168 of 180 people found the following review helpful:
Battery is weak link
I have owned this product about 4 months and have had to replace the battery pack for one unit already.The Battery pack lasted about 4 weeks and then it stopped working it would just get very hot but had no charge. Contacted customer service who had me return the batteries at my expense and they sent me new batteries in a previously used envelope (I mention this as it is...
This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
Picked this up the other day....suffice to say they are selling like hotcakes at the Gamestops across the country.
This is a definite purchase for a Wii Owner:
Included in the package is:
Charging Stand
2 Rechargeable Battery Packs
2 Rubberized Battery Covers (Necessary to use)
After unpacking the unit....you see that the rechargeable battery pack slides inthe the Wii Remotes battery compartment with a snap and has a protruding part with the 4 metal contacts for the charging station.....this is why the use of the rubberized battery compartment covers is mandatory as the covers have the hole for access to the battery contacts.
Placing the controllers with everything installed into the charger initially worried me as I wasn't sure if I had to remove the Wrist Straps.
Thankfully...you do not have to....there are small grooves on the left and right of the stand for you to lay the Wrist strab connection through.
Charging of the 2 remotes from install took approximately 3-4 hours.....and everything works like a charm and it looks great.
If you have a Wii....buy it....[...] with batteries....not too bad :)
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
As many other reviewers, I quickly learned after getting my Wii that the Wiimotes are understandably battery hogs. I'm a little surprised Nintendo didn't build something like this into the system. Regardless, this charger really does the job, and you almost expect to see a Nintendo logo on it because of the great job Nyko has done with quality and style that matches the Wii itself.
I don't use skins on my Wiimotes (just looks like a hindrance to me), so that hasn't been an issue, although I imagine it would be for any charger/cradle, not just this one. The rubberized battery doors required to use this kit really do improve the overall feel of the Wiimote.
I don't know if battery life matches regular alkalines, but that's because I just put the controllers back in the cradle when I'm not using them, and they always stay charged! I haven't had the indicator on the screen get below the full 4 bars while I've been playing so far.
Also, I prefer the wall plug setup used by this as opposed to some other models that plug into the USB port on the Wii. Those models can only charge one controller and take longer because of the power limits of USB. The wall plug also allows you to keep your charger somewhere else in the room if you like.
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
I have owned this product about 4 months and have had to replace the battery pack for one unit already.The Battery pack lasted about 4 weeks and then it stopped working it would just get very hot but had no charge. Contacted customer service who had me return the batteries at my expense and they sent me new batteries in a previously used envelope (I mention this as it is indicative of an extremely small shoe string operation not a solid company). The new battery worked fine for awhile but now one battery pack is definitely getting hotter than the other so will probably not last and is out of guarantee. I think this is a good idea just not a quality product needs to be re engineered and made by a quality company.
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57 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
Get Rechargeable AAs instead, October 10, 2007
A Kid's Review
Fun:
This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
I say you should forget about charge stations! The reason why is because Rechargeable AAs give you much longer playing time, take less time to charge, and there is a lot less chance that they will kill you Wii controller.Also they allow you to keep your skins on your controller. The rechargeable AAs are only a little more money, and they last much longer then the charge stations do!!! Please do not make the same mistake that many other people do!You on average only have to charge the AAs about once a week, instead of everyday to every other day! This is a review from Jesse.
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
On the intial charge the battery melted and nearly ruined my Wiimote if I hadn't checked on it and realized it felt a little too warm. Customer support offered to replace what they determined was a defective battery but declined to replace my Wiimote or give a refund. Great idea but it seems I am not the only one that is having problems with this product. If you have the money to risk it may work out for you but beware that it is a potential fire hazard and could at the very least ruin your Wiimote which cost $40 to replace. I wish I could give this thing a 0 or even negative stars. Buy at your own risk.
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
I bought this same model at Wal-Mart, the first one caught fire and burned up, the second one worked fine for a month or so but now only the left charging station will actually charge anything.
I'd suggest normal AA rechargables, easier to find parts for.
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
I purchased mine a month ago. After about 2 weeks, one of the batteries went dead (the other worked fine in either controller). I wrote their customer service, and they told me to return it at my expense and they'd send me a new one. They then returned the battery and it still didn't work -- same problem. At the same time, the second battery went bad. Rather than pay more shipping, I just dropped it in the trash. I'm using the stand, just not the batteries...
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
Do not... I repeat Do not buy this or any other charging stand. Nintendo told me today (4/24/08) that they are getting many calls from customers to their help line regarding remotes that stopped working and have been damaged beyond repair.
Their recommendation was to stop using these chargers with rechargeable battery packs immediately.
Not only that, they also said they will void your warranty.
A clear indication this is true is Nintendo does not offer recharge stations for WII Remotes. Think about it and if you don't believe me, call the Nintendo help line.
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
- I've had the Wii Charge Station for just over 3 months and the cells are not holding a charge well enough to last through an hour of play.
- The placement of the wiimotes in the cradle (as you have read) is finicky. You have to take the back off if you use the Wii Zapper (and probably anything else that the wiimote fits into).
- There's a better solution to the wiimote rechargeable problem. "They" (you know, them) sell rechargeable "AA's" that can charge in 15 minutes and last almost as long as an alkaline "AA" between charges. You can get four plus a quick charger for around the same price as the Wii Charge Station, less if you shop around.
- I picked one of these up in October - I saw a Wii at a local store and jumped on it - I figured I would need some rechargeable batteries since I heard the wiimotes sucked down "AA's" like a Bugatti Veyron sucks down hi-test at full speed (they do). I think I paid $29 for it. It's a good idea, just poorly executed. Get the quick chargers and look for the 2200 or 2500 mAh cells plus a charger for less money. And don't even talk to me about buying replacement cells for $8 (plus) each when you can get replacement rechargeable "AA's" at $9 for four... And, you can buy more rechargeable "AA's" if, for example, you bought that RC "Spy Car" for Christmas which takes a total of 12, yes 12, "AA's" and chews them up almost as fast as a wiimote. 15 minutes a week or a headache every time you use it, your choice.
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This review is from: Wii Charge Station (Accessory)
I was excited when I got my package from Amazon knowing it was my new charger for my wiimotes. I was disappointed when I put the controller in the #1 slot and saw no indicator light come on. I wasn't sure if the light was broken or the entire slot was broken, so I resolved to use my wiimote for a few days and then attempt to charge it. To my surprise, I set the controller in the cradle and BAM, the light comes on. I guess it was operator error, or some other issues I am unaware of, but the thing works very well.
It's nice not burning through 4 AA's/month and being able to charge these controllers. It is a nice attractive cradle for your wiimotes as well. I keep mine next to my seat on the couch. The battery covers are different from the originals, arguably more comfortable (& a better grip). The battery packs don't weigh more than normal batteries so it won't throw off your game. Also, I think it is actually boosting the signal of the wiimote. I used to have it flutter and jump around a bit on the screen like it was trying to maintain a connection... and that is completely gone now.
This is just a good way to not have to use a lot of batteries. The charge holds for a long time, so you can still marathon play without worrying about slow charge times. It takes about 3 hours to full charge. I am very glad I bought this... it took away the one disadvantage of a wireless system. Definitely recommend it.
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