# New Maha MH-C800S 8 bay charger! Thoughts, anyone have one?



## BentHeadTX (Oct 21, 2006)

Went to thomas distributing and noticed that Maha has a "new" 8 bay conditioner/charger. It is basically the C801D but instead of a default 2,000mA charge, it uses a default 1,000mA charge rate. It is also cheaper at $55 including the carrying case. It can be viewed here: http://www.thomas-distributing.com/maha-mh-c800s-battery-charger.htm

Anyone have one? Soon, I'll have two 8AA to 2D Mag mods and having the ability to charge and condition all the cells at once is appealing to me. I have a MH-401FS 4 bay charger that works fine but the Maha C777 Plus we have at work is a NiMH battery baker.  

I plan on purchasing the C800S in a week or two unless there are serious problems with the charger/discharger. Any insight on this "new" charger would be appreciated.


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## wptski (Oct 21, 2006)

There's a whole thread on it, do a search. Even William Cheuh from MAHA joined in!

Whoops! It was the C808M but similiar!!


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## moldyoldy (Oct 21, 2006)

Hi BentHeadTX, 

I have the Maha 801D and consider it a keeper. I normally use it in the soft charge mode. The charge/discharge/charge function takes a long time - more than 24hrs. I just wish that the power supply was smaller for travel purposes. I suspect that is the main change between the 800SD and the 801D is only the power supply and charge rate. 

Tim


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## Sub_Umbra (Oct 21, 2006)

BentHeadTX said:


> ...It is basically the C801D but instead of a default 2,000mA charge, it uses a default 1,000mA charge rate. It is also cheaper at $55 including the carrying case.


Great idea! The 2A default charge rate was a pet peeve of mine with the M. Does the S still have the 2A option?


BentHeadTX said:


> ...Anyone have one?


No, I've got the M.


BentHeadTX said:


> ... Soon, I'll have two 8AA to 2D Mag mods and having the ability to charge and condition all the cells at once is appealing to me. I have a MH-401FS 4 bay charger that works fine but the Maha C777 Plus we have at work is a NiMH battery baker.
> 
> I plan on purchasing the C800S in a week or two unless there are serious problems with the charger/discharger. Any insight on this "new" charger would be appreciated.


Be advised that you may have to use a 'work around' to fool it into forcing a condition cycle on a set of cells, _as is the case with the 'M'._ The M is a great charger but I found it very frustrating to spend $100 on a charger that didn't even come with a full set of instructions. It took me a couple months of reading CPF threads to find out how to force conditioning with the M -- because Maha didn't feel it was important enough to put into the instructions.

The M is a great charger, though.

Let us know what you think of it and *it's user manual.*


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## BentHeadTX (Oct 22, 2006)

wptski said:


> There's a whole thread on it, do a search. Even William Cheuh from MAHA joined in!
> 
> Whoops! It was the C808M but similiar!!



wptski,
Reread the thread to refresh my mind on the C808M and mix in the C800S into it. Back then, I almost purchased the C801D but was worried about the default 2 amp charge rate. Since the 8 bay charger will be used in "the desert" with or without A/C, I prefer a 1,000mA rate on AA cells so they won't overheat. My LuxV 8AA Mag uses 1700mAH Sanyos so the higher than 1C charge rate might throw the cells out of balance quicker. Have a AA charger sitting in your tent invites other people to use the charger with lower capacity cells and that might lead to overheating problems.
Problem solved with the MH-C800S charger, the highest it charges is 1 amp and has a 500mA "soft" charge which I might use if the tent temps hit 40C. I see my upcoming Quad XR-E Mag mod getting a lot of use if I go back there so the soft trickle at charge termination ensures I don't overcharge the cells if left in the charger all night. It will be using Powerex 2700mAH cells. 
To prevent my charger from being populated with other people's batteries, the MH-401FS will take care of them if I need to get 8 batteries through. Figure I'll condition the eight batteries once a month on the C800S and use the Sanyo 1700's out of the LuxV Mag. The BC900 can test the cells 4 at a time for balance every 3 months. A ZTS tester for quick capacity checking and my worries about battery balance problems should be history. 
I'll order the MH-C800S next week and see what that puppy does and report back.


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## Floating Spots (Oct 22, 2006)

I have not read it yet, but I beleive the previous thread is here:
Maha MH C808M Charger

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Jon


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## Bright Scouter (Oct 23, 2006)

I guess my only problem with it is the fact that I bought the 808 because it was going to be my most universal charger. It has the ability to charge C and D batts also. I don't use any D size, but I do have some C size NiMH batts. So the 800 won't work for me. I guess if you don't ever plan to use anything larger than a AA, this might be a perfect charger. I do like the idea of the lower default rate. I wish the 808 could be switched so the default is the lowest of the two settings. I rarely use the higher rate.


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## N162E (Oct 23, 2006)

BentHeadTX said:


> Went to thomas distributing and noticed that Maha has a "new" 8 bay conditioner/charger. It is basically the C801D but instead of a default 2,000mA charge, it uses a default 1,000mA charge rate. It is also cheaper at $55 including the carrying case. It can be viewed here: http://www.thomas-distributing.com/maha-mh-c800s-battery-charger.htm


I have the 801D and my biggest beef with it is the 2000 ma default rate with softcharge being 1000ma. This S model at 1000/700ma rates looks really good to me. I would like it better if you could choose the default. Other than getting VERY hot at 2000ma and warm at 1000ma I like it. The power supply is pretty big (compared to a wall wart) and has a replaceable ac cord. The charger itself is pretty light and can slide around on a smooth surface, rubber feet from Radio Shack solved this. Unlike the 808 AAs and AAAs are easy to get in and out of this charger.

All things (Other than mah rates) being equal This charger looks really good to me.


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## BentHeadTX (Oct 23, 2006)

It seems that people like the 801 and 808 except for the high charge rate. I have an Accumanager 20 if I ever need to charge C,D and 9V although I don't have C/D NiMH cells anymore. My pain point is to charge those two 8AA to 2D NiMH Mag mod packs all at once and evenly. I'll put a ribbon affixed at one end to the charger so it will be easy to remove the cells. The 800 and 801 series are very tight in that reguard but you have to pay for the smaller size somewere.


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## Sub_Umbra (Oct 23, 2006)

N162E said:


> I have the 801D and my biggest beef with it is the 2000 ma default rate with softcharge being 1000ma...


That's the way I feel about the 808. I've also wished it had a bit of flash memory so it wouldn't go *stateless* and forget what it's doing every time the power blinks out for a second.


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## willchueh (Oct 23, 2006)

The MH-C800S indeed uses a much smaller, travel-friendly power supply. I have included a photo comparing the power supply for MH-C800S and MH-C801D. Both are worldwide swtiching adapters.


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## tebore (Oct 23, 2006)

Man that's tiny compared to the old one. Then again the old one was huge. My laptop charger is smaller than the one for my C808H. Then again a bigger power supply might just mean cleaner power.


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## moldyoldy (Oct 23, 2006)

A picture from the Boss is worth a thousand words! but for those who need numbers, I was told that: 

"The power supply is light and approx. 2 3/4 height 1 7/8 depth and1 5/16 width." and "the 800S charger is 7 3/4 lenght 3 1/4 width 1 1/2 depth.The weight is just a little under one pound inculding the adaptor."

The change in size is enough to make me interested in the 800SD even though I already have an 801D. I especially liked the thread on CPF where some of the charging algorithm was described. The latest charging algorithms are getting quite sophisticated and, from people I know that received some of the chargers from me, are worth the difference!

Tim


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## BigusLightus (Oct 25, 2006)

I bought a MH-C777 perhaps five years ago and it has always been flaky. Several times it got as hot as an oven. It finally croaked today. I don't trust Maha.


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## willchueh (Oct 25, 2006)

BigusLightus,

I have just read your post and regret to hear your experience. Here at Maha, we believe in continuous improvement. MH-C777 was a product designed more than 10 years ago and produced by a contract manufacturer. Since then, we've been listening and making enhancement to our process and people. 

As a fellow ham radio operator myself, I would expect nothing less than above-and-beyond expectations on quality and reliability. 

If there is anything I could do for you, just email me (using the address in my profile).

Regards,

Willam Chueh
Director of Global Strategic Operations 
Maha Energy (North America) Corp. 




BigusLightus said:


> I bought a MH-C777 perhaps five years ago and it has always been flaky. Several times it got as hot as an oven. It finally croaked today. I don't trust Maha.


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## BigusLightus (Oct 25, 2006)

Thank you, willchueh, for your response. Email sent.


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## Phlack (Oct 26, 2006)

newbish question here...what's wrong with the 2000ma charge rate? Is it mainly due to the heat, and thus shortening the lifespan of the batteries?

-Mike


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## BentHeadTX (Oct 26, 2006)

Phlack said:


> newbish question here...what's wrong with the 2000ma charge rate? Is it mainly due to the heat, and thus shortening the lifespan of the batteries?
> 
> -Mike



My problem with the 2 amp charge rate have to do with a toxic cocktail of experience with a Maha C777 Plus, my concern in keeping the batteries balanced with a very long life , the last being were I will use the charger. 

First of all, the C777 Plus... we have one at work and call it "The Battery Baker" as it cooks our NiMH battery packs to a crunchy golden brown. Works well on Lithium-Ion but if you feel like destroying NiMH, that is the last thing I would use. It sits quietly on a shelf gathering dust. 

We recieved a Maha C204F with the C777 and that charger works well although it does not use dedicated channels. Recently, we picked up the MH-401FS dedicated channel charger and it works well. We always wondered why the $100 C777 was so bad and the smaller/cheaper chargers worked so well. Maha did not design the C777... makes sense. 

My recent dealings with the smaller Maha chargers warmed me up to another charger made by them. The 801 is on my banned list since it pushes so much current into the batteries. The C800S will be used in desert conditions at temps up to 40C and the 801 would probably constantly thermal out attempting to charge 8 AA cells that I use in my Mag mods. 

The 800 series with a default charge rate of 1 amp will have a chance at charging my packs. If anyone spots a 8 bay charger in a tent, I'll let them use it to keep their AA/AAA cells running. They might put 1600mAH cells in and they will cook in the heat. Sure, I can tell them to push "soft charge" but that won't happen 100% of the time. 

Maybe I am a bit paranoid but the MH-C800S charger seems to be the one that fits my needs. Mix it with a BC-900 for capacity and balancing analysis, throw in the MH-401FS for basic charging and a ZTS tester for quick testing. If my butt is sitting in a hot tent for 6 months, I want my batteries to have the best love possible to keep them all working and balanced for performance. 

I'm buying my C800S next week and see how it does with my 8 Sanyo 2700's...


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## SilverFox (Oct 26, 2006)

Hello BentHeadTX,

I was just wondering... Have you tried the 2 amp charger and observed that your cells get hot, or are you speculating that because of the 2 amp charge rate, the cells may get hot?

I have observed that at room temperature charging, the cells get up to just under 100 F. My BC-900 get cells hotter than that at a 1 amp charge rate. I have not tried charging at 104 F, perhaps I should stop by for a visit and bring along my charger...  

This new charger sounds great. However I know that with advanced charging and charge termination algorithms, you can charge very fast and still keep the cells cool. My Schulze charger charged some 1200 mAh cells at 5 amps and the cells remained cool.

Tom


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## BigusLightus (Oct 26, 2006)

Thanks to CPF I now know that baking batteries is a bad thing. Wish I had know that when I bought my Maha charger. At the same time I also bought 24 NextCell 1800's or 1900's. I always wondered why they got sooooo hot during recharge. The charger even had a small temp sensor on it. Those first 24 NextCells only lasted a year and I think I now know why.


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## moldyoldy (Oct 28, 2006)

just a quick reinforcement of SilverFox's comments on charge rate vs battery heating. I have or have had enough different chargers to be rather amazed at the differences between chargers and battery heat at the end of the charge cycle. SilverFox cited the Schulze charger as a good example. In my case, the Accumanager 20 keeps even AA or AAA cells relatively cool, yet the charge time may even be faster than a "hotter" charger. 

BTW, I don't have any C or D cells anymore so my impressions on C/D cells are maybe 20-30 yrs obsolete, from the days of the 1.2AH GE sub-C cells stuffed into a D-cell package. At that time very few people could afford a true D-cell. Now I just use the upsizers from AA size.

To my impressions, the charging algorithm is currently (sic) perhaps the most significant difference in chargers. Most chargers have some sort of -dV/dT cutoff with variations in sensitivity and magnitude - not a big deal any more. The greatest design change seems to be in how the cell is charged. Of course, not many manufacturers are going to tell you what their charging algorithm is. One CPF member has scoped the output of a number of chargers and a straight DC output is not the standard any more.

Tim


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## BentHeadTX (Oct 28, 2006)

SilverFox said:


> Hello BentHeadTX,
> 
> I was just wondering... Have you tried the 2 amp charger and observed that your cells get hot, or are you speculating that because of the 2 amp charge rate, the cells may get hot?
> 
> ...



I can imagine you "stopping by". "Hey, Merlin... there is some nut with a battery charger outside the wire looking for you"! What does he look like? "Well, he is covered with flashlights, has a backpack full of batteries and sez his name is SilverFox". He is from CPF, let him in "What does CPF stand for...crazy people fraternity"? 

I'm just a bit paranoid about heat. Some nut will remember during the hottest part of the day that his batteries need to be charged and pop them into the C801 to freshen them up before it starts to get dark. Temps can easily break 120F (49C) so I don't want to be accused of nuking peoples batteries. Maybe I should post a sign "If over 100F (38C), don't charge your batteries" 

The charger I brought with me last time was the Accumanager20 and it worked very well. My family uses it all the time now for their AA/9V battery charging so it stays. Since one of the things are barter with are rechargable batteries (I bring dozens of them) a lot of those cells will be mine so protecting them in hot environments is paramount. If you have renewable power... you have real power 

Good to hear the C801 does so well, the C800S should work even better in the heat. BTW, nobody uses the BC-900 except me as I'll keep it locked up during the day. It will be used at night to do capacity checks to check battery balance in my 8AA Mag mods. During the day it gets locked up in my locking chest.


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## SilverFox (Oct 29, 2006)

Hello BentHeadTX,

 I thought you would appreciate that...  

I think your sign would be a very good thing to remind people that high temperature charging can be hard on their batteries. You also need to keep in mind that the self discharge rate of NiMh batteries goes up with temperature as well.

Tom


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## hank (Oct 29, 2006)

Willchueh -- I'm another ham (N6VSB) and am still using the original Maha C777, on a variety of NiCD and NiMH Yaesu battery packs. It's been reliable. The local hams warned me not to buy the C777+ because of overheating, years ago. I'd appreciate a pointer to any comparison or discussion elsewhere for ham radio chargers generally.


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## TPA (Sep 25, 2007)

I see the 801D & 808C have a 20vDC rail in addition to a 2000mA 18vDC, while the 800S just has a 1000MA 18vDC rail. Does anyone know what the 20vDC rail gets used for in the 801D/808C?

So far I love my 800S, very cool charging and the batteries come off very full, but there's always that nagging question in the back of my mind as to why the charger's less expensive than the 801D. I know the power supplies are different, but not sure that's the only change they've made. Same microprocessor, so in theory it should provide the same "quality" of charging/discharging as it's higher amperage brothers, but not 100% sure.


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## SangYuP (Sep 26, 2007)

I really like my 800s. This is my first smart charger and I am loving it. The only complaint I have (I'm being picky) is that the LCD has a few tiny scratches on it. I thought it would come with a LCD plastic sticker to protect it, but it does not. Can anyone else share whether or not theirs came with a sticker on the LCD? Other than the tiny scratches, it work great and it's highly recommended!


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## TPA (Sep 27, 2007)

There wasn't a sticker on either my C800s nor the C9000. I also thought it was strange to have such a large display (esp the C9000) without any protective sticker nor special plastic over it. No scratches on either one of my chargers' LCDs 'though.


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## ridgerunner (Jan 24, 2008)

*ATTENTION! Always charge and condition AAAs in "Soft" mode!*

Just a heads-up. The MH-C800S treats AAAs _exactly the same as AAs_. No difference. (i.e. The default charge rate is 1000mA). In response to an email inquiry I sent asking for detailed charging specifications for the MH-C800S I received the following info in an email from MAHA:

_"For the MH-C800S:
Fast Charge Current: 1000mA typ.
Soft Charge Current: 500mA typ.
Fast Discharge Current: 250mA typ.
Soft Discharge Current: 125mA typ.
The charger has the same output for AA and AAA. Conditioning charge the same
as regular charge."_

When I sent another email to confirm this (I did not believe that the default charge rate for a 750mAh AAA would be greater than 1C), I received the following response:

_"Yes that is correct. We recommend you to charge the 750mah with the
soft mode (500ma)."_

I really like the MH-C800S so far, but you should probably always: *CHARGE AND CONDITION AAAs IN SOFT MODE!*


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## BentHeadTX (Jan 24, 2008)

I picked up a C9000 charger/analyzer and it works very well. The default is 1000mA and it has temperature controls so no worries about cooking batteries. I did all the idiot stuff like attempting to recharge charged cells and it did not cook them. Charged 800mAH Eneloop AAA cells at 1000mA and they work fine...works great!  

Then I threw in crap cells, the good ol' Energizer 2500mAH junk cells and no missed terminations. Charged 2000mAH Eneloops at 2,000mA with no temperature/termination problems. My BC900 still gets some use as a backup charger if I need more than 4 cells going but only then. 

A C9000 was sent to Iraq a few weeks ago along with eight Eneloop AA and four Eneloop AAA batteries. I'll see how they perform after a few more months when they come back in May.


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## Turbo DV8 (Jan 25, 2008)

*Re: ATTENTION! Always charge and condition AAAs in "Soft" mode!*



ridgerunner said:


> Just a heads-up. The MH-C800S treats AAAs _exactly the same as AAs_. No difference. (i.e. The default charge rate is 1000mA).


 
I own the 808. I never could understand why Maha would choose to allow charging of AAA cells at the charge rate the 808 affords. Even the effective rate for "soft" charging is a bit much for a AAA cell. If they "recommend" using soft mode for AAA, it might behoove them to explicitly state this in their sparse instruction leaflet. Otherwise, love my 808! I just use the BC-900 for AA and AAA.


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## Probedude (Jan 25, 2008)

I've had my 800s for over a year and twice it didn't terminate properly. I believe both times I was using the soft charge setting on AA's. It wasn't the same cell each time.

Thanks for the heads up on using the soft charging on AAA's. I have some single AAA flashlights coming and this is the first time I've ever had the need to get rechargeable AAA's. (going with the eneloops)

Dave


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## ridgerunner (Jan 25, 2008)

I just read the owner's manual (one more time) and I now see that they clearly say that the Rapid Charge Mode (Default) is...

"Suitable for batteries with capacities greater than 800mAh."

I'm new to the world of fast charge NiMH technology. So is charging just a little bit above 1C really that bad? (i.e. 1.25C) And what type of damage might occur: increased self discharge? reduced capacity? reduced number of life cycles?

Maybe its ok to fast charge 800mAh+ AAAs at 1A? :shrug:


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## Mr Happy (Jan 25, 2008)

ridgerunner said:


> I'm new to the world of fast charge NiMH technology. So is charging just a little bit above 1C really that bad? (i.e. 1.25C) And what type of damage might occur: increased self discharge? reduced capacity? reduced number of life cycles?
> 
> Maybe its ok to fast charge 800mAh+ AAAs at 1A?


It really depends on the quality of the individual smarts in the charger, and the quality of the actual cell. When starting from a fully discharged state, most undamaged cells can accept charging rates even up to 4C. The problems come near charge completion when the charge rate must be reduced to prevent overheating, and this requires a level of smarts that is not aways found in consumer level chargers. I don't know specifically about the C800S. A reasonable test is to feel the cells during and near then end of the charge cycle. If they remain cool to the touch, the probability is that no harm is being done.

Old, worn out cells may heat up much more even at lower charging rates, and so you have to charge them more gently.

The damage from overcharging or overheating may include any or all of the things you mention, I believe.


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## Black Rose (Apr 25, 2008)

I bought the C800S so I could charge my AA & AAA cells while my C9000 was doing break-in cycles, capacity tests, etc.

This past Tuesday I charged 4 AA ROV Hybrids on the C800S immediately after doing a 1A discharge voltage test on the C9000.

After the C800S charger indicated that the charge cycle was done, the cells were so hot I could not keep my fingers on them for more than a couple of seconds.

I'll have to remember to use the Soft mode for AAA cells.


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## pctech (Apr 29, 2009)

*Re: ATTENTION! Always charge and condition AAAs in "Soft" mode!*



ridgerunner said:


> Just a heads-up. The MH-C800S treats AAAs _exactly the same as AAs_. No difference. (i.e. The default charge rate is 1000mA). In response to an email inquiry I sent asking for detailed charging specifications for the MH-C800S I received the following info in an email from MAHA:
> 
> _"For the MH-C800S:_
> _Fast Charge Current: 1000mA typ._
> ...


 
Hello everyone..
I received a conflicting email from maha.
I informed them that i know the secret of pressing the soft button first and then hitting the condition button to kick the MH-C800S into soft condition/charge mode.My question to them was, the discharge current and the trickle current.I discharged some energizer 2500's and according to their graph they should take about 10 hours to discharge at 250ma, but they consistantly took exactly 20 hours to finish the discharge cycle, which came to only one conclusion, that the 800S infact discharges at 125ma.I was also wondering if you trick it into soft discharge/charge cycle, if it cuts the trickle from 20ma ( if it's truly even that ) down to 10 ma.

Anyway this is what they said in my email, which is not the same info you received...... i wonder which is right, if anyone knows, including the maha CS reps.

"Thank you for contacting Maha. The discharge rate (regular) is at
500mah and the discharge rate (soft) is at 250mah.

The trickle charge is a constant 10ma for regular and soft mode."

thats the info i received from them, something is not right.I heard the trickle charge in the regular mode is 20ma for all maha chargers and he says 10ma.... anyone know the real deal with these chargers ?


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## CdBoy (May 9, 2009)

Probedude said:


> I've had my 800s for over a year and twice it didn't terminate properly. I believe both times I was using the soft charge setting on AA's. It wasn't the same cell each time.
> 
> Thanks for the heads up on using the soft charging on AAA's. I have some single AAA flashlights coming and this is the first time I've ever had the need to get rechargeable AAA's. (going with the eneloops)
> 
> Dave



i am contemplating on buying the MH-800S, how is your charger now? did it miss a termination? how is it holding up to now?

hoping to hear from you soon.

thanks

cdboy


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## bontistic (Jun 9, 2009)

Hi first time poster here, I too am contemplating on getting either the MH-C800S or the MH-C801D. Would anyone know if it is possible to interchange the ac adapters among the 2 chargers? I am thinking get the MH-C801D + the small adapter or the MH-C800S + the large adapter? Reason behind this is I would like to know if it would be possible for the MH-C800S to charge at a higher rate (>1000mA) or the MH-C801D at a slower rate (<2000mA). 

Thank you so much for your inputs.


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## Mr Happy (Jun 9, 2009)

bontistic said:


> Hi first time poster here, I too am contemplating on getting either the MH-C800S or the MH-C801D. Would anyone know if it is possible to interchange the ac adapters among the 2 chargers? I am thinking get the MH-C801D + the small adapter or the MH-C800S + the large adapter? Reason behind this is I would like to know if it would be possible for the MH-C800S to charge at a higher rate (>1000mA) or the MH-C801D at a slower rate (<2000mA).
> 
> Thank you so much for your inputs.


Hi, 

:welcome:

Interchanging adapters like this is not something you should try to do. Each adapter is designed for the charger it comes with.

However, the MH-C801D can charge at a lower rate by using the "soft mode" that is built into it.

The MH-C800S will not charge at a higher rate because the electronics are not designed for it.


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## bontistic (Jun 11, 2009)

Thank you Mr. Happy. It would have been better if the MH-C801D could charge at the same rates the MH-C800S could.


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## Mr Happy (Jun 12, 2009)

bontistic said:


> Thank you Mr. Happy. It would have been better if the MH-C801D could charge at the same rates the MH-C800S could.


Well, the C801D soft charge rate of 1000 mA for AA cells is the same as the C800S fast charge rate of 1000 mA. Practically speaking there is little point charging AA cells at a lower rate than 1000 mA if the charger is good quality.


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## Alex 007 (Nov 3, 2009)

Hello!

Back again after a while...just received your same charger (Own at least 5 chargers, among them a LaCrosse BC-900), but want very much an 8 batteries at once charging unit. Decided this one as always intend to charge at "Soft" 500Mh rate (For longer battery live!).

But...have an a little issue...the Instructions sheet don't say nothing about the "Discharging/Recharging" rates...which I want to use this excellent feature mainly for my "Vintage" 1,300Mh batteries.

Can please any of you write me back the "Rates" for this "Conditioning" possibility?:twothumbs

Thanks so much, for your polite/noble efforts!

Peace.

Alex!


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## 45/70 (Nov 4, 2009)

Alex 007 said:


> Can please any of you write me back the "Rates" for this "Conditioning" possibility?:twothumbs



I believe the 800S discharges at 250mA regardless of whether the charge rate is set at normal or soft.

The manual for the 800S does seem to be aimed at the "charger illiterate", ie. sans any real useful information!

Dave


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## Alex 007 (Nov 4, 2009)

Hi Dave,

Maybe during "Discharging"...(As my vintages 1,300Mh GP brand...at that stage were cool...but during "Recharging" state goes "EXTREMELY" hotter???:candle. Luckily...I also own the LaCrosse BC-900...(OK...ONLY 4 batteries instead 8 at once!), at "Conditioning" stage...factory default (100 Discharge/200 Recharge), took few days...but after so was 100% successful succeeded). 

For so...seems me that the factory is afraid to tell exactly the rates...maybe I think...I'M NOT sure of course...(For so, my enquirer!:shakehead), the Discharging rate is 500Mh & recharging till the "Cute Microprocessor"...decided that is 100% "Refreshed... is at 1000Mh:huh:. Which is TO MUCH...for such Vintages 1,300 Mh units!.

I'm right...please!lovecpf

Peace,

Alex!


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## 45/70 (Nov 5, 2009)

Hey Alex. I think this is where I saw the 250 mA figure (click the "specifications" tab) on Thomas Distributing's site.

Dave

P.S. I wouldn't charge/discharge (or charge, anyway) at 200/100 with the BC-900. The charger is known to miss termination at rates below 500mA.


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## Alex 007 (Nov 5, 2009)

Hi Dave,

Yes just check it at TD...you are right 100%...but...but...is wrote ONLY "Discharging Conditioned" 250Mh...but WHAT HAPPEN...at "Recharging mode"???

*MH-C800S Specifications:*


*Maha MH-C800S Charge Time: *2 Hr. ( Normal Charge ) / 4Hr. ( Soft Charge ) - regardless of the number of rechargeable batteries
*Fast Charge Current:* 1000mA (AA), 700mA (AAA)
*Soft Charge Current:* 500mA (AA), 350mA (AAA)
*Conditioning Discharge Current :* 250mA
*The MH-C800S charger has Ultra Precision Control* - same capabilities as the *Maha MH-C800S* Battery Charger just at a slower charge rate. 
*Industrial Strength Heavy Duty Fiberglass Circuit Board - *super quality design and fully factory tested .
*Supported Batteries :* 1 to 8 AA / AAA NiMH or NiCD Rechargeable's
Capable of charging any brand or capacity of rechargeable batteries, even the higher capacity batteries of the future.
Automatic battery detection and recovery system.
*Power Source:* Included AC Adapter - 100-240 VAC , 50/60 Hz
*3 Year Limited Warranty *on the Maha MH-C800S Battery Charger
Manufactured to the Worlds highest standards in ISO-9001 Certified Facilities - 100% Factory Tested.

None about... "Conditioning Recharging Back Rate". BTW...wrote to the factory Technically Dept! + British Officially Representative...from BOTH...till YET!!!...No any responses!:tired:

Peace,

Alex!


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## 45/70 (Nov 5, 2009)

Well Alex, I do not have an 800S. The only reason I know something about them is I researched the 8xx series a while back. I decided to get the 808M, but have not done so yet.

As far as I know, the charge rate is set when you put the cells in. If you do not do anything, it will charge at the high rate. If you put the cells in and push the "Soft" button, it will charge at the lower rate. I do not think pushing the "refresh" button will affect these settings.

Dave


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## Alex 007 (Nov 5, 2009)

Hi again my dear Dave,

At "Soft" input...charges at 500Mh...which is FOR ME...optimum!!!. My "Common Senses" tell me that when the "Discharging at "Conditioning" feature is 250Mh...the "Re-Charging MUST be "DOUBLE"... IMO 500Mh...but as my "First Tried" "Vintages" GP 1,300Mh were SO HOT...that I really stopped the "Conditioning"...procedure when with my hand the cells were SO...SO HOT...that I was afraid that will "Exploded"
But...as also own a LaCrosse BC-900...such "Vintages' GP batteries. I decided that ONLY with the BC-900 I will do "Refreshing" :twothumbs, for be sure that will NOT explode. as it's possible; with my newer MH-800S:thinking:. (Till in a near future I will obtain some more reliable factory information!)

Peace,

Alex!


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## Turbo DV8 (Nov 5, 2009)

Alex 007 said:


> My "Common Senses" tell me that when the "Discharging at "Conditioning" feature is 250Mh...the "Re-Charging MUST be "DOUBLE"... IMO 500Mh...


 
It is not your "common sense" that is causing your confusion, but rather you are assuming the Maha 800 "must" operate like your BC-900. The BC-900 shoehorns the user into a "charge rate is double the discharge rate" mantra. The BC-900 and the Maha are different birds. The Maha operates exactly as the specs state: discharge is always 250 mA regardless of charge rate, and the charge rate is either soft or not, depending on your selection. Condition and soft mode are selected independently, and operate independently. It's that simple. Hope this clears it up.


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## TakeTheActive (Nov 5, 2009)

Alex 007 said:


> ...At "Soft" input...charges at 500Mh...which is FOR ME...optimum!!!. My "Common Senses" tell me that when the "Discharging at "Conditioning" feature is 250Mh...the "Re-Charging MUST be "DOUBLE"... IMO 500Mh...*but as my "First Tried" "Vintages" GP 1,300Mh were SO HOT...that I really stopped the "Conditioning"...procedure when with my hand the cells were SO...SO HOT...that I was afraid that will "Exploded"*



You are pressing the SOFT button first, then the CONDITION button, right? 


pctech said:


> ...*I informed them that i know the secret of pressing the soft button first and then hitting the condition button to kick the MH-C800S into soft condition/charge mode*.



Maybe this also applies? *Getting the MH-C808 into 'Conditioning Mode'* :thinking:

Any flashing 'Done'?



Alex 007 said:


> ...But...as also own a LaCrosse BC-900...such "Vintages' GP batteries. I decided that ONLY with the BC-900 I will do "Refreshing" :twothumbs, for be sure that will NOT explode...



Please run a DISCHARGE Cycle @ 200/100 on your BC-900 and report back with the '*Accumulated Capacity*' for these 'vintage' cells. Then run a TEST Cycle @ 200/100 and report back with the '*Discharge Capacity*'. I'd like to compare the results.

Thanks!


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## Alex 007 (Nov 5, 2009)

Turbo DV8 said:


> It is not your "common sense" that is causing your confusion, but rather you are assuming the Maha 800 "must" operate like your BC-900. The BC-900 shoehorns the user into a "charge rate is double the discharge rate" mantra. The BC-900 and the Maha are different birds. The Maha operates exactly as the specs state: discharge is always 250 mA regardless of charge rate, and the charge rate is either soft or not, depending on your selection. Condition and soft mode are selected independently, and operate independently. It's that simple. Hope this clears it up.




My dear "Turbo", 

Yes I'm confused now more...sorry as my mother language isn't English, will try to explicate myself better...trusting that an a very cute/polite gentleman as you will comprehend what I wrote

Decided "ALWAYS" to charge/recharge my batteries collection at "SOFT"...500Mh for prolong their live...OK...discharging rate is as you explicated 250Mh...accepted...what already dropped a mail to the Technical Dept at Maha in US...at "Soft" after the discahrging...the "Recharging" rate...till NOW...NO input/polite response from them

Still waiting, if WILL BE...any news of course all of you will very well informed!:wave:

Peace.

Alex!


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## Alex 007 (Nov 5, 2009)

TakeTheActive said:


> You are pressing the SOFT button first, then the CONDITION button, right?
> 
> 
> Maybe this also applies? *Getting the MH-C808 into 'Conditioning Mode'* :thinking:
> ...


Hi The Active!

TheActive;3149475]You are pressing the SOFT button first, then the CONDITION button, right? 

NO...load ONE cell at the left slot & press immediately the "Conditioning" button...after so, & read that show me "Conditioning' state...load the other 7 batteries. But NEXT use will try as you advice me...if works!

Yes the flashing works!

Please run a DISCHARGE Cycle @ 200/100 on your BC-900 and report back with the '*Accumulated Capacity*' for these 'vintage' cells. Then run a TEST Cycle @ 200/100 and report back with the '*Discharge Capacity*'. I'd like to compare the results.

Will do it specially for inform you with ample details!

Peace,:wave:

Alex!


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## Turbo DV8 (Nov 17, 2009)

*"Conditioning" mode on MH-C808 not truly independent channels?*

Not being able to find a dedicated C808 thread, I'll post here, since I assume the 800 has the same funtionality. 

First, a question. In conditioning mode, the Maha manual states that the 808 applies "a special initial charge" before discharging. What makes this charge "special" as opposed to a "normal" charge?

Second, the C9000 allows it's cells to independently rest for an hour between charge and discharge, with "REST" appearing in the display for each one while doing so. The 808 has no such indicator, and I question whether each cell is receiving it's due rest of equivalent duration compared to it's next nearest "cell" mate. Thomas Distibutings detailed explanation of the 808 states:



> "The MH-C808M uses a very intelligent conditioning algorithm. In a nutshell, the charger will let the batteries to rest until all batteries are charged before going to discharge. Similarly, the charger will wait until all the batteries are discharged before going to charge. While charging, however, the charger will show the next step (ie. in the initial charge, two batteries might show charge and 6 batteries show discharge - the six batteries are actually "standing by" for discharge. Discharge commences only when all batteries have finished charging.) *The purpose of this is to allow for sufficient time to elapse between charge-discharge without waiting too long. Many designers omit the rest time, but is critical for maximizing battery life cycles.*" This is the reason behind the perception of a "long" charge during the conditioning cycle. The batteries actually don't start charging (despite LCD display) until all batteries are discharged. You can detect the moment the charger starts charging when all the CHARGE indicators are on for the first time.


 
The way I read this is the first cell to terminate gets to rest the longest, before discharging, while it is waiting for the others to finish charging. Subsequent cells which terminate get to rest as long as there is another still charging. But woe to the last cell to terminate, as once it does, they will all immediately switch to discharge. So it gives the first cell a long rest, the last cell no rest, and the others fall somewhere between. This seems to contradict the portion of the claim above highlighted in bold:



> *The purpose of this is to allow for sufficient time to elapse between charge-discharge without waiting too long. Many designers omit the rest time, but is critical for maximizing battery life cycles."
> *




The last cell to terminate gets no rest, and whether or not the first cell's get a rest which is "too long" (?) is completely dependent upon when the other/last cells terminate. I tend to think that rather than this being a truly 100% independent charger in the discharge mode, it instead simply dumps the cells onto a single resistor after the last cell terminates. I know Maha did not do the write-up on TD's site, but they talk like they practically designed the thing, and I'd like to think the technical TD guys know what they are talking about in their technical write-up.

Am I right that the 808 doesn't discharge and rest independently, unlike the C9000? I know since the 808 isn't an analyzer like the C9000, a specific rest time for each cell may not be as critical. But if the rest time is so "critical for maximizing battery life cycles" as TD says, it would seem there will always be one unlucky cell that gets the dirty end of the stick each time it switches to charge or discharge in condition mode.


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## bp044 (Mar 27, 2010)

*Re: "Conditioning" mode on MH-C808 not truly independent channels?*



Turbo DV8 said:


> Not being able to find a dedicated C808 thread, I'll post here, since I assume the 800 has the same funtionality.
> 
> First, a question. In conditioning mode, the Maha manual states that the 808 applies "a special initial charge" before discharging. What makes this charge "special" as opposed to a "normal" charge?
> 
> ...




I am still confused. If I simply want to condition AAA cells must I put one in , quickly push the soft button and then the condition button ? Then merely insert the other 7 cells ? Or just the use the conditioning button and assume the charger will know that AAA's need softer treatment, and I do not need to use both buttons ? Can someone walk me thru the simple but proper procedure ?


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## SilverFox (Mar 27, 2010)

*Re: "Conditioning" mode on MH-C808 not truly independent channels?*

Hello Bp044,

To condition AAA cells, insert one cell and push the condition button. Then you can add all the other cells you want to condition.

To condition AAA cells using the lower charge rate, insert one cell, push the soft button, then push the condition button. Then you can add the other cells you want to condition.

Tom


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## bp044 (Mar 27, 2010)

*Re: "Conditioning" mode on MH-C808 not truly independent channels?*



SilverFox said:


> Hello Bp044,
> 
> To condition AAA cells, insert one cell and push the condition button. Then you can add all the other cells you want to condition.
> 
> ...



Tom
Thanks,as always clear and concise explainations


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## bcwang (May 10, 2013)

Alex 007 said:


> Hi Dave,
> 
> Yes just check it at TD...you are right 100%...but...but...is wrote ONLY "Discharging Conditioned" 250Mh...but WHAT HAPPEN...at "Recharging mode"???
> 
> ...



I believe the Thomas Distributing description to be incorrect. I believe the most correct values are.

1000ma charge normal/ 500ma charge soft (AA or AAA)
250ma discharge normal/ 125ma discharge soft (AA or AAA)

I came to this conclusion due to the fact that AA and AAA slots are electrically the same so there is no way for the charger to differentiate them. And I know the soft mode discharge is much slower than normal mode discharge. 250ma comes up the most, and was from a reply from maha to someone's query. The only thing that's not quite certain is the trickle charge rate in normal and soft mode. It would be nice if someone had scope equipment to confirm the exact charge/discharge/trickle rates in each mode. Years from introduction and we still don't know exactly how this charger works.


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