Looking for a reliable/durable charger. One important feature would be the ability to charge via dc 12v/lighter, and a/c standard... or via USB. One reason would be so I can recharge through a nomad 7 solar panel as well as in the car, on the go. Most important is AAA/AA charging, but I have one flashlight that uses 4x cr123a or 2x 18650 batteries.

I'd appreciate some input/suggestions. I've been burned by rechargeable batteries. I last bought duracell "quick charge" and found they didn't keep the charge after a couple dozen cycles.

Thanks,
Geo

The best rechargeable batteries seem to be Sanyo Eneloops or rebranded variations. I have been phasing them in and getting rid of alkaline units. No problems whatever.

I am happy with my Maha MH C401FS which will work off of house current or 12V. Its four independent circuits will do either AA or AAA. I am not sure, but you might need another charger for CR123a's or 18650's.

I have only one light with 18650s. It will charge off my laptop USB port or my Guide 10 Plus and possibly directly from a Nomad panel.

Tons of options out there. FWIW, these are three chargers I use regularly with good results:


Maha C9000 for AA/AAA Eneloops (you can buy a 12V adapter for more flexibility)

http://www.amazon.com/Powerex-MH-C9000-PowerEx-WizardOne-Charger-Analyzer/dp/B000NLUSLM

Sanyo USB Charger for AA/AAA Eneloops (only charges at 400mA so its a little slow, but has independent charging channels and is small enough for travel)

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-eneloop-Pre-Charged-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B004UAG776


CottonPickers 8 Current setting Li-Ion Charger for 16340, 17670, 18650 (I really like this charger. Very small and charge settings from 50 to 780mA)

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthr...er-with-display

In my experience most chargers are junk. For AA/AAA NiMHs, there are two models that I have been using for a couple of years and can recommend highly:

Powerex Maha MH-C9000 - 4 independent channels, has both charging and battery refresh settings that really work, lots of control over what you're doing, and IIRC can handle a 12VDC car input (cord not included). Not cheap but brings life into old cells you thought were goners, so it pays for itself after a while.

Duracell Mobile Charger CEF23DX4N - 4 independent channels, slower than the Maha but does a good job, has USB out from four charged cells, and includes the cigarette lighter cord. New old stock is still available in the $20-30 range.

Can't help you with the CR123s. But 18650s are Li-ion I think, requiring a different charger.

There is also a slightly cheaper alternative to the MAHA MH-C9000, which is sold under several brandnames: La Crosse BC/RS-700, Voltcraft IPC1L, Accupower IQ128 or Accucell BC-700

Also availible with a optional 12V DC car imput.

The Sanyo USB Charger also mentioned here, is indeed a nice compact (travel) charger.

there is very little difference between the better chargers. some people like gadgets with all kinds of features that serve no real purpose. MAHA has made a bunch of money selling such chargers.

chargers that can charge individual batteries and automatically shut off when the charging is done are probably the best options. most chargers these days have some kind of auto shutoff. don't get the kind that have a timer shutoff as they will destroy your batteries over time.

mine does not charge individual batteries - it does two at a time. For me it is not that big of a deal as all of the devices I use them in use either 2 or 4 of them so it does not matter all that much.

I use the one recommended by AFLM... a Fujicell SCH808F... works with my Goal Zero 7w panel, 12v dc, 120v ac, and 5v USB... with Sanyo AA Eneloops...I've changed my thinking about running my 3500w genset.... invested in a 12v deep discharge trolling motor with a 12v cigarette receptacle attached to run my hurricane electronics (via AA)

protective cap removed from positive terminal for pic
SCH808F charger

A Nitecore Charger will cover a lot a bases for different conventional cell types, has a 12V input. It will charge NiMh and NiCd and rechargeable Lithium Ion for those higher power 18650 flashlights etc. But you will need a consistent 12V 12+ Watt power source. i.e a 20W Solar Panel + Charge Controller + SLA battery system i.e as shown in Les's Photo.

No USB input though as you will only really find these on smaller capacity chargers due to the USB power specification limitations.

The Nitecore charger is very handy to charge 4x18650 cells for a Fandyfire UV-S5 Flashlight for home use, when you need some serious illumination.

http://www.fasttech.com/product/1057203-fandyfire-uv-s5-cree-xm-l-t6-3000lm-flashlight-4

A compact Soshine SC-S7 will also charge the similar range of cells, but only one cell at a time. Useful for portable Solar PVs of 5+ Watt specification for light weight back packing

I respectfully disagree. There are a lot of name-brand chargers being sold that destroy good quality batteries quite quickly. And these are not necessarily the cheapest ones either. There seems to be an absolute, cut-throat cynicism going on, with the bean counters overruling the engineers. The more batteries they fry in these junkers, the more new batteries they can sell.

But amidst the storm of crapola there are some good chargers that will get you decent performance and a decent lifespan out of your rechargeables. It doesn't have to be a Maha, but you really do have to sift the (rare) wheat from the (voluminous) chaff.

As for the Maha in particular, I was a reluctant convert. But I finally found a great deal on one and spent some time working with it. It's not quite as convenient, but when it comes to refreshing older cells and restoring their capacity, it does what it says it does.

If you want to argue the point further, just drop into candlepowerforums for double-barrelled dose of "chapter and verse."

a/c and 12v (lighter) is a good comprimise. I had bad experience with duracell, even after they replaced the batteries/charger I found they were no good. Eneloop seems to have a good rep, but I'll need to order them off ebay. They should work with the nomad powerpack. That answers another question I had, the charger should have a constant charge.. not subject to clouds, shade, etc.. I have a booster pack; I could trickle charge it via nomad 7, and charge batteries off it. It should have same effect as lesnyder's setup using already owned items.


I still have some links to re-read but hey all seem to offer "independent" charging (AA/AAA at same time).. thats a plus. Do any of the chargers have an advantage charging both kinds (NiMh/lithium)?