Sanyo Eneloop MQH03 Charger - Observed

[Bones]

Sales of the Eneloop power pack with the MQH03 charger at Costco must be at least somewhat brisk, here's a record of 9 pallet-loads arriving in Seattle:



Since the bill-of-lading only refers to the charger, it would appear that the packs aren't assembled overseas.

I wonder how many chargers fit on 9 pallets?

 

[Beacon of Light]

I want that dog cell holder. Why is the nose lit up with a blue LED? Is it a battery tester or something? Can you turn off the switch and use this thing as a nightlight? I already have a Eneloop charger (MQN05U) and I'd buy one just for that dog thingy. That's quite a good feature even if it is a bit gimmicky. I'm sold, now where can I get one?

I've had my Eneloop MQN05U for well over a year now. Which one of these chargers is better than the one I already have?

 

[PeAK]

I want that dog cell holder. Why is the nose lit up with a blue LED? Is it a battery tester or something?...
.
.
.

I agree...

...Go Doogy Go...
​

​

On a more serious note, this tester is similar to the Camelion Slim Tester: It puts a 2 ohm load (draws about 600mA) and uses a LED's brightness to gauge to strength of the battery.

PeAK

 

[Beacon of Light]

I've had my Eneloop MQN05U for well over a year now. Which one of these chargers is better than the one I already have?

Anyone know or is this thread too old to bump?

Thanks for that PEAK.

 

[Bones]

I want that dog cell holder. Why is the nose lit up with a blue LED? Is it a battery tester or something? Can you turn off the switch and use this thing as a nightlight? I already have a Eneloop charger (MQN05U) and I'd buy one just for that dog thingy. That's quite a good feature even if it is a bit gimmicky. I'm sold, now where can I get one?

More on Eneloopy:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com ... post2819503

I've had my Eneloop MQN05U for well over a year now. Which one of these chargers is better than the one I already have?

Considering that the MQN05 is a fully independent channel charger that is well regarded by its owners, I don't know that any of these chargers are significantly better than it.

However, if I had to choose just one, it would be the MQH03µsince it appears to be purpose built for the Eneloop. It should also incorporate the most recent charging technology from Sanyo. It certainly employs a more convenient charge rate and, like the MQN05, can charge any combination of up to four AA and/or AAA cells.

It also incorporates an internal 110-240Volt switching power supply, so it can be used overseas. As well, it usually includes a 12volt DC adapter for use in a vehicle.

 

[Beacon of Light]

That's funny Bones, when you said "More on Eneloopy" you linked to this very thread which I already read every post in. I'm sure that was just a mistake on your part.

 

[syncytial]

I just received two ECH4400 packs from Dell Canada. This is the pack, referred to above, with four AA Eneloops, four AAA Eneloops, A Sanyo four position quick charger, and a 12V DC power cord.

The included charger in both packs was the NC-MQH03U! This pleased me immensely - I was hoping it would be that one, even though it's been quite a while since they were available at Costco.

The date codes on the chargers are MKG & MKJ. The AA batteries and one set of AAAs have date codes from late 2008. The other set of AAAs is dated January 2009.

The packaging appears to be identical to what was for sale at Costco (from memory) and bears an "item number" of 844444. It has been packaged for the Canadian market.

The ECH4400 packs were prepared by Diversified Re-Packaging, and carry numbers in the 310 & 514 area codes for that company.

Oh... the price - $CDN 19.99, including shipping to my door via Purolator, for each pack. (One day sale, the regular price is higher.)

Now, I officially have too many small chargers, to go with my excessive number of Duraloops and Eneloops.

So... it looks like there are still some NC-MQH03Us out there.

Dell Canada is known for frequent good sale prices for Eneloops, although Shopper's Drug Mart's recurring very good prices on the Duraloops is more compelling, but now it looks like Dell bears watching as a source of supply for this charger too.

Perhaps Sanyo Canada (identified as the importer on the packaging) can advise if other retailers carry the ECH4400 or the charger alone. Packs or chargers might even be available directly from Sanyo.


- Syncytial.

 

[pdops]

Just got the NC-MQH03U in the deal described by syncytial above. When plugged into AC and charging batteries the charger makes a pronounced pulsed buzz. Is this normal? I have been using a LEAP ( I believe it's a rebranded maha) charger for years which makes absolutely no noise so I'm wondering if I should be concerned about this Sanyo charger?

 

[Mr Happy]

Hi,

:welcome:

Modern chargers almost always use switching circuits for power conversion since this keeps the electronics smaller and lighter. It is a characteristic of these circuits that they can make whistling or buzzing noises in operation. It's just like a transformer hum at a higher frequency. There is not likely anything to worry about unless the charger is making a really loud buzz like an angry swarm of bees.

 

[pdops]

Thanks Mr Happy. I've just tried it powered with the 12VDC adapter and it makes no noise so what you've said makes sense. I can always use the wall wart transformer that came with the old LEAP charger if the noise gets to annoying.

 

[davidt1]

I am glad this thread is back. I have a MQN05 and love it, but the long charge time does not make it a good travel charger. I need the MQH03 or something like it. Don't want to pay $42 for one though. If anyone has any information of availability, please share. Thanks.

 

[pdops]

This is the package being sold by Dell which includes the NC-MQH03U (link). It contains four AA Eneloops, four AAA Eneloops, the charger and a 12V DC power cord for $24.99.

 

[Bones]

I note that Dell Canada actually carries a fairly decent selection of Eneloop products, including both the model MQH03 and the model MQN05 chargers:

http://search.dell.com ... eneloop.aspx

It's not often that any country gains a step on the United States for product variety, but Sanyo Japan, and to a lessor degree, Sanyo Canada, have certainly made this the case with respect to their line-up of Eneloop products.

Oh, for those considering the family pack containing the MQH03 charger, please note that the $24.99 mentioned in the preceding post is its current sale price. It's regularly priced at $49.99 plus shipping.

 

[davidt1]

Anyone knows if they ship to the US? Thanks.

 

[NutSAK]

Anyone knows if they ship to the US? Thanks.

It doesn't appear that they do. I just tried to order, as I really want one of these chargers. The only shipping options were within Canada.

 

[rumack]

No, they won't ship to the US. Since the website would only accept Canadian addresses, I called them and tried to place an order. No dice. :sigh:

 

[jw113]

FYI: Dell Canada is selling the "ECH4400 Rechargeable 4AA + 4AAA Battery PLUS 1 Hour Eneloop Charger with Bonus Car Adapter" for C$19.99 ($30 off the regular price). The Dell SKU is A3516408.

 

[SHELDON101]

Thanks for the picture of the manual. I knew that you were supposed to put 1 or 2 batteries in a certain location. If you look at the manual, they go on the outside.

however, I took another look at the charger. I don't know if this is new or not, but if you look carefully at the outside positions , above the battery shapes you can see (if you look hard enough) the word ''QUICK"" telling you where to charge one or two batteries. Now, if the manual had mentioned this, I wouldn't have to post the message.

 

[madecov]

Last year I purchased a Costco special that had 8 colored Eneloop AA and 4 AAA
It came with a NC-MQN06U charger. Does anyone know anything about this one ?

 

[ecrbattery]

Last year I purchased a Costco special that had 8 colored Eneloop AA and 4 AAA
It came with a NC-MQN06U charger. Does anyone know anything about this one ?

If you do a forum search for NC-MQN06U, this thread will come up:

An informal look at the Sanyo NC-MQN06U – charging in pairs

The MQH03 is a superior charger. However, it has been discontinued which made it very hard to find.

Sanyo includes the inferior NC-MQN06U charger with the new Costco kit because it is cheaper and has built-in obsolescence. The "charge in pair" process is designed to kill the Eneloop faster so you will have to buy more batteries.


cheap charger + having you buy more batteries sooner = more money for the company :devil:


This profit driven formula is being used by pretty much all company these day since it is nearly impossible to find a quality smart charger with independent channels at your local retailer