Energizer Smart Rechargeable Charger for AA/AAA Batteries, with 4 AA Batteries Included Review

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(More customer reviews)This package (Energizer Smart Rechargeable Charger for AA/AAA Batteries, with 4 AA Batteries Included) contains a very impressive-looking charger. The charger (CHP41US) features a countdown timer, a battery 'Fuel Gauge', and four bad-battery indicators. It looks like a very smart charger - until I examined closer.
The first warning sign is that: Would You Believe this charger can only charge in pairs? That is, it cannot handle 1 or 3 cells. A real smart charger has to monitor and charge cells individually, because this is the only way to ensure that each cell is not over-charged or under-charged.
The next thing I found out is that: the so-called 'countdown timer' is mostly for show. It's The Old "2-bit counter in a 7-segment display" Trick. The display always start from '8' (eight hours) when a pair of depleted cells is inserted, regardless of the actual remaining charge time. As the batteries are being charged up, the counter simply decrements through '6', '4', '2' and finally '0', even though the actual charge time may turn out to be just five hours.
The 'Fuel Gauge' on this charger is marginally useful. It shows 1-4 bars, based on the combined voltage of one battery pair. If two pairs of batteries were inserted, the fuel gauge is for the pair with the lower voltage. It soon dawned upon me that both 'countdown timer' and 'fuel gauge' are based on the same information. For examples:
2.2V = 1 bar = 8 hours,
2.4V = 2 bars = 6 hours, and so on.
By the time the combined voltage of two cells reaches 3.0V approximately, the charging is terminated. If the two cells have different capacities, then the lesser one is inevitably over-charged.
One problem with this single 'fuel gauge' is that: it does not tell you which cell is at what status. In comparison, other chargers in this price range may contain four individual status indicators. For examples: Targus Digital TG-LCD2700 Charger with LCD Display and Sony BCG-34HRMF4 Battery Charger with LCD Display.
The same problem applies to the four bad-battery indicators. If you insert one good cell with a bad one to the left two slots, for example, both indicators light up in red. But you still can't tell which cell is bad.
The four rechargeable AA cells included in this package are the "New" Energizer 2300mAh NiMH batteries. Note that their capacity is lower than that of previous generation (2500mAh), but they are not advertised as 'Pre Charged' or 'Low Self Discharge'. My own testing, using the La Crosse BC-900 charger/analyzer, indicated that those are indeed traditional NiMH cells. That makes me suspect that Energizer simply rolled back its rechargeable battery technology to circa 2004, instead of moving forward like other battery companies.
To be positive, I should thank Energizer for NOT making yet another timer-based dumb charger, or another '15-minute' battery roaster. But in calling the CHP41US a 'Smart' charger, Mr. Energizer Bunny just Missed It By THAT Much!

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Energizer Recharge Smart Charger charges 2 or 4 AA or AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries.Countdown timer shows how long until batteries are charged along with battery fuel guage that shows charge status.Bad battery alert detects and shuts off charging when a non-NiMH or old NiMN battery is inserted.The large display can be viewed from across the room.Energy Star certified

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