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Amazon: La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger US $39.48 (~ AU $55) Shipped

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One of the best battery chargers available for the Eneloops.

Features:

  • Battery charger for 4 rechargeable NiMH and NiCad AA and AAA batteries; with 4 modes: charge, discharge, refresh, and test
  • With individual compartment for each battery with own LCD display and mode selection for multitasking
  • Operates on 100-240-volt AC input for international use; 3 charging rate options of 200 mA, 500 mA, and 700 mA
  • Detects overheating for safety; not for use with any other batteries other than those specified
  • Measures 5 inches long by 3 inches wide by 1-1/2 inches high; limited 1-year warranty
Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.

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closed Comments

  • +3

    Great charger. Thanks for the post ms :)

  • +5

    Its a good charger but I prefer the Maha which is also on special

    http://www.amazon.com/PowerEx-MH-C9000-WizardOne-Charger-Ana…

    • Which on is better?

      There is no cost for shipping for your one.

      • -1
      • The LaCrosse is 'automatic' and charges at 700mA (unless otherwise selected?).

        The Maha is fully manual and lets you do just about everything you'd want to do to an NiMH including charge/discharge cycling.

        I have a Maha, but I (and the household) end up using (quick) smart chargers most of the time, so I'd actually prefer the LaCrosse.

        • +1

          Lacrosse is manual as well. The default charge rate will be 200mA.

          That said i normally charge my AA's at a mild 500mA. Quick charging AA's at above 700mA makes them too hot.

      • Price: $49.95 + $8.88 Shipping & Import Fees Deposit to Australia in USD

        Its well worth the $10 USD price difference.

        Maha is better one for powerusers and its quite gentle on the batteries also has better spacing between batteries for cooling etc

        Can also break in batteries and revive dead ones.

        If you just want a charger that you plug and leave maybe go for a cheaper one.

        Maha also has an automatic feature which actually works perfectly fine for AA Eneloops.

    • +1

      Anyone have same issue to ship to Syd?

      "Sorry, this item can't be shipped to your selected address. Learn more. You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order. "

      • Yes cannot ship to Adelaide.

    • Thanks for the link homes! Been looking for a charger for ages. It was something on ozbargain I actually needed. You know…I had envelops with no way to charge them haha!!

      Positive +1 to the OP for bringing us together

    • Are either of these chargers suitable for Australian mains power out of the box or will both require an adapter?

      • The La Crosse has a US two pin plug so you need an adaptor to use in AUS e.g. http://www.bunnings.com.au/jackson-usa-uk-japan-europe-trave…. I would assume the same for the Maha if you're buying from Amazon US.

        They both can handle 240V so you don't need a voltage converter.

        • The Maha comes out at $85 AUD from Amazon, plus $10 for an adaptor. Can buy an Australian version from PROtog or Videoguys for not much more than that so I think I will source one locally instead. Thanks anyway mate.

        • I have found similar problem …… that there isn't a vast difference between US and local, but the Australian version has the right power pack and doesn't need an adapter. The adapters are a nuisance if using a wall power point and how a power board.

          It's good to check what voltage the power pack is, 3V (hard to get replacements) or 12V (commodity, most people have a spare AU version somewhere).

  • +1

    I already have the quick charge Eneloop one, would it be worth buying this still? I presume you'd need to buy an adapter as it won't have an interchangeable plug? It was suggesting it won't send to my PO Box in the city too, so unsure if this can be shipped?

    • +1

      I highly recommend it. You get so much more info on the state of the battery. I've been using mine this week to refresh some eneloops I had accidentally left 'dead' for too long. 2 days later they are back to 100% capacity. Haven't tried the Maha.
      Yes you will need a cheap travel adapter to use it here.

      • Thanks, is it any benefit from their battery lifespan point of view too? Or is it more just to know how they are travelling at a given time? If one charger may lead to the batteries lasting longer that could convince me for sure. Given I just switched the whole house over…

        • It's meant to be better for the batteries to charge them slower. So I usually charge at 200mA but when you need them quickly you can charge faster. candlepowerforums is all over this stuff.

      • Is the plug pack 12v ?
        If not what voltage is the plug pack

        • +1

          Input: 100-240V ~50/60Hz 0.4A
          Output: 3.0V - 2.8A

  • +1

    Good little unit. Mine's got a few tricks. Sometimes one chamber won't tell you the battery is fully charged, even though it is. Turn it off and on again and it will say fully charged.

    • Yes, I have this problem also. The issue is that the dip that occurs when the batteries are full is quite small and sometimes the charger misses it and keeps charging, effectively frying your eneloops.

      If you want a better charger, go for the MAHA MH-C9000 as someone said above. A bit more expensive but worth it.

  • +2

    I think Nitecore D4 is a very good charger besides BC700. It can also charge 18650 batteries among others.
    See http://charger.nitecore.com/product/digicharger-d4
    And at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-Integrated-Displays-Rechargea…

    • If this did discharge then I would get one in a flash.

      • It does discharge (then recharges straight after)
        *edit: sorry I think you were referring to the nitecore

      • Don't forget discount codes for NiteCore (if there are any atm).

      • I think I read somewhere there is no need to manually discharge a lithium cell.

    • where would be the cheapest to buy a nitecore d4? Its what I am after as I also need to charge some 18650s.

    • I was thinking of buying a Nitecore mainly for 18650. But it says not to use on dead (0v) batteries! I have some laptop batteries which I'm thinking of using the charger for. Anyone tried 18650 dead battery revival?

  • ridiculous. I bought one last Friday for $25 bucks more off eBay, devastated!!!!

    Great deal buddy.

  • Can someone tell me what's so good about eneloops ? I use alot of AA and AAA batteries for various things and am always buying new batteries from Coles. I have tried the rechargeables but they don't seem to last too long either :(

    I have a generic AA and AAA charger, would it be ok to use with eneloops ?

    Appreciate any info.

    Cheers

    Pookie

    • +3

      They're super high quality rechargeable with great capacity and can be re-used lots compared to supermarket ones.

      • +3

        … and if you OzBargain enough, you can get them cheaper than disposable AAs :)

      • :) Thanks

      • +1

        They hold their charge longer when unused.

        • Yes, charge doesn't last when using them :P

    • +1

      "Can someone tell me what's so good about eneloops?"

      Another Eneloop advantage is that they are low self-discharge (LSD) so for things like torches, remote controls, etc that you might not use so often, the battery is losing very little of it's charge compared to other batteries.

  • agree its an excellent charger. Do have to do the paperclip trick regularly if the battery is really low, but its a half a second inconvenience.

    • Or, just put "dead" battery into a dumb charger for a minute or two to kick start it, then transfer to La Crosse

    • What is the 'paperclip trick' & why is it necessary?

      • +1

        If a battery is depleted enough it wont feed back to the charger and therefore the smart charger thinks that there is no battery there and it won't charge.

        You can also leave the battery there for several days, long enough that the ping charge from the charger replenishes the battery enough to register a charge.

        • How does the paperclip make a difference?

        • +4

          use the wire of the paperclip to "join" the positives together from the battery next to it. It forces enough charge into the dead battery to trigger the charging. Only takes half a second.

  • Love my La Crosse. Made for Eneloops

  • I got both MAHA C9000 and SkyRC NC2500 both are great chargers not sure if this La Crosse is as good.

    • The MAHA is widely regarded as better.

      • Very happy with my MAHA C9000, had it more than two years now.

  • For reasons that no one seems to able to explain people to me use Eneloops instead of Turnigy LSD which cost $1.50 each and contain approximately 20% more power.

    I changed to Turnigy after I noticed that I couldn't seem to run the batteries down in a beard trimmer lel.

    So yeah I ain't a nerd and there's probably a reason to use Eneloops but given that I use a bog standard Arlec charger and they last considerably longer Eneloops and this charger seems to be a waste of money based on performance alone - but they're more expensive derr me to boot.

    Maybe the nerds are just living in a self-contained bubble like when they talk about linux productivity? Beats me.

    • I've been using a mix of turnigy and eneloops both work well. Good thing about this charger is it tells you the capacity of the battery.

    • +3

      I have had issues with turnigy cells giving up after about 100 cycles. I tend to prefer eneloops.

    • +1

      Eneloop is a well known brand name for lsd nimh batteries …. yes there are other brands just as good but it's easier than saying lsd nimh.

    • Where do you get your Turnigys from?

    • +1

      I use eneloops and wear a Linux t shirt. I spilt jenkem on the t shirt the other day though.

  • BT-C2000 is also an excellent charger. I would say better than the Maha C9000 (I have both). US$41.97 shipped (A$60.47) http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Weather-BC-2000-Intelligent-Re…
    If you want Li-ion chemistry as well, the BT-c3400 is also very good although not cheap. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BT-C3400-V2-2-Battery-Charger-Ana…

  • Had my one for maybe 3 years now and with 6 kids and my photography, it's copped a beating with our eneloops and it's still going strong.
    Highly recommended.
    Got mine from Amazon with an adaptor for the power point back then.

  • +1

    Where's good to get a cheap plug adapter for this?

    • I bent the prongs gently with a pair of pliers. If you are easy on it it shouldn't break.

      • Can you upload a photo of the twisted prongs? Keen to see how far down you twisted them. Thanks!

        • +1

          It's a really bad idea to twist pins on an American plug like that. Technically illegal, potentially unsafe and leaves whoever did that (to connect it to an AU powerpoint) 100% liable for any loss or injury that resulted.

          For example, a fire caused if a paperclip fell down and shorted the pins, or the death of a child who poked a toy or fingers in between the powerpoint and the device.

          Any such connection must be tested, approved, certified and marked to demonstrate that it complies to Australian Standards. That's the law in ALL states of Australia.

          For the sake of a few dollars, do it properly!

        • @llama: This adapter is only $1 shipped. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-UK-US-EU-Universal-to-AU-AUS-…

          Is it going to burn my house down?

        • +1

          @fredblogs:

          Is it going to burn my house down?

          Maybe, or maybe it will just electrocute you or one of your family. Hell, who cares if it's dangerous or not, I trust that the Chinese would never supply something that's not 100% top quality and absolutely safe, eh?

          That particular design of adaptor uses a really dumb and dangerous internal structure which causes really poor connections and can create electrical arcing inside. Hard to explain in words, I suggest you sit through these videos about the UK version (identical internally)…

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB1DlBpyS9w
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcNwb0X9Nic
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESIzuV6kdWY

          There is so many safety issue with those adaptors, it's probably safer to bend the US pins. Anyway, even that's not the point.

          By adding the adaptor, you now have TWO totally non-compliant and electrically unsafe devices plugged into each other. So that gives you even easier access to 240V mains due to having 2 sets of non-insulated pins and non-compliant designs. Oh, and you have a heavy adaptor hanging off a set of totally wrong pins, so that's not a reliable connection either.

          Just like power packs, power point adaptors are (by law) required to comply with Australian standards. So if you are intent on using an adaptor, then for god's sake buy an one from an reputable Australian retailer, and make sure it is compliant and safety certified.

          Then, glue the (compliant) adaptor onto the US plug pack, so that there is no possibility that a gap can open up between the power adaptor and the adaptor. If you did that, it will be pretty damn safe - you only need to worry about the fact that the power pack is not tested or approved to our voltages and our standards, but who cares about that shit, eh?

          I work in the electrical industry, and I can assure you that the safety regulators become really narky if they hear about an injury, loss of property, etc. The fines are huge, and the risk of personal liability is massive if there ever IS an incident… and of course you cannot claim on insurance because the inspectors found that (say) the reason your sister's toddler is dead is because you hacked something in order to save a few dollars.

          So, my recommendation is to the whole US power pack away, and use an Australian Standards compliant power adapter instead. People who are oblivious to electrical safety standards will recommend otherwise, and she'll be right mate.

        • @llama: "Operates on 100-240-volt AC input for international use." You don't trust that? US standards are not good enough?

        • @fredblogs:

          You don't trust that? US standards are not good enough?

          Of course not. American safety standards aren't the slightest bit similar to Australian Standards.

          In actual fact, it is a criminal offence to offer such a device for sale into Australia.

          The reason Amazon doesn't get into legal trouble is that Australia has no jurisdiction to prosecute.

          If that unit was offered for sale by an Australian company, they would be in heaps of trouble.

    • Good question. Should be noted in deal.

  • very good charger, much reccomend

  • +1

    I have this http://www.amazon.com/XTAR-Battery-Charger-Premium-Compatiba… much better than the above.
    La Crosse is just rebadged cheap chinese stuff.

    • +1

      How do you know it's better?

    • +1

      Hello Raybies,

      You always seem to have something just that bit better than the one commenting on.

      Do you have evidence that this La Crosse is "rebadged cheap Chinese stuff".

      And if so, do you have evidence that it performs in an inferior manner? I mean, there is lots of 'cheap Chinese stuff' that's perfectly good.

      This La Crosse item has over 2000 reviews on Amazon, and a rating of 4 1/2 stars from those reviews. Not bad for "rebadged cheap Chinese stuff". Of course, they could all be shills. Yeah. That's it.

  • +2

    In case anyone is shopping around for the C9000, I bought mine from these guys for around AU$72. Website not the greatest so hopefully it arrives http://ru.nkon.nl/r-maha-powerex-mh-c9000-charger.html

  • +2

    I just use the standard dumb charger that came with 4 eneloops for $10 i think it was.

    It takes 7 hours to charge from 1.0v - 1.45v before voltage settles at 1.37v, i just set alarm - have tested with multimeter so know exact voltages

    Why pay more?

    EDIT: if u r gonna neg this comment, pls explain why - happy to be corrected on this one if i am wrong?

  • +1

    Just placed my order, $56.89 delivered to Sydney, I have been using an old dumb charger so it will be interesting to see the difference that using this one makes.

    Have plenty of eneloops to get back up to speed so hopefully it will extend their life that bit longer for me, thanks OP for the find, perfect timing.

    • How are you able to get it to ship to Sydney? I am in Adelaide and when I select it it says it cannot ship to Adelaide, another Oz bargainer wasn't able to ship to Sydney either

      • Sorry but I have no idea, just logged into my Amazon account and placed my order, use my old hotmail account I have had forever and placed orders through Amazon for over 16 years.

        It even offered faster shipping options but that added an extra $55 onto the price, so stuck with the standard.

        The only thing I can think of is that I have ordered from Amazon UK as well and those accounts are linked to the US Amazon so by having that it might get around any delivery blocking issues.

        Just checked my order and indicates it is being shipped by Amazon Export sales LLC, maybe make sure the one you are looking at is this and not another internal vendor for Amazon, I just clicked on the link provided by OP.

        Hope this helps mate.

  • Mine works as well just like Smarch, $56.89 delivered to Sydney.

  • This or the bc-1000?

  • +4

    This is the same charger, cheaper (~$48): http://ru.nkon.nl/technoline-bc-700.html. Other models available too e.g. newer model http://ru.nkon.nl/charger/nimh/la-crosse-bc-720-charger.html also less than the Amazon BC-700 price.

  • I don't have any eneloops, is this suitable for other rechargeable batteries as well? Like energizer and the $3 packs of Chevron batteries I got at BigW a while back?

    • They are not rechargeable technically.

      • ?

        • Energize and chevron are not rechargeable batteries. I wouldn't recommend recharging alkaline batteries, but I am not an expert. Try googling.

          I might be anal, but I like to discharge Eneloops before charging, so this charger has a one button procedure where you long press the button on the right, the four batteries get individuall discharged at 100ma, and then charged at 200ma and then trickle charged when finished. The maha won't do that and is a pain to program each battery.

        • @abacus: I would like to disagree. Here is a link to an ozbargain post regarding chevron nimh rechargeables. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/199112
          Energizer also make nimh rechargeables http://www.energizer.com/batteries/energizer-rechargeable-ba… … check any woolworths or coles

        • Sorry, I thought he was talking about alkaline energizers.

    • +1

      This charger is fine for any Ni-Cad or Ni-Mh AA/AAA rechargeable battery.

  • Please don't neg this - I truly want to understand something. What is it with the obsession with eneloops and SSD's on here? Judging by the popular deals, it seems that ozbargainers cream their pants when they hear about eneloops or SSD's. Can someone help me to understand this?

    • +1

      SSDs are awesome and even better when you can get them half price. Eneloops, I dunno. Heard they are good rechargeable batteries.

    • +1

      Eneloops are high quality rechargables, and LSD batteries in general are excellent.

      SSDs… where do I even start. In 25 years, there has never been such "bolt-on horsepower" for a computer. I paid $180 for 60GB, for my first one. It was worth every cent. 240GB for <$90 is so much of a no-brainer, I'm concerned about people who don't have one. There's never a wrong time to get either. You'll always win.

  • I bought this cheaper charger and have been using it with my eneloops. Been great thus far. Not sure if it was from this site, but here's a link: http://www.dx.com/p/soshine-hi-tech-lcd-nimh-nicd-super-quic…

    No doubt the OP's charger is better / fancier, but in case someone's after a decent cheaper one…

  • Why not just get the techno line clone for $10 (shipping included) less at Nkon? Made by the same company. 2% off using Skrill, otherwise ~3% surcharge on Paypal (~$1 extra). Russian site avoids EU VAT.
    I found the biggest gains using this charger using imedions, my previous smart eneloop charger seemed to do equally well with eneloops. It's probably something to do with the imedion's high internal resistance.

  • thanks OP, been looking for this for a while.

    Sucks that the AUD has dropped so much….quick search reveals previous deals have been AUD30-40 rather than the 50+.

    Ah well….I bought stacks of $2 eneloops, will be good to finally have a smart charger.

    What's the main difference again between a normal battery charger?

    Charges quicker?

  • Love this charger

  • -4

    cheaper else where bad deal! got it for 5 % less last week

  • Great charger! The thing I like best is its recondition battery cycle for older batteries. Generally once finished I write the battery capacity value onto the battery for future reference. A good quality battery can approach its claimed capacity usually, cheaper ones not so much.

  • Ordered one , wll be perfect for my use, will be a great replacement for my dumb charger …. kept missing out on enelopp fast charger deals but dont mind paying a bit more for a some more control for this one.

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