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Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries | 
| Brand: Sony
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $20.99
You Save: $9.00 (30%)
New (7) Used (1) from $20.99
Rating:  477 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 7.5 x 1
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: BCG-34HE4
Model: BCG-34HE4
UPC: 008562006072
EAN: 0008562006072
ASIN: B0002IWC9C
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Charges four AA and AAA batteries at a time SIX | | • | Unviersal voltage from 100-240V | | • | Alkaline battery detection, temperature and voltage safety controls | | • | Includes four 2500mAh NiMH batteries |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Sony's worldwide reputation for creating unique, attractive, high-quality, advanced technology products rests on a long line of innovations embraced by people from all walks of life. With a diverse product lineup serving a variety of lifestyles and industries, Sony continuously strives to introduce new products and technologies to meet changing market needs.
Amazon.com Product Description
Whether you're traveling abroad or making a domestic jaunt, Sony's BCG-34HE4 charger and battery combo is everything you'll need to keep your high-demand digital electronics juiced up and ready for action. The compact, lightweight charger handles 4 AA and 4 AAA batteries simultaneously and just happens to come with 4 high-capacity (2500 mAh) rechargeable AA Ni-MH batteries. The charger works with worldwide voltages: AC outlets ranging from 100 to 240 volts (50/60 Hz). For your safety and convenience, the charger offers alkaline battery detection (in case you accidentally load non-rechargeables) and automatic cut-off for excessive temperature and/or voltage. What's in the Box
A charger, 4 AA rechargeable batteries, and a data sheet in a blister pack.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 472 more reviews...
 Works well enough, as advertised September 15, 2004
Hyun Yu
928 out of 944 found this review helpful
It doesn't say so in the product description page here anywhere (and I can't even find this charger on the Sony website), so here you go: it takes about 4.5 hours to fully charge the four 2300mAh batteries that come with the charger. Which I kinda like--I like that it's not a dumb charger (timed charger w/o regard for existing charge or overcharge) like the cheaper Sony charger here on Amazon.com (BCG-34HLD4), nor does it take inordinately long (some others I checked out take as long as 8-12 hours), but it's not a superfast 1-hour charger that super-heats up the batteries during the charge (and potentially reduce the battery service life).
The charger has the outlet plugs built-in, so there is no separate AC adapter. Be sure to keep the charger bay door open during charging to help dissipate the heat.
The batteries are Sanyo-brand ("HR" imprint on them) marketed under the Sony label.
Overall, a nice, compact unit. I recommend it.
Recommended Charger December 16, 2004
A. Alkins
648 out of 659 found this review helpful
This is a very cost effective battery charger. It's a simple flip top design and can charge either four AA or two AAA (You CAN mix them, however you can only charge a maximum of two AAAs at a time). Charge time is generally just over four hours if you charge all four AAs and half that with only two. AAA batteries charge in about an hour and a half by themselves, two hours if paired with AAs.
The charger cuts power to the batteries when they're full. This is a MUST feature as it preserves your battery life extraordinarily. It also is switching (100/240V) meaning you can use it outside the US without hassle (Most of Europe uses 220V). The charger comes bundled with four AA batteries with a 2300mAh capacity which is above standard and last longer. If you have batteries under 2300mAh, this charger can still charge them and cut off the power when necessary (The batteries must be NiMH however).
My only complaint with this would be the fact that the charger just has a flip up/down plug. If you have plugs sitting side by side facing downwards, the charger will occupy three slots. On a standard wall plug (Side by side with the plugs lying horizontal) it only takes up one plug however. You can easily overcome this by using an extension if needed.
All in all, I can 100% recommend this charger. There's another Sony charger slightly cheaper than this one (the BCG-34HLD4). However, pay the extra couple bucks and get this one as the other does not have a power cut off feature. If you need AAA batteries, get the Sony AAA two pack (Model NH-AAA-B2C, Amazon carries them) which are 800mAh.
 Rayovac's 15-minute charger is way better January 28, 2005
Gadgester (New York)
189 out of 219 found this review helpful
While Sony's "super-quick" charger is a solid product and the price includes 4 high-capacity (2300mAh) NiMH batteries, the charging time is too long, at 4-5 hours. You can find a 1-hour charger at Radio Shack for the same price. Trust me, a lot of times you want to get the batteries charged very quickly, rather than waiting 4 hours.
In fact, I highly recommend Rayovac's 15-minute charger. You do need to get their special 15-minute NiMH batteries, but when you buy the charger it already comes with 2 or 4, depending on the kit. (I believe it's now $25 for the 2-AA kit and $30 or $35 for the 4-AA kit. You can also find them at Radio Shack under the Radio Shack brand, but still made by Rayovac.) When I use my digital cameras (Minolta and the SB-800 flash for my Nikon D70) being able to recharge the batteries in 15 minutes is just awesome. That's 1/16 the time needed on this Sony charger. (Do note that, the Rayovac charger charges regular NiMH batteries in 8 hours.)
BTW, reviwer "H. Yu" is in correct in stating that fast chargers can damage NiMH batteries. Most manufacturers claim that fast charging does not necessarily shortern the battery's life. The speed boost mostly comes in advances in battery chemistry, not some high-voltage forcing charge. Prior to getting the Rayovac 15-minute, I had been usign a RAdio Shack 1-hour charger for years and had charged teh same batteries probably 500 times or more with no depreciation in capacity. I'm a big battery user and NiMH is a godsend that saves money and the environment.
In short, while this Sony charger is a solid NiMH recharger, you may want to spend the same amount of money on a Rayovac 15-minute charger which saves you a lot of time and may come in extermely handy the times when you need your batteries fast. Feel free to write me at hotmail with questions.
An important (un-advertised) feature you must know February 5, 2007
NLee the Engineer (Nashua, NH)
66 out of 66 found this review helpful
There is an important feature for this charger (Sony BCG-34Hx) that makes it an excellent buy: it charges each cell individualy.
Most low-cost slow chargers force you to charge cells in pairs. That is, either 2 or 4 cells. This smart charger allows you to put in 1, 2, 3 or 4 cells at any time. Each cell is charged individually and stopped whenever it gets full. The only problem is that the indictor lamp only changes color when ALL cells are fully charged. So even if three out of four cells are ready, you cannot start using any of them until the last one is done.
Why is charging NiMH cells in pairs a very bad idea? Beacuse no two cells have identical capacities. Even if you start with two new cells of the same brand, their capacities will drift apart after several cycles. When you charge two cells in series, the one with lower capacity will be over-charged, and this will only accelerate the disparity in capacity next time. Eventually you'll end up with cells that can only deliver a fraction of their rated capacities.
Then there's always the problem when your application requires either one or three cells. Now you are left with one drained cell that you cannot charge. If you try to charge a drained cell in series with a full one, the latter will be badly over-charged and may even be damaged from over-heating.
While I'm at it: here are the charging currents for this charger:
- One to two AA cells: 1050mA each
- Four AA cells: 525mA each
- One to two AAA cells: 640mA each
 Incorrect product description - can only charge two AA batteries at a time May 12, 2006
A regular guy (Illinois, USA)
63 out of 73 found this review helpful
I bought this charger for my rechargeable AAA batteries, as the description and technical specifications clearly state:
"charger handles 4 AA and 4 AAA batteries simultaneously"
and
"Charges four AA and AAA batteries at a time"
Although this charger can charge four AA batteries at once, it can only charge TWO AAA batteries at the same time; the two center slots accept both AA and AAA but the outside slots accept only AA. And in case anyone thinks I may be a nimrod that doesn't know how to use the device, straight from the product manual itself:
"A maximum of 2 AAA batteries can be charged in the center slots only."
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