Powerex MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger: Digital-Camera-Near.com

Powerex MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger

Powerex MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger
by Maha Energy Corporation

List Price: ~~$64.95~~
Our Price: $44.90
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Category: CE
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Customers in the UK, Buy this product at amazon.co.uk for British Pounds

Digital Photo Product Details

Manufacturer: Maha Energy Corporation
Model: MH-C800S
Product features:

Eight independent slots for AA/AAA - It's like having 8 chargers!
LCD Display - Easy to read.
Deep Cycle Conditioning
Worldwide Power Supply - Smaller light weight power adapter
Selectable soft and rapid charging speeds - BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED!

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Powerex MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger

Customer Review: Does exactly what it should do.
Summary: 4 Stars

This is a pretty large battery charger, but if you need to charge a lot of rechargeable AA or AAA batteries often, then this one will do it, and do it well. I have an outdoor walkway solar lighting system that requires 24 rechargeable AA batteries. Since I swap these out with 24 other rechargeable batteries fairly often, I really needed this product.

You can charge one battery or eight batteries or any number in between, and they can be a combination of AA or AAA NiCAD or NiMH batteries -- no other type (but there is no worry about where they are placed in the charger or in what order). The Powerex gives you 3 modes of charge: Rapid, Soft and Conditioning (refresh). Its default setting is Rapid (just put in the batteries -- there is nothing further to do). If you want to Soft charge, place just one battery in and push the button on the right within 5 seconds (release the button when you see "soft charging" printed in the window), then add the rest of your batteries -- they will all Soft charge). If you want to Condition, go through the same procedure, except you push the button on the left. I don't use the Rapid mode. I use Soft mode (easier on the batteries and I think this should have been the default mode) and no doubt I will condition these batteries if they begin to show signs of not performing as long as they should.

How long does it take to charge your batteries? The manual states 1 to 2 hours on Rapid mode, 2 to 4 on Soft mode, and up to 16 hours on Conditioning mode. Time is also dependent upon the mAh of your batteries. It will take a lot longer to charge 2700mAh batteries than it would to charge 600mAh batteries (for batteries under 800mAh always use Soft mode, never Rapid mode).

Unlike the La Cross BC-900U (which I also own), this unit is very simple to operate (but costs more). The La Cross has more flexibility (allows wider range of charge rates starting at 200mA, not just a Rapid 1.0A (1,000mA) charge rate or a Soft 0.5A (500mA) charge rate, but it's more complex and more restrictive to use). Between the two, I prefer the Powerex MH-C800S (and the ability to charge twice the batteries). Plus, the La Cross display bit the dust after a month of use and needs repair already.

Batteries fit tightly in the Powerex and are fairly difficult to remove (not so on my La Cross), and the screen fonts are so tiny that they are next to impossible to read (depending upon your vision). Luckily, the screen displays 8 large battery icons to let you know what is happening to each battery during the charge and when they are done. The batteries do get very warm right after being charged (they cool quickly though). I would not recommend using this and going to bed. It's also a good idea to place this on a non-flammable surface. But I think that would be the case for any battery charger. Better to be safe than sorry.

All-in-all, a quick convenient way to charge a lot of batteries with a unit that is very simple to operate. Between 1 and 10, I give the Powerex an 8. It's far too early to tell how long this charger will last (or if I'll have problems like I did with the La Cross), but hopefully I'll get many years of usage of it.

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Description of Powerex MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger

The MH-C800S features eight independent slots that can charge one to eight AA or AAA batteries in any combination around one to two hours - it's like having eight chargers! The unit also incorporates a large LCD screen featuring the charging status of each battery. This new charger uses the same precision microprocessor as its professional sister model MH-C801D. The user can choose between a soft and a fast charge mode. The soft charge delivers the highest battery life and allows 100% compatibility with older, lower capacity batteries. The fast charge allows eight batteries to be fully charged to their maximum capacity in as little as one to two hours. The Eight Cell charger is embedded with a high-rate battery conditioner that will charge, deep-discharge and recharge batteries automatically for maximum performance. The cycle restores the batteries to their optimal performance level minimizing the memory effect. Batteries that were previously thought ready for the recycle bin can be brought back to life. The MH-C800S can be used anywhere around the world using the included switching AC power supply, perfect for home, office and travel.

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