La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATE: (02-21-2011) It has been more than 2 1/2 years since I wrote this review. This charger is still working great!
I have owned at least 8 chargers in the past, Maha's, Panasonic, etc. It is nice to see that this charger shows you the mAh on the LCD panel as the battery charges up. Most chargers you only see an LED indicator to signal when charging is done.
Compared to the specs of BC-900, the BC700 can only go up to 700mAH (the max) which means it is somewhat slower than the BC900. But the faster the battery charges, the hotter it gets. And one of the worst enemy of rechargeable batteries is heat. Less heat means longer life for the batteries.
Pros:
- 3 adjustable charging speeds
- Will show you the actual capacity in mAh. This is good so you know which battery needs to be refreshed. You always want to use batteries with the same capacities in pair or in a group.
- 4 independent charging stations with individual LED readouts. "AA's" and "AAA's" can be charged in different combinations. Don't you hate those gadgets that only use 3 batteries like portable radios? (walkie-talkies). You end up with 1 un-used battery if you bought a 4-pack. How will you charge it if your charger only charges in pairs?
- Reasonable price for an excellent charger
- Small and light. Better portability
- Multi-volt up to 240v. Very useful if you travel a lot to other countries.
Cons:
Now I have to stop myself doing impulse buying on NiMh's because I enjoy using this charger too much.


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Reduce the amount of batteries purchased and discarded in the waste bin with this multitasking battery charger from La Crosse. Designed for use exclusively with rechargeable NiCad and NiMH batteries, the 100 to 240-volt charger accommodates up to four AA or AAA batteries. Each battery charges in its own compartment, so the user can charge an AA NiCad battery and three AAA NiMH batteries, or any other combination, at once.
For each compartment, the user selects one of the charger's four modes: charge; discharge; refresh; and test. Different modes can be engaged concurrently in each battery compartment for flexibility. In the discharge mode, the charger removes all charge from the battery to reduce the memory effect and then recharges the battery to reach a more advantageous capacity. The refresh mode is ideal for older rechargeable batteries, cycling between discharging and charging the battery until obtaining optimal capacity. To measure a battery's capacity in the test mode, the battery is fully charged and then discharged. The charger offers three charging rates: 200 mA, 500 mA, and 700 mA. While the 700 mA rate charges an AA battery in approximately 3 hours and 35 minutes, charging the battery at the 200 mA rate, with its estimated 13-hour charge time, is recommended for prolonging the battery's life. Each compartment features its own LCD display indicating the selected mode and rate, elapsed charging time, the battery's full capacity and voltage, and when charging is complete. To ensure safety, the charger stops charging when it senses an overheated battery, and it won't charge defective batteries. Unplug when not in use and remove any batteries. A limited one-year warranty covers this item. The charger measures 3 inches wide by 5 inches long by 3 inches wide by 1-1/2 inches high.

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