• Brand: Activ Energy
• Model: Universal NiCd/NiMH Battery Charger (IN8801SAA)
• RRP: $19.99 (not currently available – weekly special from Aldi starting 17 December 2016)

My needs

I required a NiMH battery charger that is intelligent functionally and simple to use for my wife and children, capable of charging 4 or more AA/AAA batteries independently and automatically. It must prevent overcharging, and report battery status of individual batteries if possible.

What I like

The Activ Energy Universal NiCd/NiMH Battery Charger meets all these requirements:

• Each battery is charged individually – other chargers require two batteries to be charged simultaneously, which often means finding another battery with similar capacity rating and remaining voltage
• Percentage display – charge is displayed as a percentage (rounded to units of 10%) giving an idea of how flat the battery is to begin with and how long the charge will take
• Correct charging rate – close to recommended rate of around 0.5C (see http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_nickel_metal_hydride)
• Flexible – this charger can simultaneously charge:
  • Six AA and/or AAA batteries
  • Four C and/or D batteries
  • Two 9V batteries
• USB – allows mobile phone or iPad to be charged simultaneously

Extra considerations

• No wall mounting – lack of wall mounting screw slots means this charger must live on a bench or table, unless you create your own method of attaching to a wall
• Misreported battery issues – reported one NiMH battery as having an error, however when left in the charger long enough was able to charge successfully (perhaps it trickle charged to slowly restore the battery charge)

Features

Charges AA, AAA, C, D & 9V NiMH & NiCd Rechargeable Batteries

• Percentage display of battery charge state.
• USB port – easy charging of mobile devices.
• Intelligent charge control.
• Automatic discharge function of NiCd batteries.
• Warning on defective or incorrectly inserted batteries.
• Single-battery compartment monitoring.
• Simultaneous charging of up to 8 batteries.
• Capacity quick test using voltage analysis.
• Automatic protection against overcharging AA, AAA, C and D.
• Charging temperature control (automatic shutdown)
• 1 Year Warranty