Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charger Review

Value

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charger Overview

The Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger for 1-4 NiMH or NiCD batteries charges sizes AAA or AA rechargeable batteries. The Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger Package includes 10 minute+ charger, AC adaptor (100-240 V), and 4 AA NiMH batteries 2600 mAh.

The 4300 mah charging current allows safe, fan-cooled, charging time of 10 minutes or more.

Price

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charger Price

Features

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charger Features

Charge Mode

The Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger claims to charge rechargeable batteries in 10+ minutes with a charge rate of 4300mA.

Discharge Mode

None

Specifications

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Battery Charger Specifications

The Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger package for 1-4 NiMH or NiCD batteries, sizes AAA or AA includes 10 minute+ charger, AC adaptor (100-240 V), and 4 AA NiMH batteries 2600 mAh.

• for 1-4 NiMH or NiCD batteries.
• sizes AAA or AA.
  
• 4300 mah charging current.
• fan-cooled.
• charging time of 10 minutes or more.
• Microprocessor control of charging status.
• Temperature safety cut-off.
• Individual charging process for each battery.
• Faulty cell detection.
• Automatic start of charging process as soon as cells are inserted.
• Trickle charging.
• Safety timer.
• Protection against reverse polarity.
• LED charging status indicators for each cell.
• 3 years warranty.

Tests

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Battery Charger Tests

1. Battery Charge Capacity Tests
2. Battery Charging Temperature Tests
3. Charging Characteristics
4. Feature Tests

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charger Capacity Tests

The Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger did an adequate job of charging the Ansmann AA 2600mAh NiMH rechargeable and the Energizer AA 2500mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries.

From our test results, we can see that these batteries were not topped up to full capacity.

( tested results in % of rated capacity, i.e.. for a 2000mAh battery 99% = 1980mAh )

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charger Temperature Tests

The Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger heated the Duracell AA 2500mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries up to 40 degrees Celsius over a charge time of about 48 minutes.

The Powerex AA 2700mAh NiMH batteries were near full charge. You will notice that the charge time only lasted 6 minutes before the independent channel control put the Powerex into trickle charge mode.

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charging Characteristics

The Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger has 4 independent channels which means you can insert and remove AAA or AA rechargeable batteries as needed.

The graph below shows that the Powerex AA 2700mAh battery was already almost completely charged. The Ansmann DigiSpeed shut off its charging after 6 minutes. The Durcell AA 2500mAh continued charging for another 36 minutes.

The Ansmann DigiSpeed does not appear to use pulse charging but it does cut back the voltage regularly during charging.

Figure #2 Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger Temperature and Charging Characteristics

Ansmann Digispeed 4Ultra Charger Feature Tests

Conclusion

Overall Conclusion

When it comes to fast charging, you have to use common sense when considering charging time. The C-Rate is the basic unit for calculating charge time. For a 2500mAh rechargeable battery, 1C = 2500.

To charge at 1C takes 1 hour, 2C takes 1/2 hour (30 min) and 4C takes 1/4 hour (15 min). A charger would need to charger at 4 x 2500 = 10,000mA to charge in 15 minutes. That is ideal charging and does not take into account normal losses ( anywhere from 25% to 40% depending on the charger and battery ).

At 4300mA, we saw the Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger take 48 minutes to charge a 2500mAhNiMH battery. The 10+ minutes charging time we saw in the Ansmann DigiSpeed 4Ultra Charger product brochure must only be for regular AAA 900mAh rechargeable batteries.