Customer Reviews

RAYOVAC PS5-B I-C3 2-Position 15-Minute Battery Charger With Batteries

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This charger works great. Automatic stopping at 15 minutes, then trickle charges if you leave the batteries in the charger. There's a cooler fan when its on the 15 minutes cycle.
The 15 minutes charge only works on Rayovac I-C 3 types of battery, the charger works for other types of rechargeables also, NiMH and MiCd, in the overnight mode. The I-C 3 batteries can be charged in other chargers also, at the charger's rated speed. The PS5 can be used in countries with 120V-240V outlets. Outlet adapters not supplied.

This is a must have for international travel if you will be taking AA or AAA battery powered devices. The 15-minute recharging time (for I-C3 batteries only) cannot be beat, and unlike Rayovac's 4-position charger Rayovac Ic3 15 Minute Battery Charger (PS6-4B), this charger is dual voltage. All you need is the appropriate plug adapters and one set of all the Rayovac I-C3 15 Minute Rechargeable Batteries, AA , 4 batteries & Rayovac I-C3 15 Minute NiMH Batteries, AAA Size, 4 Pack required to power all your devices (it comes with Rayovac I-C3 15 Minute NiMH AA Size Carded 2 Pack).

Note: I-C3 batteries do get very hot during their rapid charge, not hot enough to really burn you or to damage the device you put them into, but certainly hot enough to startle you into dropping them if you are not prepared for it. It is also worth noting that the charger switches automatically to trickle-charging in case you want to keep a set of batteries "topped off".

I've had the 2 position (PS5) IC3 charger for a little over 2 years. I bought it because it's fast, light, and portable. Unlike all the other fast (under 60 min) chargers on the market, this one does not use a power brick. It has a fold out plug (US standard 110-120V), and will work elsewhere with a plug adapter since it supports 110-240V. Yes, it really does charge IC3 batteries in 15 minutes or less.

I have a Canon PS A70 (newer model on the way) with a very small carrying case, and I bought a second (slightly larger) case to put this charger (and a set of batteries) in. With two sets and a 15 minute (per pair, 30 minutes for my 4 battery set) recharge, I have never run out of power.

I haven't had a set of batteries die on me yet, so I can't complain. I don't have any IC3 AAAs, I don't have any high drain AAA devices.

It does have a couple disadvantages:

It only charges 1 or 2 batteries at a time. They have a 4 cell charger, but it does use a power brick so it's not as portable.

The IC3 batteries are a bit more expensive than other name brand NiMH batteries, but if you shop a bit, they're barely more.

It only fast charges IC3 batteries. It will charge other NiMH or NiCd batteries, but it trickle charges them (8-16 hours). If they added a 30 minute capability for non IC3 batteries, this thing would be perfect.

IC3's are only available in 2000MAh (AA) and 800MAh (?) (AAA) capacities. In my experience, that's plenty, especially since I always have my spare set charged and ready to go and I can't drain a set as fast as this thing charges. Unless I were away from AC power (or a DC-AC inverter) for an extended period, I will never run out of juice.

Some reviews I've read have referred to this as "noisy" or "loud". The fan does spin pretty fast so there is definite fan noise and whine, but I've never found it to be annoying and I can be pretty sensitive to sounds.

Despite those "limitations", I still think it's deserving of at least 4.5 stars. If those "limitations" aren't a problem for you (I'll bet they won't be), buy this unit and some IC3s and enjoy.

Cheap (at least the charger is), fast, light, portable, world-wide capable, and reliable is a tough combination to beat.

P.S. I've recommended these to several friends and they've loved them too.

Not only do these batteries charge in 15 minutes, they hold their charge well. I have a digital camera that was eating through AA batteries literally overnight. We purchased the Rayovac 15 minute rechargeables because we assumed we'd have to live with our camera being an energy hog. We were pleasantly surprised to find these batteries lasted in our camera about a month before needing recharged anyway!

They are ideal on a vacation or work environment where batteries are critical (e.g. husband as a real estate appraiser) and a several hour charge is an inconvenience. After 3 charges, the batteries payed for themselves.

Do not worry if you have normal rechargeable batteries too- the charger will still charge regular NiMh or NiCd overnight (but not alkaline or rechargeable alkaline). When you plug the charger in with the 15 min batteries, a cooling fan in the unit will whirr with about the same noise as a pc fan but keeps the batteries and unit from overheating. The batteries are very warm afterwards, but not too hot to touch.

Having owned this unit for over a year, I have never been dissatisfied- I have 15 minute rechargeables in 2 cordless computer mice, a Game Boy Advance and 2 digital cameras. Again, if you have a situation that demands batteries (whether it be a job, vacation, or a child's toy) the 15 minute rechargeables are perfect.

This really is the BEST family of chargers I have ever used. I've had a four-slot one for over a year and a half, and I just bought a second one (of this model). I must admit I was skeptical about the claims of 15-minute charges, but am pleased to report it really lived up to the hype! The feature I really like about this model is the fold-away plug--there is no power brick to lose!

They really charge in fifteen minutes, and they last a long time in my digital camera. They also don't have the "memory" problem some other rechargeables have, so you can charge them when they are totally drained or when they are nearly full without impacting the battery life. I've charged mine hundreds of times now, and they still give me great performance!

With typical alkalines, I may get up to 30 minutes of camera use. With these, I have been able to take photos during a day-long event without needing to change sets! The most non-flash photos on a single charge? 279!

The rapid charge time almost eliminates the need for extra sets of batteries (ones normally set aside to charge while the other set is in use), but for a high-demand device like a camera, it may still be a good option. I picked up our second charger to support a second digital camera and some additional FRS/GSM radios.

The charger shuts off once the charge cycle is completed, so you don't need to worry about overcharging, or leaving the charger "on".

ONE WARNING - THE BATTERIES GET REALLY HOT!

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Don't throw them in the charger and then ask a young child to retrieve them. My hands are thick-skinned and calloused, and I still find them very hot to the touch!

This is the best battery charger I have ever used. I have never been a big fan of Rayovac before but they outdid themselves on this technology. Most battery charges will charge any old rechargeable battery in 2 hours or so. Rayovac applied intelligence to the battery instead of the charger to develop its I-C3 technology that provides outstanding performance in charging time and battery endurance in this unit.

I have a high-end digital camera that eats batteries. I had four sets of expensive rechargeables that I rotated in the charger all the time before buying the Rayovac. When I bought my first Rayovac 15 minute charger I was very impressed when the charger cut off in almost exactly 15 minutes of charging. I used this set a batteries all day without any problems. I was actually quite surprised that these batteries were lasting longer than the ones that took two hours to charge!

I am now using the Rayovac 15 minute batteries in everything that takes AA and AAA. Now I have three Chargers (car, work and home). I even sent away for the car adapter so that on the 20-minute drive to where I am going to use my camera I have afresh set batteries. And because these batteries can be charged 1,000 times I won't be buying new ones anytime soon.

I can't say anything particularly bad about this battery system. Unlike most chargers this unit has a built-in fan. Because these batteries charge so fast they get quite warm. The fan drawls cool air from underneath the batteries and exhausts it out the top of the charger. Once you hear the fan turn off you know the batteries are charged, if you're not looking at the indicator lights. Both the 2 battery and 4 battery chargers can handle AA and AAA batteries and it does not seem to matter whether you put in one or all four batteries, it works.

I have now used these batteries in toys, CD players, etc... and they perform sometimes four times as long as alkaline batteries. I can't imagine why anyone would want to buy a charger that takes 30 minutes or an hour when the Rayovac 15 minute charger is on the market.

It works. I no longer throw away AAA batteries. I recharge in 15 minutes. These play longer than disposable AAA batteries. A wonderful product. Highest rec. if you use batteries for MP3 player like I do.

I'm really impressed by the way this product has worked so far, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. After 15 mins or so, the batteries are fully charged and quite hot though.

I've found that these batteries doesn't work with some appliances such as digital clocks, maybe because they have an output of only 1.2 volts, instead of 1.5 alkaline batteries have.

I love the battery charger - it takes only 15 min to complete charging and lasts for long time! I got the package earlier than expected - in 2 days (paid for ground delivery 3-7 days). Highly reccomend this seller and the product. Definitely will buy again! Thanks a lot!

This Rayovac 15-minute charger has impressed me. One of the compact digital cameras that I have is a Canon A85, which uses 4 AA's. Since I've acquired these batteries, I have changed them only 6 times since last summer with about 50-100 photos per month. Of course, it is very convenient as it takes only 15 minutes to charge. Most compact digital cameras nowadays only use 2-AA's (if they take the AA size), but even for my Canon that uses 4, it is still worth the 30 minutes to wait, as it only charges 2 at a time. I'm not quite sure why it has been pulled off the shelf, but I think it's a great product. Yes, the batteries are hot when they are charged, but nothing to be concerned about. I work in a photo lab in a retail store and used to recommend them over the Duracell and Energizer brands. I actually had more of those 2 brands returned due to breaking down, while I can't recall ever getting a Rayovac returned.