La Crosse Technology BC700 Alpha Power Battery Charger Reviews

• Handicapped version of BC900

  
  By AOEAD7DPLZE53 on 2007-08-30
  Just in case you were looking for the La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger: please be advised that ths is NOT the same charger.
  
  Except for the color, the BC700 looks exactly the same as the better-known BC900. However, it is actually a "handicapped" version of the old charger. Its charging current can only go up to 700mA in three steps (200/500/700). The BC900, on the other hand, can go up to 1000mA for 4 cells, or 1800mA for 2 cells. Also the BC900 package includes eight NiMH rechargeable cells (4 AA and 4 AAA), eight C/D cell adaptors, and a carrying case. The BC700 does not come with any bonus items.
  
  This is not to say that the BC700 is a bad product. Quite the contrary, it is better than any other NiMH AA chargers in the market except for BC900 and Maha MH-C9000. If you can find it at a substantial saving (like maybe 30% off from the price of BC900), it is still a good buy. But as it is right now, I recommend getting its older brother instead.
  
  [update on June 13, 2008]
  Recently the price of BC700 has settled to a level much lower than that of BC900 (mostly because the price for BC900 has increased sharply), so it is now an excellent buy - especially if you intend to buy some low-self-discharge NiMH cells separately. It seems like my original rating (3 out of 5 stars) was unnecessarily harsh. [...]
  
  

• Great charger but.......

  
  By A16HXYP764S68K on 2008-03-03
  This is a great charger and when I bought it it was about $15 less than the BC-900. Now the BC-900 is less than this charger. The difference between this charger and the BC-900 is the lack of the faster charging speeds and the accessories. Definitley buy the BC-900 and the accessory package for less money. It seems they are constantly playing games with the pricing on these two chargers. The BC-700 charger does a great job of reconditioning batteries and the charging speed is usually between 2-3 hours for the different capacity batteries that I have. (1800mh - 2650mh). Time is not an issue for me as I have about 10 sets of AA's and can just keep swapping them out. From what i've read the slower charging speed is better for the life span of your battery any way.
  
  

• Best charger I ever owned

  
  By A1ODOGXEYECQQ8 on 2008-04-29
  I have owned at least 8 chargers in the past, Maha's, Panasonic, etc. It is nice to see that this charger shows you the mAh on the LCD panel as the battery charges up. Most chargers you only see an LED indicator to signal when charging is done.
  Compared to the specs of BC-900, BC700 can only go up to 700mAH (the max) which means it is somewhat slower than the BC900. But the faster the battery charges, the hotter it gets. And one of the worst enemy of rechargeable batteries is heat. Less heat means longer life.
  
  Pros:
  - 3 adjustable charging speeds
  - Will show you the actual capacity in mAh. This is good so you know which battery needs to be refreshed. You always want to use batteries with the same capacities in pair or in a group.
  - 4 independent charging stations with individual LED readouts. "AA's" and "AAA's" can be charged in different combinations. Don't you hate those gadgets that only use 3 batteries like portable radios? (walkie-talkies). You end up with 1 un-used battery if you bought a 4-pack. How will you charge it if your charger only charges in pairs?
  - Reasonable price for an excellent charger
  - Small and light. Better portability
  - Multi-volt up to 240v. Very useful if you travel a lot to other countries.
  
  Cons:
  
  Now I have to stop myself doing impulse buying on NiMh's because I enjoy using this charger too much..
  
  

• New improved version of BC-900

  
  By A155X7YLH76326 on 2008-06-02
  I don't know why a company would adopt such a confusing model number scheme, but in terms of capabilities, this is far superior to other models by LaCrosse and Maha.
  
  The BC-700 can charge up to 2500 mAh capacity -- it does so in relatively faster steps of 200/500/700 mA currents (these are not capacities). Unless you are in a really big hurry, let the charger work at the default current of 200 mA, otherwise, you are stressing your batteries. This charger has saved several sets of 2000+ mAh batteries for me that previous had developed a low capacity problem in a Maha charger.
  
  Compared to my old Maha, it's nice to be able to see the capacities and voltage of the batteries. Having a device like this and a couple dozen AA and AAA NiMH batteries saves me several hundred dollars per year.
  
  Make sure you glance through the documentation so you don't misunderstand the various modes.
  
  TIP: you must make selections on the charger within 8 seconds of inserting the batteries, AND hold the mode button for 5 seconds when changing modes.
  
  

• Buy this La Crosse BC-700 because this is newer model (instead of older model La Crosse BC-900)

  
  By A1XDRUMD2U2TMF on 2008-08-16
  Trying to decide between this La Crosse model BC-700, or La Crosse model BC-900? It sounds logical that the higher model La Crosse BC-900 would be the newest model than this BC-700, but that is not true. In truth, this BC-700 is the newest model, and the BC-900 is an older model. Found this out after much Internet research. (I guess this BC-700 is named "700" because it has three charging option rates of 200, 500 and 700 MAH, and its maximum charging rate is "700" MAH. In contrast the older BC-900 has five charging rates, including these three 200, 500, 700 MAH, and has two more charging rates of 1000 and 1800 MAH.)
  
  (Also, first Amazon review of this newer BC-700 is dated August 2007, of its about 30 Amazon reviews. Whereas, the first Amazon review of older BC-900 is dated February 2005, of its about 400 Amazon reviews.)
  
  I decided to buy this latest and newest La Crosse BC-700, instead of the older La Crosse BC-900. This BC-700 charger is working very well and stays very cool and does not overheat, and my NiMH batteries stays cool while charging at the slow default 200 MAH rate.
  
  While researching Eneloop batteries, I saw this La Crosse BC-700, and the BC-900 battery chargers (and also the Maha MH-C9000 battery charger). I initially ordered the La Crosse BC-900 because BC-900 sounded logical to be newer, and this BC-700 sounded logical to be the older. But after much Internet research, I found out that this BC-700 was newer, and the BC-900 was older, and I had time to cancel the older BC-900. Also, I found out that the older BC-900 has people writing about previous problems with burning or near-accidents, probably caused by the high end charge rates of 1000 MAH and 1800 MAH of the older BC-900. Also, the older BC-900 problems of newer and older hardware firmware v.32, v.33, v.34 internal chips, and other problems. I believe La Crosse engineers had good and safety reasons to make this newer BC-700, and eliminating the higher 1000 MAH and 1800 MAH charge rates of the older BC-900. I have stopped using my old "fast" chargers (such as my Energizer PS4 1-hour "fast" charger), and will only charge my new Eneloop batteries using the Eneloop slow chargers, or the low charging rate of this newer La Cross BC-700. (The current BC-900 version is v.35, and I believe the mentioned BC-900 problems are now resolved and are history, and no longer an issue with the current version BC-900. But I still prefer this newer BC-700.)
  
  FYI, when I plug in the AC adapter to this BC-700, the following numbers appear in each of the 4 LCD windows slots (and disappears after a few seconds):
  Slot #1: 84.
  Slot #2: 83.
  Slot #3: 700. (Probably stands for BC-"700".)
  Slot #4: 36. (Maybe this is the firmware chip version "3.6" ?)
  
  Right now I like using this BC-700 regular "Charge" at 200 MAH mode. And I like using the "Test" mode to label and sort out my good and bad NiMH batteries. Also, I do not need the "free" items of the older BC-900 of the "free" carry case, nor the "free" NiMH batteries (since I converted to the Eneloop NiMh batteries).
  
  Update Oct 2008:
  My BC-700 is still working well and keeps cool and does not overheat, at my preferred default 200 MAH charge rate, for maximum NiMH battery life. I recommend this BC-700 which is the newest model and chip version, instead of the older BC-900.
  
  
• Good news - Bad news - Uninspiring customer support
  By A2JB0Z3PC8IAA4 on 2008-09-30
  AFTER careful consideration & making additional observations as well as in the interest of presenting a more equitable view of my recent experiences with La Crosse BC-700 AA/AAA battery chargers over the past month, here is my updated review. Much work has been done to be helpful. It is my hope that this examination of mine is supportive to persons considering purchasing this rather versatile charger. If this is too lengthy of a review & you don't have time for it all then please scroll to the Bottom Line at the end, thanks (sometimes we disabled veterans have too much time on our hands).
  
  Initially, after purchasing & receiving 4 of these little chargers, the BC-700 had me nearly mesmerized, being the first reasonably decent "smart" battery chargers we'd ever owned. Once the novelty wore off though & after making many careful observations, a lot of things began to stand out that just didn`t make sense. For most of us, the BC-700 is a big step up from common "dumb" battery chargers we are all familiar with... but there are some limitations with these chargers that had we known about we would have never purchased them in the first place. No doubt these chargers will perform better than any simple AA/AAA battery chargers on the market, giving one far greater control & selection over the charging processes, offering several charging/discharging modes & generally protecting one`s investment in small, rechargeable batteries. Its default programming makes it quite simple as well as safe to use... but there are problems at present: problems with quality control, problems with the charger's operations & very annoying problems with customer service (as has been noted by other reviewers). Am hopeful that La Crosse will soon these address these problems & that this charger will evolve into a better one. First, the problems, then the better stuff...
  
  QUALITY CONTROL:
  * 1 of our 4 chargers has its compartment buttons quite uneven in their seating, curving & dipping this way & that, spoiling a nice, high-tech appearing charger.
  * 2 of our 4 chargers have a most annoying, distracting piece of dust underneath the view plate right where the readings are taken for one of the compartments.
  * 1 of our 4 chargers requires the Current/Display/Mode buttons to be mashed quite hard in order to get them to perform their functions.
  * 3 of our 4 chargers are amazingly difficult to insert AA batteries into as well as removing out of the compartments (negative charging tabs are sticking out excessively).
  
  OPERATIONS:
  * One compartment will charge batteries a good amount more than the others three for some reason, even while charging evenly-matched, quality batteries that have been top-off charged only 10 days beforehand & then using "Test" mode to determine capacity. This is always compartment #3 or #4 for some reason, over a dozen tests having been performed to back up these observations. No matter the brand, no matter the type of rechargeable cell (5 different brands & types of batteries were tested), this strange phenomenon is observed consistently. In all fairness, this occurs while using the default 200 mA charging, so perhaps this current is not quite enough to trigger the 4th battery to fully charge up to end the charging cycle consistently. Better results are seen when programming the chargers to use 500 mA of current to charge 2000-2500 mAh rated AA batteries instead of the lower default current, as then the negative delta voltage cutoff seems to trigger in a more balanced fashion using higher current. 200 mA charging, though, appears to work just fine for AAA NiMH cells, both with standard cells as well as hybrid.
  * Have had our remaining NiCADs (low capacity solar yard light batteries) reach over 1.7 volts & a couple hitting 1.83 volts while charging... on just 200 mA charging current, no less. Rather high for a 1.2 volt rated cell, is it not? This is being measured while charging them at 1/3rd of the cell's rated capacity (0.33C).
  * There is a most annoying, consistent anomaly concerning the final trickle charging (the following figures are observed using new, broken-in/cycled, low self-discharging Sanyo eneloop AA & AAA hybrid NiMH batteries). As the first cell reaches "Full" charge it is then trickled between 17-19 mA until the next battery reads "Full". Then the first charged battery at once reads a 12-13 mA trickle charge as the last cell to read "Full" receives the 17-19 mA trickle. Same with the 3rd, same with the 4th, regardless of timing. Even if the trickle charging goes on for days, the first 3 to charge up will continue to show a 12-13 mA trickle charging & the last to charge will still show 17-19 mA! This is rather unusual, though it strikes me as being a bit bad for low self-discharging AAA hybrid cells (such as Sanyo eneloop batteries) to be receiving this slight overcharge over the course of days, as we have to do sometimes when we are away from home. Not a huge problem, granted, just a minor one.
  * The AAA cells make a harsh grinding as they are inserted into the compartments due to the grooves in the positive charging tabs. The AA batteries don't do this, just the AAAs. It is a significant scraping. If the AAAs could be placed into the compartments positive side first then this wouldn't occur, though the design of the tabs will not presently permit this.
  * When observing the charging current being displayed as the batteries are inserted while others are charging/discharging OR as they finalize their charging OR are removed while others are still charging, there is in all cases a significant "bump" upwards in the charging current for the remaining cells that takes over a minute & a half to settle back down to where they all were before. To me this clearly demonstrates no true independence of charging compartments, as does the final trickle charging anomaly.
  
  CUSTOMER SERVICE:
  * "The lack of" would be more appropriate, truly. At least, at present it is. After over 2 weeks of phone calls (just TRY & leave a message on their customer support line & see what happens) as well as numerous emails to La Crosse support, we finally received a phone call from someone (likely a salesman, not a technical person) who didn't know what he was talking about, even arguing with me that the BC-900 is the newer model than the BC-700, which it is not. Additionally, no support email was received back until the morning after my initial BC-700 review was posted late in the evening before. That finally got their attention, it would seem.
  * The La Crosse employee who called also said that the trickle charging inconsistency "won't hurt anything". Respectfully, am disagreeing... particularly with the hybrid AAAs over a period of several days. We simply no longer have enough faith to leave the chargers operating while we are gone a day or two & not have a few mildly overcharged AAA batteries waiting for us when we return. You see, we also own a good number of solar AA/AAA battery chargers that split a mere 100 mA charging current 4 ways... 25 mA current charging per cell on a clear day. Our AAA batteries build full charges in them over a period of several days in full Sunshine on just 25 mA current each. While using standard NiMH batteries, which have a fast self-discharging rate, the trickle charging anomaly of the BC-700 is no problem whatsoever so far as can be discerned. However, with the low self-discharging NiMH hybrid cells we are using I beg to differ. We see a difference in what 2 AAA hybrid cells measure already that were left in 2 BC-0700 chargers trickling for days while we were out. There is a small but measured drop in performance of about 3% each for these 2 new AAA eneloop cells that trickled @ 18 mA for 2 extra days. The other 6 AAA batteries, 3 in each charger, actually gained capacity (trickling @ 12 mA), but the 2 at 18 mA each lost 3% capacity according to earlier logged values. A 10-12 mA trickle current for each AAA hybrid battery is just fine, though 18-19 mA over a period of days is too much in these types of cells in my opinion.
  * Though the BC-900 has been out for quite a while now & the BC-700 for a fair amount of time, there is not so much as one item that is presently listed in their FAQ for either model charger as of the writing of this review. Now, that is simply difficult for me to understand (La Crosse product models of many various types & functions are individually selected once one is into their website's FAQ section). Am hopeful that this, too, will be remedied soon.
  
  Am rating this charger 4 stars because it apparently DOES perform okay except for the aberrations & limitations noted. One star off for quality control, total charger operations & for lackluster customer support. 3.5 stars would be given if it were possible, but 3 stars as in my initial review now seems a bit too harsh. Sadly, we simply did not have in these chargers what we needed for the large investment we've made in over 5 dozen top-shelf Sanyo eneloop AA & AAA hybrid batteries. We regularly use them all too, so our chargers pretty much run 24/7/365. As we need more precision for our particular applications & goals, we have returned 3 of the 4 BC-700 chargers for the problems listed here in this review. We are keeping 1 of them & continue to put it through its paces with our standard NiMH batteries. Any relevant info we gain as a result will be passed on with an editing of this review. We have since purchased 2 Maha Powerex MH-C9000 chargers (because of our need for truly independent charging compartments as well as more precise options) & they are both performing splendidly thus far.
  
  BOTTOM LINE: The various charging modes of the BC-700 chargers are a real plus, they look great overall, are apparently sturdy enough & will likely perform well for years to come. 500 mA of charging current seems to charge AA 2000-2500 mAh rated rechargeable cells in a much more balanced way than the default programming of 200 mA of current, so one would do well to consider using it for this application. As La Crosse never states that their charger's compartments are fully independent from each other, we do not have a complaint coming in this. If you require the utmost control over your AA/AAA battery charging process, have more options & precision as well as have the extra bucks to spend then consider getting the Maha Powerex MH-C9000 charger-analyzer. For most everyone's improved AA/AAA battery charging needs, the La Crosse BC-700 is a handy, versatile, compact & affordable battery charger that will likely serve you well.
  
  * Edited to correct a grammatical errors *
  
  
• Excellent Charger; Nicely compact
  By A3FLGBD24SOGXG on 2008-06-16
  I was looking for a good charger with individual battery controls when charging multiple batteries. I needed it to be compact and lightweight for travel.
  
  I read several different reviews of several chargers (this one and others) and concluded that this one looked promising. So I purchased it and hoped for the best.
  
  I was not disappointed. I have now charged almost 40 NiMH hybrid batteries and it does great. I can tell that it keeps the temnperatures down significantly below that of the cheaper chargers that typically come with the batteries and that have more simplistic time-duration controls.
  
  The displays for each battery are also surprisingly informative and I have grown to really appreciate and depend upon that level of insight and control over each battery.
  
  The controls are simple. However, it took me a few cycles to get the button-pressing-sequence down. But it is now pretty much a wrote sequence and, once learned, makes the use totally trivial.
  
  My only real complaint is that the power supply "brick" that it requires ("brick" is probably unfair, it's not that big) does not have any provision for stowing the plug prongs. THat is one of my pet pieves when manufacturers insist on using that type of "brick". It makes it most unrully and irratating to pack for travel (which I do a lot). Stowable power prongs should be the norm, not these unstowable typwes.
  
  That said, this is in all other aspects a wonderful product and I would most heartily recommend it to anyone wanting a relatively small, compact, lightweight but flexible charger with lots of ability to control the charging of recharable batteries.
  
  
• Versatile Charger - Great features & works as supposed to ... BUT ...
  By A12U739X0STRAO on 2008-09-03
  I am a medium to heavy user of AA & AAA rechargeable cells and also an early adopter - started with 300mah Panny NiCds many years ago - I remember the excitement when 450mah versions were released! :-) Over the years I graduated through the technologies and was using Sanyo NiMH 2500mah cells till I recently discovered Eneloops - they are simply amazing! Now back to the charger review - I have always been an advocate of chargers that have individual charging channels / circuits and can charge 1,2,3 or 4 cells individually. My earlier charger was a Panasonic BQ390-A that still works very well and is very portable. However, faster & adjustable rate charging currents, battery reconditioning, testing etc. drew me to the BC700.
  
  I did not consider the BC900 as the 8 cells bundled with the package were of no use to me (I have enough to last many years) and the 1.8A charging current capability on the BC 900 is something that I would never use.
  
  Amazon was great in it's order processing - as always. I received the charger on schedule. The quick user guide printed on the back of the charger package is a really nice touch. I was eager to test the unit and unpacked and set it up. And that is when I noticed that -ve tab for the AA cell in the 3rd channel was too far behind to connect with the cell. After looking at it closely, I figured that the tab was bent backwards - at least that is what it looked like - very dissapointing for a brand new unit that was packed so well! This is the only reason that I cannot give this Charger a better rating - poor manufacturing processes and very poor quality control!
  
  Having never seen the innards of an intelligent charger, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try and fix it myself. On dismantling the unit completely and removing the PCB - I discovered that the tab was indeed bent back and had not engaged with the plastic channels on the top of the case that hold these tabs in place when the PCB is inserted. After some delicate work with a needle nose pliers the tab was straight once again and it engaged with the channel.
  
  I must warn others toying with the idea of opening their units - DO NOT TRY IT unless your unit is out of warranty AND you really have a need to AND you are a very capable and advanced electronics hobbyist - putting the BC700 back together is a very complex task - especially aligning the LCD panel contacts with the contacts on the main PCB - if that gets spoilt, the LCD display will be dead and so will the charger!
  
  In my case I managed to put it all back together again and the charger works perfectly now. It is very easy and intuitive to use and does everything that it is supposed to. I prefer the 500mah charge rate and it charges 4 AA Eneloops in a little over 4 hrs.
  
  So this is a happy ending to the story/review. As mentioned earlier, my only concern is with the Manufacturing and QC processes followed by La Crosse - it was indeed very disappointing to see such a basic (and visible) flaw in a brand new unit! It makes one wonder whether there are any other flaws that have not been noticed till now ... I guess time will tell ...
  
  
• Very versatile battery charger
  By A1RSZS01H43DNU on 2007-11-23
  The BC700 battery charger is extremely versatile. You can charge AA and AAA rechargeable batteries at the same time. You can also charge at different speeds. If I need my batteries charged quickly I will set the charger at a higher current but if I have some time, I'll set it to a slower current, which is better for the batteries. This is one of the best, if not the best charger out there for the price.
  
  
• Great charger
  By A2C53Y3TY1FKQJ on 2008-05-22
  This is what every charger should be. The 4 independent charging circuits and battery capacity test functions are invaluable features. In just a few days of battery testing I managed to find all my weak nimh cells and managed to rearrange my 2-cell and 4-cell packs in order to put batteries of roughly similar capacities together. Highly recommended.
  
  I don't see the BC-700's slightly lower charging current of 700ma instead of the 1000ma of its big brother the BC-900 to be a big deal. 700ma is already more than I'd like to use to charge AA's.
  
  
  
• Great charger for the price
  By A1C6FB6WKBE3T7 on 2008-05-18
  La Crosse Technology BC700 Alpha Power Battery Charger
  
  This is a great little charger, with all the charging, analyzing, and reconditioning modes I desired. The price was right, too ($32, including shipping). I don't miss the higher charge currents of the BC-900 in the least. In fact I mostly charge at the minimum setting 200 mA to maximize battery life, anyway.
  
  My biggest criticism of the BC-700 is that capacity measurements aren't preserved for perusal later. If I want to do a combined discharge/charge cycle, the moment the discharge portion is completed, the mAh capacity measurement just obtained is thrown away. That's crazy.
  
  What I like most about the BC-700 is that it has four independent slots. This allows me to keep all four slots busy at all times with almost any combination of cell sizes and operations. I very nearly bought a Maha MH-C401FS. I'm very glad I got the BC-700 instead. It is more flexible, and much more informative. The other charger considered, the Maha MH-C9000, is twice the cost of BC-700 with virtually no added advantage for me.
  
  
• SWEEEET!!
  By AEUTUDSKKOTN5 on 2008-06-13
  So many times I would grab a set of batteries to put in my camera, flash... and because 1 of the 4 batteries was not up to snuff, I was dead in the water. With this charger you know which battery may cause you problems and you can recondition it. I will never buy a charger that doesn't give feed back again. This charger is also very compact so good things do come in small packages.
  
  
• At last, a complete charger.
  By A3PFN1RPSZR5GU on 2008-09-12
  This charger does it all, and better than anything else on the market. It provides an exceptionally controlled and monitored charge utilizing microprocesser technology; measures actual individual battery capacity; rejuvenates ni-cad batteries and identifies those beyond restoration; and, automatically adjusts to a safe trickle charge as batteries reach full capacity.
  
  I considered the BC900 which provides a maximum 1000ma charge rate versus the BC700's 700ma. However, the customer feedback on the BC900 indicated about 10% of customers experienced serious problems, especially fire hazard type failures. It seems to be associated with the 1000ma high-charge rate feature. There were no reports of fire hazard experiences with the BC700 nor were there any feedback scores as low as the BC900. Since I have no need nor desire to charge batteries at that rate, the BC700 seemed to fit the bill.
  
  As a further safety precaution against fire hazards, I have deliberately operated this unit virtually continuously for over a month (yes, in a safe place) between 200ma and 500ma and observed only a slight increase in operating temperature being only mildly warm to the touch. In sum, the unit has operated flawlessly. I can truly recommend it without any reservations.
  
  
• Review LaCross BC700 Charger
  By A21GD2PIELYGDC on 2008-05-19
  Great charger and tester. Have tested many NiCad and NiMh cells. Results as expected. Charger performs as claimed. Will charge 1-4 cells, not restricted to pairs.
  
  My only suggestion, I wish it would run from a 12v supply.
  
  Tom, K8ERV
  
  
• Exactly as advertised!
  By A14IYIIQF6HQ32 on 2008-05-22
  This uber charger works - very well. Upon receiving the unit, I refreshed several old pairs of NiMH batteries and recovered some capacity in most of them. I also found a couple of impaired batteries.
  Well built, versatile, and well designed. Excellent purchase.
  
  
• Great for the money I paid
  By A390LF2NZG43VH on 2008-08-23
  I got my unit during a daily deal. I had been looking at this and it's big brother for the testing and refresh capabilities, I was not disappointed. If for nothing more than to refresh the battery this unit is well worth the money. It continually charges and discharges until the battery no longer gains amperage. I have "retired" a lot of batteries after getting this unit and I get less complaints from the family that the batteries don't hold up. After years of buying batteries its hard to tell which ones still maintain charge and which ones don't. BC700 to the rescue, it refreshes and lets me determine when to pitch the battery. Great product!
  PS It also lets you know who is the really good rechargeable on the market. I have bought some "cheaper" rechargeable and discovered they don't measure up to the amp rating on the package, this helps me not purchase that brand again thinking I was saving money.
  
  
• Great Charger
  By AEFUJMMD5UMFD on 2008-11-23
  This is the first charger I've seen that actually lets you choose how fast you charge it, which is a big plus. Each battery has it's own display with different, selectable stats (charge rate, amount charged, voltage). Most importantly, it actually seems to stop charging when the battery when it's full. This is a must buy.
  
  
• Great charger.
  By A1Q292WUW17BD3 on 2008-05-07
  This charger is very easy to use and looks like it's doing what it's supposed to. Used CHARGE (200ma), REFRESH, TEST modes so far. Great results! Recommend to everyone who needs not too expensive and 'smart' charger.
  
  
• Best charger I've bought
  By AUTJ3GH1DSEHM on 2008-05-19
  This charger replaces two Rayovac chargers (models PS1 and PS4)that didn't work well and couldn't exercise the batteries. A NIMH battery that wouldn't charge on the Rayovacs was brought back from the dead by the BC700 using the discharge/recharge cycle. Charging speed is not an issue, since I use multiple sets of NIMH AA and AAA batteries. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase and recommend it without reservation.
  
  
• Best charger I ever laid my hands on
  By A102Q3R870A9XS on 2008-06-05
  This is a perfect charger which works on almost all rechargeable batteries.
  
  The best part of this model is each cell gets an individual charging, individual current setting etc etc. I could charge AA/AAA simultaneously on this charger. Ofcourse 4 cells at a time max. This charger gives the correct rating and charge on each cell. A faulty cell can be easily found rightaway.
  It also has different charging modes which also helps you elimitate memory effect of cells.
  
  If you need rechargeable batteries buy the new rayovac batteries. They are the best in market.
  
  
• Quality Product
  By A1QVFHPY8418HC on 2008-06-08
  I had no idea that there was such a difference among battery chargers. I thought they were all pretty much equal, until I happened to begin reading reviews on Amazon of the different brands. Prior to this, I thought whatever they sold at the store (that usually came with a set of rechargeable batteries) was just fine.
  
  After reading the reviews and deciding that I wanted a charger that was gentle on my batteries (again, I had no idea that the rate of charging made a difference) and also reconditioned them as well, I spent a little bit extra to buy the La Crosse. I am happy I did.
  
  The directions/literature is somewhat confusing for me since I am not sure what things require what treatment, but that's something I need to deal with. This charger seems to have all the capabilities I could want, and so far it has worked very well. I like how you can control each individual battery that is being charged, and see the charging status of each of them in separate screens.
  
  The product has decent enough build quality (just don't mistreat it and you will be fine) and I really like all the features it has. If you are going to invest in rechargeable batteries, then spend a little bit extra to invest in a high-quality charger like this one instead of those cheaper ones you find at the discount stores. Over the life of the product and your batteries, you will actually be saving money by doing so.
  
  
• Works better than any other charger
  By ALQ2K38WIWHLA on 2008-06-16
  I was looking for a battery charger that would help my rechargeable batteries last longer and be charged with their maximum power. I found exactly what I was seeking in the BC700 Alpha.
  The BC700 Alpha Power Battery Charger is as easy to use as conventional chargers that just "recharge" a battery. Yet the recycling option on the BC700 does a much better job of extending a rechargeable battery's life as well as making sure the battery's charge is at its maximum possible size.
  I use a Nikon D2H for both sports action as well as special events and weddings/receptions so I don't have any video to share but the still flash pictures I took last Saturday at a friend's wedding reception using batteries recharged on the BC700 Alpha were superb in quality. The batteries kept a full charge throughout the evenings events for the full time of 2 1/2 hours of steady picture taking. I never had one pause between pictures when I had to wait for my Nikon SB800 Speedlight flash to signal "ready" before I took the next flash picture.
  I will highly recommend the BC700 Alpha to even casual users.
  
  
• An AA and AAA charger that should fill most of your needs
  By A3U3N5LGVPZWY7 on 2008-10-03
  Over the years I have owned many different digital cameras and each seemed to have it's own unique battery as well as charger. As I upgraded from one camera to the next I had to buy a different battery and thus a different battery charger. I have a pile of good digital camera batteries and chargers, but are all outdated. So, if it is possible, I'm going to purchase only digital cameras that utilize AA batteries, and therefore I won't have to buy new batteries or battery chargers when I move from one camera to the next. Thus, I bought the La Crosse Model BC-700. This is a full maintenance battery charger for both AA and AAA rechargeable batteries (NiCd and NiMH). It will charge batteries with capacities from 300 to 3000mAh. It has a (1) Charging mode at 200mA, 500mA and 700mA (2) Has a Discharge mode for reducing memory effect by completely discharging then recharge in one cycle (3) Has a re-vitalize mode for older batteries by discharging and recharging a battery 20 times to refresh to maximum capaciity and (4) A test mode to measure a batterys max mAh by completely charging the battery, then a complete discharge and finally a complete recharge.
  
  This charger takes TIME to perform each of the above function (except for the quick charge). The revitalization of old batteries could take DAYS. The charger is fairly compact, but does require its own plug-in transformer. If you are looking for a compact travel charger, this is not the one for you, but I must say it is not too bulky. Be sure to read all the instructions before using, as this charger is much more than the quick chargers that don't require much thought at all. You can go to www.lacrossetechnology.com/bc700 where you can view the operating instructions. In all, this is a fine charger for the full maintenance of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries.
  
  
• Excellent battery charger
  By AA4XMNPQUDQ4O on 2008-10-04
  This charger works great and charges batteries slowly so your batteries can withstand more charges throughout their lifetime. Lots of features, numbers, and stats to look at with this charger.
  
  
• Great charger
  By A17KCBLL7GRSD1 on 2008-10-13
  Easy to use and control the charge type for each or all batteries. Could use it as a portable charger, but I have a smaller 2 battery fast charger. The fast charger I had was causing batteries to fail. Charged them in this charger and brought them back to life. My only complaint would be that if a battery in the middle completes first it is hard(almost impossible) to remove it with out removing one of the batteries on the side.
  
  
  
• Well worth the money
  By AY0A2J69TBB29 on 2008-05-30
  Great charger. Allows you to see the status of your batteries and then choose a charging routine accordingly. Allows you to select a charging method for each battery individually. Keeps batteries "topped up" while they sit in the charger, instead of slowly losing their charge like they while sitting in most other "dumb" chargers.
  
  
• It tells the tale!
  By A34IU49WSNRBDU on 2008-06-03
  Very handy; it tells you just about anything you could want to know about a AA or AAA battery, with separate readings for up to 4 batteries. You don't have to charge them in pairs, and you can pick from 3 different charge rates.
  
  What more would you want?
  
  
• nmh & NiCad battery recharger
  By A859DGGL1YEEF on 2008-06-16
  It works as advertised. I really like the job it does and am quire happy that I bought it.
  
  
• Great product
  By A2TCX64TD6UX7E on 2008-06-21
  It seems a great product. The individual display for each of the four batteries is a nice feature. Since I have only had it for a month and haven't figured out how to do a fast charge yet I have to give it four stars. But that is just because I will need more time to tell if it proves to be as good as it appears.
  
  
• A great battery charger
  By A1C5YC4CY33Y1T on 2008-06-26
  This is a great little battery charger. No longer are you restricted to a couple LEDs telling you what a charger is doing. This one actually informs you of how much energy has gone into the battery, the batteries voltage, etc.
  
  

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