In this particular review, I obtained the MH-C401FS "kit", which comes with the 12V Car adapter, and 4-2500mAh batteries. As of the date of this review, you can receive a free "deluxe bag" and an 8-cell battery holder from http://www.thomas-distributing.com/. Thomas Distributing is the best place to go for batteries and chargers, and I highly recommend them. They have many different options for purchasing this charger, as well as other chargers.

MH-C401FS Charging Results

I placed the included 4-2500mAh batteries in the charger, and let it do it's job. The setting was on Fast charge. After about 1 hour and 25 minutes later, the batteries were completely charged. The most important discovery however, was that the charger was cool. I was quite surprised. I was quite excited. I'm normally used to "fast" chargers putting out more heat than my 1500-watt heater I use during the winter (ok, it's not that much heat but still, you get the idea).

Bright Charge Status Indicators

One of the features of the MH-C401FS is it's bright charge status indicators. When a battery is finished charging, a nice and bright green light will display.

Slow Or Fast?

The MH-C401FS has two charging options. One is "Fast", and the other is "Slow". A switch on the side of the MH-C401FS is seen in the above image. When in Fast mode, your batteries are charged within 100 minutes. In this review, as noted above, they took only 1 hour and 25 minutes. The Slow mode takes about 5 hours to charge your batteries completely.

Why Would I Want To Charge My Batteries For 5 Hours?

You're probably asking, "Why not just have a 'Fast' mode entirely. Why would I need to even use a 5-hour mode?"

Well, even though a charger can keep your batteries cool when rapidly charging them, the Laws Of Battery Charging still apply. The more current you have running through a battery, the less its life will be over time. The reason is because the power current depletes the energy cells within the battery. So, the more power current you have flowing into a battery, the shorter its life. The trade-offs, are quicker charging for expedient use. Since today's NiMH batteries are relatively inexpensive, and the mAh ratings are getting better every 3-6 months, the power current factor is not too much of an issue. Maha gives you the convenience of determining what purpose your batteries will be used for, thereby giving you a choice.