SONY LCD Quick Charger with Four AA Batteries (BCG34HRMD4)

Manufacturer: Sony
Model: BCG34HRMD4
: Number of User Reviews: 11

Reviewed by: moseschi from PA on Nov 30, 2004
Rating:

Experience: 10 Days

Strengths: It refreshes (depletes) the batteries before charging to prevent the memory effect. It automatically shuts off after the batteries are fully charged.

Weaknesses: None

Summary: This charger is a "must have" for all those people with people using AA batteries for their digital camera. It charges 1850 mAh batteries to 2300 mAh batteries. If you are forgetful like me, you don't have to worry about over charging your batteries. It automatically stops charging when the batteries are full.

This charger also extends the life of the batteries by refreshing it before it begins to charge. This means that you can stick in your half-used battery into the charger and the charger will deplete the battery first before starting to charge. This prevents the batteries to have the memory effect, and it lengthens the life of your rechargeable batteries.

Reviewed by: tc17 from NC on Dec 31, 2004
Rating:

Experience: 7 Days

Strengths: Nice LCD Display, Many safety features

Weaknesses: none

Summary: (Edited January 05th by tc17) This is probably the most attractive looking Rapid Charger I have seen. I love the Backlit LCD display which shows each seperate battery and its charge status. It also has the ability to "refresh" batteries for any you have that might not be lasting as long as they used to.

It can charge up to 4 AA or 4 AAA batteries. Or even a single battery. The charge time depends of course on how much charge is left in the battery, but mostly on the Mah rating the battery has. The longer the Mah rating, the longer it takes to charge.

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On the pamphlet that comes with it, it says this:

2300mah AA batteries
1 to 2 batteries takes 135minutes
3 to 4 batteries takes 270minutes

2100mah AA batteries
1 to 2 batteries takes 120minutes
3 to 4 batteries takes 240minutes

800mah AAA batteries
1 to 2 batteries takes 70minutes
3 to 4 batteries takes 140minutes

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The charger also has a lot of safety features to prevent it from harming the batteries:

1. Voltage monitoring function
2. Safety Timer
3. Temperature monitoring
4. Alkaline battery detection

Reviewed by: gogola26 from ID on Apr 7, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 8 Days

Strengths: nice design, refresh option, quick charge, 110-240 VAC usefull, LCD indicator, 4 AA batteries included

Weaknesses: has a power cable - no necessary

Summary: I am very impressed with this charger. I am currently using it to refresh all of my NiMH batteries, and it performs this task well. The charge times are very good and the included 2300 mAH batteries is a nice benefit.Useable in outlet with 110-240 VAC that means you can charge your batteries anywhere!!! It has a refresh option to remove memory efect. Nice LCD display to check if batteries are charged. Automatic stop!!!Forget those other chargers, you will not be disappointed with this one.

Reviewed by: ottolam from NJ on Mar 21, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 7 Days

Strengths: Refresh Function, Smart Charger, 100-240V, 2300mAh batteries, Price

Weaknesses: No folding plugs

Summary: I bought this Sony charger to replace my old Radio Shack 13-hr timer charger. Unlike the old one from Radio Shack, this Sony charger is a smart charger that is able to detect if the batteries are full. You can charge 1 to 4 AA or AAA in any combinations, and it can monitor each battery individually with blacklid LED to display the status of each battery. It takes 4 hours or less to charger 4 AA. This charger also comes with refresh function. I used it to refresh my 5 year old Radio Shack rechargeable batteries, and the improvement of the battery life was noticeable. This charger can be used in outlet from 100V to 240V, which is a nice thing when traveling to Asia, Europe, or other countries. The four 2300mAh AA batteries that come with the charger are made in Japan by Sanyo, which makes one of the best rechargeable batteries in the market. The charger is small enough to carry, and it has a very nice pearl white color finish. My only complain is this charger uses detachable power cord instead of the folding plug blades, which means it is one additional item I have to carry when travel. However, the bright-side is it will not block other power outlets on the wall or power strip. Overall, I am very satisfied with this charger. The refresh function is a must; it saved a lot of my old batteries. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to buy a charger.

Reviewed by: grossms from CO on Apr 16, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 5 Days

Strengths: Compact, charges quickly, displays are easy to read, & it has a refresh function which makes sure you are charging batteries that have been fully drained.

Weaknesses: It could always charge a little quicker.

Summary: I use it for a flash on my camera and it works really well. The batteries hold almost the same charge length as normal batteries and it re-charges the batteries relatively quickly.

Reviewed by: sam_33154 from NY on Mar 8, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 3 Days

Strengths: Nice LCD Display, Many safety features

Weaknesses: Only recharges NiMH, not NiCd. So what can I do for all my NiCD?

Summary: This is the best battery charger out there. I threw away the various other chargers I had received with my digital camera, mp3 player, etc, and only use this one now. The charger has a "refresh" option that fully drains the batteries, before recharging them (eliminating any "memory"). The LCD display on the front graphically shows the state of discharge/charge. And it's very quick and easy to use.

Reviewed by: soonbahng from NY on Feb 28, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 4 Days

Strengths: LCD Battery Indicator and Refresh mode

Weaknesses: Only recharges NiMH, not NiCd

Summary: An excellent product with many safely features. I love the LCD battery indicator that allows me to check on the status of the charging process and the auto shut-off feature that prevents overcharing. Unfortunately, the charger is only good for NiMH rechargeable batteries, and takes twice as long as the other competitive chargers.

Reviewed by: azkaban from GA on Feb 8, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 5 Days

Strengths: Quick, sturdy and nice design, LCD screen.

Weaknesses: very expensive. No car adaptor.

Summary: I love this Charger, though it is more expensive than most chargers. Well, it really worth the bucks. Nice LCD indicator. More importantly, the "refresh" function can keep your battery always at highest performance and keep the battery life long. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by: chiehhsin from UT on Jan 29, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 7 Days

Strengths: nice display

Weaknesses: higher requirements for batteries.

Summary: (Edited January 29th by chiehhsin) I bought this charger, because my old charger sometimes can not charge my batteries. After I tested it, I found sony charger has higer requirement for batteries. Some batteries I can not use sony charger charge it, but my old one can. I have a little bit disappoint, but the sony charger have refresh function. Actually, I don't know how helpful for my batteries. Furthermore, the lcd is so good design, so we can check the status of our batteries when you can get a charged batteries.

Reviewed by: rablouch from MI on Jan 17, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 6 Weeks

Strengths: Its refresh feature allows you to charge NiMH batteries that are not completely discharged

Weaknesses: More expensive than other chargers

Summary: It will charge a set of batteries in about five hours, which is fast enough for my purposes but not so fast as to overheat the batteries. The refresh feature is especially useful as the NiMH batteries lose charge when not in use, and this allows me to top up a set before taking them out for a heavy use session in my digital camera. I'm happy that I got this model, even though it is relatively pricey.

Reviewed by: sonchai from TX on Jan 7, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 7 Days

Strengths: - Good looking - Not too bulky - Its features - Quite quick for charging compared to generic, cheaper unit - A must for worldwide currents (110-240 v)

Weaknesses: - Wish quicker charging like 1 hour or less

Summary: Seems like liking it at first sight for this item. The finishing is neat with white-pearl like coated paint. A useful LCD indicator helps monitor each charge cycle. There is also a safty cut when the full charge occurs. This prevents the batteries from overheat. It can charge both AA and AAA sized batteries two or four at a time, according to the manual. The AC extension cord doesn't take much space when plugging into the outlet unlike other bulkier adapters.

To charge four fully-depleted 2300 amp AA batteries, it would take about 4.5 hours (or shorter with less capacity or numbers of batteries), which is acceptable for the fast-paced life style nowadays.