Customer Reviews

Kodak Rapid Charger with 4 AA NiMh Batteries

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Right up there in the Editorial review, it says "Each of the four Kodak Max AA NiMH rechargeable batteries offers a 1,850 mAh capacity rating..."

This device comes with 4 Kodak batteries - so it seemed to me that it was implying that this came with 4 Kodak Max AA NiMH rechargable batteries that were 1,850 mAh...

But no. It comes with 4 1600 mAh batteries.

Not a huge deal, but it is particularly annoying for me since I was going to buy something else and then switched to this specifically because of what that said.
But I want to use this stuff now, so I'm not going to go through the trouble of returning it all.

I must be a battery charger junkie. I bought my first NiCd battery charger when they first came out, and I still remember how big and awesome-looking it was. And it charged two AA NiCd batteries in, oh, 24 hours. Then the batteries would run down after about 5 hours in my Walkman. Those were the good old days.

Anyway, nowadays I must have more than half a dozen battery chargers. What I like about the Kodak Rapid Charger is it does a very reliable job of charging four NiMH batteries in a few hours. The exact charge time depends on (i) AA or AAA, (ii) how many batteries, (iii) how much charge is left in the batteries, (iv) the total capacity of the batteries (e.g., 1600 vs. 2400),(v) room temperature, and (vi) random factors that even the electrical engineers don't have a clue about. Suffice it to say that a fresh set of 4 AA batteries will charge in about 3 hours, give or take half an hour. Much better than the overnight chargers.

Also, compared to my Radio Shack stock rapid charger, the Kodak can charge any number of batteries, up to four, whereas the Radio Shack must do four. The Kodak also seems to trickle charge better, because on the same set of batteries, I seem to get longer life out of a charge down on the Kodak than on the Radio Shack. My other chargers are Ravoyac which I like the most, but the Kodak is also a good, and it cost less than a comparable Rayovac I was looking at.

Anyway, this is a solid battery charger for AA and AAA batteries.

I was impressed with the charger for about 1 month---than it stopped charging the NiMh batteries it came with. I took it back to Best Buy only to find that ALL of the Rapid Chargers on thier shelf did not work either. A sales person and I tested them all, hoping I would be able to exchange my broken one with one that worked.

It was more disappointing after calling Kodak ---they were unable to replace it or get my money back. I thought purchasing a Kodak was a smart decision, however, they did not stand behind their product which was very disappointing.

This charger does not seem to charge the batteries fully. I thought that my rechargable batteries were "out of life", but discovered that it was just a case of this charger failing to recharge them fully. My Daughter brought home a cheap Sakar overnight charger when visiting. I popped in a set of batteries I thought were done for, and found them to be just fine using her Sakar charger. What happens on my charger is that the lights (indicating that the batteries have been fully charged) all go off, and the batteries are "cool to the touch" (indicating that they have been fully recharged). Nope! Only about half way recharged.

I have two of these chargers that I bought directly from Kodak for about $10 each. Each of them came with 4 AAA batteries which do not charge at all straight out of the package. One of the chargers has become defective after somewhat heavy use. Battery charger technology is not all that complicated but Kodak doesn't seem to have mastered it yet. No wonder they were practically giving these away. I'd avoid purchasing these now at any price.

I bought this charger 11 months ago. It came with 4 Kodak 1850 mA NiMH batteries. After a few months of light use, the batteries were unable to hold charge as much as 1850 mA batteries should. If I use the batteries immediately after charging them, I can take about 20 pictures (while my 2000 mA NiMH batteries can do >60). If I charge them and put them into my camera bag as reserves, they won't be useful after only a week.

The charger is capable of charging both AA and AAA batteries. But a few months ago, 1 spring for switching between AA and AAA stopped working properly. This was after very light use. I only charge AAA batteries once a month.

The market for NiMH batteries and chargers is more competitive than a year ago. I would not buy this Kodak if I were to buy today.

Having a teenager who eats up AA batteries constantly, the Kodak Rapid Charger solves this problem easily. Recharges batteries in 3 hours which is much quicker than overnight. Some charges can take up to 12 hours. This charger is made for digital cameras and elctronics that drain batteries quickly. You can rechage AA or AAA batteries. An added bounus is that this particular unit comes with 4 AA rechargeable batteries. A Great solution at a great price from a well-known name like Kodak. What more could you ask.

While traveling in China I hooked up this charger to a Sharper Image voltage converter and had to through it away after it started smoking. A much better buy would be the Sony charger with worldwide voltage and for 5 dollars less.

I have had this Kodak Charger for almost 2 years now. I liked it so well I went back and order another one for my daughter.

I use mine to charge AA batteries for my Olympus and S series Canon digital cameras. My daughter recharges her C-Series Olympus camera and for re-charging battery operated toys for her twins. Between the two of us, we have 3 years experience using this model charger.

We like it because it is so portable. Just fold in the AC prongs and toss it in your bag, purse, or coat pocket. No need to carry the charger, plus an AC adapter and cord with you. This charger easily fits in our camera bags.

I have used the Kodak Rapid Charger to charge various batteries rated in power from 1600 to 2200 milliamps (mA) with no problem. It usually takes about 3 hours. What sold me was the portability and the trickle charge. With some battery chargers, you have to be sure to unplug it after so many hours before it overheats and becomes a fire hazard. The Kodak Rapid Charger can be plugged in and it will not overheat or overcharge the batteries. So, if I forget the batteries are charging it is no problem. I can unplug this charger "whenever". I especially appreciate that when I travel and can recharge the batteries in an afternoon or overnight in my hotel room. When I travel is when I am most distracted and not following my normal routine, so that is when I am most apt to forget that I have batteries charging. Not a problem with this charger. You can leave the charger plugged in indefinitely.

This charger lights up with green lights when it is charging. When the batteries are charged, the lights go out, so it is easy to see when the batteries are fully charged. Even from across the room.

Some folks have mentioned that the batteries fall out. I believe that is because when you plug this charger into a wall outlet, the batteries are in a vertical position in the charger. Gravity will tend to pull them out of the charger if the batteries are not firmly seated in the charger, or you slap the charger against the wall so hard, the batteries will bounce out of the charger. I have had this happen too. However, all I had to do is put the batteries the charger and gently insert the charger into the wall outlet. When I am in a hurry is when I have had the batteries fall out. Besides, I figured if I cannot gently insert this charger in the wall, I can always use a short extension cord so I can lay the charger in a horizontal position. However, that would mean I have to carry a cord around and I think that would defeat the portability of this charger though. I have found it is easier for me to slow down and put the charger gently into the wall so the batteries don't fall out.

I highly recommend this battery charger.

This worked fine at first but after a few months, the charger could not hold the AAA batteries in place. The spring mechanisms failed for 3 out of the 4 positions that would hold the AAA batteries. Thus, I could no longer charge the AAA batteries. Then after a while, the charger just quit working all together.