Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 400
 Be sure you get the correct version. Amazon has a great return policy. March 12, 2006
Ron (SF Bay Area)
34 out of 39 found this review helpful
The first charger I received was version 32 in a plastic display case. Compartment three did not work and the mode, display, and current buttons would not respond. I e-mailed LaCross and they wanted me to send the defective one back before they would send me a new one. On the other hand, Amazon was terrific. They sent me a new one immediately and I had 30 days to return, prepaid, the old charger. The second version came in a cardboard box. It was version 33 and it works perfectly. The version number shows immediately when you connect the charger to an electic outlet.
 Really cost effective and well designed February 19, 2007
D. Amini (Washington DC)
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
I must say that I thought all chargers were more or less the same. After purchasing a myriad of chargers and batteries I now realize that the various batteries and chargers make all kinds of silly claims that rarely meet expectations. I use AA NiMH batteries for some electronic devices (mice, radios, etc.) and my two Canon cameras. Since my S2 and S3 cameras have a healthy appetite for batteries I decided to check out some reviews and buy from Thomas-Distributing. They are an excellent, if pricey, source for rechargable batteries and chargers. The array of choices is dizzying. I now own two LaCrosse BC-900s that I purchase from Amazon at a much better price. Thomas-Distributing also sells the full line of Maha chargers that seem to garner top ratings but I think the Maha model that is similar to the LaCrosse, costs more and offers fewer features. I own two lower-end Maha chargers and I think they are great. But, the flexibility and information offered by LaCrosse makes this model the best and quite possibly the only charger for AA/AAA batteries that you will ever need. The AC adapter is external and adds bulk so this charger is perhaps less compact than those all-in-one plug in the wall types. But the features built into this model make this my absolute favorite. Other chargers require that you charge two batteries together and the LaCrosse allows you to charge up to four batteries independently at separate rates using separate functions. This is important if you have different batteries with different capacities. The display allows you to monitor each battery for current/time/voltage/capacity side by side. This way you can refresh one battery while discharging one battery while charging one battery... you get the idea. Unlike the Maha model, the display shows all four battery status levels side by side. No scrolling through menus for each battery one by one. At a glance you can check each battery and compare it to the next battery. Most chargers from department stores or camera shops are designed to rapidly charge the battery within a few hours. The high current does charge more quickly but generates heat and reduces the effective life of the battery. Furthermore, those blinking lights don't have accurate meters so you have no information about the true capacity and no idea about the condition of your batteries. Some chargers have a conditioning button which discharges and recharges but still does not give any accurate information. The LaCrosse lets you charge, discharge, measure, recondition and effectively revive batteries. I usually use the lowest default current and refresh my batteries over one week. This takes time but brings my batteries to full capacity. The maH capacity of the battery printed on the battery is often overstated so here is your chance to compare the brands of batteries. (I think the Powerex and Sanyo batteries from Thomas-Distributing are the best.) If you are in a big hurry simply choose a higher current and rapidly charge your batteries. Did you know that any device using multiple batteries will have a battery life limited by the battery with the lowest capacity? Let me explain, If you have four AA batteries that state 2400 maH capacity each, if one battery is weaker than the true 2400 mah (lets just say 1800 maH) then the combination of all four batteries in your device will function to a capacity of only 1800 maH. I'll illustrate... bought four expensive 2400 maH batteries and found that they would run out faster than my old 1800 maH batteries! Using the LaCrosse I discovered that one battery had a capacity of only 1500 maH and the other three were about 2200 maH. I refreshed all four and they all exceed 2500 maH now! Now I take several hundred photos on a single set of batteries. After purchasing eight chargers and throwing away most of them, it's clear that this is the one charger that really shines. It will save you money by reviving old batteries. The price is great and the charger comes with a set of AA and AAA batteries. The included battery adapters may come in handy in an emergency if you need C batteries for a flashlight or toy. My only complaint is the external AC adapter which makes it less portable; I think this is really a minor quibble. If you prefer a rapid charger without all these features check out Maha. Hope this helps.
a great battery charger! February 26, 2005
Broderick Koga (Seatac, WA USA)
31 out of 33 found this review helpful
The La Crosse BC-900 is an intelligent battery charger for 1 to 4 AA or AAA batteries at a time. Each channel is independant of the others, and you can mix battery sizes and functions in each channel independantly.
The charger has 4 modes. Charging mode is the default, but it also has a discharge mode, test mode (discharges, then charges back up again, and shows capacity of the battery), or refresh mode (repeats the test mode up to 20 times, until it doesnt see an improvement in the test result).
Each charging channel has an LCD readout that can show the charging current, the voltage of the cell, the capacity of the cell (in ma if under 2.0 amps, or in amps if it is a 2000ma cell or higher) in test or recharge mode, or the time it has been performing the function it is currently doing. It is the readouts which make this charger exceptional! It can help you identify under-performing batteries, and makes it easy to match cells by the actual battery capacity, not a guess just because the batteries were from the same package.
You can charge batteries at different charging rates, ranging from 200ma up to 1.8a. You can be charging at different rates in each channel, but just need to keep in mind that the charging rate you choose in channel 1 will be the maximum charging rate on any other channel. Keep in mind that while you do have control over the charge rate, if you charge at too high of a value, the cells can heat up quite a bit. The unit does have thermal shutoff to protect the cells, but heat can damage nimh cells. The default rate is 200ma which is a gentle charge rate even for AAA cells, but if you are using AA batteries, you will probably choose a higher charge rate.
If you choose the discharge, test, or refresh functions, you can choose the discharge rate. With the test and refresh functions, the discharge rate will always be 1/2 of the charging rate. It will discharge the battery down until the voltage of the cell reaches 1 volt. In test and refresh functions, it will then charge the battery back to full capacity.
The charger also comes with a canvas bag containing 4 AA 2000ma cells, 4 AAA 700ma cells, and 4 battery adapters which allow you to use AA batteries to power C or D cell devices. It makes a handy carrying case for the charger, extra batteries, and a camera, film and accessories. You can sling the strap across your shoulder, or use the belt loop to carry it on your belt.
 BC-900 fries October 2, 2006
Thomas D. Graham (California, USA)
30 out of 35 found this review helpful
I've had a BC-900 for a little over a year. I love its capabilities. It was a 5 star until now. I don't know what version it is, it is not shown on the unit itself. Two weeks ago it completely fried a set of 4 AA NiMH. They were bubbling hot. The BC-900 is melted in the center section. Scary. Seemed close to being on fire or exploding the batteries. I'd like to get another one but the fire hazard is scaring me away. BTW, I called LaCrosse Tech Support and the woman I talked with said she was not aware of any such problems with it. Huh???
BC-900 Alpha Power Battery Charger has a major design flaw May 29, 2007
X. Yuan
23 out of 26 found this review helpful
La Crosse Technology BC-900 Alpha Power Battery Charger has a major design flaw. It cannot be the only battery charger you own, or you have throw out a lot of good batteries.
I read couple of review says it rate good (but empty) battery to null and cannot recharge them. I ignored it and purchased one for my out of town trip. I took this charger as my only charger for the trip. I had new Sony batteries, only used a few time, however, all power was drain in my PDA device. When I put the battery in the charger, it says null and cannot recharge them. I cannot use my device anymore during the trip.
Some suggested that you have to keep your old battery charger, and it is true that you can recharge it using old charger and then put it back in La Cross battery charger. However, if this is your only charger, then you have to throw away a lot of good/new batteries if they are empty, since it cannot charge an empty battery. This is a major design flaw.
If this is your only battery charger at home, consider the problem. If you want bring this charger to a trip and you only want bring one charger with you, consider the problem.
This charger has many excellent features that others don't offer, but one deadly major design flaw.
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