Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The Zeikos ZE-PC3000 package contains a 'Rapid' charger, and four AA 'Precharged' batteries rated at 3000mAh capacity.
Personally, I never knew the difference between 'Rapid', 'Fast' and 'Quick' when it comes to chargers. The product description did not give us any clues on the charging time or current. Only when I received the charger did I find out that the charging current is 500mA. That translates to 6-7 hours of charge time for those '3000mAh' batteries - if the capacity number can be trusted.
First thing you should know is: this Zeikos ZE-PC3000 can only charge in pairs. This means you're out of luck if you have appliances that require 1 or 3 cells. This is a common problem with most cheaply-made chargers. But there are other factors that make this Zeikos charger particularly bad:
- The battery compartment is EXTREMELY tight for AA cells.
- The charging current is not well-regulated. It starts from 500mA with exhausted cells, but drops to only 300mA when cells are nearly full.
- The charge-termination circuit is based on the combined voltage of two cells. So if you pair one exhausted cell with one charged cell in this charger, the second cell will be badly over-charged.
- The same charging current is used for both AA and AAA cells. In the user manual it actually suggested you can pair one AA and one AAA for charging. This is a really bad idea because the AAA cell will be over-charged.
The four Zeikos 'R2U' rechargeable batteries are advertised to be 'Precharged and Ready to Use', and having a capacity of whooping '3000mAh'. Note that most of the name brand precharged NiMH batteries (such as Sanyo Eneloop, Rayovac Hybrid and Duracell Pre-Charged) are only rated for 2000-2100mAh. So it would be fantastic if those Zeikos cell can actually deliver 50% extra capacity.
As it turns out, all those marketing claims by Zeikos are nothing more than false advertisement. Those cells arrived nearly dead - one cell has only 114mAh of remaining charge in it. After putting them through multiple 'Discharge/Refresh' operations on my La Crosse BC-900, and even 'Break-in' operation on my Maha MH-C9000, their average capacity only reached 1789mAh, or less than 60% of the advertised value. See my review on Zeikos ZE-4PC Precharged 3000mAh AA NiMH Batteries for more details.
In summary, this Zeikos ZE-PC3000 package is a horrible deal - especially at the present inflated price based on false claims. I recommend getting the Sony BCG34HLD4KN package instead. It offers a better charger, four higher capacity pre-charged batteries, and is available at a lower price.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Zeikos ZE-PC3000 Rapid AA/AAA Battery Charger with 4 AA Precharged Batteries
The Zeikos ZE-PC3000 Rapid AA/AAA Battery Charger comes complete with charger and 4 AA 3000mAh Precharged NiMH Batteries and a DC adapter.
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