It's a nice Eneloop package for those who are about to dive in Eneloops or others who want to refresh their stock.
Production: 2022
Made in Japan
You will get:
1 QUICK CHARGER
4 AA BATTERIES (Included with the charger)
4 AAA BATTERIES (Additional pack)
The charger in your link is BQ-CC51 which is a 10-Hour charger and not a quick 1.5 hour one. It is written on the bottom of the package for the link you shared.
is this good?
Does the fast charging degrade the batteries?
1.5 hours is considered "pretty fast", but it's not as fast as the Varta 15-minute chargers: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/518230
And if you install three or four batteries, it's actually a 3-hour charger. Which I think is about optimal, not too fast, not too slow.
You don't want too fast - the batteries can overheat, which damages them. You don't want too slow either, if the charge takes more than 4 hours, the -dV/dT effect becomes too small to detect, and that's what the charger is looking for to stop the charging at the correct time.
The general rule of thumb for the optimal charging current is ~0.5C, i.e. 2 hours.
I disagree with that. Even the best chargers occasionally miss the "end of charge" signal,and continue to charge. At 0.5C, a 2000mAh eneloop will then be dissipating about 1.5 watts as heat, versus 1W at 0.33C. I've (unintentionally) done the experiments, 1.5W makes the battery so hot that you'll drop it, which means it got hot enough to rupture the pressure seal.
At 1W, the battery is toasty, but you can still hold it in your fist with some discomfort. So it's less than 55 degrees, the temperature at which first-degree burns start, and the pressure seal stays intact.
I used to charge at 0.5C, until I killed a few batteries.
@Russ: I don't know. My LaCrosse BC-1000 can output up to 1.8A per battery. I usually charge at 0.4-0.5C and it has never skipped a beat and definitely hasn't ruined any batteries so far. Doesn't get that hot either (probably because it pauses charging every now and then).
Unfortunately it started acting up, and there aren't many good replacements. I'm looking at the Powerex MH-C9000 PRO but it's hard to find locally.
@bio: I have the Maha MH-C9000 WizardOne, it's very picky. If the internal impedance of a battery is higher than normal, it refuses to charge the battery, the display just says "HIGH".
I also have a Liitokala Lii-500, and it doesn't have any problem with charging "less than perfect" batteries. It has become my preferred charger.
I usually charge at 0.4-0.5C and it has never skipped a beat
Interesting, this review of a similar LaCrosse charger, when charging at 0.5C, says "With four batteries in the charger, it gets hot, but it has temperature sensors and will pause during charge, to limit the maximum temperature. This does slow down the charger and prevents it from being "ultra fast" as the box says." So the effective charge rate is slower than 0.5C, and the temperature sensors do work. It's uncommon to see a charger with temperature sensors. http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20La%20Crosse%2…
The Lii-500, when charging 4xAA NiMh batteries at 1000mA (well, about 850mA was measured), keeps the batteries at reasonable temperature. The highest battery temperature was measured to be 45.7°C (from the thermal images): https://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20LiitoKala%20…
I'm looking at the Powerex MH-C9000 PRO but it's hard to find locally.
It's available at Amazon AU, but expensive. Amazon initially told me "can't deliver to your location", but once I entered my postcode, it decided it could deliver to me: https://www.amazon.com.au/Powerex-MH-C9000PRO-Professional-C…
@Russ: Thanks, I'll take another look at the Lii-500. I was a bit hesitant about it because of the brand (Maha has been around for longer).
I have the same problem with BC-1000, it refuses to charge fully discharged batteries. I have a spare "dumb" charger to charge such batteries to an acceptable level, then run the Refresh cycle on the La Crosse so that they become usable again.
it refuses to charge fully discharged batteries
See this page on how to jump-start NiMh batteries: https://www.instructables.com/A-simple-step-to-revive-a-dead…
I use cutlery for this: knife on the table, batteries positive end down and touching the knife, and use the tines of a fork to short the negative ends together.
I'll take another look at the Lii-500.
Liitokala don't sell them with an AU plug, you'll need a mains plug adaptor. Occasionally you can find them for sale on Ebay or Amazon, where the seller has bought them without the power supply, and sourced a separate power supply with AU plug. Don't get caught buying one without a power supply, many sellers are deceptive about whether the power supply is included.
Alternatively, look at the Lii-600. This has a power cord with a figure-8 connector, and similar cords with an AU plug are about $6 at Bunnings.
@Russ: FYI I ended up ordering a Vapcell S4 Plus which is similar to the Lii-600, comes with AU plug, and has good reviews. We'll see how it performs when it arrives.
We'll see how it performs when it arrives.
Please report back when you've tried it out, I always try to keep abreast of what good chargers are available.
Currently $48.47 + Delivery at Amazon if you only need AA:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B077PLTNGK/?smid=A1RY60…
This Deal is OOS
cuteboy on 03/01/2023 - 18:05 Comment score below threshold.