Pinoy in Singapore

Here’s a recent purchase I got online.  We use a lot of batteries at home for our gadgets and my baby’s toys. The baby’s toys alone consume a lot of batteries and it tugs on my green conscience every time we have to replace and throw away batteries and that’s quite often since we hardly turn off baby’s toys.  And I’ve always wondered how and where to safely dispose of batteries because they release toxic chemicals into landfills.  But for lack of information, I usually just throw them in the trash. 

I have a lot of rechargeable batteries too and I have two chargers – a Uniross charger for 4 AA/AAA that I got for S$10 at an IT show years ago, and an energizer charger for 2 AA/AAA that I got from Carrefour.  The problem is there seems to be no indicator if the battery is already fully charged.  The indicator lamps are just on but they don’t change color to indicate whether the charging is over or not.  I also often forget to unplug it so I’m not sure if that overcharges the batteries and affects its lifespan.  This results in my batteries always having a short lifespan. 

I’ve been meaning to get myself a Maha charger for quite some time now.  The thing I probably like best about it is that it charges batteries individually so you don’t have to charge in pairs.  The problem with charging in pairs is that if the batteries have different amount of charges remaining in them, you don’t get to charge both batteries in full.

The Maha C9000 charger also has a refresh and analyze mode that is suitable for batteries that are not performing so well.    It also has a Break-in mode to reactivate batteries that have been deactivated from prolonged storage.

In the reviews I’ve read before buying the Maha C9000, people usually compare it to the La Crosse BC 900 charger.  According to reviews, the latter is supposedly more user friendly but since it is an old model I couldn’t find a brand new one on sale. 

Most of the reviews I’ve read about the Maha C9000 are good.  The bad reviews usually complain about it’s user friendliness. 

The first time I plugged it in, the screen lit and I uttered “uh, wow!”  My husband immediately asked what’s wrong because my “wow” didn’t sound so good.  Well, it looks complicated and overwhelming at first.  You’d probably have to read the manual first but it’s only a very short one.  The Maha C9000 I bought came with a travelling bag so I kept the manual in the bag pocket to keep it handy. 

Here is a picture of the Maha C9000 beside my ipod touch (yes, my screen is broken ) for size comparison:

Worst case, if you don’t know what to do, or you don’t do anything for 10 seconds after sticking in the batteries, the charger will go on a default charging mode and work like any normal charger would. 

So far, I am happy with my Maha C9000 charger even if it’s significantly more expensive than my other two chargers.  I like knowing for sure what the charge is on my batteries so I can group them together for maximum performance instead of just guessing.

Here are the complete features of the Maha C9000:

Four independent slots

It’s like having four charger-analyzers for AA and AAA NiMH / NiCD batteries.

Large backlit LCD display

Digitally displays capacity, voltage, time and current.

Endless programming possibilities – over 10,000 ways!

29 selectable charging and discharging rate. Charging current from 0.2A to 2.0A and discharging current from 0.1A to 1.0A in 0.1A increments.

Five modes of operation

Charge: Recharges the battery at the selected rate.

Suitable for batteries used frequently.

Refresh & Analyze: Charges the battery, rest for one hour, discharge, rest again, then recharges it. Selectable charging and discharging rate.

Suitable for batteries stored for more than two weeks but less than 3 month or those showing poor performance.

Break-In: Also known as IEC capacity measurement and "Battery Forming". Charges battery at 0.1C for 16 hours, rest for one hour, discharges battery at 0.2C, then recharges again at 0.1C for 16 hours.

Suitable for new batteries and those stored for more than 3 month.

Discharge: Discharges the battery at the selected rate.

Cycle: Performs charge-discharge cycle for up to 12 times with discharge capacity stored in memory. Recharges battery after final cycle.

New ways to take care of your batteries and maximize runtime!

Battery Matching

In most devices, usually two or more batteries are used together. When batteries are used in a series, the performance is limited by the worst one. In other words, one poorly performing battery can significantly reduce the device runtime.

Battery matching refers to grouping batteries with similar “actual” capacity. To perform this, use the Refresh & Analyze mode to determine the battery capacity. Group batteries with capacity within about +/- 5% of the rated capacity.

Battery Forming

New batteries and those stored for extended period become chemically deactivated. Battery forming is a charge-discharge-charge cycle which forces a full charge into the battery at a very slow rate. This process activates the battery. In certain cases, it needs to be repeated two or three times.

Battery forming can be performed using the Break-In mode.

Delivers just the right charge

Independent negative delta V, temperature and timer protection eliminates over and undercharging.

Super light travel worldwide power supply and 12V compatible

Worldwide 100-240V switching adapter – light weight and small. Also compatible with 12V input. Will work on car when used with the optional cigarette lighter adapter.

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