Thanks to new technology, modern NiMH rechargeable batteries now have higher capacity and last longer than alkaline batteries. That's why smart consumers all over the world are turning to NiMH rechargeable batteries in all the common sizes: AA, AAA, D, C and 9V. Each one replaces 1,000 throwaway alkaline batteries, yet can be recharged for the cost of a little electricity (mere pennies) instead of spending $1 - $2 for each disposable alkaline battery.
Getting the most out of your NiMH rechargeable batteries, however, requires having a good battery charger. Today's best chargers do much more than simply recharge the batteries; they can also test the battery capacity, "refresh" batteries to bring their performance up, and break in new batteries to maximize their capacity right from the start.
I searched the entire battery industry to find a NiMH battery charger for AA and AAA batteries that I could openly recommend. It took a year of searching, and almost everything I found out there was junk. Some battery chargers actually HARM your batteries. The "quick charge" chargers are the worst. Some of them burn up your batteries with too much current, permanently reducing their life. I've seen quick chargers destroy NiMH batteries in just a few months.
The truth is that quick charging batteries destroys them and reduces their capacity. The best way to charge a battery is with slow current -- the slower, the better. I recommend 200mA (milli-amps) for all NiMH batteries except 9V, which should be charged at 50mA. Blasting batteries with very high current in order to "quick" charge them will overheat the battery and permanently alter the internal chemistry in a way that reduces total capacity. So avoid quick chargers. They're mostly just a marketing gimmick.
Finding a high-quality battery charger
Quality NiMH battery chargers are hard to find. I searched the market for well over a year to find one that I could recommend. Most of what I found was very disappointing. Typical chargers on the market suffer from serious drawbacks such as a lack of safety features, a lack of battery analyzer functions, hard-to-read displays, difficult operation and poorly-written manuals.
But I persisted in my search and finally found what is clearly the best consumer-level battery charger available in the marketplace today. It's called the WizardOne MH-C9000 and it's made by Maha Energy (Powerex). It features an incredible backlight display that resembles the brightness of a plasma TV screen. It has advanced, independent circuitry for charging, discharging, capacity testing and refreshing any capacity of AA or AAA NiMH batteries.
Full disclosure: I liked this battery charger so much that I bought hundreds of them from the manufacturer and now sell them at www.BetterLifeGoods.com , where you'll also find Powerex NiMH rechargeable batteries that work with the charger. To maintain my journalistic integrity on this product, I'll give you both the pros and cons of the MH-C9000 later in this review (see below).
Offers features simply not found on other battery chargers
This charger makes your rechargeable batteries last longer and perform better, so you get more out of your investment in any NiMH battery you own, regardless of the manufacturer.
With the Wizard One MH-C9000 charger, you can:
• Charge any NiMH AA or AAA battery simply by inserting it and walking away (no button pressing required, but if you want, you can also control the charge current).
• Analyze any NiMH AA or AAA battery to determine its actual capacity in mAh (milli-amp hours). This is like testing how much fuel is in your gas tank. It reveals the actual power capacity of the battery and tells you how long it will last when you use it.
• Break-In any NiMH AA or AAA battery to raise its capacity ceiling and maximize real-world performance. Can also be used to "wake up" seemingly dead batteries and revive them back to their peak performance.
• Discharge any AA or AAA battery to find out how much power it was storing. This lets you test both NiMH or Alkaline batteries to see what their true capacity really is.
• Cycle any NiMH AA or AAA battery to "exercise" it back to its maximum performance.
For each of these modes, if desired, you can select the charge and discharge rates, giving you total control over the treatment of each battery (this charger has advanced, independent circuitry to control each battery separately). For example, you can select charge rates from 100mA all the way up to 1000mA, in increments of 100mA. Or, you can just let each mode run on automatic, using default settings.
Advanced safety features protect your batteries AND your home
The WizardOne MH-C9000 comes with outstanding safety features built right in. It senses both voltage and temperature changes, and it automatically shuts off any battery that behaves outside normal, safe parameters. If the battery temperature gets too hot during charging, for example, the MH-C9000 immediately cuts off the current to it, preventing it from getting any hotter and forcing it to cool off. How many chargers do you know if with that kind of safety feature? (Most battery chargers operate on a "charge and pray" principle, meaning they just slam your battery with a certain amount of current for a certain period of time, regardless of what's happening with the battery temperature or voltage.)
But the MH-C9000 features truly advanced safety circuity. The charger's "Refresh" mode, for example, automatically rests one hour between charge and discharge cycles in order to keep the batteries at a low temperature (which also preserves battery life). And just to make sure each battery is safe to charge, the WizardOne MH-C9000 analyzes each battery's internal circuitry with an "impedance check" that rejects non-rechargeable batteries (so you don't end up trying to charge batteries that should never be recharged in the first place).
From my extensive research on battery chargers, I have not found a safer charger on the market. In fact, most of the cheaper battery chargers you'll find in retail stores are downright dangerous. Did you know that many low-cost chargers have no temperature or voltage sensing abilities whatsoever? That's a recipe for a fire hazard. If you're going to charge batteries in your home, especially at night or when you might be away from your house during the day, be sure to use a battery charger with advanced safety features that can prevent fires.
How this charger can save you real money in battery costs
Here's something that very few people know about batteries:
• Today's best NiMH rechargeable batteries actually out-perform the most popular Duracell and Energize alkaline batteries!
It's hard to believe, but true. I've done the tests. I bought fresh packs of Duracell, Energizer and other brands, then tested them in a $600 battery analyzer that was calibrated with another $300 worth of electrical equipment. The results astounded me:
• Cost to buy a new Duracell Coppertop "PowerPIX" battery: $2.24
• Actual discharge capacity: 1792 mAh (tested at 270ma discharge rate)
• Cost to recharge a Powerex NiMH AA 2700 battery: 2 cents
• Actual discharge capacity: 2635 mAh (also tested at 270ma discharge rate)
In other words, a quality rechargeable battery provides more power than a Duracell Coppertop for less than 1/100th the cost!
(You can reproduce these same results on the MH-C9000, by the way. Test the batteries yourself and see!)
Using alkaline batteries, in other words, is an enormous waste of money and natural resources. Throway batteries are bad for the environment. If you care about saving money, or protecting the planet, or conserving natural resources, NiMH rechargeable batteries are clearly the only way to go. Even if you're not concerned about the environment, throwing money away is still a bad decision for financial reasons. Why spend two bucks on a fully-charged battery when you could spend two cents?
It's like this: If you drove up to a gas station selling the exact same gas at two pumps, but the pump on the left was two cents per gallon and the pump on the right was two dollars per gallon, which gas would you buy for your car?
It's a no-brainer, right? You'd fill up at two cents per gallon. That's what NiMH rechargeable batteries offer you: super cheap power, plus the ability to refill the battery 1,000 times before needing to toss it. Over the life of the battery, using it for 1000 cycles, you'll spend about 2000 cents, or $20 in electricity, compared to a whopping $2,240 you'd need to buy 1,000 Duracell batteries.
Think about it: $20 vs. $2,240. How much would you prefer to spend on batteries?
Buyer beware: Not all NiMH batteries are created equal
But don't think that all NiMH batteries are the same. Most of the batteries I tested were lying about their capacities. (Powerex, Sanyo and Sony were the best three overall.) Some batteries that claimed to perform at 2700mAh only performed at 1900mAh!
A lot of NiMH batteries are just plain bad quality. They'll wear out after only a few dozen cycles instead of delivering the 1000 cycles you should expect from a quality NiMH battery.
That's why I've put my reputation behind only one brand of battery: Powerex. These batteries (which we also sell at www.BetterLifeGoods.com) are among the best I've found in the industry (and I've searched resources across Asia, the U.S. and Europe). Their 2700mAh AA battery is made in Japan and comes with an astonishing five year warranty. That's the best in the business! Plus, they're RoHS certified, meaning they adhere to strict guidelines on the reduction of hazardous materials. Click here to view / purchase our Powerex AA batteries..
So if you're interested in saving money, reducing toxic waste, conserving natural resources and being a smart consumer, check out the MH-C9000 WizardOne charger and get some Powerex NiMH batteries to go with it. You can't go wrong with this combination of outstanding technology and safety features.
The MH-C9000 is now the charger I use at home. It has replaced my La Crosse BC-900 and an entire bank of cheap chargers from Duracell, Energizer and Sony that I'm giving away to Goodwill.
Review summary for the MH-C9000 WizardOne battery charger from MaHa / Powerex
Advantages:
• Status display screen is simply amazing. Extreme brightness is achieved from a luminescent background surface that lights up evenly across the entire display (looks like a mini plasma screen).
• "Analyze" feature lets you test the actual capacity of your NiMH batteries. This is invaluable for knowing which batteries are still performing well vs. those that may be nearing the end of their life.
• Multiple safety features greatly reduce the risk of fire or battery damage. Voltage and temperature sensors work together to monitor the status of each battery and disconnect any battery that isn't operating within a normal safety range.
• Easy-to-use interface lets you quickly choose the function you want. Controls are intuitive and responsive.
• Handles both AA and AAA NiMH batteries without you having to manually choose the type. Auto-sensing technology determines battery type and charges accordingly.
Drawbacks:
• Doesn't charge 9V, C or D batteries. Only handles AA and AAA.
• Only charges 4 batteries at a time, not 8 like some chargers do.
• Does not come with a 12V car adapter.
• Expensive. Costs twice as much as typical battery chargers.
Overall:
The WizardOne MH-C9000 is a high-end battery charger for users who want advanced features (such as the ability to "analyze" battery performance) and a great deal of control over the charging, discharging or cycling of their NiMH batteries. It's a high-end charger that tells you exactly how much power your batteries are carrying, helping you weed out good batteries from bad ones. Although the price is much higher than most chargers, the MH-C9000 brings a combination of features and display technology that simply isn't available yet from anyone else.
Where to buy:
The WizardOne MH-C9000 battery charger is available at www.BetterLifeGoods.com
PowerEx batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, 9V) are also available at www.BetterLifeGoods.com
Full disclosure: Better Life Goods is directly affiliated with NewsTarget. All sales help support NewsTarget operations and provide funding for the Consumer Wellness Center non-profit.
About the author:
Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, Pilates and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
Thursday, June 21, 2007
NiMH battery charger showdown: Maha Energy MH-C9000 WizardOne vs. La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower
If you're searching for high-end NiMH battery chargers, you'll find the number of contending products is few. Only two consumer-level battery chargers are competing for the top slot: the La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger and the Powerex MH-C9000 WizardOne battery charger. For this review, I purchased them both and conducted numerous tests over a period of several weeks. Ultimately, I liked the Powerex MH-C9000 so much that I decided to carry it on www.BetterLifeGoods.com , so keep that in mind as you read this review. Here's my critical look at both products:
The La Crosse BC-900 Battery Charger
The BC-900 offers four main modes:
• Charge: Charges the battery to full capacity.
• Discharge: Discharges the battery to empty.
• Refresh: Cycles the battery multiple times to restore better performance.
• Test: Determines the actual capacity of the battery in mAh.
If offers multiple safety features such as temperature sending, polarity detection and a way to determine if batteries are defective. Four independent channels allow you to charge batteries separately, and an LCD display shows you the status of each battery.
The features of the BC-900 sound very strong on paper, but in actually using the product, I found it to be extremely confusing, difficult to use and finicky. The display has no backlight, making it quite difficult to read, and the control buttons don't respond in a timely manner. Each time I inserted a battery, I ended up pressing the buttons several times to get the setting I wanted. Even worse, I soon learned that if you inserted a new battery too quickly after selecting settings for another battery, all your settings for the previous battery would disappear in a flash, and the charger would revert to "default" charging.
As a result, actually getting the BC-900 to analyze four batteries in a row was frustrating and tedious. Here's what I found works: 1) Insert a battery in slot 1. 2) Click the MODE button until you get the TEST feature to appear. 3) Keep clicking the CURRENT button until you get a higher current like 250mA (leaving it on 100mA, the default, can result in the test mode taking days to complete). 4) Now WAIT for the display to stop flashing before you insert a second battery. This can take about eight seconds. If you insert a second battery before the display stops flashing, then all the settings you just configured for the first battery will be wiped out.
Once the flashing stops, insert the second battery and repeat this process. If you manage to get that to work, repeat for batteries 3 and 4. Keep in mind that during this whole process, you only have a few seconds to select the settings for a new battery that's been inserted. If you take too long, the battery reverts to default settings and you have to pull it out and start over. Complicating this whole thing is that bizarre limitation that if you select 100mA for a battery in slot 1, the BC-900 will not let you select a higher current for slot 2, so you have to plan the charging currents for your batteries in advance, then sort your batteries from highest to lowest charge currents, and insert them from left to right.
Needless to say, this whole process is frustrating enough to make you want to throw the BC-900 against the wall and smash it into a thousand tiny pieces. It is by far the most frustrating piece of battery-related electronics I've ever owned. Sometimes, I wonder if the person who designed it had any training at all in basic user interface design. Given that most consumers can hardly manage to set the time and date on their camcorder, I think this product is far too complex for the average consumer to figure out. It left me downright angry at the La Crosse company for putting out what I considered to be such a lousy product.
For many months, this was the only consumer-level battery charger I could find that offered a test / analyze mode. But in the Spring of 2007, Maha Energy released the WizardOne MH-C9000, which was a breath of fresh air compared to the La Crosse BC-900.
The Maha Energy WizardOne MH-C9000 NiMH battery charger
In contrast to the BC-900 from La Crosse, the Maha Energy WizardOne MH-C9000 is a dream to use! The display is astonishingly bright (really, it will blow your mind when you see it), the controls are intuitive, and the buttons actually respond like you would expect them to. The unit is so easy to use that I didn't even have to unfold the instruction sheet to start using all its functions immediately.
The MH-C9000 offers the following operation modes:
• Charge any NiMH AA or AAA battery simply by inserting it and walking away (no button pressing required, but if you want, you can also control the charge current).
• Analyze any NiMH AA or AAA battery to determine its actual capacity in mAh (milli-amp hours). This is like testing how much fuel is in your gas tank. It reveals the actual power capacity of the battery and tells you how long it will last when you use it.
• Break-In any NiMH AA or AAA battery to raise its capacity ceiling and maximize real-world performance. Can also be used to "wake up" seemingly dead batteries and revive them back to their peak performance.
• Discharge any AA or AAA battery to find out how much power it was storing. This lets you test both NiMH or Alkaline batteries to see what their true capacity really is.
• Cycle any NiMH AA or AAA battery to "exercise" it back to its maximum performance.
For each of these modes, if desired, you can select the charge and discharge rates, giving you total control over the treatment of each battery (this charger has advanced, independent circuitry to control each battery separately). For example, you can select charge rates from 100mA all the way up to 1000mA, in increments of 100mA. Or, you can just let each mode run on automatic, using default settings.
After the modes run, the MH-C9000 reports the results to you in a clear, easy-to-read format. It will tell you the mAh of your battery (in Analyze mode), the capacity that discharged, the capacity charged and even the ending voltage of the battery along with the time required to charge it. The MH-C9000 gives you a lot more information than the BC-900, and it's easier to read, too. Simply click the "Slot" button and you can cycle through slots 1 - 4 to see either the current status or end results of each battery.
The MH-C9000 has all the same safety features of the BC-900, including temperature sensing, polarity detection and even a battery impedence check, making it the safest combination of NiMH charging technology you can buy in a consumer product. The instruction manual is well written with clear diagrams, and the charger comes with a three year manufacturer's warranty.
(Full disclosure: I liked the MH-C9000 so much that I bought hundreds of them and now retail them at www.BetterLifeGoods.com , an internet retail site for green living products. I had been looking for a high-end NiMH battery recharger for over a year that I liked well enough to carry. The MH-C9000 is the best I found, and that's why I decided to carry it along with a 30-day complete satisfaction guarantee. All sales help support the NewsTarget network.)
The bottom line
In my experience, there's no comparison between the two chargers. The MH-C9000 wins hands down. Although both chargers offer similar specifications, only the MH-C9000 was really easy to use. The super bright backlit display makes it easy on the eyes, and the simple, straightforward logic of the user interface means that just about anybody can figure out how to use it right away.
To be fair, the MH-C9000 is newer than the BC-900 by at least a year. Perhaps La Crosse Technology is working on a new, updated version of their BC-900 that will have an improved user interface and smarter circuitry that doesn't wipe out your settings when you insert a second battery too quickly. Personally, as the owner of an e-mail marketing software company, I would never release a product with such a poorly designed user interface. The operation of technology products needs to be simple, straightforward and intuitive. The BC-900 is none of those things, in my opinion.
If you're looking for the best NiMH battery charger on the market, go with the MH-C9000. The only drawbacks are that is doesn't charge C, D, or 9V batteries, it doesn't come with a 12V car charger, and it's more expensive than most other chargers (retailing at $69 or so). Cheap battery chargers that lack important safety features can be readily purchased for less than $20 practically anywhere, so it you just want a blind charger that slams current into a battery with no idea of the actual capacity, go get a charger at Wal-Mart or Target. But if you want a quality charger that puts you in control while maximizing the life of your NiMH batteries, go with the MH-C9000.
About the author:
Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored more than 1,500 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of energy efficient LED lights that greatly reduce CO2 emissions. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NewsTarget email newsletters. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and pursues hobbies such as Pilates, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
The La Crosse BC-900 Battery Charger
The BC-900 offers four main modes:
• Charge: Charges the battery to full capacity.
• Discharge: Discharges the battery to empty.
• Refresh: Cycles the battery multiple times to restore better performance.
• Test: Determines the actual capacity of the battery in mAh.
If offers multiple safety features such as temperature sending, polarity detection and a way to determine if batteries are defective. Four independent channels allow you to charge batteries separately, and an LCD display shows you the status of each battery.
The features of the BC-900 sound very strong on paper, but in actually using the product, I found it to be extremely confusing, difficult to use and finicky. The display has no backlight, making it quite difficult to read, and the control buttons don't respond in a timely manner. Each time I inserted a battery, I ended up pressing the buttons several times to get the setting I wanted. Even worse, I soon learned that if you inserted a new battery too quickly after selecting settings for another battery, all your settings for the previous battery would disappear in a flash, and the charger would revert to "default" charging.
As a result, actually getting the BC-900 to analyze four batteries in a row was frustrating and tedious. Here's what I found works: 1) Insert a battery in slot 1. 2) Click the MODE button until you get the TEST feature to appear. 3) Keep clicking the CURRENT button until you get a higher current like 250mA (leaving it on 100mA, the default, can result in the test mode taking days to complete). 4) Now WAIT for the display to stop flashing before you insert a second battery. This can take about eight seconds. If you insert a second battery before the display stops flashing, then all the settings you just configured for the first battery will be wiped out.
Once the flashing stops, insert the second battery and repeat this process. If you manage to get that to work, repeat for batteries 3 and 4. Keep in mind that during this whole process, you only have a few seconds to select the settings for a new battery that's been inserted. If you take too long, the battery reverts to default settings and you have to pull it out and start over. Complicating this whole thing is that bizarre limitation that if you select 100mA for a battery in slot 1, the BC-900 will not let you select a higher current for slot 2, so you have to plan the charging currents for your batteries in advance, then sort your batteries from highest to lowest charge currents, and insert them from left to right.
Needless to say, this whole process is frustrating enough to make you want to throw the BC-900 against the wall and smash it into a thousand tiny pieces. It is by far the most frustrating piece of battery-related electronics I've ever owned. Sometimes, I wonder if the person who designed it had any training at all in basic user interface design. Given that most consumers can hardly manage to set the time and date on their camcorder, I think this product is far too complex for the average consumer to figure out. It left me downright angry at the La Crosse company for putting out what I considered to be such a lousy product.
For many months, this was the only consumer-level battery charger I could find that offered a test / analyze mode. But in the Spring of 2007, Maha Energy released the WizardOne MH-C9000, which was a breath of fresh air compared to the La Crosse BC-900.
The Maha Energy WizardOne MH-C9000 NiMH battery charger
In contrast to the BC-900 from La Crosse, the Maha Energy WizardOne MH-C9000 is a dream to use! The display is astonishingly bright (really, it will blow your mind when you see it), the controls are intuitive, and the buttons actually respond like you would expect them to. The unit is so easy to use that I didn't even have to unfold the instruction sheet to start using all its functions immediately.
The MH-C9000 offers the following operation modes:
• Charge any NiMH AA or AAA battery simply by inserting it and walking away (no button pressing required, but if you want, you can also control the charge current).
• Analyze any NiMH AA or AAA battery to determine its actual capacity in mAh (milli-amp hours). This is like testing how much fuel is in your gas tank. It reveals the actual power capacity of the battery and tells you how long it will last when you use it.
• Break-In any NiMH AA or AAA battery to raise its capacity ceiling and maximize real-world performance. Can also be used to "wake up" seemingly dead batteries and revive them back to their peak performance.
• Discharge any AA or AAA battery to find out how much power it was storing. This lets you test both NiMH or Alkaline batteries to see what their true capacity really is.
• Cycle any NiMH AA or AAA battery to "exercise" it back to its maximum performance.
For each of these modes, if desired, you can select the charge and discharge rates, giving you total control over the treatment of each battery (this charger has advanced, independent circuitry to control each battery separately). For example, you can select charge rates from 100mA all the way up to 1000mA, in increments of 100mA. Or, you can just let each mode run on automatic, using default settings.
After the modes run, the MH-C9000 reports the results to you in a clear, easy-to-read format. It will tell you the mAh of your battery (in Analyze mode), the capacity that discharged, the capacity charged and even the ending voltage of the battery along with the time required to charge it. The MH-C9000 gives you a lot more information than the BC-900, and it's easier to read, too. Simply click the "Slot" button and you can cycle through slots 1 - 4 to see either the current status or end results of each battery.
The MH-C9000 has all the same safety features of the BC-900, including temperature sensing, polarity detection and even a battery impedence check, making it the safest combination of NiMH charging technology you can buy in a consumer product. The instruction manual is well written with clear diagrams, and the charger comes with a three year manufacturer's warranty.
(Full disclosure: I liked the MH-C9000 so much that I bought hundreds of them and now retail them at www.BetterLifeGoods.com , an internet retail site for green living products. I had been looking for a high-end NiMH battery recharger for over a year that I liked well enough to carry. The MH-C9000 is the best I found, and that's why I decided to carry it along with a 30-day complete satisfaction guarantee. All sales help support the NewsTarget network.)
The bottom line
In my experience, there's no comparison between the two chargers. The MH-C9000 wins hands down. Although both chargers offer similar specifications, only the MH-C9000 was really easy to use. The super bright backlit display makes it easy on the eyes, and the simple, straightforward logic of the user interface means that just about anybody can figure out how to use it right away.
To be fair, the MH-C9000 is newer than the BC-900 by at least a year. Perhaps La Crosse Technology is working on a new, updated version of their BC-900 that will have an improved user interface and smarter circuitry that doesn't wipe out your settings when you insert a second battery too quickly. Personally, as the owner of an e-mail marketing software company, I would never release a product with such a poorly designed user interface. The operation of technology products needs to be simple, straightforward and intuitive. The BC-900 is none of those things, in my opinion.
If you're looking for the best NiMH battery charger on the market, go with the MH-C9000. The only drawbacks are that is doesn't charge C, D, or 9V batteries, it doesn't come with a 12V car charger, and it's more expensive than most other chargers (retailing at $69 or so). Cheap battery chargers that lack important safety features can be readily purchased for less than $20 practically anywhere, so it you just want a blind charger that slams current into a battery with no idea of the actual capacity, go get a charger at Wal-Mart or Target. But if you want a quality charger that puts you in control while maximizing the life of your NiMH batteries, go with the MH-C9000.
About the author:
Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored more than 1,500 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of energy efficient LED lights that greatly reduce CO2 emissions. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NewsTarget email newsletters. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and pursues hobbies such as Pilates, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
Cell Phone Battery Maintenance Tips
Have you ever thought how would our mobile phones work if our phone runs out of battery in the middle of the road? We’ll find no way to contact anyone or take anyone’s help. Having a standby battery is a solution to it. A spare battery is best if you simply cannot do without your mobile phone.
When you purchase an additional mobile phone battery, you should select the battery from the manufacturer, as the battery types differ greatly by brand and model. Different mobile phones support differently designed and developed batteries. These days’ mobile phone batteries are constantly developed to have longer life and be more powerful. Mobile batteries will be introduced soon that charge to full capacity in minutes and last ten times longer than current batteries. This would be done to keep your phone working in case of any emergency. Here are a few suggestions or guidelines to cell phone battery maintenance, make sure you make the most of your mobile phone batteries:
• If your cell phone battery no longer provides acceptable performance, you should replace it.
• Never keep your mobile phone in your car during extreme weather conditions, both too hot and too cold.
• If you charge your phone daily, your cell phone battery will typically last between 12-14 months but if you charge your battery less at every 2-3 days, you maybe able to keep your battery for two years or more.
• Don’t use an unapproved mobile phone battery as your mobile phone could damage.• A common reason for mobile phone batteries losing their energy too soon is that you often overcharge your cell phone.
http://www.nz-electronics.co.nz/supplies/article_info.php/articles_id/38
Automatically Tracking Your Car, Fleet, or Boat with GPS
There are a huge number of GPS products on the market for all sorts of purposes. For example there is a specific subcategory of GPS products tailored for vehicle tracking and surveillance- in other words, tracking a car, a fleet, or any other automobile (hey you could even track a boat, etc).
Certain product lines are sold only through authorized dealers and distributors- these are generally the higher end GPS units used by heavy industry or car rental companies.
You can consider GPS car tracking as a branch of security as well as something that can help fleet management companies or car rental facilities, etc, to manage their operations more effectively, cut costs, and find out who's slacking on the job.
Back in the day, the primary security method for your vehicle was to have one of those annoying sounding alarm systems. And more recently the security bar we place on our steering wheels when parking. Well now for those extra paranoid folks out there you now have the option of using GPS tracking in case your car ever got stolen.
Or you could always pretend to be James Bond and follow your kids around to make sure they are not falling into the wrong crowd. Those are just a few possible things you can do. It's up to you to decide what you are looking to do.
The truth is, the global climate of security is not what it used to be. Therefore the sense of having an extra peace of mind can go a long way in these uncertain times.
Please note that not all GPS offerings will be the same- depending on the extra features you are looking for, and whether you want a third party to monitor and track you vehicle or even fleet of vehicles, there may be a subscription fee involved someplace.
http://www.nz-electronics.co.nz/supplies/article_info.php/articles_id/51?osCsid=...
GPS - Never Ending Improvements
When you purchase a GPS system, depending on the model and configuration settings out of the box, you will get a host of life changing utilities that will make your life easier and save you time and money everyday.
However, although the benefits out of the box are tremendous, the true value comes from repeated use and adding your own configurations, shortcuts, etc.
The more you customize the GPS unit to meet your needs, the more it "learns" about your preferences and requirements. You can add restaurants, stores, and anything you find during your travels that are not updated yet within the map systems.
Keep in mind that although not all data is one hundred percent accurate/updated all the time. That is always accurate enough to improve your driving and travelling efficiency. In other words, having something that is accurate 90-99 percent of the time is better than not having the tool at all.
http://www.nz-electronics.co.nz/supplies/article_info.php/articles_id/52?osCsid=...
GPS Trekking - Take a Hike, But Don't Get Lost!
For those looking for a portable GPS unit for on-foot activities such as hiking. Here are a few features that you should be on the look out for when making a purchase decision.
This one is obvious, but make sure there is a visual map screen where you can see where you are relative to your surroundings. Some GPS receivers only tell you your longitude and latitude position.
Make sure that the unit was designed to be rugged enough to work and last in the environment you are planning to trek at. Things such as being water proof, shock proof, and weather proof are helpful if possible.
If you plan on trekking or camping for extended periods of time, you want a GPS unit that has a long battery life relative to the time you spend outdoors.
It's important to have preloaded maps so you can find nearby roads easily and not get lost. Make sure the unit you buy supports as many routes as you think you'll need.
Waypoints are a very handy feature. Make sure that your unit supports many user-entered waypoints.
http://www.nz-electronics.co.nz/supplies/article_info.php/articles_id/53?osCsid=...
Shop Online For the Best Consumer Electronics Information
Shopping for consumer electronics can be difficult because you have so many options. Consumer electronics such as a new DVD player, portable audio components, an MP3 player, computer, and digital camera are often hard to buy in the store because pushy sales people hound you. It's hard enough to determine what you want from your audio equipment, or even household items, clothing, and collectibles, but when you have a sales person hounding you and pressuring your, it becomes even more difficult.
Buying consumer electronics doesn't have to be difficult. One of the best ways to buy the items you want and need is to shop online for them. There are a lot of great retailers online that can hook you up with new video games, a new computer, that digital camera you've been looking at, or gifts for your family and friends. When you shop with online retailers you don't have to deal with pushy sales people that have their own motives in selling you a particular product. What's even better is that when you shop online you can often buy the products you want and need at wholesale prices.
Not only can you purchase consumer electronics online for wholesale and outstanding prices, you can also buy collectables, as seen on TV products, clothing, household items, and more. Anything you can think of, and then some, can be purchased online. You don't have to leave home to buy the things that you want, you don't have to deal with pushy or unknowledgeable sales people, and you don't even have to get dressed if you don't want to!
Shopping with online retailers and wholesale vendors can also be beneficial if you are looking for an item that is sold out or not offered at stores in your local area. Depending on the electronics retailers and other retail stores you have in your area, you may not be able to obtain the products for your home or your personal use that you want. Often times you can get online and find a great retailer or wholesale vendor that can get you the products that you want for less than you had anticipated. Because you pay less than you had planned online, you can often purchase other items for yourself, you can spend more on gifts, or you can simply keep the money in the bank account for the next time you want to shop!
Consumer electronics are often way over priced if you shop locally. That MP3 player that you have been looking at locally may be purchased for up to 30% less if you shop online with the right retailer or wholesale vendor. The same can be said for a DVD player, portable audio equipment, video games, computer equipment, digital cameras, and more, making online shopping a great way to get the most for your money.
http://www.nz-electronics.co.nz/supplies/article_info.php/articles_id/56?osCsid=...
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