Battery Chargers for AA & AAA NiMH.

[GreenLane]

Let us discuss experiences & recommendations/cautions for good CHARGERs for AA and/or AAA NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride).

Please restrict to discussion to the CHARGER and not so much to the batteries, as they have their own threads elsewhere in this forum.

Please only include chargers which at least have AA or AAA batteries.

Please share experiences about which models are good (prolong total life of battery) and also which models which are supposed to be good but have caused problems for you.

A few known brands/models:-
MAHA PowerEx MH-C401FS, MH-C801D, MH-C800S, MH-C808M, MH-C9000
RipVan100 Lightning Pack 4000N / TurboCharger 4000 (GBTurbo4000)
La Crosse BC-900

Regards,
GreenLane.

[GreenLane]

Extra post edited.

[nikonK]

I just use the Panasonic AA charger bundle with their Ni-MH Batts, been serving me over 3yrs. Works well with other higher capacity batts as well. MAHA i feel is overrated. Anyone can share their experience?

[myBest]

I'm using both Sanyo and Panasonic.
Somehow, my default use is Sanyo (just feel it charges faster) followed by Panasonic.
I like Panasonic for being compact, great for travel.

[GreenLane]

I just use the Panasonic AA charger bundle with their Ni-MH Batts, been serving me over 3yrs. Works well with other higher capacity batts as well. MAHA i feel is overrated. Anyone can share their experience?

Yeah, I have problems with my MAHA MH-C800S. It has a normal rate charge and a SOFT charge. At normal charging rate, the batteries get very hot, almost can burn my fingers when I touch the batteries. I used to use SOFT charge, but twice, when I used SOFT charge to charge a set of batteries, one or two will continue charging for many hours (before I leave for work until I get home at night). Once, until the plastic covering on the battery melted.

Then I read on the web that slow charge makes it hard for the charger to detect a full charge so it tends to overcharge. I guess that is what happened to me. So for my MAHA, fast charge it gets extremely hot, slow charge it tends to overcharge. Problem lah. Don't know what better charger to buy now. Haha!! That is one of the reasons I started this thread!!

I'm using both Sanyo and Panasonic.
Somehow, my default use is Sanyo (just feel it charges faster) followed by Panasonic.
I like Panasonic for being compact, great for travel.

Are your chargers the type that have LCD display?

[myBest]

Both also no LCD type.
Sanyo NC-MQH01 (AA or AAA size)
Panasonic BQ-395 (AA size)

[GreenLane]

Both also no LCD type.
Sanyo NC-MQH01 (AA or AAA size)
Panasonic BQ-395 (AA size)

Thanks for the info. Looks like in the end, simple charger works better than the "highly acclaimed" MAHA charger. I guess I will switch back to my Panasonic charger.

[kevteoh]

Panasonic BQ395 (AA, AAA).
Almost 3 yrs, so far no problems even when charging overnight; batteries are cool to the touch once done.

[libos]

I am using Sony charger

[Dragonfly]

I think sony is a not bad charger as i have been using 3 types of sony chargers and they works well for me