La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger
by La Crosse Technology
List Price:
Our Price: $29.32
You Save: $20.63 (41%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $24.95 (click here)
Category: Home
See more product details
Product Details
Manufacturer: La Crosse TechnologyBrand: La Crosse Technology
Edition: Kitchen
Model: BC700-CBP
Publisher: La Crosse Technology
Studio: La Crosse Technology
Music Label: La Crosse Technology
Product features:
- Battery charger for NiCad and NiMH AA and AAA rechargeable batteries
- Features 4 modes: charge, discharge, refresh, and test
- Charges both AA & AAA rechargeable batteries simultaneously
- 4 separate LCD displays for simultaneous readouts
- Overheat-detection to prevent over-charging
Description of La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger
The La Crosse Technology BC700 Alpha Power Battery Charger has four modes and charges all NiCd and NiMH AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. The four modes include charge, discharge (discharges the batteries and then recharges them), recharge (discharges and recharges up to 20 times to bring old batteries back to life) and test (displays the battery capacity). BC-700 Battery Charger " Features: ? All modes automatically default to 200 mA charge on the BC-700 Battery charger ? Charge both AA and AAA rechargeable batteries simultaneously and will charge all Low-Discharge batteries. Sanyo Eneloop, Uniross Hybrio, Nexcell EnergyOn, Accupower Acculoop and other future low discharge batteries. ? Hhas Four independent channels - Charges 1, 2, 3 , or 4 rechargeable batteries at a time. ? Overheat detection to protect over-charging and LCD shows capacity for each battery when charging is complete ? Charge Mode - allows a range of user selectable milliamp settings from 200 to 700 for faster charging times. Within 4 seconds after rechargeable batteries are inserted charging automatically begins at 200mA, or you may select 500, or 700mA charge rates for faster charging times. ? Discharge Mode - reduces memory effect by discharging rechargeable battery completely before recharging to full capacity. User selectable. ? Refresh Mode - discharges and recharges up to 20 cycles or until rechargeable battery is refreshed to full capacity. User Selectable. ? Test Mode- First charges the rechargeable battery to full capacity, then discharges completely to measure rechargeable battery capacity for display in mAh or Ah, and then recharges each rechargeable battery to full battery capacity. ? UL approved, BC 700 charger also has safeguards that sense rechargeable battery polarity, rechargeable battery temperature and defective rechargeable batteries. ? World Voltage capable - Operates on 100~240V AC Input.Tools and Hardware Reviews of La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger
Customer Review: Full featured smart charger
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an engineer, and this charger does EVERYTHING I want it to do. Smart charger with individual circuits is the ONLY way to go. And the LaCrosse has all the smart charger features you need, at a lower price than the hyped brand.
We have 4 cordless microphones at my church which take 2 AA's each. Consuming 8 AA's every week, we were spending over $200 a year on batteries. After bad memories of the old NiCd's, I decided to give rechargeables another try after learning about Eneloop and new NiMH hybrid or "low self-discharge" (or "LSD") technology. I chose this LaCrosse charger because of great reviews, solid features, and reasonable price. Three months later, I am extremely pleased and would recommend it to others.
I have been recharging and tracking our 8 AA's every week for 3 months, and now I can share my experience. First of all, the charger and 8 AA batteries have already paid for themselves. Second, I have needed all 4 of the charging modes that the LaCrosse offers.
Here is what you need to know:
1) CHARGE CURRENT: Fast charging is not good for batteries. Slower is better. Fast charging generates heat, which degrades the battery, reduces its life and in extreme cases can ruin it. The LaCrosse has 3 charging currents: 200, 500, and 700 mA. If you just put batteries in and do nothing else, it will charge at 200. This is a "slow" charge, taking 8-12 hours to charge 2000 mAh batteries. The 500 is a moderate speed, taking about 3-5 hours, batteries may be a little warm at the end. The 700 is the "fast" speed for LaCrosse, but it can charge your AA's in about 2 hours which is handy when you really need it. Batteries are pretty warm at the end, but not hot. Keep in mind, 700 is only half of the 1.5 mA or more that the "super fast" chargers pump out, which can't be good for battery life.
2) END DETECTION: Never buy timer-based chargers; overcharging will ruin NiMH batteries. Smart chargers like the LaCrosse are based on "negative delta-V". They detect the peak and voltage drop to know when the battery is full. Once this point is detected, the LaCrosse stops and then puts the battery on a very low "trickle" charge.
3) INDIVIDUAL CIRCUITS: The LaCrosse has 4 individual charging circuits. This not only means the 4 batteries can be on different charge modes and currents, but it also means that each battery gets optimally charged. Beware of cheap chargers that charge batteries in pairs. When paired, two batteries are treated as one. But since it is nearly impossible for two batteries to be at exactly the same level of discharge and/or have the exact same capacity, one battery may be undercharged, and the other may be overcharged. Overcharging can ruin a battery, and so can over-discharge when the same pair is drained together in a device.
4) TEST MODE: To know that your new batteries actually have the capacity they advertise, or to verify older batteries, you need Test mode. This LaCrosse has test mode, which lets you know the capacity of the battery. It first charges to full, then discharges it completely (to measure the capacity), then charges it again so the battery is ready to use.
5) DISCHARGE MODE: Although NiMH's claim to have no memory effect, it is still a good idea to fully discharge them on occasion. Not only will this ensure optimal capacity, but after a full discharge cycle the LaCrosse will show you the battery's measured capacity so you know the battery is still good (or going bad).
6) REFRESH MODE: Conventional NiMH's (non-LSD) need to be charge/discharge cycled a few times to reach full capacity. This charger's Refresh mode will accomplish that with one setup. Cheap chargers don't have a discharge feature at all. Also, NiMH batteries that are over-drained may need to be refreshed. This happened after using a set of batteries in the Wii remote too long. Cheap chargers would only report the battery as full, or as bad. Once again, LaCrosse's Refresh mode saved the day. After just a couple cycles, the battery charged to full capacity again. Another run of Test mode proved the batter was back to 2000 mAh.
What are you waiting for? Buy this charger!
Batteries, Chargers & Power Supplies
Tools and Hardware
Bestsellers in Batteries, Chargers & Power Supplies
Tripp Lite ISOBAR6ULTRA 6 Outlet Isobar Premium Surge Protector (3330 Joules)Tripp Lite; Windows; CE
Best price: $34.99
Price in other shops:
Tripp Lite SUPER8 Surge Protector/ Suppressor 8 outlets 8ft Cord 1080 JoulesTripp Lite; Windows; CE
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops:
Tripp Lite OMNISMART500 Omni Smart 500VA Line-Interactive UPS (6 Outlets)Tripp Lite; Windows; CE
Best price: $135.24
Price in other shops:
Tripp Lite Isobar Command Console Plus 6Outlet 9Ft-Cord with Tel 15K-InsTripp Lite; CE
Price in other shops:
Tripp Lite IB8RM 8-Outlet Isobar Premium Surge Protector (3840 Joules)Tripp Lite; Windows; CE
Best price: $62.49
Price in other shops:
Canon BP511 1100mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and CamcordersCanon Cameras US; Digital Camera
Best price: $26.99
Price in other shops:
Epson AC Adapter for PhotoPC 600 550 700 750ZEpson; Digital Camera
Price in other shops:
Kensington 62630A Guardian Basic Power Strip and Surge ProtectorKensington; No Operating System; CE
Best price: $4.79
Price in other shops:
Energizer EL1CRBP-2 3-Volt Lithium Photo Battery (2-Pack)Energizer; Energizer; Published: 2010-09-15; Health Care
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops:
Casio Cassiopeia AC Adapter SetCasio; CE
Price in other shops:
Similar Tools and Hardware Products
Sanyo Eneloop AA 16 Pack NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries -Newest version-FREE BATTERY HOLDER- Rechargeable 1500 timesSANYO; Sanyo; Health Care
Best price: $32.50
AA Battery Storage BoxDial Industries; Dial; Dial Industries; Kitchen; Home
Best price: $5.81
Bluecell 4 PCS Clear/ Blue/ Green/ Purple Color AA / AAA 4 Cell Battery Storage Case + Bluecell Cable TieBLUECELL; BLUECELL; BLUECELL; Electronics; Home
Best price: $6.39
16 Pack New Version Sanyo Eneloop 2000 MAH LOW Discharge AA Batteries Sixteen Battery BundleSANYO; CE
Best price: $32.49
AmazonBasics AAA NiMH Precharged Rechargeable Batteries (4-Pack, 800 mAh)AmazonBasics; CE
Best price: $8.15
AmazonBasics AA NiMH Precharged Rechargeable Batteries (8-Pack, 2000 mAh)AmazonBasics; CE
Best price: $17.86
Sanyo NEW 1500 eneloop 8 Pack AAA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable BatteriesSanyo; CE
Best price: $15.99
Price in other shops:
Sanyo XX Battery Powered by eneloop, 2500mAh High Capacity, 4 Pack AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable BatteriesSANYO; CE
Price in other shops:
Sanyo NEW 1500 eneloop 4 Pack AAA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable BatteriesSANYO; CE
Price in other shops:
Sanyo NEW 1500 eneloop 8 Pack AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable BatteriesSANYO; CE
Price in other shops: