La Crosse Technology BC-700U User manual

Contents
Language Page
English 1
French
Spanish
1
TABLE OF CONTENT
Topic Page
Features 4
Inventory Of Contents 5
Function Keys 5
Operating Modes
Charge Mode 7
Discharge Mode 14
Refresh Mode 16
Test Mo d e 18
Trickle Charge 20
Display Mode Information 21
Care and Maintenance 26
Specification 27
Warranty Information 28
Troubleshooting 32
2
BATTERY CHARGER BC-700U
Instruction Manual
INTRODUCTION:
Congratulations on purchasing this intelligent charging unit which enables quick and optimum
charging to “AA” and “AAA” rechargeable batteries. With charging, discharging, refreshing and
capacity test functions as well as individual LCD displays for charging compartments; this
charging unit is reliable, user-friendly and ideal for use in the home, office or on a journey.
The Charging unit
3
CAUTIONS:
1. The charger is restricted to charging NiCd and NiMH rechargeable batteries only.
Never use this charger for other types of batteries such as alkaline, lithium, carbon zinc
or other types that are not specified.
2. The charging unit should only be used at normal indoor room conditions.
3. Place charger on a hard flat surface.
4. Always follow the charging instructions for the rechargeable battery. Observe the
recommended charging current of the rechargeable batteries. Never use a charging
current higher than recommended in the charging process.
5. Never use any power cable and transformer other than those originally supplied with the
charging unit.
6. The rechargeable batteries may become hot during charging (especially when a high
charging current is chosen). User should take extra care when taking out the batteries
after charging.
7. Unplug the charging unit from the power source when not in use.
4
FEATURES:
The Charging unit
zCharging rechargeable batteries in various currents (200, 500 or 700 mA).
zFast charging – 70 mins to charge up 2000 mAh batteries
zIndividual LCD display for all compartments
zCharging both “AA” and “AAA” rechargeable batteries simultaneously
zOverheat detection to protect rechargeable batteries from over-charging
zMinus delta voltage (-dV) detection for charge termination
zDamaged batteries detection
zDischarge mode (first discharging and then charging) to remove memory effect of
rechargeable batteries
zRefreshing old rechargeable batteries by discharging/ charging cycles
zTest function to check the capacities of rechargeable batteries
zCharging/ Discharging functions can be launched independently and simultaneously to
each rechargeable battery in the compartments
zVarious display modes during charging/ discharging – the charging current (in mA), time
elapsed (in hh:mm), the terminal voltage (in V) and accumulated capacities (in mAh or Ah)
5
INVENTORY OF CONTENTS
1. Charging unit
2. Transformer
3. Instruction Manual
FUNCTION KEYS:
There are three easy-to-use function keys and four number keys on the charging unit:
Compartment
Number keys
DISPLA
Y
MODE key
CURRENT ke
y

6
Compartment Number key
Press and release the Number key to select a particular battery compartment for charge modes
and/or display mode adjustment.
MODE key
Hold the MODE key for about 1 second to activate the mode change. Press and release the
MODE key to toggle between the “Charge”, “Discharge”, “Test” and “Refresh” mode. To change
the operating mode for an individual rechargeable battery, first press the corresponding
NUMBER key then press the MODE key.
DISPLAY key
Press and release the DISPLAY key to view: Charging current (in mA), Time elapsed (in hh:mm),
the Terminal voltage (in V) and Accumulated capacities (in mAh or Ah) during the charging or
discharging process. To change the display content of an individual rechargeable battery, first
press the corresponding NUMBER key then press the DISPLAY key.
CURRENT key
Press and release the CURRENT key to select the amount of current to be applied (within the
first 8 seconds after batteries are inserted) in different operating modes (also see “Start
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charging the rechargeable batteries” below). To change the charging current of an individual
rechargeable battery, first press the corresponding NUMBER key then press the CURRENT key
(within the first 8 seconds after batteries are inserted).
OPERATING MODES OF THE CHARGING UNIT
This powerful charging unit provides the following operating modes:
a. Charge the rechargeable battery (CHARGE) – to charge the rechargeable battery,
automatically switches to trickle charge after the rechargeable battery is full.
b. Discharge then charge the rechargeable battery (DISCHARGE) – to discharge the
rechargeable battery then charge it to minimize the memory effect.
c. Refresh the rechargeable battery (REFRESH) – to refresh the rechargeable battery to its
maximum capacity by charging and discharging the rechargeable battery repeatedly until
no further increase in the capacity is estimated. For old rechargeable batteries or those
have not been used for a long time, refreshing may bring the rechargeable battery back
to the optimum condition.
d. Check the rechargeable battery capacity in mAh/ Ah (TEST)
8
CHARGE MODE
Charging at 200 mA is the default-operating mode of the charging unit.
NOTE: The highest charging current will be in compartment 1. The other compartments cannot
be higher.
Example:
When charging four batteries –
max. charging current: 700 mA
When charging two batteries at
compartment 2 & 3 – max.
charging current: 700 mA
9
The estimated time of charging by various charging current is tabulated in Table 1.
NOTE: It is acceptable to charge AA and AAA batteries at the same time.
Table 1. Charging Time with various charging current
Size of battery Battery Capacity Charging current selected (mA) Estimated charging time
AA 2500 mAh
700 ~3 hr 35 min
500 ~5 hr
200 ~13 hr
AAA 700 mAh
700 ~60 min
500 ~84 min
200 ~3 hr 30 min
NOTE:
zAlways observe the recommended maximum charging current of the rechargeable
batteries. In general, 200 mA is a recommended charging current if rapid charging is not
necessary. It is definitely safe and optimum to the life of the rechargeable batteries.
10
zIt may be necessary to charge and discharge new rechargeable batteries several times in
the beginning before the optimum capacity of the rechargeable batteries can be
obtained. Use the "Refresh" mode after new rechargeable batteries have been used
under load and charged several times in order to achieve the optimum battery capacity.
zWhen the transformer has been plugged into the power source, the version number of
the charger (for example “35”) will be displayed first. Then all the segments will light up
momentarily and the “null” sign will be shown before batteries are placed. If damaged
batteries or batteries below 0.9V, are placed into the charging unit, the charger will also
show “null” on LCD.
START CHARGING THE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
Once a rechargeable battery is inserted after the transformer has been plugged into the power
source, the battery voltage (for example, “1.39V”) will be displayed for 4 seconds. Then “200 mA
“null” displayed - No battery or damaged battery
is
p
laced to the char
g
in
g
unit
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Charge” (default mode) will be shown on LCD for another 4 seconds, indicating that charging
with 200 mA is to be started if no alteration in setting is made.
Select the operating mode by the MODE key. “Charge”, “Discharge”, “Refresh” and
“Test” mode may be chosen within this 8-second time after inserting the batteries.
Then within 8 seconds from pressing the last key, select the charging/discharging
current by pressing the CURRENT key.
NOTE:
zHold the MODE key for about 1 second to activate the mode change. Press and release
the MODE key to select between the “Charge”, “Discharge”, “Test” and “Refresh” mode.
zThere is an 8-second time allowed for choosing further functions after each key pressing.
If no keys are pressed, the LCD will blink one time to indicate the end of setting. The
current can no longer be changed during the process and the selected mode will begin.
Charging current: 200 mA
Charge Mode
A
fter 8 seconds from the last key
p
ress, the LCD will blink once to
indicate the setting is confirmed and
the selected mode is activated

12
During charging, the different displays- Charging current (in mA), Time elapsed (in hh:mm),
Terminal voltage (in V) and Accumulated capacities (in mAh or Ah) may be toggled and
selected by pressing the DISPLAY key (refer Table 4).
After the rechargeable battery is fully charged, “Full” will be shown on the display and the user
may take out them at this time. If the rechargeable batteries are left in place in the
compartments, trickle charging will start. The trickle charging current is around 5% of the
selected charging current to keep the rechargeable batteries full.
“Full” sign is shown -The battery
is fully charged
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NOTE:
zThe current cannot be altered once the setting has been confirmed in the initial stage.
This prevents the user from changing the current setting accidentally while setting other
rechargeable batteries. If one wants to change the applied current afterward, the
rechargeable batteries must be taken out and inserted again.
zThe current setting of the first charging compartment restricts the maximum charging
current of the other rechargeable batteries. For instance, if the first compartment
rechargeable battery is set to charge at 500 mA, then the second, third and fourth
rechargeable batteries can be only set to charging at a maximum current of 500 mA.
Therefore, place the battery with the highest expected charging current in Compartment
1 first. To release the restriction of setting charging current, user must take out all four
rechargeable batteries from the charging unit.
zTo change the operating mode during charging, one can press the MODE key (for
selecting all rechargeable batteries) or NUMBER key then MODE key (for selecting
individual rechargeable battery). 8 seconds after the last key press the LCD will blink one
time to indicate the end of changing.
zWhen overheating conditions occur (over about 127°F (53°C)), usually due to too a high
charging current selected), the charging will be stopped immediately and the display will
read “000 mA”, the charging process will only resume once the temperature of the
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rechargeable batteries drops to a safe level. If overheating conditions continue to occur,
the rechargeable batteries must be taken out to cool down and then charge at a lower
current.
zFor a new rechargeable battery it is recommended to charge it with 200 mA current to re-
condition it from the long storage status.
DISCHARGE MODE
Discharge mode will first discharge the rechargeable battery then charge it. It is for removing the
memory effects of rechargeable batteries.
When the battery is overheated the
charging will cease automatically. “000
mA” will be displayed.
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Press the MODE key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries; the Discharge
mode can be selected. Then select different discharging current (see Table 2) by pressing the
CURRENT key, within 8 seconds after inserting the batteries. (The display will blink once to
indicate the setting has been confirmed and the current cannot be changed afterward.)
NOTE:
zThe discharging current is always set to be half of the charging current whose upper limit
is 700 mA (see Table 2). Therefore the user is recommended to carefully select the
discharging current so that the charging current afterward will not be too high.
zHold the MODE key for about 1 second to activate the mode change. Press and release
the MODE key to select the “Charge”, “Discharge”, “Test” and “Refresh” mode.
Discharging current: 250 mA
Discharge Mode
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T
able 2. DISCHARGE MODE Current
User-selected Discharging
current 100 mA 250 mA 350 mA
Thereafter Charging
current 200 mA 500 mA 700 mA
Finally, batteries will be fully charged in discharge mode and “Full” will be displayed. If the user
presses the DISPLAY key at this time, "charge" icon instead of "discharge" icon will be
displayed.
REFRESH MODE
Old rechargeable batteries and those that have not been used for a long time require refreshing.
This process will recover the optimum capacity of the rechargeable batteries. Press the MODE
key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries; the Refresh mode can be
selected.
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Refresh mode will start with discharging the rechargeable battery, then charging it. The
repeated discharging and charging cycles will be launched until no further increase in the
measured capacities is estimated or 20 cycles, whichever comes first.
NOTE:
zPress the MODE key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries; the
Refresh mode can be selected. (Hold the MODE key for about 1 second to activate the
mode change. Press and release the MODE key to select the “Charge”, “Discharge”,
“Test” and “Refresh” mode.)
Refresh mode (the battery is
being discharged)
Discharging current: 250 mA

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Select different discharging current by pressing the CURRENT key (see “Note” in
Discharge mode and Table 2), within 8 seconds after inserting the batteries. (Or the
display will blink once to indicate the end of setting and the current cannot be changed
afterward.).
zIt may take up to several days to finish the refreshing process, depending on the selected
discharging current.
zThe maximum refresh current is 700 mA and is not affected by the number of
rechargeable batteries inserted.
TEST MODE
In the Test mode the rechargeable batteries will first be fully charged and then discharged to
determine the capacities. Finally, the rechargeable batteries are charged up again and the
capacity in (mAh) or (Ah) will alternate every 3 seconds with the FULL sign.
Press the MODE key within 8 seconds after inserting the rechargeable batteries; the Test mode
can be selected. (Hold the MODE key for about 1 second to activate the mode change. Press
and release the MODE key to select the “Charge”, “Discharge”, “Test” and “Refresh” mode)
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NOTE:
zAfter selecting the Test mode the user may select different charging currents in the Test
mode by pressing the CURRENT key, within 8 seconds after the batteries are inserted.
The discharging current will be half of the selected charging current (see Table 3).
Table 3. TEST MODE Current
User-selected Charging
current 200 mA 500 mA 700 mA
Thereafter Discharging
current 100 mA 250 mA 350 mA
Test mode
The Charging
current in (mA)
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zThe maximum charging current is 700 mA and is not affected by the number of
rechargeable batteries inserted.
zAfter the test mode is finished, the display will shift between the “Full” sign and the
battery capacity (in mAh or Ah) automatically in 3-second intervals until the rechargeable
batteries are removed. The user can switch to other displays by pressing the DISPLAY
key.
TRICKLE CHARGING
After the rechargeable battery is fully charged in any of the operating modes, the charger will
give a small amount of current to the rechargeable batteries to maintain the fully charged level.
This mode is automatically launched after rechargeable batteries are fully charged and kept in
the charging unit. The signal “Full” will be displayed on the LCD.
Battery capacity displayed in
(mAh) as the checking is
finished in Test mode.
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DISPLAY MODE INFORMATION
The user can use different display modes to monitor the rechargeable battery condition during
the different operations (see below figure and Table 4 to 7).
Different operating modes
Different display modes are
exhibited: Charging current, Time,
Voltage and Capacit
y
22
Table 4. Various displays in Charge Mode
Stage in
Charge mode
Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY key)
Voltage (V) Current (mA) *Time
(hh:mm)
Capacit
y
(mAh/ Ah)
During
charging Instantaneous
Battery voltage
Charging
current Charging time
elapsed
Accumulated
capacity
Full stage Trickle
charging
current
Capacity:
Milliamp hours: mAh is the capacity of the battery or the amount of charge added to a battery. If
a 2600mAh capacity battery is already half full when you charge it you will not add 2600mAh of
capacity to the battery.
Amp hours: Ah is the capacity of the battery or the amount of charge added to a battery. When
the battery charger shows values above 1999mAh, it changes to Amp hours. Due to the limited
space on the four displays the charger cannot display over 1999mAh. When the mAh
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(Milliampere hour) reaches 2000 the display switches to Ah (Ampere hour) by moving the
decimal point. A mAh is 1/1000 of an Ah. Example: 2.29Ah and 2.34 Ah would be 2290mAh and
2340 mAh.
Table 5. Various displays in Discharge Mode
Stage in
Discharge mode
Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY key)
Voltage (V) Current (mA) *Time (hh:mm) Capacity
(mAh/ Ah)
During
discharging Instantaneous
Battery voltage
Discharging
current
Discharging time
elapsed
Capacity during
discharging
During charging Charging current Charging time
elapsed
Accumulated
capacity
Full stage Trickle charging
current

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Table 6. Various displa
y
s in Refresh Mode
Stage in Refresh
mode
Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY key)
Voltage (V) Current (mA) *Time (hh:mm) Capacit
y
(mAh/ Ah)
During
discharging
processes
Instantaneous
Battery voltage
Discharging
current
Discharging time
elapsed
Capacity during
discharging
During charging
processes
Instantaneous
Battery voltage Charging current Charging time elapsed
Capacity
determined in last
time discharging
Full stage Instantaneous
Battery voltage
Trickle charging
current
Elapsed time of
last discharging
Maximum battery
capacity
determined in
discharging
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Table 7. Various displays in Test Mode
Stage in Test
mode
Various displays (toggled by pressing DISPLAY key)
Voltage (V) Current (mA) *Time (hh:mm) Capacity
(mAh/ Ah)
During charging
Instantaneous
Battery voltage
Charging current Charging time
elapsed “--- mAh”
During
discharging
Discharging
current
Discharging time
elapsed “--- mAh”
During 2nd
charging Charging current 2nd charging time elapsed
Capacity of the
battery
determined in
dischar
g
in
g
Full stage Trickle charging
current
Discharging time
elapsed
Capacity of the
battery
determined in
dischar
g
in
g
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NOTE:
z*The timer will be resumed and counted from 00:00 again after the time elapsed is longer
than 20 hours. (For example, 1:45 will be shown after the battery has been refreshed for
21 hr and 45 min.)
zIn case the power source is interrupted or terminated when the charger is being operated,
the operational mode will automatically be set to “Charge mode at 200 mA” to charge up
the battery once the power source is back to normal, regardless the operating mode
(Charge, Discharge, Refresh or Test) which has been selected by user before.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE:
zExtreme temperatures, vibration and shock should be avoided as these may cause
damage to the unit
zPlace charger on a hard flat surface.
zWhen cleaning the displays and casings, use a soft damp cloth only. Do not wet the
exposed metal part of the charging unit. Do not use solvents or scouring agents as they
may mark the LCD and casing.
zDo not spill water to the charging unit.
zDo not make any repair attempts to the units. Return it to its original point of purchase for
27
repair by a qualified engineer. Opening and tampering with the units may invalidate its
guarantee.
zDo not expose the unit to extreme and sudden temperature changes, this may lead to
damage to the electronic parts in the unit.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Input voltage for AC/DC adapter : 100-240 VAC but MUST have the proper
adapter. Twisting prongs on a/c cord will only
damage the unit.
Charging current range : 200 mA - 700 mA
Max charging capacity
(capacity of rechargeable batteries) : 3000 mAh
Dimensions (H x W x D) :
Charging unit: 2.95” x 5.11” x 1.57”
(75 x 130 x 40 mm)
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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER:
zThe manufacturer and supplier cannot accept any responsibility for any improper or
incorrect use and any consequences occur.
zAny performance of repairs or alternations by someone other than the original supplier
will invalidate the warranty.
zThis product is designed to be used only by people who have read and understood this
instruction manual.
zThe specifications of this product may change without prior notice.
zThis product is not a toy. Keep out of the reach of children.
zNo part of this manual may be reproduced without written consent of the manufacturer.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
La Crosse Technology, Ltd provides a 1-year limited warranty on this product against
manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship.
This limited warranty begins on the original date of purchase, is valid only on products
purchased and used in North America and only to the original purchaser of this product. To
receive warranty service, the purchaser must contact La Crosse Technology, Ltd for problem
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determination and service procedures. Warranty service can only be performed by a La Crosse
Technology, Ltd authorized service center. The original dated bill of sale must be presented
upon request as proof of purchase to La Crosse Technology, Ltd or La Crosse Technology, Ltd’s
authorized service center.
La Crosse Technology, Ltd will repair or replace this product, at our option and at no charge as
stipulated herein, with new or reconditioned parts or products if found to be defective during the
limited warranty period specified above. All replaced parts and products become the property of
La Crosse Technology, Ltd and must be returned to La Crosse Technology, Ltd. Replacement
parts and products assume the remaining original warranty, or ninety (90) days, whichever is
longer. La Crosse Technology, Ltd will pay all expenses for labor and materials for all repairs
covered by this warranty. If necessary repairs are not covered by this warranty, or if a product is
examined which is not in need or repair, you will be charged for the repairs or examination. The
owner must pay any shipping charges incurred in getting your La Crosse Technology, Ltd
product to a La Crosse Technology, Ltd authorized service center. La Crosse Technology, Ltd
will pay ground return shipping charges to the owner of the product to a USA address only.
Your La Crosse Technology, Ltd warranty covers all defects in material and workmanship with
the following specified exceptions: (1) damage caused by accident, unreasonable use or