 "Good for AA, very bad for AAA" | 2009-05-02 |
| - Reviewed By killearn |
| Frankly, I would check out another brand. This one is expensive, and frustrating if you use AAA batteries. AAA batteries pop out of the charger every time I use it. Sometimes it pops out immediately or almost immediately. Other times I feel victorious in getting all the batteries to stay in the charger, only to later find a couple of them have popped out. I get around it by doing the obvious: I simply put all four batteries in, and charge only two (after two have popped out). Then I repeat the process. So after trying 4 twice, of the 8, I get 5 actually charged, which is all I need. |
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| "good batteries, so-so charger" | 2009-03-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A5YYJPO29CAC1 |
I got this set after reading some good reviews on the batteries and charger back in 2006. Since then, each set of 4 batteries were used together on Canon EX580 flash, charged together, and drained together.
The other day, I picked up the BC9000 and put some "fully charged" powerex batteries, just off the MH charger, in to test. The BC9000 was able to put an extra 11-12% (~300mAh) into the batteries! Also, at least 1 of 4 batteries were at least 1% off in terms of mAh... Next, I'll be running some reconditioning tests to see...
Bottom line - You are better off buying the BC-9000 for cheaper and buy 4 additional rechargeable AAs for comparable price, and you'll end up with 4 AAAs and some adapters on the side =) |
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 "So Far so Sood; Really Good" | 2007-11-29 |
| - Reviewed By springtext |
These current nimh rechargeables are totally different than the ones we tried in the 1970s - yes, I had those purple rechargeable Radio Shack batteries that lasted about 25% of the time of a regular (alkaline) battery. These are totally different. You can get the charger you want, but look for one that has a 'microprocessor' to control the level of charge: the microprocessor measures the level, and slows down the level of charging as the battery get closer to being all-the-way charged up - this extends battery life and is safer because the chance of overheating is drastically reduced. The cheaper chargers simply charge at full power for a certain span of time, then kick to a lower level, without measuring how much charge the batteries start out with, and are getting as time goes by in the charger. So, you can go inexpensive but don't go cheap. Look for the microprocessor like in this Maha 204.(This is what I learned in all of my researching before buying.)
I am now at one month with these rechargeables and the Maha, instead of throw-away alkalines. We play a sound machine (Homedics SS 2000) to help my toddler sleep each night, and he likes to play with it - so it is nice to run it off batteries instead of the plug-in cord thing. - I have been recharging after every few days, even though the batteries are still working - Duracell would have been dead.
We took lots of Thanksgiving '07 photos incl flash (similar to fujifilm s700), 2 days of family-with toddler-pics (how cute), and barn animals (B&B in coutryside) with one set of these batteries, and the flash never died.
So I am close to hitting the 'payoff' for the higher price versus Duracell Alakaline. Will hit that point with Christmas '07. If I get 100 or several hundred recharges out of these, I will practically be able to retire on the savings.
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| "Not-so-bright for a 'Smart' battery charger" | 2007-11-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: AOEAD7DPLZE53 |
The Maha C204W is marketed as a 'Smart' charger, but it has a fundamental design flaw. A real 'Smart' charger has to charge cells individually, because that is the only way it can determine when each cell is full and stop the charging. The C204W, like most 'dumb' chargers, can only charge cells in pairs.
Why is charging NiMH cells in pairs a very bad idea? Beacuse no two cells have identical capacities. Even if you start with two new cells of the same brand, their capacities will drift apart after several cycles. When you charge two cells in series, the one with lower capacity will be over-charged, and this will only accelerate the disparity in capacity next time. Eventually you'll end up with cells that can only deliver a fraction of their rated capacities.
Then there's always the problem when your application requires either one or three cells. Now you are left with one drained cell that you cannot charge. If you try to charge a drained cell in series with a full one, the latter will be badly over-charged and may even be damaged from over-heating.
The C204W has a Discharge function that can be used to 'reveive' cells with deteriorated capacities. But once again, you can only discharge two cells in series. So one cell is likely to become fully discharged before the other. Then the first cell may be forced into polarity reversal (negative voltage), which is very bad for battery life.
I should point out that the "PC Photo Editor's Choice" award for this charger was given in 2001. Also, the claim of "Recharges in one hour" is only valid when charging two 2000mAh cells. To fully recharge a set of four 2700mAh cells, it takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Perhaps back in 2001 this was considered a great charger, but by now there is no way to justify its high price. Even the Sony BCG-34HE4, at only half the cost, is a smart charger that charges cells individually (but it does take twice as long to charge). For similar price as the C204W, you could get the La Crosse BC700 which is a far more advanced battery charger, analyzer and conditioner. If you are willing to spend a bit more, reach for the top-of-the-line Maha MH-C9000 instead. All three alternatives above work with universal supply voltage (100-240V AC) as well. |
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| "Better than the Energizer bunny!" | 2007-03-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1XAO13Y4NDXDD |
I ordered the charger and batteries the second week in January for my digital camera. I have taken about 120 to 130 pictures in the last two months and I am still on my original charge.
I can't speak for professional photographers, but for this little amateur picture taker, these batteries have been great. (And the charger couldn't have been easier to use) |
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| "Excellent battery charger" | 2006-08-13 |
| - Reviewed By coasteray2 |
I bought the Maha MH-C204W charger when I bought my Canon A95 digital camera in March 2005. I looked online for quite a while before deciding on the Maha model, based, I confess, on great reviews. Of course, we all read reviews, so that's what I did. However, I had trouble with the charger soon after I got it. It wouldn't charge the batteries. I thought the top contacts on the charger were not properly contacting the batteries. In the end, after emailing Maha, they told me to send it back for a replacement. The 2nd one has been working perfectly fine for 16 months. I'm not afraid to tell anyone who reads my review that I had trouble with my first one because stuff happens, as we all know. However, I'd like to again mention that my 2nd one has worked wonderfully right out of the box ever since.
One reviewer said his discharge cycle didn't work on Bank B because of the unit's heat sensing circuitry being located under Bank B, thus shutting down Bank B before the two batteries there can charge. I've done the discharging a few times and can say that it's been fine so far. It is interesting, however, that this shutdown problem can occur, meaning that Maha should redesign this model to prevent that potential problem. Now back to better comments.
I like the fact that this charger can accomodate voltage levels from 100V to 240V, as well as 50Hz or 60Hz. You can go anywhere in the world with this model. All this without the big brick at the end of your plug-in cord. You can also detach the cord from the charger and wrap it around the charger to give yourself a very compact little package. A good idea I've found is to attach a good rubber band at the prong end of the cord, so when you're done wrapping the cord around the charger body, you can keep the cord from unravelling by simply wrapping the rubber band around the wound cord. This produces a very compact and lightweight package that neatly fits into my small carry-on bag, or my suitcase, whatever.
The Maha model has four charging stages: startup, rapid, top-off, and maintenance. In the end, your batteries will be 98% fully charged. Awesome. The MH-C204W also has an integrated battery conditioner to rescue old and degraded NiMH batteries by applying high current pulses.
Well, there are lots of chargers out there, and I'm not going to say that this model is the only great one. If you want the Lacrosse BC-900, that's okay, too, because it is a great charger with individual digital readouts for each cell. I had to choose one to go with, so I those the Maha MH-C204W and can honestly say I'm very happy with it. Good luck in choosing your personal charger. |
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