
For the 2400mAh batteries you own, I would go with a 1200mAh charge current and a 600mAh discharge rate. If you prefer, you can never go wrong with lower currents or rates. Its the high currents or rates that cause harm to batteries. However, I will caution you that to low of a current or discharge rate can cause harm to your battery health as well.
Furthermore, if you want to learn more about batteries in general I would recommend this site:
Basic to Advanced Battery Information from Battery University
Yes, I ordered and have their book and I promise you I have a life....LOL! I have not read it yet though, due to getting into ham radio shortly after ordering it and being preoccupied with getting my tickets and learning everything I can about ham.
Hope this helps.
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Thank you. So after reading more it says once it hits 2000 mAh it goes to Ah and adds a decimal due to room on display.
It also says if display shows 000 mA in charging mode it's because it got hot and is cooling. Mine did this a few minutes ago. Is this normal or do you think I have a defective one?
I'm debating on returning it and getting the c9000 but from reading NLee reviews you have to push about 40 button pushes to do a refresh of 4 batteries.
Do you feel you have to do a lot with the c9000?
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KE0GXN
Member
I do not personally know NLee nor I have I interacted with him, but my research has led me to believe he has a basis towards certain manufacturers....take that how you will. There is a well respected tester/reviewer on the CP forums, who in my opinion is very un-biased and does outstanding reviews/tests on batteries and chargers....I would check him out over there.
As far as the C9000 and button pushes, in my opinion he greatly exaggerated it. I am currently charging a quad of Duracells and it literally took me less than a minute to program my charging rates and that was inserting one cell at a time and documenting each individual IR reading (Ok maybe I don't have a life.
)Either way, the button pushing aspect is blown way out of proportion by some in my opinion. I am sure there are other C9000 owners on here that can give there own assessments on that if they want. For me its a non-issue.
Here is the main issue with the Lacrosse design....there is hardly no spacing in-between the charge slots, which leads to (at times) a large amount of heat being generated within the charger.....Unlike the C9000 which has good spacing and thus allows for excellent heat dissipation. It was one of the main reasons I did not go with the Lacrosse charger. If there is one thing I have learned from my battery knowledge quest, is that heat is most harmful danger to NiMH batteries. Heat is no bueno for NiMH!
Very bad things can happen to overheated NiMH batteries....
I wish I could help you in regards to your specific questions on your Lacrosse charger, but I just don't have any specific knowledge about it's operation or use, due to never using or owning one. All I know about it is what has been posted about it on CP and some reviews I read prior to buying a charger. There are some Lacrosse owners on here though, hopefully they will chime in.
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I do not personally know NLee nor I have I interacted with him, but my research has led me to believe he has a basis towards certain manufactures....take that how you will.
As far as the C9000 and button pushes, in my opinion he greatly exaggerated it. I am currently charging a quad of Duracells and it literally took me less than a minute to program my charging rates and that was inserting one cell at a time and documenting each individual IR reading (Ok maybe I don't have a life.
Either way, the button pushing aspect is blown way out of proportion by some in my opinion. I am sure there are other C9000 owners on here that can give there own assessments on that if they want. For me its a non-issue.
Here is the main issue with the Lacrosse design....there is hardly no spacing in-between the charge slots, which leads to (at times) a large amount of heat being generated within the charger.....Unlike the C9000 which has good spacing and thus allows for excellent heat dissipation. It was one of the main reasons I did not go with the Lacrosse charger. If there is one thing I have learned from my battery knowledge quest, is that heat is most harmful danger to NiMH batteries. Heat is no bueno for NiMH!
Very bad things can happen to overheated NiMH batteries....
Has your c9000 ever paused due to heat? Also can the display light be turned off at will it does it stay on all the time?
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KE0GXN
Member
It has never paused due to heat.
The light can not be turned off. It stays on as long as there is a cell inserted in a charge slot. Yes, its bright, but I like it.
My wife, not so much, so I eventually took it out of the bedroom and now its part of my shack.
It has never paused due to heat.
The light can not be turned off. It stays on as long as there is a cell inserted in a charge slot. Yes, its bright, but I like it.
My wife, not so much, so I eventually took it out of the bedroom and now its part of my shack.
So would you return bc1000 and get the c9000?
I could tape part of index card to it to flip over at night to block the light.
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Here's a few pull quotes you may find helpful from Nlee's BC-700/900/1000 FAQ:
[Q5] What is the best charging current for recharging AA or AAA batteries?
[A] For AAA cells the default 200mA is just right. If you're in a hurry, increase the current to 500mA.
For AA cells you should increase the charging current to either 500mA or 700mA. This reduces the charge time and, more importantly, ensure that the charger will not miss charge termination signal and ends up over-charging your cells. (Emphasis is mine, as we're discussing AA cells in this thread. Note that I believe he is basing the charge current on 2000 mah cells, I would use 700mA for 2400 cells.)
[Q4] My BC-700 has been discharging and refreshing for 3 days!! When does it stop?
[A] The REFRESH operation takes at least three Discharge/Recharge cycles to complete. If you use the default 100mA discharging (200mA charging) current for a 2000mAh AA cell, each Discharge/Recharge cycle takes about 30 hours! Terminate the Refresh operation and restart it using 350mA discharging (700mA charging) instead. (Note: Even at 700mA for AA's, it can take a LONG time to refresh a set of cells, 1-2 or even as much as 3 days in my experience)
[Q3] What is the difference between TEST and REFRESH?
[A] TEST starts with a full recharge, then it discharges the cell once to determine its capacity. Next it recharges the cell to full again.
REFRESH starts with a discharge to determine the cell's remaining charge capacity, then it charges the cells back up and drain it down again to determine its new capacity. It wil repeat this Charge/Discharge cycle multiple times until the capacity stops improving. Finally it charges the cell in the end.
[Q1] There are four operation modes on the BC-700 (Charge, Discharge, Test and Refresh). Which mode should I use and when?
[A] Most of the time you just need CHARGE mode. That means put in the batteries and select the charging current desired (500/700mA, etc)
- If you want to know how much capacity your batteries can actually hold, use the CHARGE/TEST function. Be careful not to run this operation if the batteries are freshly charged (doing so may lead to over-charging).
- If you want to find out the remaining charge in a battery, run DISCHARGE/REFRESH and record the 'mAh' number at the end of the first discharge.
- If you suspect your batteries suffer from reduced capacity, run the DISCHARGE/REFRESH operation. Or you can use this mode to refresh your batteries once every 6 months or so. Don't over do it!
His full FAQ page is here:
Amazon.com: NLee the Engineer's review of La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Ba...
.
[Q5] What is the best charging current for recharging AA or AAA batteries?
[A] For AAA cells the default 200mA is just right. If you're in a hurry, increase the current to 500mA.
For AA cells you should increase the charging current to either 500mA or 700mA. This reduces the charge time and, more importantly, ensure that the charger will not miss charge termination signal and ends up over-charging your cells. (Emphasis is mine, as we're discussing AA cells in this thread. Note that I believe he is basing the charge current on 2000 mah cells, I would use 700mA for 2400 cells.)
[Q4] My BC-700 has been discharging and refreshing for 3 days!! When does it stop?
[A] The REFRESH operation takes at least three Discharge/Recharge cycles to complete. If you use the default 100mA discharging (200mA charging) current for a 2000mAh AA cell, each Discharge/Recharge cycle takes about 30 hours! Terminate the Refresh operation and restart it using 350mA discharging (700mA charging) instead. (Note: Even at 700mA for AA's, it can take a LONG time to refresh a set of cells, 1-2 or even as much as 3 days in my experience)
[Q3] What is the difference between TEST and REFRESH?
[A] TEST starts with a full recharge, then it discharges the cell once to determine its capacity. Next it recharges the cell to full again.
REFRESH starts with a discharge to determine the cell's remaining charge capacity, then it charges the cells back up and drain it down again to determine its new capacity. It wil repeat this Charge/Discharge cycle multiple times until the capacity stops improving. Finally it charges the cell in the end.
[Q1] There are four operation modes on the BC-700 (Charge, Discharge, Test and Refresh). Which mode should I use and when?
[A] Most of the time you just need CHARGE mode. That means put in the batteries and select the charging current desired (500/700mA, etc)
- If you want to know how much capacity your batteries can actually hold, use the CHARGE/TEST function. Be careful not to run this operation if the batteries are freshly charged (doing so may lead to over-charging).
- If you want to find out the remaining charge in a battery, run DISCHARGE/REFRESH and record the 'mAh' number at the end of the first discharge.
- If you suspect your batteries suffer from reduced capacity, run the DISCHARGE/REFRESH operation. Or you can use this mode to refresh your batteries once every 6 months or so. Don't over do it!
His full FAQ page is here:
Amazon.com: NLee the Engineer's review of La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Ba...
.
Blackswan73
Active Member
Interesting review. I have the IQ328. I never realized it was a clone of the BC1000. I have never had a thermal problem with it, but I have never used anything higher than 700ma to charge my 2300mah RS batteries. Works fine for me. I did have one battery one time that displayed null, but a short time in my RS charger "fixed" it.
I was using the discharge/refresh so max was 500ma.
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KE0GXN
Member
That's going to be up to you. You have a good charger and I am sure many folks that own it like it, I just happen to like mine, without ever having owned or tried the BC1000.
Yes, many people use something to cover the screen with on the C9000 to avoid the brightness if they so desire.
At the end of the day, its like ham radio....I could tell Yaseu makes the best radios, but you or the next the guy may say its Kenwood or Icom.
Shoot, I just got a Diamond SRH77CA antenna for my HT, I am disappointed that it does not screw on all the way to the bottom of the antenna connecter and instead leaves a small space. Read where one guy returned it and got a Comet SMA 24 instead, which is rated better then the 77 on eham.....My plan is to keep the Diamond and make do. Maybe I'll go to the Comet or something else later down the road. Besides, anything is better then the rubber duck that came with the radio.
Battery chargers are kind of the same way. Anything that charges "smart", is better then a "dumb" Wally World wall-wart charger...
That's going to be up to you. You have a good charger and I am sure many folks that own it like it, I just happen to like mine, without ever having owned or tried the BC1000.
Yes, many people use something to cover the screen with on the C9000 to avoid the brightness if they so desire.
At the end of the day, its like ham radio....I could tell Yaseu makes the best radios, but you or the next the guy may say its Kenwood or Icom.
Shoot, I just got a Diamond SRH77CA antenna for my HT, I am disappointed that it does not screw on all the way to the bottom of the antenna connecter and instead leaves a small space. Read where one guy returned it and got a Comet SMA 24 instead, which is rated better then the 77 on eham.....My plan is to keep the Diamond and make do. Maybe I'll go to the Comet or something else later down the road. Besides, anything is better then the rubber duck that came with the radio.
Battery chargers are kind of the same way. Anything that charges "smart", is better then a "dumb" Wally World wall-wart charger...
I understand. I may try this for a few more days. It's been like this for the last 3 hours. Not sure what's going on with the last battery. Numbers haven't changed on last battery either.
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Since you're running a Discharge/Refresh cycle, it's most likely the one on the right had not stopped improving on the last cycle. The charger determined the other three were as good as they were going to get after the last cycle and stopped. The remaining one needed another cycle. Have faith, it will finish.
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kc2kth
Member
I know on the Maha/PowerEx chargers their are modes that can take 36 hours to fully complete. It's not unusual for one cell to take longer to complete either, I see that frequently. Trust your charger, it's one of the top ones out there. Set it up properly as instructed above and you should be good.
rbm
Member
Best battery charger can mean different things to different people.
I have far more than 100 rechargeable batteries. (Ni-MH LSD and Li-Ion, 16340, 14500, 18650 etc.)
Over the years I've probably had 20 or more different chargers.
They each were good in their own time for specific purposes.
My current (most used) chargers are:
MH-C808M which will charge up to eight 'AAA' through 'D' Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries
MH-C9000 which will charge 'AAA' and 'AA' Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries
Several PILA IBC chargers for Li-Ion batteries
Nitecore D4 which will charge just about everything you throw at them. Li-ion , Ni-MH, LiFePO4, and Ni-Cd
MH-C801D which charges up to eight 'AAA' and 'AA' Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries
Instead of having night lights around the house, my wife has a LOT of LED 'candles' that use 'AA' and 'D' cells.
She charges as many as 20 batteries every two weeks.
I use batteries for hand held radios, head lamps, flash lights, cameras, etc.
So we may charge more than 70 batteries per month.
The C9000 is a nice charger in that it can tell you the condition of each cell.
I run most of my Ni-MH batteries through 5 cycles once each year to keep them up to par.
For just charging, the Nitecore D4 has them all beat.
Just take any rechargeable, plug it in, and the charger figures it all out for you.
(The D4 sells for around $23-$35 on eBay, Amazon, etc.)
I've given lots of them as gifts and they make charging very easy for non-technical types.
The D4 automatically detects Li-ion, Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries, and through manual selection is also capable of charging LiFePO4 batteries
A 'blurb' about the Nitecore D4 Charger:
Input: AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 0.35A(MAX), DC 12V 1A
Output voltage: 4.2V ±1% / 3.7V ±1% / 1.48V ±1%
Output current: 375mA x 4 / 750mA x 2
Compatible with: Li-ion / IMR / LiFePO4: 26650, 22650, 18650, 17670, 18490, 17500, 18350, 16340 (RCR123), 14500, 10440 Ni-MH / Ni-Cd: AA, AAA, AAAA, C
Features
Capable of charging 4 batteries simultaneously
Each of the four battery slots monitors and charges independently
Compatible with and identifies Li-ion (26650, 22650, 18650, 17670, 18490, 17500, 18350, 16340(RCR123), 14500, 10440), Ni-MH and Ni-Cd (AA, AAA, AAAA, C) rechargeable batteries
Optimized charging design for IMR batteries
Integrated LCD panel clearly displays charging parameters and progress
Two conveniently located side buttons allow easy selection of specific battery types and charging parameters
Intelligent circuitry detects the battery type and status before entering automatic charge mode (CC, CV, dV/dt)
Automatically detects battery power status and selects the appropriate voltage and charge mode (with the exception of LiFePO4 batteries which require manual selection)
Compatible with LiFePO4 batteries
Compatible with small capacity batteries
Automatically stops charging when complete
Features over-charge prevention to protect batteries
Features temperature monitoring to prevent overheating
Rich
Edit:
Another thing to keep in mind is that your charger should be able to run from a 12V source.
Then, you could charge batteries from your car, or solar panels if the need arises.
I have an emergency solar panel set up that will supply sufficient power to keep the house warm, the beer cold, and the batteries charged.
My most used chargers (left to right):
MH-C808M, MH-C9000, Pila IBC, Nitecore D4
I have far more than 100 rechargeable batteries. (Ni-MH LSD and Li-Ion, 16340, 14500, 18650 etc.)
Over the years I've probably had 20 or more different chargers.
They each were good in their own time for specific purposes.
My current (most used) chargers are:
MH-C808M which will charge up to eight 'AAA' through 'D' Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries
MH-C9000 which will charge 'AAA' and 'AA' Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries
Several PILA IBC chargers for Li-Ion batteries
Nitecore D4 which will charge just about everything you throw at them. Li-ion , Ni-MH, LiFePO4, and Ni-Cd
MH-C801D which charges up to eight 'AAA' and 'AA' Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries
Instead of having night lights around the house, my wife has a LOT of LED 'candles' that use 'AA' and 'D' cells.
She charges as many as 20 batteries every two weeks.
I use batteries for hand held radios, head lamps, flash lights, cameras, etc.
So we may charge more than 70 batteries per month.
The C9000 is a nice charger in that it can tell you the condition of each cell.
I run most of my Ni-MH batteries through 5 cycles once each year to keep them up to par.
For just charging, the Nitecore D4 has them all beat.
Just take any rechargeable, plug it in, and the charger figures it all out for you.
(The D4 sells for around $23-$35 on eBay, Amazon, etc.)
I've given lots of them as gifts and they make charging very easy for non-technical types.
The D4 automatically detects Li-ion, Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries, and through manual selection is also capable of charging LiFePO4 batteries
A 'blurb' about the Nitecore D4 Charger:
Input: AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 0.35A(MAX), DC 12V 1A
Output voltage: 4.2V ±1% / 3.7V ±1% / 1.48V ±1%
Output current: 375mA x 4 / 750mA x 2
Compatible with: Li-ion / IMR / LiFePO4: 26650, 22650, 18650, 17670, 18490, 17500, 18350, 16340 (RCR123), 14500, 10440 Ni-MH / Ni-Cd: AA, AAA, AAAA, C
Features
Capable of charging 4 batteries simultaneously
Each of the four battery slots monitors and charges independently
Compatible with and identifies Li-ion (26650, 22650, 18650, 17670, 18490, 17500, 18350, 16340(RCR123), 14500, 10440), Ni-MH and Ni-Cd (AA, AAA, AAAA, C) rechargeable batteries
Optimized charging design for IMR batteries
Integrated LCD panel clearly displays charging parameters and progress
Two conveniently located side buttons allow easy selection of specific battery types and charging parameters
Intelligent circuitry detects the battery type and status before entering automatic charge mode (CC, CV, dV/dt)
Automatically detects battery power status and selects the appropriate voltage and charge mode (with the exception of LiFePO4 batteries which require manual selection)
Compatible with LiFePO4 batteries
Compatible with small capacity batteries
Automatically stops charging when complete
Features over-charge prevention to protect batteries
Features temperature monitoring to prevent overheating
Rich
Edit:
Another thing to keep in mind is that your charger should be able to run from a 12V source.
Then, you could charge batteries from your car, or solar panels if the need arises.
I have an emergency solar panel set up that will supply sufficient power to keep the house warm, the beer cold, and the batteries charged.
My most used chargers (left to right):
MH-C808M, MH-C9000, Pila IBC, Nitecore D4
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