Customer reviews for Rayovac PS3-CDN Smart Charger
Ratings
Category: Electronics
Brand: Rayovac
Model: PS3-CDN Smart Charger
Availability: In Stock. Ships next business day.
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This is the ORIGINAL Rayovac (PS3) Universal Smart Battery Charger which I first reviewed more than two years ago. Unfortunately, Rayovac has discontinued this excellent charger around end of 2009, and replaced it with an inferior Rayovac PS3D Universal Battery Charger (just remember 'D' stands for Dumb). So now the original Rayovac Universal Charger is getting difficult to find - which explains the increase in price.
[Original Review follows]
I already have at least half a dozen smart chargers in the house, including top-of-the-line models such as the La Crosse BC-900 and Maha C9000, but I still wanted this Rayovac Universal Battery Charger (PS3) for the following reasons:
1. It can accept C, D, and 9V batteries in additional to the standard AA and AAA cells.
2. It can handle rechargeable alkaline cells in addition to the standard NiMH or NiCd cells.
3. It has the potential to recharge up to 8 AA or AAA cells at once.
So far, I'm very satisfied with this charger. Of course it is bulky and heavy. But that's to be expected for an unit that can accept four D-cells at the same time. For home use the size and weight is not an issue at all.
I'm happy to report that this charger is a lot smarter than I previously imagined. Unlike a typical dumb charger in this price range (for example: the Energizer CHFCV Overnight Family Charger), the PS3 has four independent charging channels. That means I am free to charge different cell in any channel. Each channel comes with a status indicator LED, which goes out once the cell is fully charged. But most of all, this charger is smart enough to recognize the difference between NiMH cells and alkaline cell, and can pick the correct charging method accordingly.
When an unknown cell is inserted into the PS3, the charger first starts off with a trickle current (800mA peak current at 10% duty cycle, or an average current of 80mA). Based on the voltage profile of this cell, the PS3 can determine whether this is an alkaline cell, or a NiMH cell. After two minutes, the duty cycle is increased to 60%, so the average current is now around 480mA. For a NiMH cell, charging will continue until a negative dV/dt is detected, in which case it switches back to trickle current again. But for an alkaline cell, charging current will gradually decrease with higher terminal voltage until it reached 1.65V.
The Rayovac PS3 is designed to recharge the Rayovac 'Renewal' brand of rechargeable alkaline cells (which are now discontinued). The user manual warned against charging ordinary disposable alkaline cells, but I experimented with it anyway. Initially I observed good results in reviving a lot of spent alkaline AA and D cells. But my happiness was short-lived, because after a few weeks, some of those cells started leaking electrolyte. I was lucky that the leaks were discovered early, and they only caused minor damages to some cheaper appliances. My conclusion is that: it is not worth the risk to recharge disposable alkaline cells. You have been warned!
Back to the charger itself, I do have a complaint about its claim of "recharge up to 8 AA or AAA batteries". It turns out that each of the four charging channels can accept one to two AA or AAA cells, but the two cells are electrically connected in parallel. So in case somebody accidentally placed two cells of different battery chemistries (NiCd, NiMH, or alkaline) in the same channel, the one with lower voltage will discharge the other one. The charger may also get confused and fail to terminate correctly in such case. It is safer and faster to charge only one AA or AAA cells in each channel.
Rayovac PS3-CDN Smart Charger Review by R. Adams "Rob" (Hawaii)
It's a shame that RayOVac has discontinued this great charger. Get it while you can, if you still can. I've used a lot of different chargers, but this one does everything, and does it well.
I already have one that's worked perfectly for months. I use it every day for NiMH batteries. It also works fine with NiCads. I bought this one while I still could, so I have a spare. Heck, at this price, I might even buy one more. Yes it's THAT good!
Rayovac PS3-CDN Smart Charger Review by Lisa P. Shepherd "PISTEI" (Wilmington, NC USA)
if only the la crosse charged c, d, and 9 volt batteries, i would be in battery charger heaven. however, this one is great for the ones that la crosse doesn't charge.
do not get the energizer one. i've had nothing but trouble with it. i've had two that stop working after they charge a set of batteries.
Rayovac PS3-CDN Smart Charger Details
- Rayovac PS3 Smart Universal charger recharges up to 8 AA, 8 AAA, 4 C, 4 D, or 1 9-volt
- NiMH, NiCad Battery Charger. (Batteries Not Included!)
- Charge 1 - 8 Batteries - (Batteries Not Included!)
- Capable of recharging batteries over 1000 times
- Perfect for use in high battery usage households
- Item Dimensions: 0 x 0 x 0 inches; 3 pounds
- Brand: Rayovac
- Model: PS3-CDN Smart Charger
- Product Type: Electronics
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