Automatic battery charging station (AA/AAA)

threedee

Have a pile of mostly rubbish chargers to charge batteries. And i get through them pretty fast, what with kids toys, wireless devices, console controllers et cetera. Got sick and tired of finding dead batteries then i need them charged...

So, my question. Need a quality charging station for AA/AAA batteries so i can charge lots of them at once and so that i would not need to remove them after they charge (automatic off), also indication of battery pair status.

Not looking for quick charge, just a big board for lots of batteries at once...
Ready to spend some money for a quality product...

Any suggestions ?

WhiteChristmas

Call in at your local hardware supplier (RS Components or similar) and have a chat with them. I got a charger from RS which takes up to 10 NiMH AA or AAA cells or a couple of 9V square things. I use it with Sanyo Eneloop batteries and leave it plugged in permanently, just swapping drained for fresh as required.

I've tried other NiMH batteries, but I stick by Eneloop because I haven't noticed any degradation in the Sanyos while using them like this whereas other brands (including RS's own) have "gone off".

ddoris

Try a delta-v quick charger -these sense when charged and switch to a maintenance charge.
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_3&products_id=105029

The eneloop type batteries are good at holding their charge but a bit lower powered .
The new-type chargers also have a discharge(refresh) function which seems to revive batteries a bit.
Maybe some of your old batteries are now faulty - I found a couple of mine were duff after using intell. charger.
I know that quick is not best when charging but ......

threedee

4 battery is not good enough. Need 8 and more. Whats the use 4 batt charger if the toy takes 3 batteries... nightmare... need a big one...

Stompa

There's this sort of thing:

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/displayProduct.jsp?sku=BT03684&CMP=e-2072-00001000

Richie-from-the-Boro

Ready made semi-pro conditioning chargers are not cheap. At the rate you are wasting money on the household chargers you decision to buy quality is a sound one.

Maha fit between cheepo and expensive pro products and have a good range

- the C801D 8 and its big brother the C808M 8 are good enough long life units for your purpose, but you can certainly find them cheaper than the price shown on the parent site. Even the biggest high street thief for prices Maplins is cheaper and I never thought I'd see them cheaper.

You can stick them in in any order / any size / any mix of sizes / hi out with backward compatibility / and leave it on permanently. With an LED readout for each individual cell even your kids can do their own charging, no need to bother mam & dad.

mikey72

Had a good one from Lidl, 8 battery charger, but charges one at a time, quite a fast charge, you can leave them in and it reduces the charge to a trickle etc.
Only weak point is if it doesn't like the battery it won't start to charge it initially, the odd few I had to put into a standard charger to recover slightly, but then it's ok with them.

ddoris

" 4 battery is not good enough. Need 8 and more...." Simply get 2 then .. and you should get one of these type things - yes you can get such facility on a charger but it will cost you .

threedee

Yeah, well, i have ~15 plugs plugged in to run most of my electronics, that are concentrated in "media area" alone. And what with stupid bulky UK plug heads and "thick regulation cable" its a lot of space and cable tangle already...
Having too much useless things to plug in doesnt help here.

tomm3y

http://shop.wattsclever.com/product.php?id_product=26