# No more Duracell CEF23 chargers?



## alins (Jul 13, 2010)

Is there any place which sells the Duracell CEF23 charger (preferably the CEF23DX4N) at a reasonable price? I read here some time ago here that they were available on ebay for about $17 shipped, but I can't find them ... I'm in the US.

Many thanks!


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## DLF (Jul 13, 2010)

I think they've come and gone. I picked up a couple when Toys R Us blew them out a while back (at about $12.99+tax, I think), and did sell an extra on eBay for about $17. Only Duracell-branded charger worth having


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## fishx65 (Jul 13, 2010)

Once in a great while you will find a stragler at Wallyworld. They really are great little wall chargers. I keep 2 at home and 2 at the cabin.


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 13, 2010)

yup when you go to amazon and they only have one available at $69 you missed out. I got two of them without the car cords off ebay awhile back but noticed they were drying up fast. The people that bought them on clearance from stores to resell have sold them all now. I never saw the car cord ones for $17 on ebay when I was looking they were always over $20 and I got one of mine (used) for $11 for $9 I can find/make a car cord they use standard sized power plugs and the current required is small enough you don't need a high current cord.


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## joeparker54 (Jul 13, 2010)

Lynx_Arc said:


> I can find/make a car cord they use standard sized power plugs and the current required is small enough you don't need a high current cord.



The plug size itself is pretty standard, however you may need to grind back the plastic on the charger in order to fit the whole plug in.


OP, whats your location? if you live in the midwest and have a Meijer around I'd recommend the Powercell Intelligent charger. It's the slimmest one they sell, has 4 independant charging bays, charges in 2-4 hours and comes with either 2500mah regular rechargeables or 2000mah LSD cells and is around $15.


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## alins (Jul 13, 2010)

Thanks for the replies ... so I guess I am out of luck. I live in the Pacific Northwest ...


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## Black Rose (Jul 13, 2010)

Like most elusive chargers that people actualy want, they are available in Canada at Best Buy.

Got one last week for $20.


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## adam83 (Jul 14, 2010)

I just picked one up 2 days ago at a weis grocery store. I spied two hanging on the peg at the very bottom of the battery display. Flipped the package over and sure enough it was a CEF23DX4N with car plug for $25.  

Try looking in places that sell these kind of things but have a very low volume of battery sales, you just may find a diamond in the rough. Im sure they have been hanging there for years since the included LSD batts (durabrids) only had 75% charge remaining.


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## alins (Jul 14, 2010)

Available now on ebay for $16 shipped! Just search for CEF23DX2.

If you go through Bing cashback you can get another 8% off (just go to www.bing.com/cashback and search for something like 'camera' - you will see thge 8% off Ebay link on top).


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 14, 2010)

adam83 said:


> I just picked one up 2 days ago at a weis grocery store. I spied two hanging on the peg at the very bottom of the battery display. Flipped the package over and sure enough it was a CEF23DX4N with car plug for $25.
> 
> Try looking in places that sell these kind of things but have a very low volume of battery sales, you just may find a diamond in the rough. Im sure they have been hanging there for years since the included LSD batts (durabrids) only had 75% charge remaining.



I am almost sure the version with the car cord included has durabrids and the version without the cord has 2AA duraloops.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Jul 14, 2010)

Is the only difference between the CEF23DX2 model and the CEF34DX4N model the car cord is included with the 4N and it also includes 2AA and 2AAA instead of just 2AA? I just want to make sure that the charger is the same in every other way.


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## Quension (Jul 14, 2010)

Yes, I've purchased both, and those are the only differences. The physical charger itself is stamped with the model number "CEF 23"; the other bits belong to the packaged accessories.

Lynx_Arc's observation about the included battery types is interesting, and matches my experience, but I can't say definitively that it always holds true. (Well, I'm not certain the ones that came with my DX4N are rebadged _Hybrids_, as they're rated for and measure near 2000mAh instead of 2100mAh, but they _are_ black-tops.)


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## Black Rose (Jul 14, 2010)

Lynx_Arc said:


> I am almost sure the version with the car cord included has durabrids and the version without the cord has 2AA duraloops.


I bought the one with the car cord, and it did come with 2xAA & 2xAAA black top cells, which may not be rebadged Hybrids, but are from the same factory (same can style that all cells from that factory seem to use).


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 15, 2010)

Black Rose said:


> I bought the one with the car cord, and it did come with 2xAA & 2xAAA black top cells, which may not be rebadged Hybrids, but are from the same factory (same can style that all cells from that factory seem to use).



I call them durabrids because there isn't a known company that makes them and rayovac hybrids were the first major brand name using them. It doesn't mean anything other than a convenient way to distinguish them from eneloop LSD rebrands.


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 15, 2010)

If you are looking for one (when the ebay $16 one runs out) a clue is to look at the package photo and either you will see a black Car cord picture in the right lower corner of the package or what looks like a silver/white camera. The black car cord pic is the one with the 12vdc adapter or course but I saw one listed as a DX4 that used the "wrong" picture and after I emailed the seller found out it had no 12v car adapter.


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## Hondo (Jul 15, 2010)

Lynx_Arc said:


> I am almost sure the version with the car cord included has durabrids and the version without the cord has 2AA duraloops.


 
It probably depends on when they were made. I got 2 with car cord from Target when they still had them, with 4 white-top Duraloops. I also got two without car cords from a Kroger and a Walgreens, and one had 2 Duraloops, the other had 2 black-tops, or Durabrids. It is about impossible to tell what they are even with the package in your hands, they are trapped at the ends. At this point in time, though, I would not let it sway your decision, as they are both good batteries, and these chargers will be all gone soon.


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 15, 2010)

Hondo said:


> It probably depends on when they were made. I got 2 with car cord from Target when they still had them, with 4 white-top Duraloops. I also got two without car cords from a Kroger and a Walgreens, and one had 2 Duraloops, the other had 2 black-tops, or Durabrids. It is about impossible to tell what they are even with the package in your hands, they are trapped at the ends. At this point in time, though, I would not let it sway your decision, as they are both good batteries, and these chargers will be all gone soon.



They must have cranked out a lot then prior to going to the duraloops and then later cranked more out with the newer duraloops then. Regardless of the batteries they are good chargers for $20 and under having bonus batteries is nice. I have tried for months to stumble onto one with a car chord for less than $20 anywhere without luck but I have managed to get two chargers, one new with batteries for ~$15 and one used bare one for $11. I was a bit worried the flip cover would be annoying but it easily removes. The main thing I don't like it with 4 batteries in it, it is hard to remove the center ones but then I have the same problem with my other chargers doing that too. Why someone doesn't make an eject button for batteries in charger I will never know.


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## calipsoii (Jul 15, 2010)

Currently in-stock in large numbers at most (if not all) Canadian Best Buys. There were at least 8 hanging on the shelves when I was last in my local one. They were on sale for $19 CDN last week, but are back up to the standard $49 now. Still a steal for that price if you ask me - I love my charger to bits.

Reading their shipping policy, they do not deliver outside of Canada. I wonder if when CPFMP comes back up from maintenance, someone in the Group Buy forum would start one up? I've never done a group buy myself, don't have a PayPal account setup and have never shipped to the US, but if no one on CPFMP can do it, I'd be willing to learn how and get some more chargers south of the border.


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## cckw (Jul 15, 2010)

Looks like several of you went to that e-bay seller and bought. It appears that he ended the listing and relisted for $18. Still a good deal if you need it though.


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## Jbrew (Jul 17, 2010)

adam83 said:


> I just picked one up 2 days ago at a weis grocery store. I spied two hanging on the peg at the very bottom of the battery display. Flipped the package over and sure enough it was a CEF23DX4N with car plug for $25.
> 
> Try looking in places that sell these kind of things but have a very low volume of battery sales, you just may find a diamond in the rough. Im sure they have been hanging there for years since the included LSD batts (durabrids) only had 75% charge remaining.


 

Thanks for the tip found one today at my local Weis.


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## alins (Jul 21, 2010)

Received mine two days ago. Has been sitting in front of an open window since then to get the unusually strong smell out!


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## bowlingblogger (Jul 22, 2010)

Hello everyone, I have been lurking on this forum for a few days because I desperately wanted to get my hands on a CEF23 and couldn't find one anywhere in town except Officemax (which offered the DX4N model for 34.99--above my price range). This thread gave me the idea to go to Toys R Us (which I never would have even thought of otherwise) and I found the DX2 model for 12.98 on clearance! Thank you all for giving me the idea. They had two left, so I bought them both. I'd be willing to sell the other one to someone here if anyone wants it (sorry, can't post in the Marketplace forums yet). Feel free to PM me.

That business about the smell is no joke...I took a big sniff when the charger was right out of the package and almost fell over. Seems to be almost gone a day later, though.


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## Gundoggy (Jul 23, 2010)

For all Canadian CPF members, Best Buy still has them on sale for $19.99 in some locations...CEF23DX4N.

I found one and was going to buy it regular price at $39.99CAD but near the tills they had them listed for sale so I bought 2. Saved me lots of money as I considering the Panasonic smart charger before I found the duracell.


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## BRO (Jul 24, 2010)

Excuse my ignorance but why is this particular ( CEF23DX4N) charger so desirable?


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## Quension (Jul 24, 2010)

The Duracell CEF23 is a simple, smart, and versatile mobile charger that's available for reasonable prices. That's pretty much the summary right there.

It has 4 bays capable of accepting AA or AAA batteries; each bay is independent, charging terminates properly, and it has temperature monitoring for safety purposes. Charge current is 550mA, so LSD NiMH batteries charge in about an hour for AAA and 4 hours for AA. It has an internal power supply and a closing bay cover, which makes it easily portable. It also has a 12V input jack for charging while in your car.

On top of that, it also has a USB port for charging devices like phones and music players. In an emergency, it can charge a USB device with power taken from batteries in the bays (instead of plugging it into the wall or a car), whether those batteries are rechargeable or some alkalines you scrounged from somewhere.

It has a single button for switching between USB and battery charging, indicator lights for the charging state of each bay and USB/battery mode, and a replaceable AC plug for travel purposes.

The two models available, CEF23DX2 and CEF23DX4N, only differ in accessories. Both come with two AAs, while the DX4N also comes with two AAAs and a car power cord.


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## BRO (Jul 24, 2010)

Hey thanks for the information Quension. Now I understand .


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## davidt1 (Sep 1, 2010)

Is this the same charger?

http://www.shnoop.com/


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## bowlingblogger (Sep 1, 2010)

Wow, that looks like the CEF23DX4N, only in slightly different packaging. All the specs match up. 14.99 is an awesome price. Nice find, davidt1!

What I don't get is that although there are obviously four batteries included, it says the car adapter is not included. This would be the only difference from the CEF23DX4N. I also think they cut and pasted some of "NLee the Engineer's" review for this on Amazon...shady.


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## Quension (Sep 1, 2010)

Yeah the packaging is odd for that. The picture looks like 4xAA, but the DX4N came with 2xAA and 2xAAA. And what is "ActiveCharge"? Is that the same as "Pre-Charged" outside the US?

Otherwise this might not be an LSD pack...


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## PartEleven (Sep 2, 2010)

Yes, "Active Charge" is the branding name Duracell uses for their Pre-charged batteries in Australia. I bought a few white-top duraloops from the grey market a few months ago that were intended for sale in Australia and were branded this way.


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## Quension (Sep 2, 2010)

Okay, that makes more sense. Good find :thumbsup:


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## Ray_of_Light (Sep 4, 2010)

I have been able to buy two CEF-23 chargers at two different local supermarkets.
One had italian two-prongs plug, the other had the full multi-european setup.
Paid 22 Euros each.
One had four Duracell LSD AA not labeled as such (but I am 100% positive they are LSD) while the other had four proper LSD; both sets are Made in China.
From various indicators, it is possible to deduct that the two chargers are 2006 and 2007 stock, respectively.
Batteries were about 70% SOC evenly.
Maybe some distributor has dumped all old stock at lower price. This sudden availability of the CEF-23 at general stores was unexpected, but welcome.

Regards

Anthony

EDIT and OT: Duracell has dumped the "Active Charge" marking in Europe since this year. All Duraloops (still made in Japan) are now labeled "Pre Charged". Price has also increased from 12 to 14 Euro for four AAs.


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## Mr Happy (Sep 6, 2010)

I just found a CEF23 on clearance in my local Toys'R'Us for $13. They must refresh their stock a bit because when I last looked some months ago they had none. It had a faint and slightly funky smell of new plastic but nothing as off-putting as others have described.

My CEF23 came with a pair of white top AA Duraloops dated June 2007. On discharge they both came in at exactly 1330 mAh.

Curiously, this Toys'R'Us also had a bunch of CEF21 Power Gauge chargers on the rack at full retail price.

Incidentally, it appears you can still buy the CEF23 direct from Duracell. Just click on the Buy Now link and you will find the Mobile Charger in the package with 2AA and 2AAA listed as one of the items available under chargers. Sadly, no DC power cord included that I could see. (I didn't get a 12 V cord either in my Toys'R'Us package.)


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## Navin_R_Johnson (Sep 11, 2010)

davidt1 said:


> Is this the same charger?
> 
> http://www.shnoop.com/




I ordered this one thinking it would be a good deal. What I got was an Austrailian version with two extra adapters that don't go with it. There is no way to use this charger as delivered in the US. You could probaly find some kind of adapter for going from the slanted Austrailian plugs to the US plug. You could use either a wall wart or a 12V car adapter. I'm probably going to invent some kind of DIY project and attach a US cable to it. If you have a broken one, you could move over the plug to this one. The connections are the same as the one I have that was made for the US, just a different adapter piece. 

The batteries were black top made in China. 

Just thought this was worth mentioning if others see this deal again on Shnoop.


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## davidt1 (Sep 11, 2010)

Navin_R_Johnson said:


> I ordered this one thinking it would be a good deal. What I got was an Austrailian version with two extra adapters that don't go with it. There is no way to use this charger as delivered in the US. You could probaly find some kind of adapter for going from the slanted Austrailian plugs to the US plug. You could use either a wall wart or a 12V car adapter. I'm probably going to invent some kind of DIY project and attach a US cable to it. If you have a broken one, you could move over the plug to this one. The connections are the same as the one I have that was made for the US, just a different adapter piece.
> 
> The batteries were black top made in China.
> 
> Just thought this was worth mentioning if others see this deal again on Shnoop.



Thanks for the information. It's a good thing I didn't buy one.


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## Dave_H (Sep 12, 2010)

Quick update for Canada, a surplus chain is clearing the
Mobile charger for $20CDN. Also, the Value charger is going
for the same money. Details are on CPF Marketplace under
Canada Good Deals thread.

Dave


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## Navin_R_Johnson (Sep 12, 2010)

davidt1 said:


> Thanks for the information. It's a good thing I didn't buy one.



I guess I have to correct myself. One of the adapters Shnoop included does work. It sure doesn't look like it goes, but you can force it on. Still not what I was expecting, but it does seem to work.


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## LitFuse (Sep 12, 2010)

Yes, they work with the included adapters. Not pretty, but functional...

I have four of these that I'd be willing to sell for cost + shipping (worldwide). Send a PM if interested.

Peter


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## jester64 (Sep 13, 2010)

I would be interested in all 4. 
I travel a lot, and funky adapters work fine for me...
Thanks
 

Tried to PM but would't let me thanks..


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## LitFuse (Sep 13, 2010)

jester64- sent you an email.

Peter


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## jhellwig (Sep 13, 2010)

My local grocery store also has them and replenishes the stock.


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## Exit32 (Sep 13, 2010)

I also bought a CEF23 charger from Shnoop and was disappointed with the adapters that were included. Ya, one of the adapters works to convert the Australian plug to a North American plug, but it's clumsy at best.

I did some research online and discovered that Duracell (supposedly) offers an optional interchangeable plug kit for their CEF23 Mobile Charger. It's mentioned twice in the CEF23 infosheet here:

http://www.professional.duracell.com/product_data/datasheets/Specialities/06058m1_CEF23EU(CEF23).pdf

I called Duracell this morning to find out how I could obtain an interchangeable plug kit for my CEF23, but they didn't know. The customer support rep I spoke with volunteered to do more research and promised to get back to me. I will post updates here.


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## Kestrel (Sep 13, 2010)

Exit32 said:


> I called Duracell this morning to find out how I could obtain an interchangeable plug kit for my CEF23, but they didn't know. The customer support rep I spoke with volunteered to do more research and promised to get back to me. I will post updates here.


Thanks on this, much appreciated. I just picked up one of these for a friend, and now I'm not sure about what to do about it...


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## Mr Happy (Sep 13, 2010)

Exit32 said:


> I called Duracell this morning to find out how I could obtain an interchangeable plug kit for my CEF23, but they didn't know. The customer support rep I spoke with volunteered to do more research and promised to get back to me. I will post updates here.


I also am interested in the interchangeable plug kit and was going to call Duracell myself. It is a really neat design solution and it would be a shame if it has not been executed through to delivery. I look forward to learning what you find out.

I had previously assumed that the Schnoop charger came with a kit of the proper Duracell adapters. I understand from the comments here that this is not the case?


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## jester64 (Sep 13, 2010)

No the adapters, work, they are just very clunky. Basically the unit all most falls out of the wall plug. 
You have to use a extension cord to feel safe. I did use it in the wall plug, but it would sort of hang at about a 45 degree angle.... with about a 1/4 of the prongs not sticking into the wall outlet.


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## Exit32 (Sep 13, 2010)

Mr Happy said:


> I had previously assumed that the Schnoop charger came with a kit of the proper Duracell adapters. I understand from the comments here that this is not the case?



The CEF23 charger I purchased from Shnoop came with two cheap generic adapters (one for North America, the other for Europe) rather than proper Duracell adapaters. Very disappointing.

My charger functions with the cheap generic North American adapter, but when I plug it into an AC receptacle, the charger protrudes from the wall about two inches. And the weight of the charger -- loaded with AA cells -- is enough to cause everything to "sag" as the cheap adapter struggles to stay engaged. Quite pathetic.

I still haven't heard back from Duracell about the availaibilty of their optional interchangeable plug kit, so I wrote a hardcopy letter and snail-mailed it to Duracell headquarters in Connecticut today. I addressed my letter to "Product Manager, CEF23 Mobile Charger" and hope it will find its way to correct person at Duracell.

More news as it happens.


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## Black Rose (Sep 13, 2010)

The CEF23 chargers that I bought locally (Best Buy) only came with the North American power adapter and a car cord (CEF23DX4N).

I like the design of the charger in that the option for universal power adapter plug-ins are there...sadly it seems like they didn't do a good job in implementing the plug-in adapters.


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## Mr Happy (Sep 13, 2010)

Exit32 said:


> My charger functions with the cheap generic North American adapter, but when I plug it into an AC receptacle, the charger protrudes from the wall about two inches. And the weight of the charger -- loaded with AA cells -- is enough to cause everything to "sag" as the cheap adapter struggles to stay engaged. Quite pathetic.


I happened to have a suitable 12 V DC adapter from another charger that plugs neatly into the CEF23, so I have been testing mine using that power supply. It has the added advantage that I can have the CEF23 sitting flat on a desk instead of fixed to a wall somewhere...


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## Lynx_Arc (Sep 13, 2010)

Mr Happy said:


> I happened to have a suitable 12 V DC adapter from another charger that plugs neatly into the CEF23, so I have been testing mine using that power supply. It has the added advantage that I can have the CEF23 sitting flat on a desk instead of fixed to a wall somewhere...



I have been doing that also, a 500ma+ 12vdc wall wart with a long shaft on the plug works great, makes it easy to unplug if needed, you can even remove the 120vac flip plug but it sits flat enough with it still on there folded down.


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## fishinfool (Sep 13, 2010)

Lynx_Arc said:


> I have been doing that also, a 500ma+ 12vdc wall wart with a long shaft on the plug works great, makes it easy to unplug if needed, you can even remove the 120vac flip plug but it sits flat enough with it still on there folded down.


 
Aloha Lynx! I have found several wall warts to use with my cef23 but none of them are 500ma. The closest one is 300ma with several that are 100ma and 200ma. Does using a 300ma wall wart just mean that charging will take a little longer? Does it really matter? Thanks.


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## Lynx_Arc (Sep 13, 2010)

fishinfool said:


> Aloha Lynx! I have found several wall warts to use with my cef23 but none of them are 500ma. The closest one is 300ma with several that are 100ma and 200ma. Does using a 300ma wall wart just mean that charging will take a little longer? Does it really matter? Thanks.


Aloha!
I wouldn't recommend using a smaller wallwart. It could work fine on 2-3 batteries but overheat and cause problems on 4 batteries maybe even catch fire while you are not watching it (small chance). Take a trip to a thrift store or a flea market 12vdc walwarts at or greater than 500ma are pretty easy to find, take a ruler or measuring tape along to make sure and get one with a long enough plug. I found a 12vdc power cable for mine at a thrift store and have over a dozen different wallwarts I have collected over the years so I don't get stuck paying $20 for one when I buy something without one.


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## fishinfool (Sep 14, 2010)

Lynx_Arc said:


> Aloha!
> I wouldn't recommend using a smaller wallwart. It could work fine on 2-3 batteries but overheat and cause problems on 4 batteries maybe even catch fire while you are not watching it (small chance). Take a trip to a thrift store or a flea market 12vdc walwarts at or greater than 500ma are pretty easy to find, take a ruler or measuring tape along to make sure and get one with a long enough plug. I found a 12vdc power cable for mine at a thrift store and have over a dozen different wallwarts I have collected over the years so I don't get stuck paying $20 for one when I buy something without one.


 
Thanks Lynx! I guess I'll be wall wart hunting all this week.


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## Lynx_Arc (Sep 14, 2010)

fishinfool said:


> Thanks Lynx! I guess I'll be wall wart hunting all this week.



try garage sales too, sometimes people will toss a bunch of walwarts in a box after the stuff has been broken or died on them they still have them. I got one from a spotlight that the battery gave up on me, wasn't worth the $15 to replace the battery when I can buy a new light for $15 with a battery in it.


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## fishinfool (Sep 14, 2010)

Lynx_Arc said:


> try garage sales too, sometimes people will toss a bunch of walwarts in a box after the stuff has been broken or died on them they still have them. I got one from a spotlight that the battery gave up on me, wasn't worth the $15 to replace the battery when I can buy a new light for $15 with a battery in it.


 
Good idea. Lots of garage sales around here on weekends.


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## sparky2 (May 12, 2011)

I just bought a Duracell Mobile Charger With 2AA And 2AAA Pre Charged Rechargeable Nimh Batteries. It was called a "CEF23DX4N." I purchased through Amazon, but it was shipped through A&R Trading. The price was $22.90 plus $4.99 shipping. So, they are still available here in May 2011, but I cannot find a manual. I have come across some links to .PDF manuals at Duracell Professional, but none seem to work.


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## Marc999 (May 13, 2011)

Hi Sparky2,

Perhaps this will help. Place batteries in charger, then plug into wall socket. You're looking at a little under 4 hours for a full charge, if battery [i.e. eneloop] is empty. 
The top slot [number 4] can get hot and has melted wrappers for at least one CPF member, so keep that in mind. I don't bother using top slot.
I also removed the cover to help with heat dissipation. Just rubber band the cover back on, when charger not in use.

Specs courtesy of NLee the Engineer and others on Amazon review/comments)
In battery charger mode:
- powered by 100-240V universal AC input or 12V DC input (car adapter cable not included). [*depending on model] Note: cannot be powered by USB in charger mode
- 4 independent channels charge 1 to 4 AA/AAA NiMH cells in any combination (not just pairs), low-self-discharge (LSD, like Eneloop) or "regular" non-LSD cells
- smart charge at *550mA *per cell until full, then trickle charge at 25mA, with thermal protection
- individual battery status indicator light (RED = charging, GREEN = fully charged)

In USB power source/charger mode:
- powered by 100-240V universal AC input or 12V DC input, or (4) AA or AAA cells (NiMH/alkaline/etc) in the battery compartment
- outputs 5V at the USB socket to power and charger MP3 player, cell phone, etc

USB mode could be useful for you if you're camping for example and need to charge your Ipod. How long it would take depends on your Ipod model. I haven't had a need for it, but it's there.

Marc
P.S. It seems the .pdf has been removed from duracell website. I couldn't find it either but the above should be sufficient to get you going.


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## ecrbattery (May 13, 2011)

This charger is pretty simple to use:

-Insert battery in the charger. Positive terminal goes toward the side LED lights.
-Flip out the rear plug and insert charger in the wall OR plug in the 12V the car connector on the side
-The four LED on the side indicate charge status:
RED = charging
GREEN= charge completed
-The two bright BLUE LED on the bottom show the mode. BATTERY or USB. When plug into a wall or car adapter, the button between the BLUE LED change the mode from charging battery or charging usb port. 
If the charger is not plug in AND there is 4 batteries in the charger, you can hit the mode button to activate the USB charging port. The USB LED light will activate and the USB port will be powered by the 4 batteries.

Here is a photo of the charger charging Kodak AA:






New and good batteries will barely get warm even with the cover on. However, this charger does have a pretty high tolerance for older batteries with high internal resistance. This is why some battery will get very hot in the charger. This may or may not be a good thing depending how you use battery. If the battery get really hot, you should probably be recycling them.


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## CountryBoy19 (May 13, 2011)

sparky2 said:


> I just bought a Duracell Mobile Charger With 2AA And 2AAA Pre Charged Rechargeable Nimh Batteries. It was called a "CEF23DX4N." I purchased through Amazon, but it was shipped through A&R Trading. The price was $22.90 plus $4.99 shipping. So, they are still available here in May 2011, but I cannot find a manual. I have come across some links to .PDF manuals at Duracell Professional, but none seem to work.


 I just noticed it earlier too. I was wondering if that was the right version. Alas, cpf to the rescue, it does appear to be the correct version. I ordered 3 of them. One for my wife to carry in her purse for charging her phone. And 2 of them just to have because, well, I like to have things just in case. I really like the separate charging bays vs my eneloop charger that will only charge in pairs.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 13, 2011)

CountryBoy19 said:


> I just noticed it earlier too. I was wondering if that was the right version. Alas, cpf to the rescue, it does appear to be the correct version. I ordered 3 of them. One for my wife to carry in her purse for charging her phone. And 2 of them just to have because, well, I like to have things just in case. I really like the separate charging bays vs my eneloop charger that will only charge in pairs.


 
Don't expect it to be a hot rod USB charger, the output I believe is only something like 300ma. I removed the lid on mine and use a 12vdc wallwart instead of the AC plug on the back so it sits more flat on a table. I also put a little dab of poster putty over the blue LED at the bottom to dim it so it wasn't a nightlight in my room. If you are only going to charge two cells I sometimes stagger them so there is space between them. I picked up a few 12dc car adapters to fit it too, if you use a 12vdc adapter on it make sure it has a long enough plug as shorter length plugs will pop out of the socket on the side easily. Some people have modified the case around the socket to accomodate them but I just found adapters with longer plugs instead.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 13, 2011)

Just ordered one of these on ebay, it comes with 4x 2000mah AA battery`s but no car adaptor , *do the ones that dont come with the card adaptor still have the 12volt socket?* as i have a few car adaptor cable lying about.

Thanks.

John.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 13, 2011)

TinderBox (UK) said:


> Just ordered one of these on ebay, it comes with 4x 2000mah AA battery`s but no car adaptor , *do the ones that dont come with the card adaptor still have the 12volt socket?* as i have a few car adaptor cable lying about.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> John.


 
yes, the ones without the car adapter are identical. The model numbers are related to the extras that come with it (2 vs 4 batteries, car adapter) not the charger itself. The current draw is low enough that any 12v car adapter with proper plug/polarity should work fine as it draws only ~500ma. Center pin is +.
EDIT: there is different models for different countries but my guess is that is related to the power plug (AC) on the back. On my US model it is spring loaded and removable so if they follow the same design they could just include a different plug on non US models using the identical design as the specs on mine says 100-240vac 50/60 hz


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## Mr Happy (May 13, 2011)

Lynx_Arc said:


> On my US model it is spring loaded and removable so if they follow the same design they could just include a different plug on non US models using the identical design as the specs on mine says 100-240vac 50/60 hz


It is a real shame Duracell never produced an international adapter pack for this charger. It would be really handy to have a selection of various plugs to go with the charger.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 14, 2011)

Thanks guy`s for the response.

I think i will use a 12volt mains wall wart to power my cef23 using the car adaptor socket, as the built in mains power plug looks like it will be a bit awkward to use.

John.



Lynx_Arc said:


> yes, the ones without the car adapter are identical. The model numbers are related to the extras that come with it (2 vs 4 batteries, car adapter) not the charger itself. The current draw is low enough that any 12v car adapter with proper plug/polarity should work fine as it draws only ~500ma. Center pin is +.
> EDIT: there is different models for different countries but my guess is that is related to the power plug (AC) on the back. On my US model it is spring loaded and removable so if they follow the same design they could just include a different plug on non US models using the identical design as the specs on mine says 100-240vac 50/60 hz


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## RepProdigious (May 14, 2011)

Mr Happy said:


> It is a real shame Duracell never produced an international adapter pack for this charger. It would be really handy to have a selection of various plugs to go with the charger.


 
It may not be the pretties mod i've ever done but it is a very very handy one:





Now i don't have to carry that stupid plug with me everywhere i go (lets face it, when you want to carry this charger with you in a bag the plug has to be removed or it will be poking you and everything in your bag like crazy), i can now just use the cord for my laptop that's in my bag most of the time anyways. Also fixes the international adapter pack issue!


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 14, 2011)

How did you manage to fit an AC/DC converter inside, I cannot see from the photo, but if you want to clean up the socket area, if you get some two part epoxy resin and mix in a "little" black ball point pen ink, mask off the area and it will look great.


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## RepProdigious (May 14, 2011)

All these chargers already have the AC/DC stuff built in (it has no wall-adapter or whatever, it takes 100-240V ~ 50/60HZ) and its already put together with black epoxy to make it all nice and strong..... i just didn't want to put the time into the thing to make the back all nice and pretty, maybe ill do this one day if i feel like it but for now its just great as it is!!


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## RepProdigious (May 14, 2011)

Needed to charge two loopies so here's a shot on my little modded charger in action:






Sorry bout the bad lighting, we currently have those tiny little evil clouds shooting past so the ever-changing lighting is wreaking havoc on my camera.....


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## Mr Happy (May 14, 2011)

RepProdigious said:


> It may not be the pretties mod i've ever done but it is a very very handy one: ...


That external power cord is why I really like my Duracell CEF21 chargers:


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 14, 2011)

I bought four Duracell CEF21 chargers only £5 each , but i don't like the fake battery level indicators  , but it charges great


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## RepProdigious (May 14, 2011)

Yeah, but unfortunately ive never seen the CEF21 on the shelves here.... My little CEF23 i can get brand sparkling new locally for about 15 euros including some four nice AA LSD cells.... not bad even if i have to mod it a bit before its perfect for me


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## CountryBoy19 (May 16, 2011)

Lynx_Arc said:


> Don't expect it to be a hot rod USB charger, the output I believe is only something like 300ma.


 Thanks for the advice, but I think I'll take my chances. Not looking for a hotrod, just something to charge my wife's Droid.

Quoted from one of the more helpful amazon reviews


> Just in case anyone is still interested in this charger: I recently found out that its USB port is capable of supplying 1000mA output current - even though the spec says 500mA only. I discovered this by accident when using it as a portable recharger for my Archos 5 500 GB Internet Tablet.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 16, 2011)

CountryBoy19 said:


> Thanks for the advice, but I think I'll take my chances. Not looking for a hotrod, just something to charge my wife's Droid.
> 
> Quoted from one of the more helpful amazon reviews


I wonder if that output was from battery power or AC power. It is possible the USB circuit just taps off the 12vdc line using a linear regulater which would limit it to ~500ma while off battery the limit would be more defined by the how much power the regulator is designed to handle than the input power limits as nimh can dish out a lot more even regulated down to 5vdc


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## sparky2 (May 17, 2011)

I have been out of touch for a few days. I could read, but it is a bit difficult to type using my cell phone’s “keyboard.” 

Your instructions were very helpful. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond. What a great forum!


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## CountryBoy19 (May 17, 2011)

Lynx_Arc said:


> I wonder if that output was from battery power or AC power. It is possible the USB circuit just taps off the 12vdc line using a linear regulater which would limit it to ~500ma while off battery the limit would be more defined by the how much power the regulator is designed to handle than the input power limits as nimh can dish out a lot more even regulated down to 5vdc


 I'm not sure... I don't really know much about the charger, just that it came highly recommended. As long as it will charge her Droid I'll be more than happy with it.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 19, 2011)

Just got my CEF23 , a few of things i have noticed as it`s doing it`s first charge.

1: It does make a ticking noise, about once a second, is this pulse charging?

2: The clip that is supposed to keep the charger lid shut is very poor.

3: It would have been nice, if when you remove the, clip on ac plug, the charger was able to sit flat so you can use the 12volt socket, I am going to have to make some feet for the back of the charger.


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## RepProdigious (May 19, 2011)

1) Mine doesn't make any sound whatsoever.
2) Clip? Mine doesnt have a clip, just a little bump on the lid that fall in a notch on the charger body so if you mean that then yes, its bad.
3) I was also annoyed by that so when i modded my charger to take the two-prong cord i completely removed everything from the back so it now sits perfectly flat as you can see in post 67. However, if you choose to flatten the back like i did do not put it flat on a surface when charging cells because it won't be able to cool enough.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 19, 2011)

TinderBox (UK) said:


> Just got my CEF23 , a few of things i have noticed as it`s doing it`s first charge.
> 
> 1: It does make a ticking noise, about once a second, is this pulse charging?
> 
> ...


 
I had a ticking noise once... found out it was coming from a battery that was venting. once I figured out which battery was doing it and pulled it out of service the ticking stopped for good.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 19, 2011)

I just felt the battery`s that came with the charger 2000mah , they felt hot, so i used in infra-red thermometer and it`s says they are at 55-58c , oh two have just finished.


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## RepProdigious (May 19, 2011)

Thats a bit on the warm side for brand new cells being charged at only 550mA.... I charge my cells at 1800mA from time to time when im in a hurry and that does get em a bit warm but 500ish shouldn't do that. How old are the cells you received with the charger? It should be stamped on the cells somewhere.


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## CountryBoy19 (May 19, 2011)

CountryBoy19 said:


> I'm not sure... I don't really know much about the charger, just that it came highly recommended. As long as it will charge her Droid I'll be more than happy with it.


 Received my chargers yesterday. I just had to try it out so I dropped for Eneloops into it and plugged my wife's droid in. It charged it just fine! I'm happy with my purchase.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 19, 2011)

The only stamp i can find on the cells is "8F 18" and they are 2000mah ActiveCharge cells, I will have to try some Eneloops and see what temp i get them.



RepProdigious said:


> Thats a bit on the warm side for brand new cells being charged at only 550mA.... I charge my cells at 1800mA from time to time when im in a hurry and that does get em a bit warm but 500ish shouldn't do that. *How old are the cells you received with the charger? It should be stamped on the cells somewhere*.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 19, 2011)

I just tried to charge my cell phone from the usb port with four eneloops , the blue light came on and the phone said it was charging, but after five minutes the blue light when out and there was a really bad chemical smell, and now the usb charge function no longer works, I have used this usb to microusb to charge my cell phone hundreds of times.

what has happened?


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## RepProdigious (May 19, 2011)

How is the voltage on all the cells? If those are still ok my guess is that you had a bad charger or something...... if it doesn't work anymore i would return it to the store.


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## CountryBoy19 (May 19, 2011)

RepProdigious said:


> How is the voltage on all the cells? If those are still ok my guess is that you had a bad charger or something...... if it doesn't work anymore i would return it to the store.


 This ^^^ If the cells are ok it sounds like the magic smoke escaped from something inside the charger and it will need repaired/returned.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 19, 2011)

I have contacted Duracell and the seller i bought it from, just waiting for Duracell to get back to me , I have had not access to CPF for over an hour, has the site been down?


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## RepProdigious (May 19, 2011)

TinderBox (UK) said:


> I have contacted Duracell and the seller i bought it from, just waiting for Duracell to get back to me , I have had not access to CPF for over an hour, has the site been down?


 
Its up to the seller to deal with warranty issues.

An CPF hasn't been down, just sucking again badly for the past hours.


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## TinderBox (UK) (May 23, 2011)

Duracell are going to send me out vouchers £20, but i can only use them to buy Duracell products, I originally paid £14.99 online, but i can only find it at my local Argos Store for £26.99 , so they are going to send me out vouchers for £27 after i argued with them for a while.

EDIT : They told me just to dump the charger, so i am up 4 x 2000mah battery's.

Good work Duracell


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## Cypher_Aod (May 24, 2011)

Can I just confirm whether the CEF23-UK chargers here in the uk are the same as the nice ones described earlier in the thread? Independant bays, good DV/DT termination etc?

Like this one:
http://www.duracelldirect.co.uk/pno/cef23-uk.html?CAWELAID=761530994


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## RepProdigious (May 24, 2011)

As far as i know; All same. Differences are in cells/carcharger/wallplug type and other stuff that come with it.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 24, 2011)

Cypher_Aod said:


> Can I just confirm whether the CEF23-UK chargers here in the uk are the same as the nice ones described earlier in the thread? Independant bays, good DV/DT termination etc?
> 
> Like this one:
> http://www.duracelldirect.co.uk/pno/cef23-uk.html?CAWELAID=761530994


They should have the same internals. Anything after CEF23 is as far as I can tell unrelated to the charger design it only specifies the power plug for what countries and the accessories included. Both my chargers say CEF23 on the back with nothing after it no DX2 or DX4 but then it is an american one.


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## Cypher_Aod (May 25, 2011)

Outstanding. thanks very much RepProdigious and Lynx_Arc


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## Hondo (May 25, 2011)

TinderBox (UK) said:


> I bought four Duracell CEF21 chargers only £5 each , but i don't like the fake battery level indicators  , but it charges great


 
Well, they are not _totally_ fake, they do help me to tell how long the batteries have been on. They come on at almost exactly 2 hour intervals. If they called them a timing device, we would not have anything to complain about.



TinderBox (UK) said:


> 1: It does make a ticking noise, about once a second, is this pulse charging?


 

Mine has always had slow rhythmic ticking like that too, but you have to be in a very silent room and have good hearing to pick it up. I suspect that some who are not hearing it might not have ideal enough conditions, I don't usually notice it, but it is always there on mine. I'm not sure it is so much pulse charging, but maybe the interval that the machine stops momentarily and checks the battery status toward termination - just a guess.


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## RepProdigious (May 25, 2011)

Well, i put some random cells in my charger (old, new, high an low capacity) and put it to my ear...... and ill be damned, not only does it tick (its a double tick on mine, like a heartbeat) but it also beeps just before it ticks and it has a hum that changes from time to time in pitch. Quite funny, like a little orchestra! It's not very loud tho.... And while im writing this one of the four cells i put in there is giving an error code  Blinking red light, i guess that's bad right? Must be, its one of the old cells that's giving the error....


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## Hondo (May 25, 2011)

Yup, actually a double-tick sound. Now you are hearing more than me, I never noticed the little beep.

How about this, though. If I remember correctly, the tick is louder when there are more cells in the charger!

I had also meant to mention for sparky2 that there is a blinking error code. It will error on high internal resistance or voltage out of the expected range. Mine seems to be almost as sensitive to high internal resistance cells as my C9000, same with the CEF21. Only my LaCrosse BC700 will charge and terminate on old junk cells.


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## RepProdigious (May 26, 2011)

Well, when mine refuses to charge old cells i just pull em a couple of times and re-insert them and after 3 or 4 tries itll charge em just fine.

But the error-code does indeed work pretty good. Not only for high-resistance cells and voltage errors but also when cells get too hot. Pretty neat little machine, thats why i always recommend it to friends an family (of the simple kind that don't want or need a bc-900)


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## Hondo (May 27, 2011)

I think if a cell has self-discharged to too low of a voltage, it will error, but can be "pumped up" to an acceptable voltage by repeated insertions like you describe, I've gotten that to work a lot too. But if a cell is getting an error on high internal resistance, my guess is that it will almost never take it.

Yes, it is a shame that they finally had a few good consumer chargers in brick and mortar stores, and in a relatively short time they are all gone again. A friend is finally considering rechargables after blowing two alkalines in good lights, a Fenix and an LF2XT, despite my most animate warnings. I had to point out that the only way to get a good charger for them is to order it over the net. But then they will probably be doing that to get Eneloops anyway.


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## sparky2 (May 27, 2011)

Hondo said:


> I had also meant to mention for sparky2 that there is a blinking error code. It will error on high internal resistance or voltage out of the expected range. Mine seems to be almost as sensitive to high internal resistance cells as my C9000, same with the CEF21. Only my LaCrosse BC700 will charge and terminate on old junk cells.


 
Thanks.


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## TakeTheActive (May 29, 2011)

Hondo said:


> ...
> I had also meant to mention for sparky2 that there is a blinking error code. *It will error on high internal resistance or voltage out of the expected range. Mine seems to be almost as sensitive to high internal resistance cells as my C9000, same with the CEF21.* Only my LaCrosse BC700 will charge and terminate on old junk cells.


IME, my C9000 will reject cells (i.e. Display "HIGH") with an ICV GT ~2.10VDC, while my CEF23 will reject cells with an ICV GT ~2.50VDC.

In both cases, if the ICV is '_close_' to the '_cutoff_', warming the cells (in your hand, or in another charger) will allow the C9000, or CEF23, to charge the cells.


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## hazna (Jun 11, 2011)

My duracell CEF23 charger failed the other day  Doesn't seem to work anymore


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## Lynx_Arc (Jun 11, 2011)

hazna said:


> My duracell CEF23 charger failed the other day  Doesn't seem to work anymore


 
do you have a 12vdc wall adapter you can plug into it and see if it is only the AC circuit?


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## RepProdigious (Jun 25, 2011)

Walked into my tiny little local supermarket yesterday and to my surprise they had a display on the counter with quite a few CEF23 chargers in what appeared to be brand new packaging..... Are these back into production or something?


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## Marc999 (Jun 25, 2011)

RepProdigious said:


> Walked into my tiny little local supermarket yesterday and to my surprise they had a display on the counter with quite a few CEF23 chargers in what appeared to be brand new packaging..... Are these back into production or something?


 
Yup, you're not alone. In Canada, they seem to be all over the place again. I've seen them in Canadian Tire, Walmart and Shopper's Drug Mart. The prices are not great though @ $35 - $42.


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## TinderBox (UK) (Jun 25, 2011)

I received my vouchers from Duracell for the faulty CEF23 , I got £27 worth even though i only paid £16 for it, as i told them my local store Argos had it for sale at £26.99 , the one with the car charger cable and the 2xAA 2xAAA , better than the one that went faulty.

So my local Argos did not have any in stock, but they could order it in , 3 days , So i asked my aunty to go and collect it, she returned without the charger saying Argos would not accept the vouchers.

So i had the vouchers for a month or so , but they expire after 3 months , so i was going to go to my local stores myself and see it any would take them, the first one did Asda(Wallmart) , but they did not have the charger i wanted , so i decided to go to Argos myself and see the manager.

So i saw an assistant , and i told her that Duracell had said that they accepted the vouchers , so she went off to see the manger, 15 mins later she came back and said they would accept them , so i gave her the code for the charger, and guess what it was on sale for £14.99 down from £26.99 , so i bought it and a few packs of battery`s with the leftover vouchers


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## jimb757 (Jul 18, 2011)

I just ordered two of these from Amazon. $18 each shipping included. 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B9ZK4M/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Fulfilled by M Z Photo, who I've never heard of. This is the Australia/New Zealand version with slanted prongs on the plug. Doesn't include a DC cord, but it's a fairly common one.

Only 9 left.


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## tslrc (Aug 31, 2011)

Found and bought the last 2 of these in a local Walmart in Southwest Ohio, but 2 other local Walmarts didn't have any. I will check back where I bought them to see if they restock, also a few other Walmarts I pass by. This charger with 4 eneloops charged my Iphone 4 - 75%.


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## Lynx_Arc (Aug 31, 2011)

tslrc said:


> Found and bought the last 2 of these in a local Walmart in Southwest Ohio, but 2 other local Walmarts didn't have any. I will check back where I bought them to see if they restock, also a few other Walmarts I pass by. This charger with 4 eneloops charged my Iphone 4 - 75%.


 
restock? don't count on it as the chargers have been discontinued a long time ago


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## tslrc (Aug 31, 2011)

Lynx_Arc said:


> restock? don't count on it as the chargers have been discontinued a long time ago



A guy can dream, can't he? LOL, was just thinking I hadn't seen them in this particular Walmart for quite a while, then suddenly they appeared. Maybe they were hidden behind a rack of Value Chargers or Energizer's or some other product.


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## Lynx_Arc (Aug 31, 2011)

tslrc said:


> A guy can dream, can't he? LOL, was just thinking I hadn't seen them in this particular Walmart for quite a while, then suddenly they appeared. Maybe they were hidden behind a rack of Value Chargers or Energizer's or some other product.


 
or maybe they got buried in the back of the store or in a bin of ancient returns. Walmart used to take returns without a receipt such that if something had a stock number in their computer they would give you a gift card for the amount.


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## Cypher_Aod (Nov 18, 2011)

I got my CEF23 yesterday and have been testing it in preparation for my trip to South Africa.

The AC-DC power-supply built into the charger is an archaic transformer-based design which gets quite hot. disappointing.
The USB-charge circuitry also seems to get _very_ hot in use, when USB-charging from batteries, it got so hot that it shut off along with a strong chemical smell.

Because the AC-psu is terrible, i have opted to use the charger solely with a 12V DC input, as provided by the power-supply that came with my XTAR WP2 Li-ion charger. This seems to work very well, although the CEF23's casing needed to be modified so the regular-length jack from the PSU would fit properly.

When using the USB-charge feature on the 12V DC input it still gets hot, albeit less so.

As a result i'm only going to use the USB charge feature in emergencies, and will only power the charger from the 12V input.

Otherwise it's good, and its charge termination detection is a damn sight better than my last NiMh charger


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## hazna (Nov 19, 2011)

Cypher_Aod said:


> I got my CEF23 yesterday and have been testing it in preparation for my trip to South Africa.
> 
> The AC-DC power-supply built into the charger is an archaic transformer-based design which gets quite hot. disappointing.
> The USB-charge circuitry also seems to get _very_ hot in use, when USB-charging from batteries, it got so hot that it shut off along with a strong chemical smell.
> ...



having taken this charger with me on my holidays, I have noted some issues. I agree that the USB charge feature, does make the side of the unit quite hot and gives off a chemical smell.


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## Kestrel (Nov 19, 2011)

hazna said:


> [...] and gives off a chemical smell.


mmm ... plasticizers ... yum ...


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## Cypher_Aod (Nov 20, 2011)

Kestrel said:


> mmm ... plasticizers ... yum ...



Smells more like PCB flux-wash and/or capacitor electrolyte to be honest.

Have run another batch of cells through it on the 12v input without any issues 

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk


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## chewy78 (Jan 11, 2012)

i found these at my hartford,wi walmart for $20.00


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## Black Rose (Jan 11, 2012)

They are still available at Best Buy here in Canada.


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## chewy78 (Jan 11, 2012)

I bought one mostly so i could charge my cell phone with the usb port on it. I have the cells that came with it currently being cycled on my c9000. They might be still ok to use.


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## apvm (Feb 9, 2012)

Just bought one at Best Buy Canada for my Recyko and Vivitar 2100 since I am not sure if my old Vanson V1000 is a good charger or not.


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