BATTERY CHARGER BC-900 Instruction Manual INTRODUCTION: Congratulations on purchasing this intelligent charging unit which enables quick and optimum charging to AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. With charging, discharging, refreshing and capacity test functions as well as individual LCD displays for charging compartments; this charging unit is reliable, user-friendly and ideal for use in the home, office or on a journey. The Charging unit
CAUTIONS: 1. The charger is restricted to charging NiCd and NiMH rechargeable batteries only. Never use this charger for other types of batteries such as alkaline, lithium, carbon zinc or other types that are not specified. 2. The charging unit shall only be used at normal indoor room conditions. 3. Always follow the charging instructions for the rechargeable battery. Observe the recommended charging current of the rechargeable batteries. Never use a charging current higher than recommended in the charging process. 4. Never use any power cable and transformer other than those originally supplied with the charging unit. 5. The rechargeable batteries may become hot during charging (especially when a high charging current is chosen). User shall take extra care when taking out the batteries after charging. 6. Unplug the charging unit from the power source when not in use. FEATURES: The Charging unit Charging rechargeable battery in various current (200, 500, 700 or 1000 mA). The charging current can be set up to 1500 or 1800 mAh when two batteries are charged. Fast charging 70 mins to charge up 2000 mAh batteries Individual LCD display for all compartments Charging both AA and AAA rechargeable batteries simultaneously Overheat detection to protect rechargeable batteries from over-charging Minus delta voltage (-dV) detection for charge termination Damaged batteries detection Discharge mode (first discharging and then charging) to remove memory effect of rechargeable batteries Refreshing old rechargeable batteries by discharging/ charging cycles Test function to check the capacities of rechargeable batteries Charging/ Discharging functions can be launched independently and simultaneously to each rechargeable battery in the compartments Various display modes during charging/ discharging the charging current (in mA), time elapsed (in hh:mm), the terminal voltage (in V) and accumulated capacities (in mAh or Ah) INVENTORY OF CONTENTS 1. Charging unit 2. Transformer 3. Size C battery adapter (4) & Size D battery adapter (4) 4. Holding Bag 5. AA rechargeable battery (4) & AAA rechargeable battery (4) 6. Instruction Manual FUNCTION KEYS: There are three easy-to-use function keys and four number keys on the charging unit:

Compartment Number keys

CURRENT key

MODE key

DISPLAY
Compartment Number key Press and release the Number key to select a particular battery compartment for charge modes and/or display mode adjustment. MODE key The mode key shall first be pressed and held for 1 second to activate the mode change. The subsequent pressing of the mode key will toggle between the Charge, Discharge, Test and Refresh mode. To change the operating mode for an individual rechargeable battery, first press the corresponding NUMBER key then press the MODE key.
DISPLAY key Press and release to select the displays of the charging current (in mA), time elapsed (in hh:mm), the terminal voltage (in V) and accumulated capacities (in mAh or Ah) during the charging or discharging process. To change the display content of a particular rechargeable battery, first press the corresponding NUMBER key then press the DISPLAY key.

CURRENT key Press to select the amount of current to be applied (within the first 8 seconds after batteries are inserted) in different operating modes (also see Start charging the rechargeable batteries below). OPERATING MODES OF THE CHARGING UNIT This powerful charging unit provides the following operating modes: a. Charge the rechargeable battery (CHARGE) to charge the rechargeable battery, automatically switches to trickle charge after the rechargeable battery is full. b. Discharge then charge the rechargeable battery (DISCHARGE) to discharge the rechargeable battery then charge it to minimize the memory effect. c. Refresh the rechargeable battery (REFRESH) to refresh the rechargeable battery to its maximum capacity by charging and discharging the rechargeable battery repeatedly until no further increase in the capacity is estimated. For old rechargeable batteries or those have not been used for a long times, refreshing may bring the rechargeable battery back to the optimum condition. d. Check the rechargeable battery capacity in mAh/ Ah (TEST) CHARGE MODE Charging at 200 mA is the default-operating mode of the charging unit. When only one or two rechargeable batteries are charged, provided that only compartment 1 and compartment 4 are used, a charging current up to 1500 or 1800 mA may be set by the pressing the CURRENT key. On the other hand, when charging three or four rechargeable batteries at the same time, user may select a charging current of 200, 500, 700 or 1000 mA.
When charging two batteries at compartment 1 & 4 max. charging current: 1800 mA
When charging two batteries at compartment 1 & 2 max. charging current: 1000 mA
When charging two batteries at compartment 2 & 3 max. charging current: 1000 mA
When charging four batteries max. charging current: 1000 mA
The estimated time of charging by various charging current is tabulated in Table 1.
Table 1. Charging Time with various charging current Size of Battery Charging current Estimated charging battery Capacity selected time 1800 ~75 min 1500 ~90 min 1000 ~2 hr 15 min AA 2300 mAh 700 ~3 hr 15 min 500 ~4 hr 30 min 200 ~11 hr 30 min 1800 ~70 min 1500 ~80 min 1000 ~2 hr AA 2000 mAh 700 ~3 hr 500 ~4 hr 200 ~10 hr 700 ~60 min AAA 700 mAh 500 ~84 min 200 ~3 hr 30 min Note: User shall always observe the recommended maximum charging current of the rechargeable batteries. In general, 200 mA is a recommended charging current if rapid charging is not necessary. It is definitely safe and optimum to the rechargeable batteries. When the transformer has been plugged to the power source, the version number of the charger (for example 29 ) will be displayed first. Then all the segments will light up momentarily and the null sign will be shown before batteries are placed. If damaged batteries are placed to the charging unit, the charger will also show null on LCD.

null displayed - No battery or damaged battery is placed to the charging unit
START CHARGING THE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES Once a rechargeable battery is inserted after the transformer has been plugged to the power source, the battery voltage (for example, 1.39V) will be displayed for 4 seconds. Then 200 mA Charge (default mode) will be shown on LCD for another 4 seconds, indicating that charging with 200 mA is to be started if no alternation in setting is made. Within this 8-second time from inserting the batteries the user may first select the operating mode by the MODE key. Charge, Discharge, Refresh and Test mode may be chosen. Then within 4 seconds from the last key pressing, user may select the charging/ discharging current by pressing the CURRENT key. Note: The mode key shall first be pressed and held for 1 second to activate the mode change. The subsequent pressing of the mode key will toggle between the Charge, Discharge, Test and Refresh mode. There is a 4-second time allowed for choosing further functions after each key pressing. If no more keys are pressed, the LCD will blink one time to indicate the end of setting. Afterward, the current can no longer be changed during the process and the selected mode will begin.

Charging current: 200 mA

After 4 seconds from the last key press, the LCD will blink once to indicate the setting is confirmed and the selected mode is activated

Charge Mode

During charging, the different displays- Charging current (in mA), Time elapsed (in hh:mm), Terminal voltage (in V) and Accumulated capacities (in mAh or Ah) may be toggled and selected by pressing the DISPLAY key (refer Table 4). After the rechargeable battery is fully charged, Full will be shown on the display and the user may take out them at this time. If the rechargeable batteries are left in place in the compartments, trickle charging will start. The trickle charging current is around 5% of the selected charging current to keep the rechargeable batteries full.
Full sign is shown -The battery is fully charged
Note : The current cannot be altered once the setting has been confirmed in the initial stage. This prevents the user from changing the current setting accidentally while doing setting on other rechargeable batteries. If one wants to change the applied current afterward, the rechargeable batteries must be taken out and inserted again. The maximum charging current of the other rechargeable batteries are restricted by the current setting of the first inserted rechargeable battery. For instance, if the first inserted rechargeable battery is set to charge at 700 mA, then the second, third and fourth rechargeable batteries can be only set to charging at a maximum current of 700 mA. Therefore, the user is advised to place the battery with the highest expected charging current in Compartment 1 first. To release the restriction of setting charging current, user must take out all four rechargeable batteries from the charging unit. To change the operating mode during charging, one can press the MODE key (for selecting all rechargeable batteries) or NUMBER key then MODE key (for selecting individual rechargeable battery). Four (4) seconds after the last key press the LCD will blink one time to indicate the end of changing. When overheating conditions occur (over about 127F (53C), usually due to too high a charging current selected), the charging will be stopped immediately and the display will shown 000 mA, the charging process will only resume once the temperature of the rechargeable batteries drops to a safe level. If overheat conditions continue to occur, the rechargeable batteries must be taken out to cool down and then charged at a lower current.

When the battery is overheated the charging will ceases automatically. 000 mA will be displayed.
For a new rechargeable battery it is recommended to charge it with 200 mA current to re-condition it from the long storage status. DISCHARGE MODE Discharge mode will first discharge the rechargeable battery then charge it. It is for removing the memory effects of rechargeable batteries. By pressing the MODE key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries, the Discharge mode can be selected. Then the user may also select different discharging current (see Table 2) by pressing the CURRENT key, within 8 seconds after inserting the batteries. (The display will blink once to indicate the setting has been confirmed and the current cannot be changed afterward.)
Discharging current: 250 mA

Discharge Mode

Note: The discharging current is always set to be half of the coming charging current whose upper limit is 1000 mA (see Table 2). Therefore the user is recommended to carefully select the discharging current so that the charging current afterward will not be too high. The mode key shall first be pressed and held for 1 second to activate the mode change. The subsequent pressing of the mode key will toggle between the Charge, Discharge, Test and Refresh mode. Table 2. DISCHARGE MODE Current User-selected 100 mA 250 mA Discharging current Thereafter Charging 200 mA 500 mA current

350 mA 700 mA

500 mA 1000 mA
Finally, batteries will be fully charged in discharge mode and Full will be displayed. If the user presses the DISPLAY key at this time, "charge" icon instead of "discharge" icon will be displayed. REFRESH MODE Old rechargeable batteries and those that have not been used for a long time require refreshing. This process will recover the optimum capacity of the rechargeable batteries. By pressing the MODE key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries, the Refresh mode can be selected. Refresh mode will start with discharging the rechargeable battery, then charging it. The repeated discharging and charging cycles will be launched until no further increase in the measured capacities is estimated.
Refresh mode (the battery is being discharged)
Note: By pressing the MODE key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries, the Refresh mode can be selected. (The mode key shall first be pressed and held for 1 second to activate the mode change. The subsequent pressing of the mode key will toggle between the Charge, Discharge, Test and Refresh mode.) Then the user may also select different discharging current by pressing the CURRENT key (see Note in Discharge mode and Table 2), within 8 seconds after inserting the batteries. (Or the display will blink once to indicate the end of setting and the current cannot be changed afterward.). It may take up to several days to finish the refreshing process, depending on the selected discharging current. The maximum refresh current is 1000 mA and is not affected by the number of rechargeable batteries inserted. TEST MODE In the Test mode the rechargeable batteries will first be fully charged and then discharged to determine the capacities. Finally, the rechargeable batteries are charged up again and the capacity in (mAh) of (Ah) will be estimated and shown after the discharging ends. By pressing the MODE key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries, the Test mode can be selected. (The mode key shall first be pressed and held for 1 second to activate the mode change. The subsequent pressing of the mode key will toggle between the Charge, Discharge, Test and Refresh mode.)

The Charging current in (mA)

Test mode

Note: After selecting the Test mode the user may select different charging currents in the Test mode by pressing the CURRENT key, within 8 seconds after the batteries are inserted. The afterward-discharging current will be half of the selected charging current (see Table 3). Table 3. TEST MODE Current User-selected 200 mA Charging current Thereafter Discharging 100 mA current

500 mA 250 mA

700 mA 350 mA

1000 mA 500 mA

The maximum charging current is 1000 mA and is not affected by the number of rechargeable batteries inserted. After the test mode is finished, the display will shift between the Full sign and the battery capacity (in mAh or Ah) automatically in 3-second intervals until the rechargeable batteries are removed. The user can switch to other displays by pressing the DISPLAY key.
Battery capacity displayed in (mAh) as the checking is finished in Test mode.
TRICKLE CHARGING After the rechargeable battery is fully charged in any of the operating modes, the charger will give a small amount of current to the rechargeable batteries to maintain the fully charged level. This mode is automatically launched after rechargeable batteries are fully charged and kept in the charging unit. The signal Full will be displayed on the LCD. DISPLAY MODE INFORMATION The user can use different display modes to monitor the rechargeable battery condition during the different operations (see below figure and Table 4 to 7).
Different display modes are exhibited: Charging current, Time, Voltage and Capacity
Different operating modes
Table 4. Various displays in Charge Mode Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY Stage in key) Charge Current *Time Capacity mode Voltage (V) (mA) (hh:mm) (mAh/ Ah) During Charging charging Instantaneous current Charging Accumulated Battery time Full stage Trickle capacity voltage elapsed charging current Table 5. Various displays in Discharge Mode Stage in Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY key) Discharge Current *Time Capacity Voltage (V) mode (mA) (hh:mm) (mAh/ Ah) Capacity During Discharging Discharging during discharging current time elapsed discharging Instantaneous Battery During Charging voltage charging current Charging Accumulated Trickle time elapsed capacity Full stage charging current Table 6. Various displays in Refresh Mode Stage in Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY key) Refresh Current *Time Capacity Voltage (V) mode (mA) (hh:mm) (mAh/ Ah) During Instantaneous Capacity Discharging Discharging discharging Battery during current time elapsed processes voltage discharging Capacity During Instantaneous Charging Charging determined in charging Battery current time elapsed last time processes voltage discharging Maximum Instantaneous Trickle Elapsed time battery Full stage Battery charging of last capacity voltage current discharging determined in discharging Table 7. Various displays in Test Mode Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY key) Stage in Current *Time Capacity Test mode Voltage (V) (mA) (hh:mm) (mAh/ Ah) During Charging Charging --- mAh charging current time elapsed During Discharging Discharging --- mAh discharging current time elapsed Capacity of Instantaneous During 2nd Charging 2nd charging the battery Battery charging current time elapsed determined in voltage discharging Capacity of Trickle Discharging the battery Full stage charging time elapsed determined in current discharging

*The timer will be resumed and counted from 00:00 again after the time elapsed is longer than 20 hours. (For example, 1:45 will be shown after the battery has been refreshed for 21 hr and 45 min.) THE SIZE C AND SIZE D BATTERY ADAPTERS (FREE ACCESSORY) The battery adapters are used for connecting the AA battery to devices requiring Size C or D batteries. To apply the adapter: 1. Install the AA battery into the Size C or Size D adapter as below.
The AA battery used with the Size C adapter
The AA battery used with the Size D adapter (it is required to place the battery into the C adapter first and then the D adapter)
2. Ensure the polarity is correct and the assembling condition is good. Note: User shall stop using the adaptor when there are any cracks or damages observed in the adaptor, and in case undesired smell comes out while applying the adapter in certain kinds of battery operated devices. CARE AND MAINTENANCE: Extreme temperatures, vibration and shock should be avoided as these may cause damage to the unit When cleaning the displays and casings, use a soft damp cloth only. Do not wet the exposed metal part of the charging unit. Do not use solvents or scouring agents as they may mark the LCD and casing. Do not spill water to the charging unit. Do not make any repair attempts to the units. Return it to its original point of purchase for repair by a qualified engineer. Opening and tampering with the units may invalidate its guarantee. Do not expose the unit to extreme and sudden temperature changes, this may lead to damage to the electronic parts in the unit. SPECIFICATIONS: Input voltage for AC/DC adapter Charging current range Max charging capacity (capacity of rechargeable batteries) Dimensions (H x W x D)
100-240 VAC 200 mA - 1800 mA
: 3000 mAh : 5 x 3 x 1.5 (129 x 75 x 37.2 mm)
LIABILITY DISCLAIMER: The manufacturer and supplier cannot accept any responsibility for any improper or incorrect use and any consequences occur. Any performance of repairs or alternations by someone other than the original supplier will invalidate the warranty. This product is only designed to be used by people who have read and understood this instruction manual. The specifications of this product may change without prior notice. This product is not a toy. Keep out of the reach of children. No part of this manual may be reproduced without written consent of the manufacturer.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

La Crosse Technology, Ltd provides a 1-year limited warranty on this product against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship.
This limited warranty begins on the original date of purchase, is valid only on products purchased and used in North America and only to the original purchaser of this product. procedures. To receive warranty service, the purchaser must contact La Crosse Technology, Ltd for problem determination and service The original dated bill of sale must be
Warranty service can only be performed by a La Crosse Technology, Ltd authorized service center.

presented upon request as proof of purchase to La Crosse Technology, Ltd or La Crosse Technology, Ltds authorized service center.
La Crosse Technology, Ltd will repair or replace this product, at our option and at no charge as stipulated herein, with new or reconditioned parts or products if found to be defective during the limited warranty period specified above. Technology, Ltd and must be returned to La Crosse Technology, Ltd. ninety (90) days, whichever is longer. All replaced parts and products become the property of La Crosse
Replacement parts and products assume the remaining original warranty, or
La Crosse Technology, Ltd will pay all expenses for labor and materials for all repairs covered by this warranty.
If necessary repairs are not covered by this warranty, or if a product is examined which is not in need or repair, you will be charged for the repairs or examination. The owner must pay any shipping charges incurred in getting your La Crosse Technology, Ltd product to a La Crosse Technology, Ltd La Crosse Technology, Ltd will pay reasonable return shipping charges to the owner of the product.
authorized service center.
Your La Crosse Technology, Ltd warranty covers all defects in material and workmanship with the following specified exceptions: (1) damage caused by accident, unreasonable use or neglect (including the lack of reasonable and necessary maintenance); (2) damage occurring during shipment (claims must be presented to the carrier); (3) damage to, or deterioration of, any accessory or decorative surface; (4) damage resulting from failure to follow instructions contained in your owners manual; (5) damage resulting from the performance of repairs or alterations by someone other than an authorized La Crosse Technology, Ltd authorized service center; (6) units used for other than home use (7) applications and uses that this product was not intended or (8) the products inability to receive a signal due to any source of interference. This warranty covers only actual defects within the product itself, and
does not cover the cost of installation or removal from a fixed installation, normal set-up or adjustments, claims based on misrepresentation by the seller or performance variations resulting from installation-related circumstances.
LA CROSSE TECHNOLOGY, LTD WILL NOT ASSUME LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR OTHER SIMILAR DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OR MALFUNCTION OF THIS PRODUCT. PURPOSES OR FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT TO BE USED FOR MEDICAL
KEEP OUT OF CHILDRENS REACH.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights.
You may also have other rights specific to your State.
Some States do no allow the exclusion of
consequential or incidental damages therefore the above exclusion of limitation may not apply to you.
For warranty work, technical support, or information contact:

La Crosse Technology 2809 Losey Blvd. S. La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: 608.782.1610 Fax: 608.796.1020
e-mail: support@lacrossetechnology.com (warranty work)
sales@lacrossetechnology.com (information on other products) web: www.lacrossetechnology.com

All rights reserved.

This handbook must not be reproduced in any form, even in excerpts, or duplicated or processed using electronic, mechanical or
chemical procedures without written permission of the publisher.
This handbook may contain mistakes and printing errors.
The information in this handbook is regularly checked and corrections made in the next issue.
We accept no liability for technical mistakes or printing errors, or their consequences. All trademarks and patents are acknowledged.

REVIEW

Youll Get a Recharge out of This

The LaCrosse BC-900

By Larry Van Horn, MT Assistant Editor
An informative LCD display and large function keys (pushbuttons) are just two of many useful features on the BC-900 battery charger and recovery system. The BC-900 has four battery compartments, each with a numbered key. There are number function keys used to select a particular battery compartment for charging and to display the operating mode. The mode key is used to select any of the four operating modes described below. The display key lets you scroll through the various displays. These are charging current (in mA), time elapsed (hh: mm), terminal voltage (in V), and accumulated capacity (in mAh or Ah). In conjunction with the number keys, you can select the charging mode and view the displays individually for each battery compartment. Finally, the current key lets you select the amount of charging current to be applied if you wish it to be more than the factory-default 200 mA. The discharge mode is used for removing the memory effects of rechargeable batteries. In this mode, the batteries are discharged and then recharged at lower current levels. Finally, the batteries are charged at their full capacity. In refresh mode, old batteries and those that have not been used for a long time can be recharged. This mode recovers the optimum capacity of the rechargeable batteries by repeating discharging and charging cycles until no further increase in measured capacities occurs. In the test mode, the batteries are first fully charged and then discharged to determine their capacities. Next, the batteries are charged again, and the capacity in mAh or Ah (milliamp-hours or amp-hours) is shown after the charging ends. Trickle charging is a feature that automatically turns on when a charging cycle is complete. This keeps the batteries freshly charged until you need them.
must admit in recent years I have joined the technology revolution and become a bit of a gadget freak. Lets take a quick inventory: I have four handheld scanners, a GPS unit, two digital cameras, two FRS units, several cool flashlights, several remotes for the home entertainment system, three remote weather stations, and a laser pointer. I really like and use all these gadgets, but a major problem is powering all these fun toys. After I purchased the first few, I soon realized that I was spending a small fortune in batteries. In fact, it was getting so expensive, I was expecting a personal invitation to attend the next stockholder meeting from that Copper Top company you see advertised on TV. So what is a fella to do? Well, I decided that rechargeable batteries were the way to go. But I soon found that not all battery chargers, nor all batteries, are equal. Recently, while testing the new GRE PSR-500 handheld, I thought I had a battery life issue with the scanner. I contacted the development team and they pointed out that the battery life wasnt the issue, it was the batteries themselves. One member of the team suggested that I look into getting a La Crosse Technology BC-900. He also had some concerns with battery life at first until he picked up a La Crosse BC-900 intelligent charger. Using this smart charger, he was able to determine that both of his primary sets of four AA NiMH batteries had a bad cell in each set! The BC-900 came to his rescue. One Google search later and I had a BC-900 on its way to Brasstown. Yes, I know another gadget!

Modes of Operation

In the charge mode, when you place a battery in the BC-900, the unit displays the voltage and the charge level of the battery. The unit then begins charging (at the factory-default 200mA) up to the maximum voltage and then switches to trickle charging when the battery is fully charged. As an alternative to automatic 200 mA charging in all four operating modes, you can manually select any of several higher charging currents, depending upon how many batteries are in the charger.

Whats in the Box and Specications?
The BC-900 package includes the charging unit, a 5-foot, 2-inch AC/DC adapter, one set of AA and AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries, C-size and D-size battery adapters, a black nylon travel/storage case, a quick set-up manual, detailed instruction manual, and other miscellaneous paperwork. Other specifications include:
Charging current range: 200mA (default) to 1800mA, user-selectable Maximum charging capacity: 3000 mAh Input voltage for ac/dc adapter: 100 to 240Vac, 50 or 60Hz, 0.6A Adapter output: +3.0Vdc, 4.0A Charger dimensions: 3.0 inches (76 mm) high x 5.1 inches (126 mm) wide x 1.5 inches (38 mm) deep

What is It?

The La Crosse Technology Alpha Power BC-900 Battery Charger and Recovery System is a compact, lightweight, and easy-to-use charger for all AA and AAA nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries. You can even use the AA batteries in devices that require C- and D-size batteries with the included adapters. Both AA and AAA batteries can be charged simultaneously, but the unit will not charge defective batteries. With the BC-900, you eliminate the negatives of shortening a rechargeable batterys life by recharging it when it is not fully discharged and of overcharging it. The BC-900 is an intelligent charging unit that provides quick and optimum charging of your batteries. The unit has overheat detection to prevent overcharging.

Bottom Line

This unit retails for $79.95, but you can find deep discounts at various vendors online. I was blown away with this battery charger. If you use a lot of batteries, then this unit is a must. This really cool charger has lots of features that are sure to satisfy the most technically minded among us. With its charging, discharging, refreshing, and capacity testing functions, as well as individual displays for its four charging compartments, the BC-900 battery charger is economical, reliable, user-friendly, and ideal for use in home or office and while traveling.