The La Crosse BC-700 salvaged my opinion of rechargeable batteries

Anyone with a green bone in their body should love rechargeable batteries, but it’s awfully difficult.  Alkaline batteries provide always available power, last a long time, and are widely available and inexpensive, while rechargeables are expensive, unpredictable, and usually dead when you need them.  As a fan of green technology, I was frustrated at the prospect of buying throwaway alkaline batteries, but could not find a better solution until now.  The La Crosse BC-700 battery charger has reversed my impression of rechargeable batteries.  It’s that good.

It’s The Chargers That Suck, Not The Batteries

Rechargeable battery technology has advanced dramatically in my lifetime.  When I was a kid, nickel cadmium batteries (NiCd) were the only game in town when it came to portable rechargeables.  Now, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion or polymer batteries have taken over in most applications.  Surprisingly, the basic chemistry of these batteries is not entirely responsible for the advantages seen over NiCd.

The main difficulty with rechargeable batteries, whether NiCd, NiMH, or lithium-ion is proper charging, storage, and environmental factors during use.  NiMH batteries do have slightly better energy density than NiCd, and lithium-ion batteries leave both behind, but each must be carefully charged according to its specifications to be effective and to last for years of use.

Most common battery chargers found in discount stores are worthless energy pumps that destroy these valuable batteries and ruin their reputation.  Proper charging of NiCd and NiMH batteries requires careful monitoring of voltage, current, and temperature, yet simple chargers sold by famous names fail to do any of this.  They simply pour a constant supply of power into the battery for a set amount of time, guaranteeing improper charging and reducing the useful life of the cells.

Intelligent Chargers Change Everything

The La Crosse BC-700 charges each battery cell independently

Intelligent battery chargers, like the La Crosse BC-700 I bought, are entirely different.  Most monitor the change in voltage during the charging process, allowing NiCd in NiMH batteries to be charged fully and correctly.  They also monitor temperature and include intelligent cut off systems to prevent overcharging, thus preserving and protecting rechargeables cells.

The BC-700 is a simple and inexpensive charger that can handle from 1 to 4 AA or AAA batteries.  Whereas cheap chargers group batteries in pairs, smart chargers treat each independently of the others.  Each battery is monitored for voltage, time, current, and temperature and a display on the front of the unit shows progress and state of charge. The La Crosse BC-9009 is a more-advanced charger that packs more charging power and comes with many batteries and a carrying case.

The La Crosse even has an intelligence refresh mode that continually charges and discharges the battery until it reaches an optimal state of charge.  I was able to use this mode to bring a number of older NiCd batteries back to life, saving them from the trash.  For example, each of the solar walkway lights in front of my house is powered by a single NiCd AA battery.  After two years of service, these lights only lasted a couple of minutes after dark.  After a run through the refresh mode on the charger, however, these batteries last hours again.  I was even able to revive the NiCd batteries that came with my 10-year-old Creative Nomad Jukebox mp3 player!

Stephen’s Stance

It’s really a pity that major manufacturers like Duracell and Energizer package their rechargeable batteries with chargers that will render them useless after just a few months.  These vendors seem hopelessly stuck with the disposable alkaline mindset, no doubt trying to protect their current market position.  Sadly, these terrible products have ruined the reputation of rechargeable batteries for the general public.

I would not hesitate to recommend purchasing NiCd or NiMH battery cells as long as an appropriate charger is used.  Intelligent battery chargers like the La Crosse BC-700 or BC-9009 and Powerex WizardOne are inexpensive and effective, and should be part of the technology arsenal of any green minded geek.

Note: Some of these links include affiliate codes that help pay for this blog. For example, buying an Amazon Kindle with this link sends a few bucks my way! But I don't write this blog to make money, and am happy to link to sites and stores that don't pay anything. I like Amazon and buy tons from them, but you're free to buy whatever and wherever you want.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | La Crosse BC-700 Review: A Battery Charger That Does Not Suck
This post was categorized as Everything, Personal, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

My secret to long (battery) life and happiness!

Shortly before landing in San Francisco the other day, the MacBook Pro-using guy in the seat next to me leaned over and asked, “how did you manage to use your Mac all the way across the country? Is that some special battery you have?”

For a minute, I was tempted to make something up, as in “yes, it’s an experimental fuel cell that runs on bovine methane!” Or maybe claim that the new $5 Tornado intake in my car gets me 50 mpg, 7 hours of battery life, and makes me more attractive.

But I’m a good guy. So I admitted the truth – that I bought a spare battery for the MacBook Pro, so I never run out of juice. I’ve done this with all of my laptops for years, and I wonder why more people don’t do it. Extra Apple batteries are just $130 (on sale at Amazon for $110 now) and this is a small price to pay for go-anywhere juice! Batteries used to be much more expensive, but prices have fallen.

This post is part of my series focused on the MacBook Pro.

• Don’t Be Jealous Of The New MacBook Pros!
• Upgraded! 320 GB in a MacBook Pro!
• SanDisk ExpressCard Flash Media Adapter: Nifty MacBook Pro Accessory!
• How I Get 7 Hours of MacBook Pro Battery Life
• Panic! Green Light and MacBook Pro Keyboard is Half Dead!
• Low-Power USB Ports Haunt My MacBook Pro

If you’re thinking of buying an extra battery, here is some advice:

1. Buy the original equipment battery, not some knock-off. I’ve had terrible luck with off-brand batteries and they’re never more than a few dollars cheaper!
2. Buy from an approved vendor so you get a full warranty (I got mine at the Apple store)
3. Don’t waste your time looking for super bargains – they rarely go on sale for more than 10% off. That Amazon sale is the cheapest I’ve ever seen.
4. Make sure you buy exactly the right battery for your machine – I match the part number on the battery that came with it. Manufacturers vary batteries over time, and although another machine’s battery may fit it might not be compatible with your computer.
5. Don’t buy lithium-ion laptop batteries that have sat on the shelf for a long time. They lose their life whether they are used or not!
6. Don’t pay much for used batteries. They probably don’t have much life left in them.
7. Dispose of old batteries carefully – they contain toxic chemicals! You can bring old rechargeable batteries to Staples, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other stores for free recycling.

So that’s my secret to long (battery) life and happiness!

Note: Some of these links include affiliate codes that help pay for this blog. For example, buying an Amazon Kindle with this link sends a few bucks my way! But I don't write this blog to make money, and am happy to link to sites and stores that don't pay anything. I like Amazon and buy tons from them, but you're free to buy whatever and wherever you want.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2008. | How I Get 7 Hours of MacBook Pro Battery Life
This post was categorized as Apple, Personal, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.