Nowadays, there are many smart chargers on the market providing advanced features that allow us to charge our batteries to their full potential, which we could only dream of in days gone by. Not only does a smart charger charge your batteries to their maximum potential, they also can save you lots of money in the long run especially if you use batteries frequently.

The BC1HU 110-240V Universal Fast Smart Charger from tEnergy is an easy to use smart charger for charging AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V batteries. With its distinct design, and wide range of features, first impressions of this smart charger are very good, but does it deliver on all fronts? Read on further to find out.

Features of the BC1HU 110-240V Universal Fast Smart Charger

• User-friendly and Fast
• Accepts a wide range of battery types: 4pcs AAA, AA, C, D and 1 to 2pcs 9V
• 110v-240v external AC adapter, allowing worldwide usage
• Cut-off function for superior lifetime battery performance
• Can mix both Ni-NH and NI-CD type batteries
• Individual battery LED indicators

Battery Compatibility

The battery compatibly is excellent with the BC1HU and will likely be sufficient for charging batteries for most of your gadgets. You can independently charge AA, triple A, C, D and 9V batteries.

There are two charging bays. One of them is located under the lid; here you can charge AAA, AA, C, D type batteries. The other bay is on the top of the charger, here you can charge up to two 9V batteries.

It allows you to charge different battery types simultaneously, such as NiCd and NIMH, which is very convenient. There is no switching or button pressing involved before starting the standard charging process; the BC1HU's microprocessor automatically detects the battery type and size when you insert a battery, so it's all very user-friendly. A red indicator light is shown whilst a battery is charging, after being fully charged the light turns to green.

Charging Times

The charging times are OK, but not great. To charge four AA type batteries, it takes about 4 hours. This is dependent on the batteries mAh capacity though, the higher the mAh rate the longer it will take for a battery to be charged.

One negative aspect is that the 9V charger is timer based and does not stop the charging process when the battery is full, so if you charge a 9V battery ensure that it's fully empty beforehand.

Charge/Discharge Function

The discharge feature allows you to discharge and charge individual batteries so they are at their optimum capacity. Using this feature is straightforward, after inserting a battery you press the discharge button, then a red light flashes to indicate it is discharging then it turns a solid red when the charging process has begun.