Fastest of the idiot proof one piece 4x NiMH chargers?

Hi friends!

I am a karaoke dj and just got a new set of cordless microphones that each use 2x AA batteries, and work fine with my Energizer and EBL NiMH AA cells.

However, these microphones eat batteries. So, I want to keep a charger and a set of spare batteries on hand. I’ll put it right in the case where I store the microphones.

Most important: It has to be FAST. My karaoke shows are usually 4 hours long. Charging a set of 4xAA in under 2 hours would be PERFECT.

It also needs to be “idiot proof” - just plug it in and go. In this particular use case adjustable settings is a liability. No time to fiddle with that during a show!

To make things easier, it would be nice if the charger was a “one piece” unit that plugs right into the wall, with no external cord. I already have enough cords to keep track of!

Of course I want it to be a decent quality product that won’t fry my batteries.

It’s OK if the charger only charges pairs, I use the batteries in pairs in my application.

I was considering EBL 802. It’s only $10USD on Amazon. It is nice because it plugs right into the wall, but I don’t know how fast it charges.

I also see EBL U421 “iQuick” which says it can charge 4xAA in 2.5 hours. It has a USB power cord, which is acceptable since our phones use that too.

I do not want something with a wall wart AC adapter.

Unless someone has a better idea, It will be EBL U421 since being fast is more important than not having a cord.

Thanks! :slight_smile:

This is plug and play, and good I hear:

http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20Panasonic%20BQ-CC55%20UK.html

Can be bought in bundles with batteries included

Fast chargers tend to give shorter battery life. You should get a descent charger and buy a couple sets of Eneloop instead of charging them in between shows. Costco often sells a kit of many Eneloop and a charger.

I recommended the BQ-CC55 eneloop charger above. Its fast and smart.

Personally, I use the BQ-CC17, which is slow and smart.

Both can be bought with eneloop bundles. :)

Costco near me in Connecticut has the Eneloop battery and charger kit marked down to $19.99 (last week).
About as easy a charger you will find, I think even a caveman can use it.
Fast NiMh chargers are like hens teeth.

This. :arrow_upper_right:

NiMH cells really don’t like being charged too quickly. They heat up internally, build up pressure, sometimes (depending on the design) even vent. Expect way shorter battery life. Capacity goes down over time, ’til they become less and less usable.

Get a few sets of eneloops, or go to Ikea and get their LADDA brand (rewrapped regular eneloops). Even 3 changes worth should keep you going for a full set. And this way you can charge them the night before, not have to worry about them, and not have to go looking for an open outlet when you’re doing your thing.

Be aware, though, that NiMH cells (NiCd and LFP, too) tend to drop like a rock when they’re out of juice, vs alkaleaks which have a mode gradual fade. So you’ll have more “advance notice” that you need to change batts with alkaleaks vs any of the others.

On the other hand, alkaleaks (I love that nickname! :D ) are much more expensive in the long term, probably even in the short term also, given that you intend on going through at least two pairs a night!

I’d buy this. https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-K-KJ17KHC82A-Capacity-Advanced-Individual/dp/B00JHKSL1O/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1521488552&sr=8-11-spons&keywords=eneloop%2Baa&th=1

And an extra pack of 4 cells. 36 dollars for 8 batteries and the wall charger. There’s also the 8AA 2AAA, wall charger and carry case for 52 bucks. The carry case thing might be nice to keep it all together and organized.

These are much better batteries than those energizer and ebl’s

Yeah, I know. It’s only that I unearthed probably 100 unopened AA alkies (from like 5yrs back) that I decided to burn ’em off in my TK4A as fast as possible. For a long-term solution, it’s eneloops.

But yeah, they’re not cost-efficient in the long run, but they have that advantage of at least forewarning you that they’re on their way out.

Eg, in my SP10B, instead of 3 nicely-spaced low/med/high (“turbo”; excluding firefly) modes, when the cell starts fading, you essentially only get low/med/med. When it fades even more, you’ll typically get just low/low/low, before it finally craps out altogether.

With an LFP cell, it’ll stay low/med/high pretty much right up to the end, when it’ll just drop dead without much warning at all.

Maha C9000 Wizard One.

2A charging for all four bays.

Buy a few extra quads so you’re not in a position to have to charge them up at 2A if you want the most life out of them.

Panasonic specs a 2A fast charging rate for their standard Eneloops, but as I said, there are caveats.

Chris

Hi Friends, sorry it took me a little bit to get back to the forum. I do appreciate everyone’s suggestions!

I don’t go through 2 sets of AA per night though! A set of 2AA seems to last about 4 to 6 hours (or 1 to 1.5 4-hour shows) in one of my microphones, and I have two microphones.

I very much appreciate the suggestion of the Panasonic BQ-CC55 charger.

I think it is closest to what I want: it has no external cord, it says it charges 4xAA in 2.5 hours, and it is reasonably priced at USD 24.

To elaborate a bit more about my usage scenario:

I intend to plug in the charger with a set of 4AA in it while I set up my dj stuff for my show to top them off. If I have to change during my show, I will just swap out with the set on the charger and put the spent ones in and let them charge until I tear down after the show. At that point, I will toss the charger with the batteries in it - charged or not - right into my microphone case. I have shows most weekends, but they might sit partially charged for a week or three in my microphone case if I dont have any bookings.

I am sure that’s not the best way to treat NiMH, but as I said I have a whole bunch of EBL and Energizers on hand and they can be “sacrificed”. And I am pretty sure I will still save money over buying alkalines.

Of course it would be better for me to set them aside after my show and put them into one of my “good” chargers when I get home - I have an AccuPower IQ338XL and an EBL 808 - but that’s one more thing for me to forget when I am heading out to a show. I need to just have a dedicated charger and dedicated set of batteries on hand with my DJ stuff.

Fast charging is a bad thing for Ni-MH batteries.
Can I make a suggestion? Buy “LADDA” 2440 batteries from IKEA. they are Panasonic Eneloops and they sell for $7 a pack of 4.
A charger that’s very good and can be had for under $20 with a discount code:
https://us.gearbest.com/chargers/pp_228907.html

Happy singing

Charging in 2.5 hours or so is not too rough on eneloops, as I understand.

The eneloop/panasonic chargers are very reliable and “just work”
They just released a new version of their 4x AA charger that does much higher current than before.
http://main.panasonic-eneloop.eu/sites/default/files/4_BQ-CC55.pdf
https://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20Panasonic%20BQ-CC55%20UK.html
No buttons or screens to mess with, just simple indicator LEDs, plug and play.

It’s not a good idea to leave the cells in the charger after you unplug it, it will drain the cells, and if left too long will drain them too low. Remove the cells from the charger before you throw it all in your bag.