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Product Description
MH-C9000 WizardOne Battery Charger & Analyzer is suitable for the
casual consumer users, enthusiast and professionals, WizardOne is capable of charging, conditioning, analyzing,
cycling, forming and discharging one to four AA or AAA batteries, all while digitally displaying the battery capacity
and voltage. All four slots can be operated independently in different modes and settings. Those seeing the unit for the first time will be struck by its large LCD screen, backlit by ultra-bright white LEDs.
Measuring over 3.5" by 1.5", the display is more than three times larger than its closest competition and shows a
wealth of information that is easy to read. In addition to the standard charging, conditioning and discharging, the WizardOne charger-analyzer also offers two
unusual operations modes. The "Break-In" mode allows the user to input the capacity of the battery and performs a
"forming" charge designed to properly break-in new batteries. The "Cycle" mode allows user to charge and
discharge batteries consecutively while storing the capacity for up to 15 cycles.
There are ten selectable charging and discharging current from 0.2A to 2.0A and 0.1A to 1.0A respectively. The
charger also features four independent temperature sensors using Maha's latest temperature rise detection algorithm
in addition to the usual peak temperature detection. It also armed with additional patented termination algorithms
found in other Maha chargers.
The unit can be operated in a "basic" and "advanced" mode. In the basic mode, user merely needs to insert the
batteries with no further key press. The charger will select the appropriate settings automatically, making it suitable
for the casual users.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
996 of 1,030 people found the following review helpful
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.
[Update on July 17, 2012]
1. Recently the price of Maha C9000 has fallen below that of the La Crosse BC-1000 (replacement model for BC-900). So I consider the Maha a better value now.
2. I just published the "Maha MH-C9000 FAQ" here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RZCMBYAN3QKN3/
Please take a look and give suggestions on what other topics I should include.
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.
[Update on July 17, 2012]
1. Recently the price of Maha C9000 has fallen below that of the La Crosse BC-1000 (replacement model for BC-900). So I consider the Maha a better value now.
2. I just published the "Maha MH-C9000 FAQ" here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RZCMBYAN3QKN3/
Please take a look and give suggestions on what other topics I should include.
253 of 258 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful, versatile AA/AAA battery charger-conditioner-analyzer
October 27, 2008
No doubt about it: the Maha Powerex WizardOne MH-C9000 is a commanding AA/AAA battery analyzer, charger &/or conditioner with few drawbacks in my opinion. It will take on any combination of 1 to 4 rechargeable AA &/or AAA batteries, allocating separate charging current circuitry for each cell. This charger performs its functions quite well & with consistent close tolerances at that. There are few drawbacks to be aware of with this battery charger. There are already several detailed reviews published here, such as NLee the Engineer's review "Showdown: Maha MH-C9000 vs. La Crosse BC-900" (please consider taking the time to read it if you've not done so already). Here are some of my feelings as well as observations on this valuable & flexible battery charger. As with my review/thoughts on the La Crosse BC-700 charger, IF this review is too long for you THEN please consider scrolling down to the end of this review for my bottom line(s).
The Maha Powerex MH-C9000 is about the size of a decent deli sandwich... a tad bulky but still portable enough for many situations. Among its many valuable assets are the generous spaces between the charging compartments. This, naturally, helps to dissipate heat as charging occurs... not a problem at lower charging currents, which will help your rechargeable batteries to last longer, but at the higher current capabilities of this charger (up to 2 full amps for each cell, if you really want/need it) the extra spacing is a real asset. This also makes it much easier to extract batteries from compartments #2 & #3 when having 4 cells in the charger at once.
This multipurpose battery charger is plenty sturdy & will even perform a discharge function without recharging the cell(s) afterwards if you'd like. Now that is something the La Crosse chargers won't do & could come in handy, for instance, with NiCAD batteries that you wish to store for whatever reason, as it is commonly recommended that NiCADs should be stored in a discharged state while NiMH batteries are best stored charged. Additionally, there are 4 other modes to choose from: Charge (fastest & easiest), Refresh & Analyze (charge-discharge-charge with battery capacities displayed upon termination), Break-in (follows the IEC standard procedure in determining cell capacity, taking 39 to 45 hours to complete) & Cycle (the same as Refresh & Analyze except you can charge-discharge up to 3 consecutive times with a final recharge).
AA batteries are placed into the MH-C9000 positive tip first. AAA cells are inserted negative side first. After the programmed bulk charging has been delivered, the charger will then top-off charge @ 100 mA & then settle into a 10 mA trickle charge. The backlit LED display will alternately show, for one cell at a time, the approximate charge/discharge progress during operations, the charge/discharge rate itself, elapsed time (in minutes) & cell voltage... twice each per cell before moving on to the next battery's readings. It also boasts a worldwide power supply, though items such as the 12-volt connecting cord/plug are extra cost & not all vendors carry them. Along with our two C-9000 chargers, we ordered two Powerex 12 volt plug-in cords from 17th St. Photo listed here @ Amazon.com, which Maha states you must use in order not to void their fine 3-year warranty for these units.
One can choose to program charging currents from 200 mA all the way up to 2000 mA for each battery & discharging currents from 100 mA to 1000 mA. Maha recommends that charging currents of not less than 0.3C (30% of the cells rated capacity) or more than 1.0C be employed when using this charger. Too low of a charging current may prevent the negative delta voltage detection from operating optimally, the cell's charging possibly not terminating properly in this case (though we commonly charge our Sanyo eneloop hybrid NiMH batteries @ just 0.2C with no problems whatsoever thus far). Charging at too fast of a rate may damage the batteries. The maximum recommended discharge rate is 1.0C.
Programming the MH-C9000 may seem unnecessarily wearisome until you realize that if you hold down a button while programming then the choices will continue to cycle up or down the list.
*TIP*- The very moment that the choice JUST BEFORE the one you desire is displaying onscreen while you are holding a control button down then release the button at that time & the setting you want will be selected... then simply press "Enter" afterwards.
Example 1: You have placed 4 cells into the charger & want to discharge each @ 200 mA (the cell you are programming will have an indicator displayed under it). Within 10 seconds of inserting all 4 batteries, depress & hold the "Up" button, which will then display the "Cycle" option at the bottom of the display list. IMMEDIATELY lift the button & you'll have the "Discharge" function displayed, then press "Enter". Next, select the discharging current for this cell by depressing & holding the down button. When the display first shows 300 mA, lift & you'll be at the desired 200 mA. Again, press "Enter". Do this for each battery in turn. Total button depresses: 4 for each cell, 16 for all 4 cells... very easy as well as plenty fast enough (far less than one minute for programming all 4 batteries). When you get the hang of this then it's a snap, though it sure would be great if one could program all four batteries simultaneously as with the La Crosse chargers.
Example 2: You have placed 4 cells into the charger & want to "Refresh/Analyze" each @ 400 mA charging - 200 mA discharging currents. Within 10 seconds of inserting the all 4 batteries, press the "Down" button once & you will have the "Refresh/Analyze" function displayed, then press "Enter". Next, select the charging current for this cell by depressing & holding the down button. When the display first shows 500 mA (initially descending from 1000 mA) then immediately lift & you will be at the desired 400 mA of charging current. Press "Enter". Next, in selecting the discharging current, press hold the "Down" button again until 300 mA is displayed (initially descending from 500 mA) & immediately lift & you will have 200 mA selected in the display. Press "Enter". Perform this sequence for each cell. Total button depresses: 6 for each cell, 24 for all 4 cells.
Example 3: You want to recharge 4 fully discharged 2500 AA NiMH reasonably fast. Simply place them into the charger & do nothing, as the default programming current of 1000 mA will automatically engage. In about 3 hours, you'll have your batteries ready to go again. Simple as can be!
Annoyances are few with the MH-C9000. These will bother some more than others:
* The backlit display screen is plenty bright & readable IF you are about 15 degrees or so below it from viewing it straight on. Just for fun, try viewing the screen with Polaroid sunglasses on. It's like Haight-Ashbury all over again, if you know what I mean. If you view the screen at a 45-degree angle from below while it's working then it is quite difficult to read until you lean over up & over it. In this regard, though not backlit, the La Crosse BC-900/700 charger's display screens are quite a bit more readable at various angles. In addition, having the option of switching off the backlight of the C-9000 would be handy.
* The instructions are not a manual but are an unfolding sheet of paper of about 12" x 18"... passable, but a bit disappointing somehow. Having put down about $60 for each charger, a regular flip-through manual would be much nicer. The instructions are adequate, however, & are illustrated well.
* Before it performs any function, the charger will perform an impedance test on each cell & display "HIGH" if a cell fails this test, no further operations resulting. The instructions state that if this reading is thought to be in error then a "Discharge" may first be performed. However, having tried this with 2 older, rejected cells, the charger will still not continue & the program is concluded, displaying "HIGH" once again.
* The time part of the display would be much better if it would display elapsed time in hours & minutes instead of just minutes in my opinion.
* Maha informs that you may hear an audible hissing sound as the charger performs. This is normal, though thus far this has not yet been heard here. As noted by other reviewers, this may only be at higher charging rates than we are using.
Thank you for spending the time reading my review. Being a brain-injured veteran, writing my thoughts are helping me to heal as well as providing me with something useful & helpful to do. It takes quite a while for me to create a review & it's worth every hour it takes... over 6 hours in this case. It's all good.
BOTTOM LINEs- Certainly the Maha Powerex WizardOne MH-C9000 is the finest, relatively affordable AA/AAA battery charger-conditioner-analyzer presently available to us common folk. It takes less than a minute to fully program 4 batteries identically once you get the hang of it. Its versatility & power make it a great choice for most applications. It may reject your older rechargeable batteries as being too high in impedance/resistance, but by using newer, premium-quality NiMH cells (such as Powerex, Sanyo, Sony, Titanium, etc.) then this should present no problem whatsoever. Its independent charging circuits will perform balanced operations on your investment in rechargeable batteries & will more than pay for itself over time... especially if you continuously use as many AA & AAA batteries as we do. The 3-year warranty is top-shelf & its power consumption is quite reasonable, as a C-9000 performing charging/discharging operations 24/7 for a full month will consume about 2 kWh of electricity while charging @ 400 mA & discharging @ 200 mA. Read more ›
The Maha Powerex MH-C9000 is about the size of a decent deli sandwich... a tad bulky but still portable enough for many situations. Among its many valuable assets are the generous spaces between the charging compartments. This, naturally, helps to dissipate heat as charging occurs... not a problem at lower charging currents, which will help your rechargeable batteries to last longer, but at the higher current capabilities of this charger (up to 2 full amps for each cell, if you really want/need it) the extra spacing is a real asset. This also makes it much easier to extract batteries from compartments #2 & #3 when having 4 cells in the charger at once.
This multipurpose battery charger is plenty sturdy & will even perform a discharge function without recharging the cell(s) afterwards if you'd like. Now that is something the La Crosse chargers won't do & could come in handy, for instance, with NiCAD batteries that you wish to store for whatever reason, as it is commonly recommended that NiCADs should be stored in a discharged state while NiMH batteries are best stored charged. Additionally, there are 4 other modes to choose from: Charge (fastest & easiest), Refresh & Analyze (charge-discharge-charge with battery capacities displayed upon termination), Break-in (follows the IEC standard procedure in determining cell capacity, taking 39 to 45 hours to complete) & Cycle (the same as Refresh & Analyze except you can charge-discharge up to 3 consecutive times with a final recharge).
AA batteries are placed into the MH-C9000 positive tip first. AAA cells are inserted negative side first. After the programmed bulk charging has been delivered, the charger will then top-off charge @ 100 mA & then settle into a 10 mA trickle charge. The backlit LED display will alternately show, for one cell at a time, the approximate charge/discharge progress during operations, the charge/discharge rate itself, elapsed time (in minutes) & cell voltage... twice each per cell before moving on to the next battery's readings. It also boasts a worldwide power supply, though items such as the 12-volt connecting cord/plug are extra cost & not all vendors carry them. Along with our two C-9000 chargers, we ordered two Powerex 12 volt plug-in cords from 17th St. Photo listed here @ Amazon.com, which Maha states you must use in order not to void their fine 3-year warranty for these units.
One can choose to program charging currents from 200 mA all the way up to 2000 mA for each battery & discharging currents from 100 mA to 1000 mA. Maha recommends that charging currents of not less than 0.3C (30% of the cells rated capacity) or more than 1.0C be employed when using this charger. Too low of a charging current may prevent the negative delta voltage detection from operating optimally, the cell's charging possibly not terminating properly in this case (though we commonly charge our Sanyo eneloop hybrid NiMH batteries @ just 0.2C with no problems whatsoever thus far). Charging at too fast of a rate may damage the batteries. The maximum recommended discharge rate is 1.0C.
Programming the MH-C9000 may seem unnecessarily wearisome until you realize that if you hold down a button while programming then the choices will continue to cycle up or down the list.
*TIP*- The very moment that the choice JUST BEFORE the one you desire is displaying onscreen while you are holding a control button down then release the button at that time & the setting you want will be selected... then simply press "Enter" afterwards.
Example 1: You have placed 4 cells into the charger & want to discharge each @ 200 mA (the cell you are programming will have an indicator displayed under it). Within 10 seconds of inserting all 4 batteries, depress & hold the "Up" button, which will then display the "Cycle" option at the bottom of the display list. IMMEDIATELY lift the button & you'll have the "Discharge" function displayed, then press "Enter". Next, select the discharging current for this cell by depressing & holding the down button. When the display first shows 300 mA, lift & you'll be at the desired 200 mA. Again, press "Enter". Do this for each battery in turn. Total button depresses: 4 for each cell, 16 for all 4 cells... very easy as well as plenty fast enough (far less than one minute for programming all 4 batteries). When you get the hang of this then it's a snap, though it sure would be great if one could program all four batteries simultaneously as with the La Crosse chargers.
Example 2: You have placed 4 cells into the charger & want to "Refresh/Analyze" each @ 400 mA charging - 200 mA discharging currents. Within 10 seconds of inserting the all 4 batteries, press the "Down" button once & you will have the "Refresh/Analyze" function displayed, then press "Enter". Next, select the charging current for this cell by depressing & holding the down button. When the display first shows 500 mA (initially descending from 1000 mA) then immediately lift & you will be at the desired 400 mA of charging current. Press "Enter". Next, in selecting the discharging current, press hold the "Down" button again until 300 mA is displayed (initially descending from 500 mA) & immediately lift & you will have 200 mA selected in the display. Press "Enter". Perform this sequence for each cell. Total button depresses: 6 for each cell, 24 for all 4 cells.
Example 3: You want to recharge 4 fully discharged 2500 AA NiMH reasonably fast. Simply place them into the charger & do nothing, as the default programming current of 1000 mA will automatically engage. In about 3 hours, you'll have your batteries ready to go again. Simple as can be!
Annoyances are few with the MH-C9000. These will bother some more than others:
* The backlit display screen is plenty bright & readable IF you are about 15 degrees or so below it from viewing it straight on. Just for fun, try viewing the screen with Polaroid sunglasses on. It's like Haight-Ashbury all over again, if you know what I mean. If you view the screen at a 45-degree angle from below while it's working then it is quite difficult to read until you lean over up & over it. In this regard, though not backlit, the La Crosse BC-900/700 charger's display screens are quite a bit more readable at various angles. In addition, having the option of switching off the backlight of the C-9000 would be handy.
* The instructions are not a manual but are an unfolding sheet of paper of about 12" x 18"... passable, but a bit disappointing somehow. Having put down about $60 for each charger, a regular flip-through manual would be much nicer. The instructions are adequate, however, & are illustrated well.
* Before it performs any function, the charger will perform an impedance test on each cell & display "HIGH" if a cell fails this test, no further operations resulting. The instructions state that if this reading is thought to be in error then a "Discharge" may first be performed. However, having tried this with 2 older, rejected cells, the charger will still not continue & the program is concluded, displaying "HIGH" once again.
* The time part of the display would be much better if it would display elapsed time in hours & minutes instead of just minutes in my opinion.
* Maha informs that you may hear an audible hissing sound as the charger performs. This is normal, though thus far this has not yet been heard here. As noted by other reviewers, this may only be at higher charging rates than we are using.
Thank you for spending the time reading my review. Being a brain-injured veteran, writing my thoughts are helping me to heal as well as providing me with something useful & helpful to do. It takes quite a while for me to create a review & it's worth every hour it takes... over 6 hours in this case. It's all good.
BOTTOM LINEs- Certainly the Maha Powerex WizardOne MH-C9000 is the finest, relatively affordable AA/AAA battery charger-conditioner-analyzer presently available to us common folk. It takes less than a minute to fully program 4 batteries identically once you get the hang of it. Its versatility & power make it a great choice for most applications. It may reject your older rechargeable batteries as being too high in impedance/resistance, but by using newer, premium-quality NiMH cells (such as Powerex, Sanyo, Sony, Titanium, etc.) then this should present no problem whatsoever. Its independent charging circuits will perform balanced operations on your investment in rechargeable batteries & will more than pay for itself over time... especially if you continuously use as many AA & AAA batteries as we do. The 3-year warranty is top-shelf & its power consumption is quite reasonable, as a C-9000 performing charging/discharging operations 24/7 for a full month will consume about 2 kWh of electricity while charging @ 400 mA & discharging @ 200 mA. Read more ›
153 of 155 people found the following review helpful
I purchased the Maha C9000 as a backup for a La Crosse BC-900. I use the BC-900 at work, and the C9000 at home.
First, the good. The C9000 was able to recover a set of ancient Energizer NiMH batteries which the BC-900 wouldn't even recognize. The C9000 also has more conditioning modes than the BC-900.
Like the BC-900, the C9000 charges batteries independent of each other, and you can put each battery on a different mode. The charging rate of the second and subsequent batteries isn't limited to the charging rate of the first, an annoying limitation of the BC-900.
Now the bad. First, the C9000 is more expensive than the BC-900, and doesn't come with any extras like batteries or battery adapters.
The C9000's lighted display won't turn off as long as it's plugged in, so you'll want to move it out of the bedroom unless you want a night light.
The C9000's display only shows status for one battery at a time. To view status for all the batteries, you have to wait for it to automatically switch to the next battery, or use the buttons.
The default charging rate is 1000 mAh. The BC-900's default rate of 200 mAh is a better rate for prolonging the life of the battery.
If you keep your batteries in good shape, the cheaper and better equipped La Crosse BC-900 is a better deal, but for specialized tasks the Maha C9000 is unequaled.
First, the good. The C9000 was able to recover a set of ancient Energizer NiMH batteries which the BC-900 wouldn't even recognize. The C9000 also has more conditioning modes than the BC-900.
Like the BC-900, the C9000 charges batteries independent of each other, and you can put each battery on a different mode. The charging rate of the second and subsequent batteries isn't limited to the charging rate of the first, an annoying limitation of the BC-900.
Now the bad. First, the C9000 is more expensive than the BC-900, and doesn't come with any extras like batteries or battery adapters.
The C9000's lighted display won't turn off as long as it's plugged in, so you'll want to move it out of the bedroom unless you want a night light.
The C9000's display only shows status for one battery at a time. To view status for all the batteries, you have to wait for it to automatically switch to the next battery, or use the buttons.
The default charging rate is 1000 mAh. The BC-900's default rate of 200 mAh is a better rate for prolonging the life of the battery.
If you keep your batteries in good shape, the cheaper and better equipped La Crosse BC-900 is a better deal, but for specialized tasks the Maha C9000 is unequaled.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not hard to use
It is very easy to change settings on this unit. The breakin cycle last over 2 days on the 2500mAh Enloops. Read more
Published 1 day ago by B. Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works great...
Works great...read the manual first...well worth the price. Considering what I spend for batteries definitely worth it. Solid construction and durable.
Published 7 days ago by Keif
3.0 out of 5 stars
Everything you need except craftsmanship.
I would have given this 1 star for it's craftsmanship and 5 for charging quality and functions.
The problem I had was the "enter" button wore out/stopped working after 3... Read more
The problem I had was the "enter" button wore out/stopped working after 3... Read more
Published 11 days ago by T. Fernlund
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome charger! Hats off.
This is very good and very smart charger. This charger is for those who want to extract every last drop of juice from the batteries while keeping them lasting for long time. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Sergii Golub
5.0 out of 5 stars
Versatile Workhorse. Revived Presumed-Dead Batteries.
I bought this at least 6 years ago. Order history doesn't reach back that far. No problems with Duracell, Energizer, Lenmar, or Kodak. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Mark
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works Great! It's like having four separate chargers!
Can't say enough about this one....right out of the box it is easy to use without having to break out the instructions to do the basic charge/discharge functions. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Juan Allegro
5.0 out of 5 stars
this charger is fantastic
this is a very complicated but great charger I don't know how to use all the features or get the best out of it but it does everything that I need it to do.
Published 1 month ago by Drew King
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best-of-breed AA / AAA charger
Excellent design, product build quality, and operation
- Plenty of space around and under each battery to allow proper cooling. Read more
- Plenty of space around and under each battery to allow proper cooling. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gilbert Valnonnia
3.0 out of 5 stars
NO Reverse Polarity Detection-Dangerous
I have had a Maha MHC-9000 for many years. I own several of them. I always thought they had reverse polarity detection. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Matthew Becker
1.0 out of 5 stars
Over-hyped junk.
Refuses to charge 80% of the batteries that I have, showing "High" on the display. According to the charger manual I should have discarded the batteries and purchased new... Read more
Published 1 month ago by N. Gaydarov
