Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"100-minute" charger not what it used to be, September 22, 2007
The MAHA MH-C401FS is marketed as a "100-minute battery charger". But when you use it to charge up the 2700mAh batteries that came with this charger, you'll most likely have to wait for around 160 minutes. So who lied?
The fact is, C401FS charges AA cells at a fixed current of 1000mA (in Fast mode). Several years ago when this charger was first introduced, the average capacity of an AA NiMH cell was much lower. Perhaps back then, it took about 1.6 hours (or 100 minutes) to fully recharge a 1600mAh cell. But today's AA NiMH cells have much higher capacities. So to charge up a 2700mAh cell, it now takes about 2.7 hours (or 160 minutes) to finish the job.
Aside from the misleading marketing claim, the C401FS is actually a decent charger. It is a 'Smart' charger that charges each cell individually, and stops when each cell is full. It also allows you to select between Fast (1000mA) and Slow (300mA) charging. Unless you are in a hurry, choose the slow mode since it is better for the cells. Just remember that it takes about 9 hours to fully recharge a 2700mAh cell in slow mode.
Unfortunately, the C401FS is also way over-priced for a simple charger in today's market. For about the same cost, you may want to consider an advanced battery charger/analyzer, such as the La Crosse BC-900 or BC700 instead.
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
works great, November 24, 2007
Works great, I brought back to life some of the batteries that my old charger said were dead! It did not come with the clear plastic cover in the photo, but I don't understand the need for that anyway. I use it with 5 different brands of nimh and ni-cad aa and aaa batteries without any problems. Very simple charge indicator and charges individual cells (the best way), not pairs. Primary use is for nimh AA cells in 5 different Canon powershot digital cameras. Again, this battery charger works Great!
|
|
|
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
This is a crummy charger., March 17, 2008
I bought this charger because because of the marketing points presented on the Maha Web site and the box the charger comes in:
C401FS 100 Minute Cool Charger
"Ultra low temperature charging"
"FLEX Pulse also makes traditional 'battery conditioning & cycling' unnecessary."
"Rapid charge NiMH AA batteries in under 100 minutes, coolly and efficiently."
Once you read the instruction sheet, things are quite different. It warns that batteries may reach 131 degrees F and you should leave the cover open for "better cooling." Also, "...it is necessary to cycle (new batteries) three to five times...by using (them) completely and recharging..." I also noticed it was taking considerably longer than 100 minutes to fast charge four 2700 mAh PowerEx batteries.
I queried Maha's support and received this response:
"The 100 min charging time is based on a 2000mAh batteries (sic). The charging current for the MH-C401FS is 1000mA, thus requiring about 3 hours to recharge a 2700mAh battery. Please make sure the charger's cover lid is open during charging, to avoid battery overheating. If you are still dissatisfied with the battery temperature, I'd recommend going to the MH-C9000, which has a larger size, thus better cooling." The tech didn't bother to comment on the cycling issue, though.
From the manufacturer's hype, one is lead to believe this charger has features that set it apart from others. However, this is not the case. In the fast mode, this charger will cook batteries as good as any other fast charger. It hasn't a conditioning mode, either.
Clearly, there is a major disconnect between Maha's engineering and marketing departments. From "ultra low temperature" to 131 degrees F, from "coolly" to "overheating", from "cycling unnecessary" to "it is necessary to cycle" and from "under 100" to 180 minutes for "fast" charging in the time it took to open the box.
Unless four independent charging circuits and NiCad functionality are on your wish list, this charger is no better than bargain units at half the price. So, take the manufacturer's suggestion and buy something else.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
