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| Brand: La Crosse Technology
Category: Lawn & Patio
List Price: $69.95
Buy New: $39.95
You Save: $30.00 (43%)
New (3) Used (1) from $35.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  408 reviews
Sales Rank: 2
Color: Blue
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 1.5 x 5.1 x 3
MPN: BC-900
Model: BC-900
UPC: 757456993836
EAN: 0757456993430
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great product! Still v32 NOT v33 October 3, 2006
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
Received mine October 2nd and it is v32 instead of the v33. This charger requires that you read the manual but it is worth the effort. Prbabaly the best feature of this charger is its ability to discharge the battery first. This eliminates the "memory effect" that plagues most NiCad batteries. The second nicest feature is the ability to refresh your batteries wherein the charger discharges and recharges the battery until it has been "refreshed" to its greatest capacity and then displays the refreshed battery's actual measured capacity!
In the test mode the battery will be fully charged and then discharged to determine its capacity and then the battery is charged again. Afterwards the battery's capacity will be displayed. So, no more guessing about whether a battery is still good or not!
This charger also allows you the ability to choose the charging current! The slower you charge the batteries the longer they last. But there are always those times when you need your batteries charged quickly and this charger is up to the task.
The charger does get hot if you use the fastest charging rates but it also has an automatic turn off switch that engages if the unit gets too hot. I've not actually had the unit get to this point so I cannot comment on whether or not it works.
I cannot imagine a battery charger with better features. I wish using it were a bit more intuitive but the instuctions are comprehensive and you should have no problems. I can recommend this product heartily!
Pays for Itself in Rescued Batteries October 20, 2007
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
OK, I guess I'm a bit of a gadget freak. There I said it. When I saw all the modes and read-outs on this thing, I knew I had to have it. And I haven't been disappointed. I keep it on my desk so I can look over and watch the read-outs and hit the "display" button to switch between time in cycle, total capacity, charge rate, etc. just because I can!
I bought it because my recently purchased Strathwood solar lights were not performing that well. Some work great, lasting for hours every night, but others were just not lighting up for more than 20 or 30 minutes (and some not at all). I suspected the batteries were at fault, and I was right.
When I removed the "600 mAh" NiCd AAs from my solar lights (all 24 of them), after about 6 weeks of use in the lights, and put them in "TEST" mode in the BC-900 charger, I found that many of the batteries were only capable of 15 to 50 mAh (milliAmpere hours) after a normal charge/discharge cycle. I used the BC-900's "REFRESH" mode to cycle through a few discharge/charge cycles and was able to bump these batteries back to between 400 mAh and 600 mAh each, so next spring I'll replace the batteries (the lights are at our summer home) and expect to get much more consistent and reliable performance out of the solar lights.
The charger can't work miracles (it was not able to revive my 8-year old low capacity NiMH batteries that hadn't been holding a charge and had been sitting unused in a drawer for years), but it did a good job revitalizing a few newer NiMH and NiCd batteries that had been subjected to poor charging from cheaper "fast chargers" and simple timed battery chargers. If you have a few NiCd or NiMH rechargeable batteries that are not holding a charge for very long, then it's worth running them through the RC-900's TEST and REFRESH cycles - you may just find that you're able to squeeze some more life out of these old batteries, which is better for the environment and for your pocketbook.
I had been looking at a Maha charger with similar features, but after an excellent comparative review by "NLee the Engineer" I went with the LaCrosse RC-900 instead. It's very simple to use, and offers charging speeds from 200 mAh all the way up to 1800 mAh which can charge up your 2000 mAh AAs to full capacity in a little over an hour if you need a "quick fix." Charging at higher rates than that generally isn't a good idea and can impact the usable life span of the battery.
Also, the charger comes with some LaCrosse brand NiMH batteries (4 AA, 4 AAA) which all tested close to their rated capacity (2400 mAh for the AA, 800 mAh for the AAA) as well as a decent case to hold the batteries and charger. It even comes with C and D size "shells" so you can use standard AAs in devices which require C and D batteries (just don't expect them to last very long).
All in all, an excellent value and one that will pay for itself in very short order.
Best Charger Yet...Worth the $50 hands down! June 18, 2005
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
I cannot say much more good about this charger than has already been said by the other "5 star" reviews. It is the best charger with the MOST functions to test and extend the life of any NiCad or NiMH AAA's or AA's. The great thing about this charger is when it finishes charging, it gives a trickle charge and ACCURATELY monitors the temperature during this and during regular charging which will help to extend the life of your batteries.
I currently do not even use the 2000 mAh batteries that came with it in favor of some new Panasonic 2300 mAh...but I am sure I will use the LaCrosse batteries in the future when the Panasonics are old. I guess 2000 mAh NiMH batteries are not that bad...but the 2300 mAh are a little better!
I did not want to pay $50 for a charger but bad luck on the cheaper models pushed me into it...boy am I happy I did. I think this is a pretty new model as of early 2005 so keep up with the reviews and ALWAYS shop around on line first!
Now version 33 November 28, 2006
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Just received it today. I'm testing it right now, not much information. But one thing that I want you guys know is, now Amazon is shipping version 33. So, feel free to order from Amazon.
The best charger March 8, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I've had the BC-900 for about two weeks now and I'm very happy with this purchase.
Pros:
- I didn't have trouble with the included batteries. Mine refreshed to around their stated specifications and they work great.
- The LCD screen displays voltage, charging rate, mAh rating, and the time in each mode. This is great for people who like information readouts.
- Comes with a nice carrying bag and adapters to turn your AA batteries into C or D batteries.
- Very configurable with different modes and charge/discharge rates. Each battery is charged independently, so you'll see some batteries finish before the rest. I use the gentlest 100 mAh mode because it's supposed to be the best for your batteries.
- Pretty easy to use. The manual seems confusing, but it's actually very simple to set the different modes. Just hold the Mode button until the screen changes, and repeatedly press mode to select which one you want.
Cons:
- Feels a bit cheap and it could be a bit heavier.
- Mine emits a soft buzzing noise, but it's really only audible when you're standing next to it.
Overall, this is an incredible charger. It costs twice as much as the Energizer package, but you get also get an extra set of AAA batteries, a bag, a few adapters, and a much better charger. If you go through a lot of rechargeable batteries, the BC-900 would be a better investment in the long run.
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