Maha 100min AA/AAA Battery Charger

[EastGear]

Hi, we are the official distributor for MAHA (U.S.A) products in Singapore. Our products are much cheaper than the listed price in the U.S. and that is before you even consider shipping charges. We are currently the only Asian entity outside Taiwan to carry the new PowerEx 2000mAh batteries. All products come with an unpreceded 1 year local warranty and "1 for 1" exchange policy. That's right, if your product fails to function within 1 year, you will get a brand new working set for free. We have the following for sale:

MHC401FS (New Price: $89.95 )
- 100-min Cool Charger for 1 to 4 AA/AAA NiMH/NiCD batteries
- Currently the highest charging current in the market at 1000mA
- Cold charging at close to room temperature to prevent cells from heat damage
- 4 independent charging circuits to monitor & charge each battery individually
- Unique FLEX negative pulse charging eliminates memory effect during charging
- Trickle charge mode to continuously "top up" batteries
- Named 2002 Top 25 products by PCPhoto magazine
- Called "THE BEST CHARGER IN THE MARKET" by Steves-Digicams.com
- Called "A NEARLY PERFECT CHARGER" by Imaging-Resource.com
- Greatly mentioned by MSN Photo
- Includes 4 PowerEX AA 2000mAh 1.2V NiMH Batteries with case
- Universal Adaptor
- 12V DC Car Adaptor
Product Specs:
http://www.mahaenergy.com/products/PowerEx/Digicams/mhc401fs.htm
Reviews:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/C401FS/C401A.HTM
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/maha_c401fs.html

MHC204F ($59.95)
- 3-hour Intelligent Charger for 2 or 4 AA/AAA NiMH/NiCD batteries
- Conditioner to fully discharge batteries to reduce memory effect
- Trickle charge mode to continuously "top up" batteries
- PC Photo Magazine 2001 "Best Charger & Battery"
- Includes 4 PowerEX AA 1800mAh 1.2V NiMH Batteries with case
- 230V AC Adaptor (Singapore)
- 12V DC Car Adaptor
Product Specs:
http://www.mahaenergy.com/products/PowerEx/Digicams/mhc204f.htm
Reviews:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/C204/C204A.HTM
http://www.steves-digicams.com/maha_c204f.html

Also available:
http://www.mahaenergy.com/products/PowerEx/Digicams/index.htm
Maha MH-C777PLUSII Universal Battery Charger & Analyser - S$169.95
Maha External Li-Ion Battery Pack for Digital Cameras - S$99.95
Maha BP-511 Li-Ion 1300mAh battery (for Canon DC) - S$59.95
Maha EN-EL1 Li-Ion 700mAh battery (for Nikon Coolpix) - S$59.95
PowerEx 1800mAh batteries (Pack of 4 with plastic case) - S$14.95
PowerEx 2000mAh batteries (Pack of 4 with plastic case) - S$19.95

To order, sms to 96226876 with name and order.
Or email maha@eastgear.com

 

[EastGear]

Maha PowerEx 2000 battery captured top spot of "Great battery shootout"
Maha chargers called "excellent" and highly recommended by battery test expert

Except from "Great battery shootout" by Imaging Resource
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

"This is one of the more technical articles on the site, and almost all readers will be interested in "which batteries are best". For those readers, here's the bottom line, the results of over two years of off-and-on battery testing:

After testing six more cell types, Maha has again recaptured the top spot with their Powerex 2000 mAh cells, pushing aside the 1850 mAh cells that swept the chart on my last update. (The GP 2000s came in about in the middle of the previously top-performing 1850 mAh cells.)

For now, my standard recommendation is still the Maha C204 charger, with one or two Maha 2A4 trickle-charge units to "top off" the batteries for those of you who absolutely must have the last possible iota of juice crammed into your batteries. Overall, it still seems that chargers can charge fast, completely, and gently (low battery temperatures), but you can only pick two of the three characteristics. Maha's new 401FS does an excellent job as well, but doesn't have the discharge-conditioning circuitry of the C204. Even though Maha claims that the flex-pulse charging of the 401FS eliminates the need for discharge conditioning, I still like having a discharge option. (Apart from this, the 401FS is an excellent charger, giving you the option of either fast charging with moderate temperature rise, or a roughly 5-hour charge cycle with very gentle temperature profile.) Another good charger seems to be the Lightning Pack 4000N from RipVan100, which is more in the fast/gentle camp (although it's overnight trickle charge does a good job of topping-off batteries), whereas the C204 is in the fast/complete category. The RipVan 100 has the advantage of not needing any external power adapter, since it has a power plug built in, and can operate from 110-240volts with no adapter needed."

 

[willyfoo]

I just got my 401FS to put in the office... (I already have a 204F at home).

It has a slow/fast switch (slow to prolong battery life).. nice feature..

However I do miss the 'discharge' feature.. somehow psychologically it feels better that the batteries are conditioned though maha claims that "flex-pulse" charging eliminates the need..

 

[willyfoo]

Ok... after reading whats on it's website.. I'll give it more credit
http://www.mahaenergy.com/products/PowerEx/Digicams/mhc401fs.htm

Unique FLEX negative pulse charging algorithm allows the battery to accept a more complete charge

Regardless of the of battery’s capacity, if they cannot be fully charged users would not be able to fully realize the potential of the batteries. The PowerEx MH-C401FS delivers the most complete charge for chargers in its class. The new FLEX negative pulse algorithm also significantly enhances battery life.
FLEX Pulse also makes traditional "battery conditioning & cycling" unnecessary as the pulse eliminates the memory effect just by charging the batteries.

 

[EastGear]

From ThomasDistributing.com (U.S. largest Internet Battery Distributor) MH-C401FS FAQ Page:
http://www.thomasdistributing.com/mhc401fs-faq.htm

Q: Does the C401FS have the "recondition" feature like the C204F charger that I own.

A: The C401FS charger is so advanced that the internal charging circuit makes manual conditioning unnecessary. Since each battery is charged independently using the Flex Negative pulse charging algorithm, not only is each battery charged to its optimum capacity, but battery life is also enhanced. In fact, FLEX NEGATIVE pulse charging removes the crystal structure formed on battery electrodes (which is the source of "memory effect") and basically conditions your batteries as they are being charged. Full automatic charging on either Fast or Slow setting.

 

[alyee]

I found an article on the web that indicates flex charging is a marketing hype that offers no real advantage over normal linear current charging. I wonder if batteries really do need conditioning, regardless of linear or flex charging.

Article is found at:
http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com/burp.html

 

[EastGear]

Originally posted by alyee
I found an article on the web that indicates flex charging is a marketing hype that offers no real advantage over normal linear current charging. I wonder if batteries really do need conditioning, regardless of linear or flex charging.

Article is found at:
http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com/burp.html

An interesting article that adopts a convincing storytelling approach (characteristic of hoaxs?). Gives a lot of opinated history but offers no empirical evidence why negative pulse charging does not work other than the claim that GE has tested it to no effect. One wonders how long ago was that test conducted? In the late 60s when "GE was still the leading battery maker"?

Perhaps we would like to draw reference from more recent articles (year 2001) and tests (with empirical evidence) by both NASA and the U.S. Military. There are a sea of articles and tests (all to be found on the Internet) that supports the negative pulse technology.

Quoted from:
http://www1.jaycar.com.au/images_uploaded/nicads.pdf

"A lot of work done by battery researchers in recent years, particularly by the US military, has shown that NiCads respond better to a pulsed charging waveform than to a steady DC current. By applying the charge current in onesecond pulses with brief periods between them, ions are able to diffuse over the plate area, and the cells are better able to absorb the charge efficiently."

"Tests by both the US military and NASA have shown that NiCads charged using fast chargers employing the burped pulse system tend to last up to twice as long as those charged using traditional CC chargers. In other words, fast charging using the kind of pulsed waveform shown in Fig.3 actually tends to increase NiCad working life, and quite significantly."

 

[superio]

:thumbsup: Excellent charger. Highly recommended. Love its individual compartmentalization for charging individual battery separately.

Fortunately I bought it during the introductory period from Eastgear.

By the way Eastgear, can ask you something about rechargeable batteries? If I am not going to use them for quite a long period of time, should I juz leave them alone, or should I charge them periodically despite the fact that I'm not using them? :dunno:

Thanks.

 

[EastGear]

Originally posted by superio
:thumbsup: Excellent charger. Highly recommended. Love its individual compartmentalization for charging individual battery separately.

Fortunately I bought it during the introductory period from Eastgear.

By the way Eastgear, can ask you something about rechargeable batteries? If I am not going to use them for quite a long period of time, should I juz leave them alone, or should I charge them periodically despite the fact that I'm not using them? :dunno:

Thanks.

You can leave your batteries indefinitely in a Maha charger to let the batteries "trickle charge". In trickle charging, the charger "tops up" your battery to 100% charge capacity by providing very small amounts of current (~50-70mA) to which is a safe current for batteries to be charged indefinitely. The batteries are always ready for use straight from the charger and you can be sure that they are 100% fully charged

If you are using the 401 charger, you can always pop in long unused batteries to bring it to full charge again, since it reconditions the batteries while charging so it's ok to put in batteries which are not totally empty.

 

[boontiong]

slow

how long does it take to charge sanyo 2100mah batteries?

and fast too

 

[alyee]

Sanyo 2100mA is the max capacity. Look at your charger's performance. If it says 1000mAH, it means that it'll delivery 1000mA current per hour (60mins). To calculate your time, take 2100/1000 X 60mins = charging time.

Add a few minutes for energy lost in charging

 

[EastGear]

Under fast charge (1000mA), it take just under 2 hours to charge an "empty" Sanyo 2100 battery (the fastest charging in the market)

Under slow charge (300mA), it takes about 6-7 hours to change an "empty" Sanyo 2100 battery

Do note that a battery still contains some charge when it's "empty", its charge capacity will go close to 0mAh but never totally zero.

 

[csc12345678]

Durability... of this charger. I have bought several of these electronic chargers before. My experience is that they break down in a year or so. I think it might be due to the electronics that they put in the charger. I change the chargers cause they were on warranty but then they break down again, after the warranty.

I'm tempted to buy this but once bitten, twice shy. How ?

 

[West_ray]

how much is MHC204F and 4 PowerEX AA 2000mAh 1.2V NiMH Batteries with case will cost ? thanks

 

[EastGear]

Originally posted by csc12345678
Durability... of this charger. I have bought several of these electronic chargers before. My experience is that they break down in a year or so. I think it might be due to the electronics that they put in the charger. I change the chargers cause they were on warranty but then they break down again, after the warranty.

I'm tempted to buy this but once bitten, twice shy. How ?

Maha is a very well-known brand in the battery/charger industry. Many professional photographers around the world have bought and used the Maha chargers without any problems even after many years of intense usage. I assure you that when it comes to Maha, your worries from your previous experience will be unfounded.

Anyway the Maha MH-C401FS comes with 1 year "1 for 1 exchange" local warranty and lifetime warranty from Maha, so you need not worry unduely.

 

[EastGear]

Originally posted by West_ray
how much is MHC204F and 4 PowerEX AA 2000mAh 1.2V NiMH Batteries with case will cost ? thanks

$64.95

 

[csc12345678]

After 1 year, who should I go to for warranty ? Eastgear (local) or Maha (US) ?

Originally posted by EastGear
Maha is a very well-known brand in the battery/charger industry. Many professional photographers around the world have bought and used the Maha chargers without any problems even after many years of intense usage. I assure you that when it comes to Maha, your worries from your previous experience will be unfounded.

Anyway the Maha MH-C401FS comes with 1 year "1 for 1 exchange" local warranty and lifetime warranty from Maha, so you need not worry unduely.

 

[EastGear]

Originally posted by csc12345678
After 1 year, who should I go to for warranty ? Eastgear (local) or Maha (US) ?

As lifetime warranty is provided by Maha (U.S.), you should go to Maha for warranty after the local 1 year warranty expires.

 

[m00m00c0w]

Hi

Is there an option for a universal adapator for the MHC204F?
How much will such an option cost?

m00

 

[EastGear]

Originally posted by m00m00c0w
Hi

Is there an option for a universal adapator for the MHC204F?
How much will such an option cost?

m00

$9.95

Buy direct from EastGear.com
Peninsula Plaza #02-08
Tel: 68371582