La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger

by La Crosse Technology

Product Details

Data Sheet [2.13mb PDF]

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Product Manual [3.56mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.5 x 5.1 x 3 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00077AA5Q
• Item model number: BC-900/BC-9009
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (935 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Ideal for at home, at the office, or when traveling, this battery charger brings rechargeable batteries back to life, saving money and helping to ensure that remote controls, cameras, flashlights, and other modern-day conveniences stay working their best. The battery charger accommodates NiCd and NiMH AA and AAA rechargeable batteries only (not for use with other types of batteries like alkaline, lithium, or carbon zinc), and it can charge AA and AAA batteries simultaneously. To operate, simply insert up to four batteries, select the mode, select the rate (from 200 mAh to 1800 mAh), and it takes care of the rest. The charging unit offers four number keys along the top, individual LCD displays for each charging compartment, and three function keys at the bottom--Current, Display, and Mode. Push the Mode button to choose from four categories: Charge mode to charge the rechargeable battery (automatically switches to trickle charge after the battery is full); Discharge mode to discharge then charge the rechargeable battery to minimize the memory effect; Refresh mode to refresh the rechargeable battery to maximum capacity by charging and discharging it repeatedly; and Test mode to check the rechargeable battery capacity in mAh/Ah. Even more, it features a built-in heat monitor that prevents overcharging. Accessories include four AA and four AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries, four C-size and four D-size battery adapters, and a travel bag. The battery charger measures 5 by 3 by 1-1/2 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

Note from the Manufacturer
The previous version of this battery charger (light blue color) had known issues with the adaptor. This new version (dark blue) comes with the new upgraded adaptor, featuring overheat detection to protect against overcharging.

Product Description

Be charged and ready to go with La Crosse Technology’s BC9009 portable battery charger. Optimum simultaneous charging of AA & AAA batteries with separate cell display. Automatically defaults to 200ma charge and won’t overcharge, as the LCD displays voltage, charging current, charging percentage, and cumulative capacity for each cell compartment. Also, detects a defective battery from charging and works with all NiCd & NiMH AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. The previous version of this battery charger had known issues with the adaptor. This version comes with the new upgraded adaptor featuring overheat detection to protect against overcharging.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

884 of 898 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ONLY CHARGER TO GET., June 24, 2005

By 

M. Carlos III (Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger (Electronics)

Why should you get this charger instead of some other charger?
5 words: CHARGE, DISCHARGE, TEST, REFRESH and LCD!


CHARGE
Choose the individual charging rate for each battery, (200/500/700/1000/1500*/1800*mA).

Why choose the charging rate?
If you're rushing, charge fast and hot. If you're charging overnight or over dinner, charge more slowly. Slow charging is almost always gentler on the batteries, giving you a longer useful life.

Why set the charging rate individually?
You want this ability in case you have batteries of different capacities, partially discharged batteries, mixed brand/quality or any number of other reasons.

* Note
1500/1800mAh only available in Charge mode and only when charging 1 or 2 batteries in terminals 1 and/or 4.


DISCHARGE
This mode discharges the battery down to 1 volt then recharges to full capacity using Delta V measurement, at a user-selectable charging level*, of course.

Why discharge then charge?
This is the older technique developed to avoid capacity-robbing memory effect encountered when recharging NiCad-based batteries (which by the way are compatible with this charger, unlike the Maha mentioned below).

Why Delta V?
This is the modern measurement adopted by most "fast/rapid" chargers. While not quite as accurate as simultaneously using Temperature measurement and/or detecting Zero Delta V, as the Maha/PowerEx C-204W can do, it should be enough to prevent battery damage and insure complete, consistent charging.

* Note
Discharge rates are 1/2 the selected charging rate (max 1000mAh charging in this and other modes). Some batteries can take discharge rates this high, others can't. Most electronics don't drain batteries this fast continuously, so most batteries won't be any "healthier" if discharged too fast. Since this mode will probably take several hours to complete, do it overnight at the gentler 200mAh or 500mAh charging modes (and corresponding 100mAh/250mAh discharge modes).


TEST
Did you think that those little power strips on alkaline batteries were a good idea? I did, who doesn't want to know how much juice is left in a battery. The problem is the indicator bars weren't very meaningful and couldn't measure voltage too accurately.

Now, this charger can tell you more accurately the voltage output of your batteries (which you may interpret as an indication if it's fully charged > 1.40V or discharged < 1.20V). Still, that's just an indication of charged capacity. Why not a direct measurement?

The Test mode does just that. It measures the capacity of each battery and reports it. It initially charges each battery, discharges it (simultaneously measuring the mAh) and then recharges it, leaving you with full batteries and a record of how much juice it discharged during the test.

Why Test?
You ever pull open a drawer, find a rechargeable, wonder if it's "still any good," recharge it and then use it just to find out? This baby will do it all for you, giving you the answer for each battery as it finishes.

Another good reason is to verify the capacity of newly bought batteries. I'm using it now to check each battery in a brand 24-pack of Lenmar 2000s. It's found some clunkers which I'm saving for the next mode, which is...


REFRESH
If you're thinking this mode refreshes batteries, you're right. I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but you know I will. I've got some great candidates too, brand new clunkers from Lenmar, some good old "state of the art 1400mAh" Sanyo and Nexcell NiMH's and even some older NiCads (it may be cheaper in the short term to return them to service than to dispose of them).

You can't use this charger on alkalines or rechargeable alkalines, so don't even think about "refreshing" those in this charger.

One thing about the Refresh mode. Refreshing NiCads manually may take several cycles of charging and discharging. Not only does this charger perform the charge/discharge cycle as many as 20 times, it measures the capacity of each discharge cycle and stops refreshing when the capacity of each battery isn't improving anymore. With other chargers, you're probably overcharging some of the batteries just to get the others back up to snuff.


LCD
One thing the Maha doesn't have is an LCD readout (though their C-777 model does, maybe next year?). The BC-900 has an individual LCD readout for each battery, which you can set to alternatively display any of 4 different measurements (hours, volts, mA charge/discharge, mAh), in addition to continuous displaying the particular mode each battery is in. The LCD readout retains it's reading (e.g. tested mAh) until the battery is pulled out, making overnight "tests" possible. The LCD makes all the other charger modes informative and practical.

Shame on those other chargers that have LCD indicator bars but no numerical display (some even cost more than the BC-900).

Understand, as great as all the different modes and options of this charger are, without an informative LCD display, they would be "shot's in the dark". With the individual displays, I'm happily recharging batteries, checking the quality of each, refreshing some while storing the "truly" fully charged ones.

With the LCD, I'm getting an idea of just how good a pack of batteries (and hence brand) is.


ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

Transformer
The current power brick is oriented so that it may block adjacent outlets, so put it on the end of a powerstrip or AVR/UPS unit. My Nokia phone charger has the plugs on the edge so it's really low profile on the outlet.

While the transformer is thankfully a bit slimmer than most external units, it is also a bit longer than most (about 1.75in by 3). It is however Autovolt from 100-240V, although another reviewer mentioned the 3V DC output was sort of a pain.

I wish this charger had a built-in power transformer and a retractable cord.


Cooling fan
Batteries get hot from charging, they'll read hot too. A built-in cooling fan would keep the batteries cooler during charging and probably give a more accurate "just-charged" reading on the LCDs. Some other high end chargers have fans built-in, so I'd hate to see this "ultimate" charger get upstaged by lacking such a common-sense $1 feature.

Free Bag
The unit comes with a free bag which is much roomier than necessary. I could fit my Casio Exilim camera, dock & transformer for the Casio, backup compact film camera along with the battery charger, C/D-cell adapters and 24-pack of batteries in the bag. While I feel sort of silly mentioning a quirk about a free item, the bag is hardly usable as a belt bag since it is so ... baggy.


CONCLUSION
If you ever invest in rechargeable AA/AAA technology, you'll multiply your investment by getting this charger.



UPDATE 7/6/2005:
I've REFRESHed about 8 clunkers so far, 2 NiCads an officemate brought for me to work on (about 2 years old) and 6 Lenmar 2000 batteries.

The results?
NiCad
1 rated at 700, first TESTed at 256, REFRESHed to 677.
2 rated at 700, first TESTed at 344, REFRESHed to 741.

NIMH - done REFRESHing.
1 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 448, REFRESHed to 1507.
2 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 527, REFRESHed to 1820.
3 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 680, REFRESHed to 1488.

NIMH - still REFRESHing.
4 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 435, REFRESHed to 1270+.
5 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 436, REFRESHed to 1713+.
6 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 349, REFRESHed to 1813+.


More Room for Improvement?
Charging Rate Limit (wrt Terminal 1)
The charging rate selected for Terminal 1 (1-4 left to right) is the highest rate you can select for each of the 4 Terminals. I didn't think this would be a big deal, but when you REFRESH batteries at the gentlest rate (200mah charging, 100mah discharging) and the cycle may repeat as many as 20 times ... well, you do the math. I know I didn't have to set it at the gentlest rate, but I figured I shouldn't stress already marginal batteries.

Now, when the battery in Terminal 2 read full (as in Fully Refreshed), I took it out to charge one of the other batteries I had already used up. Enter the Charging Rate Limit. I am limited to 200mah charging (the current setting for the still REFRESHing battery in Terminal 1) and it's driving me nuts! I wish each Terminal had it's full 200-1000mah charging rate available independent of the settings on the other Terminals.

1,224 of 1,251 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Showdown: Maha MH-C9000 vs. La Crosse BC-900, September 16, 2007

By 

NLee the Engineer (Nashua, NH) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 10 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger (Electronics)

[IMPORTANT NOTICE on Jan 5, 2010]
My old BC-900 has served me well for the past 4 years. But recenetly there is an inrush of reports on 'meltdown' of the new BC-9009. I can only assume that La Crosse is having very poor quality control with the new model. My advice is to stay away from BC-9009 for now, until the situation has been rectified.

[Update on Apr 15, 2010]
The BC-9009 is available through Amazon again. But of course it will take a few more weeks before we can be sure if the overheating problem has been fixed. If any brave soul decide to order one to try out, I encourage you to exercise the charger fully (Refresh at the 1A current setting) for a few days, and watch for any signs of overheating (such as hot-spot on the base of the charger). Make sure to let us know the outcome.

[Update on Jan 22, 2011]
If you have purchased the BC-9009 recently, make sure it has the latest firmware version '37' (this number appears briefly in the rightmost column when you first plug in the AC adapter). Several users have reported that they have no overheating problems with this new version, even though the AC adapter has the same 'IV' marking.

[Original review follows]

I have a La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger since nearly two years ago, and I'm very happy with it. When the Maha Powerex MH-C9000 WizardOne Charger-Analyzer was announced, its looked even better on paper than the BC-900. So I also bought the C9000 one month ago. Here is my assessment for those two chargers:

First, let's get the similarities out of the way. Both the BC-900 and the C9000 are powerful battery analyzers/conditioners which can also be used as your everyday battery chargers. Both chargers accept one to four AA or AAA cells with independent charging currents. Both come with universal (100-240V AC) adapter.

Next, the differences:

1. SIZE:
First thing you'll notice is that the Maha C9000 is HUGE for a 4-AA-cell charger. It is about twice as large as the BC-900 (see my Customer Image for size comparison).

Larger size makes the C9000 less suitable as a travel charger. However, as a home charger this is actually an advantage. Extra spacing between cells allows better cooling, and also makes it easier to remove individual cell.

2. CHARGING CURRENT:
The BC-900 can provide charging current from 200 to 1000mA for 4 cells, or up to 1800mA for two cells. The C9000 can charge from 200 to 2000mA for all four cells. So if you routinely need to charge cells in a hurry, the C9000 is better.

However, due to the complicated key sequences involved (for example, to charge 4 cells at 2000mA, you need to punch in 48 key strokes!), most sane people will probably leave the C9000 at its default current of 1000mA.

3. DISPLAY:
The BC-900 has a 4-column LCD panel that shows the status (capacity, voltage, current, or time) of all four cells either simultaneously, or individually. The C9000 sports a LCD display with back-light. It is BIG, it is BRIGHT, and it works really well - as a NIGHT LIGHT!

The biggest problem with the C9000's display is that it can only show one status for one cell at any one time. It constantly toggles from one status to another, then from one cell to the next. If you have 4 cells in the charger, it takes 48 seconds or more (depending on the current activity) for the display to cycle through all 4 cells. There is also no way to pause the display. So if you missed one reading, you have to wait for it to cycle through again.

4. ANALYZING / CONDITIONING FUNCTIONS:
The BC-900 has an easy-to-use 'DISCHARGE/REFRESH' function that can be used to recondition old cells. The C9000 has a similar function called 'CYCLE', but it is very tedious to use (see the USER INTERFACE section for details).

In addition, the C9000 also has a 'BREAK-IN' mode which supposedly should be applied to new cells before first use, or to really old cells that have not been charged for years. Beware that this operation takes at least 39 hours to complete, so I doubt many people would actually use it.

5. DEAD CELL DETECTION:
If a cell is completely drained (battery terminal voltage drops below 0.5V), the BC-900 thinks it is shorted and therefore refuses to charge it. This has caused a lot of frustrations among users, but there is a way to work around it (see my BC-900 Customer Image for details). The C9000 is smarter in this aspect. If the battery terminal voltage is too low, it automatically starts charging at 125mA until the voltage rises above 1V, then it continues with the programmed charging current.

The C9000 also measures battery internal resistance when a cell is first inserted. If the user inserts an alkaline cell (which has much higher internal resistance), the C9000 displays 'HIGH' and refuses to charge it. This is a good safety feature, except that it also incorrectly rejected most of my NiMH cells bought four or five years ago. So I cannot use the C9000 to charge or recondition those old cells, even though the BC-900 reports that they still have around 1000mAh of capacity left.

6. USER INTERFACE:
With the BC-900, you can select the operation and current for all cells simultaneously, or you can change them indivdually by using the cell-selection buttons. The only limitation is that once the charging current is fixed, you cannot subsequently select a larger current without removing all cells.

The C9000 has four completely independent charging circuits that can be programmed to different currents. This may sound great at first, but in practice it soon becomes a burden, because you often need to press dozens of key stokes to program all four cells.

For example: If you want to recondition four cells on the BC-900, you'll go through the following sequence:
- insert in all 4 cells at once
- press MODE to select DISCHARGE/REFRESH (2 keystrokes*)
- press CURRENT to select charging current (2-3 keystrokes)
* Note: need to press and hold MODE for ~3 seconds for the first keystroke

On the C9000, you can insert in all 4 cells at once, but you have to program them one at a time. Which means:
- press UP/DOWN to select 'CYCLE', then 'ENTER' (2-5 key strokes)
- press UP/DOWN to select charging current, ENTER (1-11 key strokes)
- press UP/DOWN to select discharging current, ENTER (1-6 key strokes)
- press UP/DOWN to select number of cycles, ENTER (1-13 key strokes)
Congratulations! You just finished programming the first cell. Now repeat that for the other three cells.


BOTTOM LINE:
The Maha MH-C9000 is, without a doubt, the most powerful NiMH AA battery analyzer/charger in the consumer market. However, certain design issues (such as a single-status LCD panel and ridiculously long programming sequences) make it difficult to use for multiple cells. For most of my routine charging and maintenance of NiMH cells, I'll continue to use my old La Crosse BC-900.

Nevertheless, I don't regret buying the C9000, because it was a lot of fun for me to try out all its functions. Plus I now have a really cool (but expensive) night light.

669 of 682 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Battery charging and maintenance done right, October 25, 2005

By 

esanta "esanta" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger (Electronics)

Ni-MH batteries have become ubiquitous over the past decade. Their low cost and ever-increasing capacity make them a great alternative to alkaline batteries. Of course, you need to keep these batteries charged... And that's where things get complicated.

Charging Ni-MH batteries is the result of a compromise. A low current is gentle on the battery and maximizes its lifespan, but a full charge takes hours.
A high current will recharge the battery much faster, but put more strain on it, causing it to wear out prematurely. It also requires careful monitoring of the battery's electrical characteristics to prevent damage.

Most of the chargers you can find on the market today use one or the other of these methods. The fast chargers, especially the cheap ones, excel at one thing: destroying perfectly good batteries, because they lack the monitoring circuitry to control the charge current and detect when the battery is full. The slow chargers are usually better, mainly because it's harder to design a really bad slow charger. Unfortunately... they're slow.

The BC-900 is a completely different breed: it lets you pick the charge current for each individual battery, has very sophisticated monitoring circuitry that controls the charging process, and is also capable of "renewing" batteries by running full controlled discharge-recharge cycles.

I was a little skeptical that a fairly inexpensive product would be so thorough, but after reading all the 5-star reviews on Amazon I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did: it's all it's cracked up to be, and more. I ran all my AA and AAA batteries through it; some of them had been destroyed by my previous charger, and it weeded those out right away; some were in pretty bad shape, but a refresh brought them back to life at almost full capacity.

The pleasant surprise was to find out all the freebies that come with the charger: four AA and four AAA batteries to get you started, four C-cell adapters, four D-cell adapters, and a nifty carrying case.

The less pleasant surprise: it can take several days to refresh batteries. I suppose this explains why the box didn't contain a cigarette lighter car adapter. Also, different batteries will take a different amount of time to complete a similar charging cycle. The charging slots being individually powered and monitored, it's not a real issue, since you can yank out any cell that's finished charging and insert the next one that needs recharging as soon as the little LCD screen warns you it's done.

As far as I know this is the best charger you can buy. It's reliable, gentle on the batteries, has useful capabilities not found on other models, and comes with a lot of extras. It's more expensive than your ordinary cheap slow charger, but the increased battery lifespan more than makes up for the price difference.

Highly recommended.