Hi all I’m new here and recently got back into using Eneloop rechargeables.
I have lots of 2006 batteries that are still working great as far as I can tell anyways.
I have an old Sanyo NC-MQH01U charger and was wondering if the newer BQ-CC17 might be any better?
Thanks in advance!!!
Old one (2008) seems to be OK “(review)”:https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?201416-Sanyo-Eneloop-MQH03-Charger-Observed
but in my opinion charges too fast to be battery friendly.
There is an extensive list of charger reviews here:Table of tested chargers, comments?
Including the BQ. You can click on any charger link to get an extensive review.
Why limit yourself to that unless you want very simple. There are choices with way more features for not much more. Anyone truly interested in battery health is well served by a decent analyzing charger. THEN, you can actually tell if those old cells are working OK.
Hi thanks for the info!
I’m probably wrong but from what I understand listed in the manual my NC-MQH01U (2006) will charge 4AA 2100ma batteries in 140mins and 4AA 1850mah batteries in 125mins.
Would that mean the charge rate is approximately 900mah per battery? And wouldn’t that be roughly 0.5C?
Looks like your link to the reviews is the same link as the other link about the charger itself.
Sorry, link fixed. Do some reading there.
You are correct about the rate, My bad. I could not find a better review of the NC, but I didn’t look hard for a charger of that generation. From the description in the review provided it may have trickle charge, which is not desirable for LSD cells. Not a problem if you attend and take them out after termination.
You can simply keep doing what you are doing for no added expense. Personally, I’d still advocate an analyzing charger. It’s a basic tool needed for any fan of batteries.
I agree with flydiver that if you’re interested in how those 14 year old eneloops are doing, get an analyzing charger. They’re good to have for all your rechargeable batteries to see how they’re doing. I’ve recycled some older Energizer batteries based on the low capacity they were showing. My eneloops just keep chugging along though.
But if your just looking for a good charger, you should be fine with what you currently have.
Hey again so I’ve been doing some research and if I were to get an analyzing charger I’ve narrowed it down to possibly a Zanflare C4 or the Opus BT-C3100 2.2
I would love a SkyRC MC3000 or a Xtar VP4 Plus Dragon but they’re just too much $$$ for what I’m looking to spend right now.
I live in Canada and can get the Zanflare C4 (shipped and sold from amazon.ca) for $43(cnd) approx $30.50 (usd) no tax for whatever reason.
The Opus BT-C3100 2.2 I would order from Aliexpress for around $47.65 (cnd) approx $33.80 (usd).
So I can order the Zanflare C4 within my own country and anything else would likely come from China to get the best price.
I’m sure there’s other brands or models I don’t know much about are there any better options in my price range? Is the Opus worth the extra $$$ and shipping wait? Any other options for me?
Just now looking at the Skyrc NC1500 as another budget option, it’s even cheaper but not much info or reviews on that one that I can find anyways.
I have the Opus and the Zanflare. They are both fine. For basic charging, analyzing, and general use the Zanflare is a good unit. The internal resistance seemed to be the most consistent of all my chargers with sliders. One of my favorite chargers.
If you think you want a bit more charge and discharge power the Opus has that. Some people don’t like the tiny fan whine, or the pulse charging. I’ve replaced the fan, personally don’t think the pulse charging is an issue. Fan still whines but this one hasn’t stopped or made weird noises, and it charges in the basement. I’ve also upgraded the power supply (cheap at a PC recycle store) as the older units had issues with max charge/discharge rates. I think newer units are OK.
You can read extensive reviews of both and lots more here: Table of tested chargers, comments?
I’d say it’s up to you about the wait vs. cost. Not sure what shipping from China is like right now with the pandemic. Check where the Zanflare is really coming from too. Could be a long wait for that if it’s not in Canada.
The Skyrc NC1500 may be OK but does not do lithium, which may be important to you going forward. It also has trickle charge, not desirable for LSD batteries unless you pull them soon after termination. Could not find any complete reviews.
Just to let you know the Zanflare C4 is “Sold by Zanflare and Fulfilled by Amazon.” so with Prime it would be delivered to me next week even!
Weird. In the US/Amazon I can buy a 2-pack for $60, but not a single charger.
Wow that would be roughly the same in CND as the one I can get for $43 (cnd)… we usually get ripped off up here!
Amazon Canada shows a 2 pack from a third party seller for $158.09 and $88.00 shipping… yeah right!
Are there any other chargers in the same price range I should add to my list of possibilities?
Go to the charger test link I gave you. Sort the columns by clicking on the top. Look for 2-3 ‘face’ analyzing chargers. Lii-500 is good, almost identical to the Zanflare, but has been replaced by the 500S which seems not quite as good. Improvements may be coming out as it’s been on the market awhile. Might be possible to pick up an old 500.
MiBoxer has gotten a fair amount of interest for awhile now. Never used one so I could only go by the reviews myself.
Xtar generally makes good chargers but only the Dragon analyzer. I personally like their small USB chargers-cheap, work well, but not analyzers.
If ALL you care about is NiMh (for sure), that opens your options up a bit.
As of now I only plan on charging nihm, mostly eneloops I already have and a few amazonbasics. I also have a bunch of IKEA Ladda on order. The more I look I think the Opus BT-C3100 looks to be the best value. I like the screen and options a little more than the Zanflare C4.
When I JUST want to “basic” charge or discharge I may tend to use the Zanflare first. If I want more extensive settings or something more special I use the Opus. If I could only have one, it would be the Opus.
Just wanted to update that I just pulled the trigger on the Opus BT-C3100 on AliExpress… with a couple of coupons I got it down to $47.58 (cnd) so approx $33.72 (usd)
I went with the highest rated seller on AliExpress who also had the most sales/orders which put the price up higher than I mentioned earlier but the coupons helped!
Thanks again for all your help and info!