SANYO 4-Position Ni-MH Rechargeable Battery Charger

Price : $12.99

Product Description

Style: 4-Position Charger
From the Manufacturer
SANYO 4-Position Ni-MH Battery Charger with Retractable AC Plug
The SANYO SEC-MQN06COST 4-position Ni-MH battery charger with retractable AC plug is ideal for use at home, in the office, or on the road. It provides a convenient way to recharge up to four SANYO eneloop or conventional NiMH rechargeable batteries. The AC charger is designed to accept charging two or four AA or AAA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries quickly and efficiently.

Charging Indicator LEDsA charging indicator light will flash while charging and then will remain on once charging has been completed. There is one charging indicator LED for each pair of batteries installed. To ensure safety, the charger stops charging when it senses an overheated battery, and it won’t charge defective batteries.

Fast, Efficient Charging System
Compared to conventional battery chargers that take more than twice the amount of time to recharge batteries, the SANYO 4-position Ni-MH rechargeable battery charger can completely recharge fully discharged AA Ni-MH batteries in approximately 10 hours and 7 hours for AAA Ni-MH batteries. This represents a whopping 50% savings in time and energy usage.
Integrated, Retractable AC Plug
The SANYO 4-position charger offers the ultimate in convenience since it features a retractable AC plug for direct connection to an AC wall outlet - no detachable AC cables! It accepts input voltages ranging from 100 to 240VAC, 50/60Hz for use internationally.
The charger delivers a consistent, stable 300mA output current to 2/4 AA batteries or 150mA output current to 2/4 AAA batteries assuring that it won’t degrade your batteries. The retractable plug and wide input voltage range makes it a perfect travel companion.
Unlike other rechargeable batteries and charger sets of a less quality, the SANYO eneloop batteries and charger are not prone to memory effects which degrade the performance of batteries over time. eneloop batteries can be recharged when they are fully, or partially drained.
The SANYO charger, when used in conjunction with a set of SANYO eneloop batteries, delivers excellent performance-to-cost advantages over conventional battery/charger combinations; providing long lasting power at a cost of less than 4¢ per recharge. The key benefit for consumers is a lower cost of ownership compared to conventional rechargeable battery/charger solutions.
eneloop Recharge Cost Assumptions and Calculations
Eneloop batteries offer exceptional shelf life so you can use your rechargeable batteries when and where you need them most. You can charge your eneloop batteries once, store them away for up to three years and use them at a moment's notice. After charging eneloop batteries they will maintain 75% of their capacity for up to three years. They are ready to be used immediately right out of the pack. The AC charger is designed to accept charging 2 or 4 pcs. AA or AAA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. A convenient charging indicator light will flash while charging and then stay on once charging has been completed. The time needed to completely recharge fully discharged AA Ni-MH batteries is approximately 10 hours and 7 hours for AAA Ni-MH batteries.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 3.2 x 4.7 inches ; 1.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B005ILYG5Q
• Item model number: SEC-MQN06COST
  

Technical Details

• AC charger is designed for charging 2 or 4 pcs AA or AAA Ni-MH batteries
• Charges 4AA in 7 hours
• Charges 4AAA in 6 hours
• Product Dimensions: 47 x 32 x 12 inches ; 37 ounces

 

SANYO 4-Position Ni-MH Rechargeable Battery Charger

 

Customer Reviews

I have done extensive testing on the original eneloop rechargeable batteries since early 2007, shortly after they were introduced in the US. I have also tested the blue second-generation eneloop cells from the Costco eneloop package back in 2010. But this is the first time I have seen second-gen eneloop in white wrappings being sold in the US. With so much talk about counterfeit eneloop going around, I was understandably cautious when I purchased those SANYO NEW 1500 eneloop 8 Pack AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries.
I tested four of those cells, using my old La Crosse BC-900 Battery Charger.
- Right out of the package, their average remaining charge is 1568mAh, or nearly 80% of the rated capacity of 2000mAh. The spread is also very small, from 1558 to 1577mAh. This proves that they are indeed low-self-discharge type. (Date code on my cells says "11-01", or Jan 2011)
- After one recharge/discharge cycle, their average capacity improved to 2115mAh
- After two more recharge/discharge cycles, their average capacity leveled off at 2133mAh, or more than 6% higher than the rated capacity.
The above results are very consistent with what I have previously observed, while testing second-gen eneloop cells in the Costco package. Therefore I'm convinced that those are indeed genuine second-gen Sanyo eneloop cells. (See the scans I uploaded to Customer Images section, if you need to distinguish between old and new eneloop cells)
On the other hand, currently the prices of those new eneloop cells are about 25-50% higher than that of the original eneloop cells. So one may question: do the new eneloop cells offer sufficient improvement over the old, to justify the price different? Let's compare the following factors:
- Cycle Life: The 2nd-gen eneloop claims to "recharge up to 1500 cycles", while the original only claims 1000 cycles. This 50% improvement looks great on paper, but note that if you recharge your eneloop cells twice every week, it will take 10 years to reach 1000 cycles. So in real life, most average users will never notice the difference.
- Self-Discharge Rate: The new eneloop cells claim to "maintain 75% charge after 3 years", while the original only claims "80% after 2 years". Again, in real life most people will never notice the difference.
- Capacity: First-gen eneloop AA cells have "Typ 2000mAh, Min 1900mAh" printed on them, while 2nd-gen eneloop AA cells only say "Min 1900mAh". But in fact they have the same capacity rating of 2000mAh (typical) according to official Sanyo web site. My measured capacity numbers are actually around 2100mAh for both versions.
BOTTOM LINE:
Both the new and old eneloop cells are excellent products. You can safely mix and match them in any application, and probably nobody can tell the difference in the next 10 years. But in case you can't decide which version is a better value... Just flip a coin and pick one - you can't lose either way!
[Update on July 31, 2011]
Long term self-discharge data: I have tested a pair of new eneloop AA cells after 104 days sitting on the shelf (the batteries, not me). The average remaining charge is 88.7%. This charge-retention rate is slightly better than that of the original eneloop, but the difference is within margin of error for my experiment.

This package (SANYO NEW 1500 eneloop 4 Pack AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries w/ Charger) contains four second-generation '1500 cycles' eneloop AA cells, plus the 'MQN06' 4-cell charger
I have tested those new second-generation eneloop cells about one year ago from the Costco eneloop package, and also more recently from the SANYO NEW 1500 eneloop 8 Pack AA. I can honestly say that: while both old and new eneloop are excellent products, their difference in performance is hardly noticeable. Both version have exactly the same capacity rating of 'Typ 2000mAh, Min 1900mAh'. Actual measured capacity, using my old La Crosse BC-900, is actually about 5% higher at about 2100mAh on the average.
Some advertised improvements of the new eneloop cells looked impressive on paper, but not easy to verify in real life. For example, the new cells claim to have 50% longer lifespan (from 1000 to 1500 cycles). But note that even if you recharge your eneloop cells twice every week, it will take about ten years before you can realize the difference in battery lifespan. The new eneloop also claims to "hold 75% charge after 3 years" in storage, while the old one only claims "80% after two year". Again, in real life most users will never experience any difference. But then again, it does give a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that you are getting the latest and greatest rechargeable batteries on the market. (At least until the 2500mAh Sanyo "eneloop-XX" arrives)
Mechanically, there are some very minor differences between original and new eneloop cells (See my upload in the Customer Images section to distinguish between old and new). Note that there are some confusions about 'vent holes' on the latest eneloop cells. Some poeple even claim that cells without visible vent holes are counterfeits. But I have tested two batches of new eneloop cells with and without 'vent holes', and found them to be identical electrically. So I'm confident that those latest batch I received are genuine.
The Sanyo MQN06 4-cell charger (included in this and many other eneloop packages) is a big let-down. Here's what I don't like about this charger:
- It charges in pairs only. This is very inconvenient for appliances that take odd number of cells. If you try to charge an exhausted cell together with a half-full cell, the charging process stops as soon as the second cell is full, which means the first cell is still half-empty.
- The charging current is very low: 300mA for AA cells, 150mA for AAA cells. That means it take about 7 hours to recharge a pair of exhausted eneloop AA cells.
- If you leave a pair of charged cells in an unplugged MQN06, there is a leakage current of 0.5mA. This means a loss of 12mAh per day. In other words, a set of 2000mAh cells will become exhausted in about 5 months. That wipes out the 'low-self-discharge' benefit of eneloop cells.
CONCLUSION:
Over the past four years, I have found the original Sanyo eneloop cells to be the most consistent and reliable NiMH cells I have ever used. So I can recommend the new eneloop based on my past experience. On the other hand, I find it inexcusable that Sanyo continues to bundle the best rechargeable batteries with such a mediocre charger. So you may want to consider a package that comes with a better charger, such as the Sony Cycle Energy BCG34HRE4KN, and then buy more Sanyo eneloop cells as needed. This SONY charger can handle each cell individually, and it can be used to recharge any other brands of LSD cells.