Power up!!! (Uniross Encore Classic Charger)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Uniross Encore Classic Charger
Date:	12/11/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, quick, does the job, reliable

Disadvantages: Overcharging is bad, does not automatically stop charging once full

I recently bought one of these for work. We find that some of the older battery chargers we have weren't functioning properly and there was no way of knowing whether they had charged properly, or partly, or even at all. A little research showed that some of the latest superquick chargers are actually damaging to the batteries and also can be very dangerous, so I decided to aim at getting a middle of the road charger.

The Uniross Encore Classic Charger is a fast charger that takes around 3 hours to fully charge four batteries. This can be a mix of AA or AAA batteries, as the device allows for both to be put into each of the four slots at the front. It has a switch in case you only want 2 batteries to be charged, and you can do this easily as well.

Charging is incredibly simple. It comes with an adapter, so you plug it in, put it down on the table next to you, and watch the green light come on. This indicates it's charging, and once it turns red, it means that the batteries are fully charged. It's a shame there isn't an automatic shut off at this point, as it is quite easy to stick the batteries on charge and then forget about them. If you do this, then the batteries can overheat, damaging them and being dangerous if left too long. Just remember you have to use rechargeable batteries only! If you try to recharge regular batteries, it will not work and is very dangerous.

However, it does what it says on the tin, and charges the batteries in 3 hours. It took me a day to charge all the rechargeable batteries I have at work, whereas normally it would take me days, and I still wouldn't be sure they had been successfully charged.

The charger also comes with 4 AA batteries (2700mAh, Ni0MH). Don't worry too much about these numbers and letters unless you're looking for high powered equipment to use the batteries in. Only then would you need to worry about what sort of rechargeable batteries you're getting. These are quite a high calibre battery, and are ideal for use in cameras and the like. Quite often, there are some batteries that just aren't powerful enough to run a digital camera for more than a couple of hours or so, and this can end up being annoying and costing a lot of time and potentially money. Getting the right batteries can be important, but these are quite powerful.

The packaging also has a table on the back, which shows you how long certain battery types will take to charge. The ones supplied take 3 hours due to the high mAh number and the fact that they are Nickel Metal Hydride. However, If they ahve a lower mAh and are Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) then they'll only take an hour and a quarter. This is worth knowing for me, as I have different types of battery strength and type, so I'd need to be aware of when to stop them charging to avoid damage.

It's a very user friendly shape and size, like a chunky mobile phone and wide enough for the 4 batteries. It's easy to slot the batteries in the front, and it charges automatically as long as it's connected. Clear display and light, and easy use. It can retail at around the £20 to £30 mark depending on your supplier. I got this one from amazon.co.uk and it was worth every penny. Recommended!

Summary: Great battery charger from Encore

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