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Previous: Nong Shim soup instructions | Main | Next: Compgeeks grammatical disclaimer
March 22, 2005 12:09 AM
Broken: ESA battery charger
Robert Steflik writes:
I have included a scan of the instructions for my new ESA battery charger. I think the logic behind the operation is definitely flawed. As shown in the graphic, here's what the instructions say:
"A red light on the LED display will automatically come on, indicating that the batteries are charging. After 14-16 hours when charging is complete, the light on the LED display will remain red."
Well, that's exactly how it works... you plug it in and the light stays red ALWAYS. There is no way you can tell when your batteries are charged without setting a timer. If you read item #4 it warns you that the batteries should not be plugged in more than 24 hours. So, whenever I plug this thing in I have to make a mental note of what time it is so I know when to unplug it. What a PAIN. My other charger at work has a light that goes OUT when the batteries are charged.
Yup, I had the misfortune to buy a charger like this. How much extra does it cost to build in the logic to turn the light off once the batteries are charged?! Lazy!
Be prepared: you are going to get the usual bunch of posters who will tell you that YOU are broken. They'll say things like, "if you're too idiotic to know when to unplug it you shouldn't use it" and "people who can't read clocks shouldn't be allowed to have battery chargers."
Oh, and of course the always pleasant, "aren't there bigger things in the world to worry about?"
The charger for my camera batteries blinks when charging and then switches to a steady light when charged. Perhaps that is what they were aiming for, but it apepars that is not the actual behaviour of the charger in this instance.
They might as well leave the red light on the whole time...
New Battery Charger! Comes with a red light to entertain your babies!
What's funny is that ESA stands for:
Easy
Simple
Affordable
Unfortunately, they only have that last one down.
no they also have easy and simple down, the device its self is so simply easy to burst into flames and engulf your home in fire. I almosted burned a hole in my pants with the game boy advance rechargable battiery, due to some change in my pocket. it was a wierd feeling, because, since i didn't own the system (carrying the battiery for a friend. basicly the little things that are used to charge it connected a circet with the change in my pocket.
Re: MADE IN CHINA
I live in Japan, and there's just about as much Made In China stuff here as in America (if not more). Made In China doesn't necessarily equate to crap; there is a lot of high quality stuff here. They just ship the crap stuff to America.
I have something like that. My Palm 5 cradle has a light that changes from neon green to off-neon green when it's finished charging. Luckily, it won't break if you leave it in there for too long. I wonder why they have the light in the first place. The only logical reason would be that it's there to tell you when the Palm is in the cradle. I have this special ability to sense when my Palm is in the cradle just by looking at it. It's amazing. They could have saved a few pennies on each cradle to take out the light, or spent a fraction of a penny to make one more circuit. Why they chose the most illogical option is beyond me, but I think it has to do with Man's obsession with digital watches.
I have an (original) idea:
Why not take THAT charger, throw it in the garbage, and go down to your local electronics supply store and buy a really GOOD charger? Better yet... donate THAT charger to the Salvation Army. Those guys have lots of time on their hands and would just love the opportunity to "figure it out"...
SR
I just got an "X1 Charge Pro" AA/AAA at Frys, on sale for $10 including 4 2400 mAh AA's. It is very compact, with a flip-out plug, and is multi-voltage 110/240V. The model number is "CHB-7NSS-4F". There is also a similar model for a few dollars more that can be plugged into a 12V car socket.
Yes, the LED changes color. In fact the LED has 3 colors (checking batteries, charging, and charged).
And yes, it is made in China.
This is almost as good as the battery powered gizmo that turns on a light to indicate when it needs recharging (which then of course drains the remaining battery charge even more quickly...)
My new cordless circular saw has the same thing. Isn't there a standard embedded chip for this? I had battery powered tool years and years ago where either the battery or the charger had an indicator of where it was in the charging process.
My Porter Cable cordless drill had a charger that would detect if the battery was too cold, and warm it up before charging it, all the while clearly indicating what was happening via two LEDs that would blink or remain stead, and a guide to reading the LEDs indelibly printed right on the charger.
Everyone just chintzes on things now. It's pretty pathetic.
My new cordless circular saw has the same thing. Isn't there a standard embedded chip for this? I had battery powered tool years and years ago where either the bettery or the charger had an indicator of where it was in the charging process. My Porter Cable cordless drill had a charger that would detect if the battery was too cold, and warm it up before charging it, all the while clearly indicating what was happening via two LEDs that would blink or remain stead, and a guide to reading the LEDs indelibly printed right on the charger.
Everyone just chintzes on things now. It's pretty pathetic.
i'm an electrical engineer in the US... i am precisely the the type of person that designs these type of products. this is one of the funniest "features" i have ever seen on any electronic equipment. the whole point of the LED is to indicate when charging is complete, but it doesnt do that. so why even have the LED in the first place? hahaha you got skrewed! (sorry man)
I just found this page, and must share that it is quite humorous. Couldn't resist adding: I have all colors of little lights that tell me when things are on, off, or just reminding me that something is happening. I have switches in my home(designed in the late 50s by an electrical contractor)that only appear to turn on a red light here or there, and I have no clue other than the light being on to what they do. I like the little lights. They don't all have to do something, or mean something, but I suppose if they do that is in their favor. Perhaps the lights need to be on to express their own version of electronic spirituality. Whatever the case, I do believe they are meant to be subservient to us, and in that case they should not take up our time demanding that we understand them. Quite the contrary, I believe with my whole heart that the lights need to understand our hopes, wants and desires for them on a purely physical plane
They should be finding ways to fit in better to our schedules and penchants for living life to it's brightest possibilities. God bless, Preacher.
When my Windows system at home goes into turn-off-the-monitor mode, the LCD monitor insists that its LED on the front should start BLINKING RED!
Normally it's steady green. Why does the thing have to blink? It wants attention? It's annoying when I'm reading in that room and facing the monitor, and the blinking LED distracts me. Calm down, already, stupid monitor!
Blinking red probably means "no signal" but I can tell there's no signal to the monitor because, um, there's nothing displayed on the screen. Steady red would be better. I hate blinking lights.
I have some Logitech speakers that have an ultra-bright blue LED in front, brighter than my monitor. Completely distracting. My solution? Black electrical tape over the light.
One time i saw this battery charger at a place. i heared a hissing. Than i smelled a smell that made me dizzy. than someone saw that one of the batteries in the charger was expelling large emounts of toxic gas and the battery was melting the charger
Yeah. Definitely broken. Two different ways:
1) The LED doesn't indicate anything except that you have a battery in the charger. It should instead indicate when the battery is fully charged.
2) Leaving the battery in the charger can damage the battery. If this is true (and we all know it is), then why don't they SHUT OFF the charger once the battery is charged, instead of just frying the battery?
Haven't decided if the one I bought is broken or not. Although I suspected that the one I bought yesterday was broken, I just noticed that now the 2 red LEDS are flashing, indicating (for those that choose to RTFM) that it is slightly below 40% charged. (only 3 hours later) I have every reason to believe at this point that it _is_ indeed working as advertised. And to Tripp, that is exactly the kind of comment I would expect from an engineer, IMHO. Just an aside from a tech to an "Engineer". And about as helpful. More to follow on whether it is really broken or not.
so not to wory about the redlight coming onright after orange-yellow after it is plugged in? just take them out after 12-14 hours? fully charged nothing to worry about?
I have one. It isn't fast. Maybe quadratic, but it works. I got it because some new 2400 nimh's fried
my Olympus charger.
Comments on this entry are closed
Previous: Nong Shim soup instructions | Main | Next: Compgeeks grammatical disclaimer
It's just completely broken. Not only should the light turn off or change color, but it contradicts how long you should charge the batteries! Don't leave in charger for more than 24 hours, but at the top it says to leave them in for at least 24 hours. (Yes, I know this is for the first time, but why is it good to leave it in there too long when it's the first time?) Definitely broken.
Posted by: Facetuscompleo at March 22, 2005 12:40 AM