Hi, does anyone have a decent solution for re-charging my eneloops, I need to charge 16 at a time and would prefer a smart charger (you know the type, battery re-conditioning, variable current charging etc) - from what I can find I'm going to be stuck with 4x4 bay chargers, unless you can help!
Thanks
B.
I use 2 of these.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerex-MH-C9000-WizardOne-battery-charger/dp/B000OA98SQ
These are also highly regarded
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BC-700-intelligent-Battery-Charger-Version/dp/B000WILI42/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1409290274&sr=1-17&keywords=battery charger
As are these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/AccuPower-Fast-Charger-IQ328-batteries-dark-blue/dp/B004Z5XXZU/ref=sr_1_21?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1409290274&sr=1-21&keywords=battery charger
You need one with independent charging channels. Cheap chargers just use one, and will cut off when one battery reaches a fully charged condition regardless of what the other three are doing. They also have no adjustable charge and discharge current adjustments, or cycling/refresh modes to keep cells in good condition.
Have a read of this stuff (taken from Candle Power Forums).
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...est-Answers-to-Rechargeable-Battery-Questions
If you need to charge 16 at a time, then you're looking at some of the cheaper chargers I'm afraid... or, very expensive....
http://www.mahaenergy.com/mh-c801d/
Eneloops are cheap, and the real point of them over traditional NiMh cells is they retain charge. Buy shed loads of them and break them in right, charge them well, and store them in the freezer (in a air tight, sealed container). They'll still have almost 100% charge after a year, easy. Just let them come back to temp slowly for 24 hours before using them. 24 of them in your freezer and you'll always have a set of fully charged cells available, no matter how long it's been before you last shot.
If all you need is to blast charge 16 batteries in a very short space of time because you're constantly shooting, you may as well just go to Maplin, by 2x cheap ass 8 cell "fast" chargers, and Maplin's own brand 2400mAh cells.
The whole point in eneloops is the charge retention. Maplin's own 2400 cells are brilliant, it's just that, like all high capacity traditional NiMh cells, they self-discharge quickly.
A decent multi-channel charger will always get the best from any cell however, and will increase the cell's life.
