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Works fine, but a solar powered charger would be better
The BCG-34HLD works fine, though the charger's 360mAH output rate means it'll take a about 6 hours to charge the 2100mAH batteries. I bought it because it had a decent amount of charge to it, and hey it's comparatively cheap, but now I wish I had bought one with a charger that would accept a 12V lighter connection so that I could hook it up to a 5V solar panel. At sundancesolar, they sell a kit with 2500mAH batteries and charger that has a lighter connection so you can use a solar panel. At a 800mAH rate, 2500mAH batteries will only take about 3 hours to recharge and you don't have to be plugged into the grid! I'll probably use these Sony batteries in a new solar charger. A few things to be aware of with NiMH batteries: *If NiMH batteries are repeatedly partially discharged and then recharged, it is necessary to do an occasional complete discharge followed by a complete recharge. However, more often overcharging is the cause of voltage depression, so for this charger, you must keep track of how many hours the batteries have been charging (5 hours, 50 minutes). *NiMH batteries self discharge about 1-3% per day, so they should be charged when you'll be needing them. This makes them a bad choice for emergency equipment that is stored away for long periods. They should also not be used in equipment that continues to drain them after they've been discharged as this can render them unusable. *Alkaline batteries start at 1.5 volts and gradually drop to less than 1.0 volts. NiMH batteries remain at a 1.2 volt average for about 80% of their discharge cycle. Sony quality in this product. No frills quality charger. Long lasting batteries. Great combo. Recommend highly. Worth it The performance is good and I got this for a good deal last september Sony rocks! The sony batteries retain power for a long time. I do not need to recharge frequently. Power charger does not equal rapid charger I just got this a few weeks ago to charge batteries for our digital camera. Haven't used it much yet but it looks like it works fine. My only issue is that it takes 6-7 hours to charge the batteries. This isn't really a big deal for my home use but it might be for others. There are rapid chargers out there that charge the batteries in an hour or two. Also this unit doesn't indicate if the battery is already charged. Its a pretty basic unit for a pretty basic price. Just fine for basic use! | |
