Duracell CEF15NC 15 minute Battery Charger Review

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(More customer reviews)The Duracell 15 Minute Battery Charger has 4 channels (or battery slots) for charging 4 AA / AAA batteries.
Charge Time
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- The battery charger works as advertised; it fully charges NiMH rechargeable batteries in about 15 minutes. Charge times can be longer for batteries that are higher in capacity than the ones that come with the charger (2500 mAH). For example, it sometimes takes up to 20 minutes to charge my 2650 mAH AA Duracell batteries.LED Light
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- The LED light can indicate one of three charge status:
1) Off ......... Charge is complete for all channels
2) On ......... Charging is in progress on at least one channel
3) Blinking ... 1 or more batteries are bad
Unlike some battery chargers (such as the Energizer 15 Minute Charger), it doesn' have 4 independent LED lights to indicate charge status for each of the channels. There's, therefore, no way to know WHICH channel has completed its charge and WHICH channel has a bad battery.Bad Battery Woes
----------------
If the Charger detects a bad/damaged battery (indicated by its blinking LED light), it will refuse to charge the battery.
This charger used to frequently reject batteries that I had used only a few times (money down the drain). I had to keep buying new batteries -- and that was very annoying!
At first, I thought maybe this charger was actually ruining my batteries! But I managed to finally catch on to what was happening: my camera was the culprit!
The reason: on many camera's and other high-drain devices, batteries can be over-discharged and can go through a phenomenon known as "polarity reversal." Many devices have a built-in mechanism to detect when batteries reach a "cut-off" voltage (or more properly termed, the end-of-discharge voltage), and shuts down automatically before damage can occur. Many devices, however, do not have such a mechanism.
Now, I'm careful to not over-discharge my rechargeable batteries - I have never had a bad battery in a long time.Conclusion
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The Duracell 15 Minute Battery Charger works flawlessly. My only complaint is that it doesn't have 4 independent LED lights to indicate charge status for each of the channels.


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PowerUP Battery Charger for AA & AAA Batteries with (4) High Capacity AA truCELL 2700 series Rechargable Ni-MH batteries Review

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(More customer reviews)The four AA rechargeables alone are worth the price. The charger is primitive--no automatic shutoff, no on/off switch, no labeling telling you which slots to use if you are charging only two batteries--but it works.
It took me a few minutes to realize that there was a plastic film that needed to be removed from the contacts on the charger before it would work.

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4 pieces of 9V 250mAh NiMH high capacity rechargeable Battery Review

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(More customer reviews)The performance of these batteries has been surprisingly good! I've been using them for almost one year now. I use them in a set of Shure wireless mics (see my review of the mics on Amazon.com). They have been doing an outstanding and demanding job. Their capacity is very good. Additionally, I feel environmentally green by using rechargeable battery. They pay for themselves after few recharges easy. I've been very happy with this product. Highly recommended.

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Moixa MXAA02 USBCell AA Rechargeable USB Cell Batteries 4 Pack Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)This product (Moixa MXAA02 USBCell) is based on a great idea - the kind of idea that makes you smack your forehead and exclaim "Why didn't *I* think of that!" Basically you take a '3/4 AA' NiMH cell, and attach an USB-powered charger on top of it. Now you've got a rechargeable AA battery that can be charged from any USB port. So you'll never be caught without a battery charger - as long as there is a computer nearby.
Great idea aside, there are practical limitations for this USBCELL:
- It is very expensive (about 4 times the cost of a typical AA NiMH cell).
- Its capacity is only 1300mAh (compared to 2000-2700mAh for a typical AA NiMH cell).
- Its charging time is relatively long (5 hours to charge to 90%)
The product description claims that you can also recharge the USBCELL in an "approved NiMH charger" at 250mA for 7 Hours. But make sure that the charger is a 'smart' one. A timer-based 'dumb' charger will badly overcharge the USBCELL, because it treats all cells as having a typical capacity of 2500mAh.
It is true that you don't need to buy a separate charger for the USBCELL. But the economy of scale is stacked against it in any demanding appliances such as digital camera. For the price of just two USBCELL, you can buy a good charger+battery package (such as the Sanyo USB Charger or Sanyo Travel Charger). This way, you get much greater battery capacity and shorter charging time. For anything that requires more than two AA cells, the USBCELL solution becomes even less cost-effective.
It is also true that using USBCELL instead of disposable alkaline cells can reduce your 'carbon footprint' on this planet. But the same can be said for any rechargeable batteries. Compared to a typical AA NiMH cell, the USBCELL requires more energy to produce, and has a shorter lifespan (lower capacity means it has to be recharged more often). Therefore it generates more waste in the end.
Of course, for certain niche applications (such as wireless mouse) the USBCELL is still a good option. At least it looks cool, and makes a great conversation piece.

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Maha PowerEx MH-C808M Ultimate Professional Charger - Battery charger 8xAA/AAA/C/D Review

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(More customer reviews)This battery charger is a winner. Batteries stays cool (a good thing) fast & slow rates of charge. No overcharging, it seems to FULLY CHARGE the big C & D sizes rather quickly, about 5 or 6 hours. Each battery size has it's own charging points, fixed contacts no springs sliding a metal bar against the battery, less stuff to wear out & break. You can charge AA ,AAA, C & D sizes but not 9 volt. about the only down side to this product. According to sales lit. with proper power cords you can charge around the world. Maha also makes wonderful rechargeable batteries have been using AA, AAA & D sizes for 6 months no problems so far. Mine cost about $ 90 twice what other cheaper crappier chargers go for(some cheapies don't charge big sized/highly rated mAh batteries fully) Thomas Distribution seems to be the cheapest & very reliable vendor.

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Powerex AAA HEAVY-DUTY 1000mAh Rechargeable NiMH Batteries - 2 Batteries Per Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)When I received the batteries I charged them in my MAHA powerx charger. I ran it on the break in cycle which charges and discharges a number of times to charge the battery to the optimun voltage. One battery charged to 900mah. The other only charged to 750 mah. Did the break in charge 2 more times. still the same. Guess I got a bum battery. They work ok but when used as a pair I will only get 750 mah out of the set. The weakest battery determines the output of the pair.

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Duracell 15 Minute Battery Charger Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this charger and an additional 8 packs of 4 batteries (36 batteries total) in May 2006, and it is now almost Jan 2008. A few months ago (August 2007), I noticed that I would charge ALL of the batteries, and not use them for a week, then when I went to use them, they were practically DEAD! Even as soon as they are done charging now they probably only charge to 60 percent capacity, and die very quickly. I couldn't believe it. I have had great success with NiHM batteries in the past, but this is ridiculous! I spent hours online, researching battery technology and chargers to find out that any charger that charges your batteries faster than one our SEVERELY DECREASES THE LIFESPAN of your batteries! I purchased a set of Eneloop batteries which hold a charge much longer than any other NiMH batteries on the market. I will be contacting Duracell to find out if I can get replacement batteries for the small fortune I have lost on these.
Don't get me wrong, it's not the batteries that have the problem. Duracell makes great batteries. It's their pathetic charger that killed them all.
Unfortunately, people review these products and give them five star ratings without owning them for more than a few months.
I know someone else who had the same exact problem with the Energizer version of this 15 minute charger.
DO NOT BUY THESE.

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Energizer CHM4AAWB ACCU Battery Charger Review

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(More customer reviews)I think this product is really great. It saves you a ton of money if use batteries. You can put in the recharger in the socket with the batteries and leave it in over night. It won't get wrecked or anything. The recharger turns off after its done charging up the batteries. This is a great buy!

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ENERGIZER NIMH D 2PKNickel Metal Hydride round cell batteries are the longest-lasting rechargeable batteries on the market today.Batteries can be recharged at any time-no need to fully drain battery before charging.Lifetime Limited Warranty on all Energizer® ACCU RechargeableTM round cell batteries and a one-year warranty on chargers.Limited quantity #353153.

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Duracell Value Charger With 4AA Pre Charged Rechargeable Nimh Batteries, CEF14DX4 Review

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(More customer reviews)This package (CEF14DX4N) includes four new Duracell 'Pre Charged' NiMH AA cells, plus a simple charger. The batteries are similar to the Sanyo eneloop low-self-discharge cells. In fact, based on their identical technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged AA is actually SANYO eneloop AA underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.
The 'value charger' (CEF14) included here, however, is not a good value because:
1. It is a timer-based dumb charger, meaning that it doesn't detect when cells are full charged. It simply charges at 360mA for 6 hours and turns off. You have to wait until your cells are fully exhausted before recharging, otherwise they will be over-charged. With a 'smart' charger, you may choose to top-off your rechargeable cells any time.
2. It can only charge either 2 or 4 AA cells in pairs. This is very inconvenient if you have appliances that require odd number of cells.
3. It can only charge two AAA cells, and you cannot charge any more AA cells at the same time.
My advice is to get the CEF23DX4N package for just a few dollars more (*). It comes with four Duracell Pre Charged cells (2xAA + 2xAAA), but the included charger (CEF23) is far superior in every aspect. It even operates from your vehicle battery, and doubles as an USB charger, too.
[Update on Dec 24, 2008]
I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid.
[Update on Feb 15, 2010]
I have confirmed that the new Duracell 'Value Charger' has several improvements over the old model:
- Works from 100-240V AC (instead of just 120V AC)
- Able to charge 4 AAA at a time (instead of just two)
- Semi-smart charge termination (stops when BOTH cells are fully charged)
The only remaining drawback is thet it charges in pairs only.
(*) [Update on Oct 7, 2010]:
Duracell has discontinued the excellent CEF23 charger (at least in the US) last year. So prices for the remaining inventory have skyrocketed. If you need an inexpensive charger that can handle individual cell, consider the Sanyo eneloop MDR02 2-cell charger.

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Duracell Value Charger with 4AA Pre-ChargedRechargeable NiMH Batteries - CEF14DX4

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Maha PowerEx MH-C801D Eight Cell 1-Hr Charger - Battery charger - 1-2 hr - 8xAA/AAA Review

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(More customer reviews)Without a doubt, the best thing to happen to my batteries. As a pro photographer, I go through dozens of batteries a month. This charger not only charges my batteries to near original efficiency, it also re-conditions old batteries that were left for dead. Of over 40 old batteries that I had lying around because they could not or would not recharge with the included charger systems, the Maha was able to bring them back to not only useful charge, but in at least one case, better condition than when purchased. With powerex or Eneloops, this thing is indispensible. Other very useful features... the cahrge system allows you to charge a single battery, mixed brands and mixed sizes simultaneously. If you have battery needs for remote controls, camera(s), flashes, etc.... you know how challenging it can be to always have fresh powered batteries WHEN you need them. This is the ticket... top rate ad well built.

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Duracell Powerhouse USB Charger with Lithium ion battery / includes universal cable with USB and mini USB, Review

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(More customer reviews)The smaller of the two is OK in a pinch, but the Powerhouse charges my Zen X-Fi2 or my Motorola Cell Phone more than twice as fast. From empty, it charged my Motorola i425 in TEN MINUTES, four times and it still had juice to spare. I was able to recharge my Zen X-Fi2 twice, and could have charged it more. I didn't have enough time to empty the player and recharge it to find out just how many. But it was obvious to me that it was going to meet the needs I bought it for. It took more than twice as long for the pocket unit to charge my phone, and did so only once.
If you are buying one of these, I'd suggest the Powerhouse over any other.

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Duracell Powerhouse UBS Charger with Lithium Ion BatteryIncludes Universal C

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Energizer 9V Rechargeable Battery - NH22NBP Review

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(More customer reviews)This is NOT a 9V battery. This is a 9V SIZE battery, but even at full charge only supplies a maximum of 7.2 volts. The reason for this is that NiMH cells provide a lower voltage than do alkaline cells, so you can't get exactly 9V BUT if Energizer had added 1 more cell, they could have gotten 8.4 volts which is very close. For some reason (most likely monetary) they decided to cut us out on 1.2 volts (I feel cheated as a customer--minus 1 star). In most cases, this isn't a problem (thus a rating higher than 1 or 2 stars) since devices that use batteries are made to work under a variety of voltages since batteries lose some voltage as they discharge BUT if you are running a sensitive device that turns off at a threshold at or above 7.2V, then these won't work for you (minus 1 star). Other brands offer 8.4 Volt 9V sized NiMH batteries. I suggest you go with one of those.

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Energizer NH12BP-2 AAA Nickel Rechargeable Battery (2-Pack) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've found these batteries to be WELL worth the money. They are comparable to a good Heavy Duty (Non-Alkaline) set of batteries. I have a program on my palm pilot called FPSUtil3.5 that allows me to track the battery power curve over time:
They don't hold a top end charge for very long: 85% after only 30 minutes But they really hold up well after that: 68% after 2 hrs & 15 minutes (10 minutes of nightlight) - 54% after 3 hrs - 40% after 5 hrs - 38% after 8 hrs (15 minutes of nightlight) - 28% after 10 hrs - 18% (battery warning)after 11 hrs 30 minutes
So, after 11 hours and 30 minutes of power on over a 6 day period with 25 minutes of nightlight use, they are ready for a 5 hour charge... NOT BAD, seeing as to how I'm supposed to be able to charge them 1000 times. I think I'll get my money out of them...; )

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Energizer AAA Nickle Metal Hydride Rechargeable Battery

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Energizer D Cell NIMh Rechargeable Batteries 2 Pack - NH50BP2 Review

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(More customer reviews)The output on these batteries is 2500mA, yes the same output on a AA NiMH. It's because they put an AA NiMH into a D sized shell. To boot, Energizer NiMH batteries all have a bad reputation of an early death.

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Energizer Rechargeable Batteries, AAA Size, 2-Count Review

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(More customer reviews)All rechargeable battery manufacturers love to boast about their product's current capacity (mAh). But there is a dirty little secret that they don't want you to hear: self-discharge rate. Simply put: a fully charged NiCd or NiMH cell will gradually lose its stored energy over time. Technical papers I have researched typically put the self-discharge rate at 10-20% per month for NiCd cells, and 20-30% per month for NiMH cells. This kind of self-discharge rate is usually acceptable in applications such as digital cameras.
I bought 8 of those Energizer 2500mAh rechargeable NiMH batteries over one year ago. At first, I was very happy about the large current capacity offered by those batteries. But within a few months, I started to notice that they die very quickly in my digital camera. In fact, a set of Sony 2300mAh NiMH batteries I bought one year earlier seems to last much longer when used in the same camera.
I recently did some controlled experiments (using the LaCrosse BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger) and found out what's wrong: The Energizer NiMH batteries have very high self-discharge rate. After fully charging all 8 cells and left them on the shelf for one week, five of them lost over 30% of their charge, and the other three lost about 20%. In comparison, the set of older Sony batteries only lost around 10% over the same one-week period.
So what this really means is: if I charge up those Energizer 2500mAh batteries and leave them in my camera for three weeks, they will become totally exhausted. I found this kind of self-discharge rate completely unacceptable, therefore I strongly advise against buying those batteries.
[Update on April 9, 2007]
I have hardly used those Energizer 2500mAh cells in the last few month. Now they have deteriorated even further. Five of them can't even hold their charges for more then a day.
Instead of the Energizer 2500mAh cells, I recommend buying the Rayovac "Hybrid" 2100mAh cells. They have very low self-discharge rate (see my review on "RAYO 4PK AA") and are cheaper than the better-known Sanyo eneloop 2000mAh cells. Kodak also sells a "Pre-Charged" NiMH cell with exactly the same spec as the Rayovac Hybrid.
The bottom line: Low-Self-Discharge NiMH cells are your best choices. There is absolutely no point in taking chances with older generation 2500-2700mAh NiMH cells now.
[Update on Oct 20, 2010]
The product image of Energizer Rechargeable AA has changed. It no longer advertises '2500mAh'. I went to my local W*mart to check out the actual batteries. All Energizer rechargable AA cells are now 2300mAh. Evidentially, Energizer has 'rollled back' battery technology to 2004. This is actually a good move because the lower capacity cells do not suffer from hideous self-discharge rate. Contrary to popular belief, a 2300mAh cell is not any less capable in delivering high power than a 2500mAh cell. Just that the run time will be about 8% shorter.

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Energizer e2 Rechargeable, Size C, 2-Count (Pack of 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)These batteries may be 'C' size but look at the rated capacity on the package. It is the same as a AA! You are getting ripped off. Real C size batteries have capacities in the 4000 to 5000 mAh range. These will die real fast in actual use. Shame on you Energizer.

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Overnight Nimh Family Battery Charger Review

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(More customer reviews)The Energizer Overnight Family Battery Charger (CHFCV) looks very similar to the Rayovac Universal Battery Charger (PS3). Both are capable of charging AAA, AA, C, D-cells and 9V batteries. They are physically about the same size, and even cost about the same. So one would expect the charger with a more famous brand (Energizer) to have a better design, right? WRONG!
The biggest problem with the Energizer CHFCV is that it is a timer-based dumb charger. That means this charger does not detect whether your batteries are empty or fully. It simply charges them at a fixed current (200mA) for a fixed time (16.5 hours) and then turns off. If all you ever need is to recharge AA cells with capacity 2500-2700mAh, then this is not too bad (because 200mA*16.5h = 3300mAh). However, this charger treats all different battery sizes (AA/AAA/C/D) the same way. So if you are charging a pair of 800mAh AAA cells, you better remember to remove them after 4-5 hours, otherwise they will be over-charged by 300%! On the other hand, if you try to use this charger with larger capacity cells (such as a pair of 10,000mAh D-cells), the timer will expire long before the cells are fully charged.
Another problem with this dumb charger is: it can only recharge identical cells in pairs. This is very inconvenient if you have appliances that require odd number (1 or 3) of cells. Now you are left with an empty cell that you cannot recharge. If you try to pair up an empty cell with a full cell in this charger, the latter one will be badly over-charged.
In comparison, the Rayovac PS3 is vastly superior in every aspect. It is a smart charger with 4 independently monitored channels. Charging stops as soon as each cell is full, so there is no danger of over-charging. It is more versatile in that it can detect different battery chemistry (NiCd, NiMH, or alkaline) and adopts different charging methods. It also recharges faster because it uses higher current (up to 480mA).
Energizer also makes a newer version called Energizer Family Charger (CHFC) for slightly higher price. It is a big improvement over this overnight charger (CHFCV). However, I still prefer the Rayovac PS3 because it has the added capability to recharge ordinary alkaline cells.

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