Energizer CHM4FC Battery Charger High Energy
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Customer Reviews of Energizer CHM4FC Battery Charger High Energy
Customer Review: Flexible, but outmoded
Summary: 2 Stars
There are some misimpressions in the preceeding reviews ... First, the relative merits of NiMH vs, say, duracell. Depends on the NiMH battery and the application.
Some NiMH "D" cells are really "AA" cells wrapped in a "D" can. You can tell these from the following indications: 1. They're quite light, and 2. they'll say, oh, between 1800 and 2200 mAH (the amount of power (more or less) that they'll deliver. Of course they don't last as long as Duracell "D" cells. There are others (8000-11000 mAH, heavier in weight) that last about as long, *longer* in high-drain applications. What do I mean by that? A high drain application is where you're throwing out your duracells every week or so :-). Children's swings and digital cameras are a couple of good examples.
The high powered NiMH batteries are *expensive* ... until you do the math on throwing away a lot of D cells .... then they're a godsend.
As for this charger in particular, it's got some real problems. As I understand it, it charges D cells at about 500 mA for 5 hours (it uses a built-in timer). That's a total, then, of 2500 mAH ... far less than a modern NiMH D cell holds (mine are 8500 mAH). So you charge it again. And again. And again. Each time, you dump 2500 mAH of power into the battery (less, really, since it's not 100% efficient ... some of that energy gets wasted as heat). Get something that'll "look" at the battery as it's charging; that'll check to see, basically, how hard the battery is "pushing back".
That said, it's still better than littering the landscape with discarded D cells, and better, too, than lining somebody else's pockets with my dough :-)
Customer Review: Good All Around Product for the Money
Summary: 5 Stars
It appears that there are several battery rechargers available that may be better for specific needs. For example, one may want a faster recharger for use with a camera, or one that does AA batteries only, or one that work with nickel-metal batteries only. For more specialized uses, there are instruments that are both higher and lower in price.That said, I agree that this is a versatile, reasonably priced recharger. As you can see above, it works on size AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V batteries. I've used the recharger safely now for over a year (Please read all safety instructions), usually by plugging it in at night. As noted elsewhere, you need to charge one or two pairs of batteries at a time (with the exception of 9v batteries). Here are a few specs for people with some electrical knowledge (unlike myself; I just read these off the back):
Input: AC120V, 60Hz, 15W
Output: 2x (2.8v...500mA)
2x (9.8v...13mA)
NOTE: As stated clearly on front and back, use ONLY for rechargeable nickel-metal hydride or nickel-cadmium batteries (not both at the same time, however). Also, these batteries are generally more expensive than non-rechargeable alkaline batteries, but for people who have a lot of toys and tools with different battery needs, this may be the one to get.
Customer Review: Solid, versatile charger
Summary: 5 Stars
For the money, you'd be hard pressed to purchase a better battery charger. This unit from Energizer (which is apparently really getting into the rechargeable market) can charge any consumer-size battery--AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V--in either NiCad or NiMH chemistries.It charges standard cells in about 4-6 hours and 9V batteries in about 9-10. This rate isn't as fast as some "quick chargers," but doesn't make the batteries hot and is really slightly better for them. When it's done, it keeps them on "trickle charge" so that they're at 100% capacity when you remove them.
For any batteries except 9V, you have to charge in pairs; many NiMH chargers have this restriction, however. You also cannot charge NiCad and NiMH at the same time.
Overall recommendation: If you're looking to stop wasting money on alkaline batteries and need a NiMH charger for household use, buy this one. For those few people who really *need* to be able to charge batteries in one hour (which are really only very high-intensity digital camera users), however, spend extra for a quick charger.
Customer Review: Fast Charge But Poor Results
Summary: 1 Stars
We purchased the Energizer CHM4FC Charger along with four rechargeable NiMH batteries (Size D), which we needed for a pair of battery operated vibrating infant seats. Each seat uses one Size D battery, and we were burning through one Duracell Ultra every two days.We'd hoped to save money by using the rechargeable batteries, but it turned out that the rechargaable batteries have to be replaced every 6 to 8 hours.
Before purchasing the recharger, I'd read that a slow, overnight charger is better for packing in a good solid charge, so I don't know if our poor results are as as result of the charger or the batteries. It's also possible that we had unrealistic expectations about these batteries in thinking that they would totally replace the Duracells.
Anyways, that's my two cents. Lesson Learned: Think hard about your battery application. If you're running a relatively high demand machine or toy, you may not be satisfied with this product.
If you experience different results, I would appreciate hearing about it.
Customer Review: Ok unit but there are better ones out there
Summary: 2 Stars
Pros: Cheap, readily available. Charges both NiMH and NiCd batteries
Con: Charges all batteries the same amount of time (not smart), must charge batteries in pairs (except 9v), high capacity batteries will not be fully charged.
I bought this unit because I trusted the Energizer name brand, and I wanted a good battery charger since my daughter has lots of toys that are using batteries fast. the first thing I did not like is that batteries (except 9V ) must be charged in pairs. Well, some toys have odd numbers of batteries, what then? I then found out that the energizer C rechargeables that I bought hold only 2500 mAh (eventhough they say HIGH ENERGY), the same as a AA, so they do not last too long. I decided to look online and found this company http://batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=22
They sell the BCH1HU and also some bundles with high capacy (10000 mAH) C batteries, this is a smart charger, can charge odd number of bateries and is a much better unit.