Comparison: La Crosse BC900 vs Maha Powerex C9000 (My Opinions)

[@Terok_Nor]

I just got the Maha. It's great and there's barely any button pressing. Sure more than the lacrosse but it takes a few extra seconds so big whop. Love this thing. Easy to use and intuitive. It baffles me when I hear about people who cant figure it out. The laziness I can maybe understand but the Maha is not overly complicated.

[@human47134]

3 years later... How is it holding up? Still working?

[@richsq1]

Very good video I enjoy it. Just a point: On your Maha charger when you insert the batteries in the charger the positive should go first and the negative after. This is recommanded by the manuf. Richard

[@MAGIcAL4462]

I like the advance features of Maha. You can adjust the charge/ discharge rates by hundreds. Simple formula in using Maha: charge at 1/2 your battery's capacity, discharge at 1/4 your battery's capacity. For example: 1000mAh, charge at 500mAh, discharge at 200mAh. It can actually detect almost "dead" batteries which other chargers cannot; thus, you would be able to "revive" the battery.

[@jayw654]

the maha only charges at the rate selected up to 90 percent then goes to trickle mode which takes an additional 2 hours to top off.

[@kwils6685]

I think part of the difference is the charge rates are not the same on both chargers. Another test at equal rates may close the gap for your batteries. really like your channel been watching for years since you feel like I do about all the awesome power supplies we run into!

[@williammchugh4361]

Seems like the BC9009 sticks to the more useful basics while the PowerEx throws a lot of fancy options your way that would mostly go unused. As far as the ability to charge at 2000 mah, I never go past 500 mah on my BC-900 (200 mah for AAA's). The heat from a Super Charge like this couldn't be good on the batts. I'm wondering if a higher default charge rate is the reason the PowerEx is not charging those batts all the way up.

[@Matlockization]

Anyone who does time lapses of thunderstorms cant be all that bad. Thankyou for your excellent comparison.

The break-in mode gives the better indication of battery life but it does take over a day to do, about 40 odd hours. Capacity shown after a refresh/analyze cycle is always a bit less than the actual capacity as well.

[@andrewlandamore5172]

I don't think that using the charger's own estimate of capacity is a valid reason for claiming one charger is putting more charge in a battery than the other. They will use a similar algorithm. To claim this you'd have to charge a battery in each using an equivalent setting - then discharge and measure it using an independent device in a controlled way, then swap the batteries over and repeat, twice to allow for memory effects. I've got here because I've got a "Uniross UCQ001" which looks physically identical to the La Crosse, so makes me think it's the same, and I do know how I'm supposed to use it. It regularly makes batteries almost too hot to pick up (no temperature sensor), and now after a few months of use, the higher charge currents have stopped working (the maH and hours don't increment, and the battery isn't charging), but lower currents are ok. So on paper it did what I wanted, for a short while, but's now broken, so I've ordered the C9000. Finger's crossed...

[@alanpeterson2160]

Can the C9000 charge at 500ma or more without getting the batteries hot ? Slightly warm is ok but hot is not good for the batteries.

[@amiraz2424]

Hi Bro can you say Which models The bests Ni-MH battery charger in 2023 ?

[@romandulce999]

So i got some new IMEDION 2400 cells... They do come pre-charged. Should i discharche before i do break-in on new cells ? 0_o

[@VintageCars999]

lol i like how this charger says 'high' as if the battery was 'high'. But in all seriousness it's nice to know when your batteries are going bad by showing the user 'high' as in high resistance. The other easy way to tell if your batteries are bad is that the charger says it's full when there is no energy in it and when there is a lack of mAh during refreshing. The Maha sounds better overall, except for the fact there's no option to turn off the LCD light or that you can see the stats for all the batteries. Though the cycling through each one is pretty good and you can manually check each one.

[@caltech96]

I remember back in the day that the rule of thumb for charging ni-cads was to use a constant current of one-tenth of the amp/hour capacity for a period of 12 to 14 hours. Now that's old technology, but does measuring the open circuit voltage of a charged cell really have any significant meaning? Lets say you charge identical cells on both products and measure the open circuit voltage after charge. Let's say that one has a voltage of of 1.41 volts and the other reads 1.39 volts. Now discharge each cell at it's amp/hour rating and measure the voltage after five minutes and compare the voltages. Let's say one cell measures 1.25 volts and the other measures 1.23 volts. Who cares? After all, in actual use these batteries really only serve as a raw DC supply to power electronic equipment which use internal voltage regulator chips to generate accurate DC levels. Of course there are applications which require knowledge of the quality of batteries before committing something to use which demand healthy batteries, such as drones or RC models. But they normally use battery packs, and not discrete cells. Anyway, I enjoyed your video and thanks for making it. Also, if you enjoy splitting hairs when measuring voltage, current or resistance, chuck that el cheapo Singapore DMM you're using and get a good Fluke DMM instead!

[@abecedenko128]

The La Crosse does everything the Maha does [read the instructions] except break-in. It does cycling [refresh], discharge, charge, and testing. Seems you don't know how to use it. The La Crosse is much simpler to use also. You can set all 4 batteries to the same settings at once which is the way most people charge the batteries, or separately. The MAHA requires you to set each one separately so you have to do 4 times the programing and the Maha requires more steps to set each battery unless you use the default. As you pointed out way too much button settings in order to get the charging you want. La Crosse does it all and you did not even show any of it.

[@CubeComputerChannel]

Your telling me things I already know about the La Crosse. I've had the thing for over two years haha. The LaCrosse is easier to use, but it doesn't offer break-in,, does not refresh batteries as well as the C9000, and it cannot charge four batteries at a time at 2000mA like the C9000. The La Crosse can only do two batteries at 1800mA. I mainly use the La Crosse because of its size and ease of use. I'll pull out the C9000 whenever I need the advanced features of it.

[@MrStyle-sr1yv]

the maha says high on lcd with every aa battery i trow at its a useless charger that wont charge bad batteries while they are still useable and i trew alot batteries away and waisted for nothing while the lacrosse just charged them so for me la crosse is the winner

[@HillOrStream]

Thanks for the video, I'm in the market for a smarter charger. But no real winner? Which should I get? Sounds like the LaCrosse?

[@carlthome5692]

As someone else commented, the Maha C9000, while a nice unit with many features, doesn't last. I have 2 units, both failed with different problems after about 2 years of use. Neither appears to have bad caps.

[@pault6533]

The PowerEx defaults to 1000 mA charge on restoration of power if there is a power failure. This is not good if you are charging AAA batteries. Best to use on a UPS especially if doing a multi day process. It’s interesting that the batteries got so hot in the LaCrosse, and you commented the PowerEx did not charge enough. Perhaps it is the other way around. I understand the PowerEx continues to trickle after charging is DONE. Try leaving it on for a while longer and see if the capacity rises.

[@rogerdodger136]

Ugh.. This bring me back to the days before Eneloops and Eneloop XL's. The whole reason I got both of these chargers, circa 2008/9, was because of wondering why batteries were quitting shortly after charging, for a 4-AA camera. I even ended up labeling and keeping track of batteries in a spreadsheet. :O Enter Eneloops. I left all that crap behind! :) Of course it's still nice to have both chargers, but the reasons I got them were negated by Eneloops. I will now NEVER buy anything other than Eneloops! Interesting you mention the bc-900 is easier to use.. I find it more confusing, personally. Also of note is that the buttons are getting wonky to press - and the rear power connection is also wonky, making sure I never go near it when using it's intelligent refresh option (the only redeeming thing about it). The MAHA OTOH is still chugging along quite happily, with nothing wrong with it. I never understand why anyone in this day and age still does the mah-chasing dance. Every one of the regular NiMH, even within the same pack, always tends to be highly unbalanced with each other - including non-Eneloop LSD cells. Eneloops are perfect for all intents and purposes.. Have not had a single one that was bad yet. Even one AAA that got short circuited in a device (the devices fault) and has a melted cover still keeps it's charge for a long time, albeit with fewer mah now: ~600 of it's 800mah capacity. And they last for ages with higher current output. Eneloop XL's ~2400mah not good enough? Carry extra sets. Period. The new ones will now hold ~70% of their charge after *10 years*! 8O They're truly becoming cells to pass down to your grandchildren - make sure you put 'em into your will. :) BTW, the best information for batteries that I found was on CandlePowerForums (CPF) - where I leaned of these chargers to begin with... AND became a raging, but ever so slightly functional, flashaholic. =) For those that do like the LaCrosse, there is one that's eerily similar in the user interface (but far easier to use) - called the "Opus C-3400 v2.2".. It's leaps and bounds much higher quality though. It does NiCd, NiMH, and Lithium-Ion as well (all the way down to 10340 cell size). I just got one and it's an incredible charger/analyzer - on par with the MAHA C-9000. But no break-in mode though. So instead of getting the MAHA and LaCrosse to complement each other - get a MAHA and OPUS 3400. It's also rumored that the Opus 3400 and Opus 3100 *v2.2* are the exact same charger, with the latter being cheaper at ~$33. ... OR... Just get Eneloops and be done with it. Nuff said. :)

[@Terok_Nor]

So much this. I ended up going with the Maha because I couldn't find any solid information about Opus. This company has been out for years and does not even have an official web site? Seems shady.

[@HaugBrian]

Those were my thoughts too when I first heard about the Opus in forums... I found it strange that there was no website or anything - and it does seem shady because of that. However, even though the Maha is a wonderful charger - it only does Nickel-based batteries. I needed chargers that would charge my growing supply of various Li-Ion batteries as well, for flashlight use and my ever-growing vaping hobby (aka e-cig). So I needed several Li-Ion chargers for that reason. Don't let the 'shadiness' aspect of the Opus deter you. It is a VERY well built and durable charger! Right on par with the Maha C-9000. But it does ALL the main types of batteries. There's also another lesser-known charger called the Liittokala Li-500, that also does all main types of rechargeables. It's also a quite nice charger. The best thing about these chargers is that they're FAR cheaper than the Maha-C9000 - at least what it used to cost (haven't checked price). You can actually get BOTH for less than the Maha's [former] price! ... From all those Chinese deal sites, which I happen to heavily frequent. Takes a while to arrive but for the prices, it's worth it. So if you have any Li-Ion batteries, don't shy away from either of these chargers.. They're both superb chargers. BTW - For the sake of current smokers, please go to casaa.org and do item #1, at least. The FDA is about to decimate the current vaping market with their ludicrous regulations taking effect soon. If you know any smokers, or are one - switch to vaping if you can't or don't want to quit. It will literally save many lives.

[@Terok_Nor]

Yep I know all about the Lii 500. For about 20-22 bucks shipped it is probably the best buy. The Opus is probably a better buy than the Maha but I dislike the fan. Too many complaints of fan noise.failure. I do have a single bay Opus charger coming. It was about 10 bucks and it does everything the 3400 does, just has one bay though.

[@espresso4eva]

Your observations about battery charge level in C9000 vs BC900 are incorrect since c9000 uses higher discharge pulses than BC900. It may be the same current but higher pulses cause higher voltage drop in C9000 and hence you see lower capacity. The correct way to test this would be to run the discharge only on one device. One more thing worth mentioning is that C9000 uses top off charge. After it says it's done, it will continue to charge at 100 mA for 2 more hours to insure the battery is completely full. That's why you see "rest" on the display during cycling.

[@theLuigiFan0007Productions]

Third question (yes, I ask alot). Are you sure the Lacrosse charger has the bug fixed? It it is definitely fixed, I might get one. Currently I use a dumb charger I made that trickle charges with no cutoff. This takes about 8-12 hours, 8PM throw batteries in holder, let charge till I get up tomorrow. Simple schematic: Varisistor (controlls power transistor)+PSU Transistor+Laptop power brick+Battery holder. It dosent overcharge as I only use 0.1C or slower. It is in a nice plastic case, though.

[@ScottAReid]

can u charge 3 at once on the bc-700. my radio scanners all run on 3 AA batteries. i assume u can charge 1, 2, 3 or 4 at once. i need do 3 at once. thanks.

[@YouzTube99]

@N5XTC Too late for your but in case someone else has the same question, the BC-700 will charge up to four 'AA' or 'AAA' batteries at the same time. Unlike lesser chargers, it analyzes each one individually and optimizes the charge for it.

[@arcarcarc376]

Can you explain each mode and how it affects the battery life?? or the general purpose?

[@instantsiv]

KinderliedjesMessico On the charge setting it is a simple charge till full. Refresh/analyze charges the battery, rests, discharges(analyzes the discharge), rests and then charges. The analyze will tell you the capacity of the battery. Break in is suppose to be used with new batteries... Don't know specifics on that. Discharge empties the battery. Cycle charges the battery then discharges the battery and recharges to full. You can have it do it 1, 2, 3 or more times.

[@stigonutube]

Thanks for the video, wow 2700mah back then"now feb 2016".. im in the market for a budget charger that shows mah on charger and discharges+test, geez i dont like that the powerex c9000 won't dim that darn blue light, is a deal breaker for me. i got the nitecore D2 for $30au but does not discharge or show mah but does 18650+more, still good though and light goes out after x amount of minutes. also going to give NOkoser NK-2H-lcd a go was only $34-delivered in Australia and has mah and test+discharge function. fingers crossed.

[@HFkepley9312]

What would be the best that you would recommend in reliability and quality along with features

[@CubeComputerChannel]

The Maha c9000

[@HFkepley9312]

***** I also need a charger that can charge a rechargeable battery to its complete charge. For an example if a battery is rated to 2700mah I need it to charge that battery to its full capacity. Have you found out if the Maha c9000 will charge a battery to full capacity

[@politicalgangster9395]

Brandon Kepley batteries will lose capacity later so..

[@theLuigiFan0007Productions]

Yes, I do have a few questions. Why arent you using NI-MH, they hold more and charge faster. Search "BTY Rechargeable 1.2V 3000mAh Ni-MH AA Batteries Battery" on Amazon. They are the best batteries I have ever used, plus those chargers you have can charge NI-CD NI-MH and Lithium ION/Polymer, right? Second question, I have some 850mAh Enloop AAA NI-MH cells which lie about their capacity LOL. After 10 deep cycles, they charge to 1.567V and hold 1200 mAh. Will this kill them?

[@TheRemo187]

What would you recommend?

[@russell3421]

Can anybody set different currents for different slots using the BC-700 model? Mine doesn’t allow me to select current for individual slot.

[@YouzTube99]

@Russell Too late for your but in case someone else has the same question, the LaCrosse chargers require you to hold down the buttons for a couple seconds before they activate.

[@jl.143.l]

Can display battery voltage and current best

[@davidlatham312]

Nice review but one of the ever-encompassing features that wasn't addressed or even eluded to was price... Please give us a ball park price for each. All the little features, bells and whistles are nice but in the end the almighty $$$ will win. Thanks

[@CubeComputerChannel]

One reason why I didn't throw prices into the video is because prices change over time. Prices for the C9000 and the updated version of the La Crosse (the BC1000) range from $50-$70 depending on retailer as of January 2014.

[@davidlatham312]

***** Good point. Thank you for the quick response.

[@donciak]

that sound in background is the charger??

[@3ccdmike]

i love my LaCrosse

[@nickg1672]

Put automotive tint on the screen?

[@youdig-detection]

how do you manage to get 1.40 v on 1,2 nimh accu ?

[@CubeComputerChannel]

1.2V is the nominal voltage. 1.4V is roughly the full charge voltage.

[@youdig-detection]

i cannot reach that voltage with my charger, i might consider buying one of those lol.

[@eelcovvliet]

If you put the batteries in the Maha and do nothin within 10 Seconds, it charges at 1000Mah automatically.

[@donciak]

yes but sometime i think 1A charge is too much

[@waynecarrott]

FROM 12 midnight to 9 am 24hrs?????don't think so

[@DragonsREpic]

Lithium batteries should never be exposed to extreme temperatures

[@gelucci86]

nice review

[@CubeComputerChannel]

Thanks!

[@TranTek]

Powerex doesn’t last La Crosse still working very well Powerex charger and batteries are garbage Batteries Enelop are the best

[@human47134]

According to Amazon reviews though... The LA Crosse over heats and catches fire a bit too often. There's multiple reviews showing burned out units. I'd rather have the damn thing stop working than have to rebuild my house.

[@TranTek]

@@human47134 i ran them for days at 500mAh no issue over heat, not sure how what people did, have multiple c9000 all dead and damage batteries updated now i am using LittoKala Lii-600 repair option able to revive some of old damage cells

[@okanelkin]

your computer needs some cable management.