by Jennifer L. Thompson

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Created on: March 29, 2008

The Energizer e2 Rechargeable Compact Charger, model CHDC7, is just that, compact. When closed, it will fit in the palm of your hand. The plug folds down into the back, making it square, slim (a little thicker and slightly longer than the AA battery) and easy to pack. The colors are black with silver, giving it something of a space-age look, with four light-up battery icons across the front panel. This unit accommodates either AA or AAA batteries, and comes with two of each included, and is designed to work with either a (verticle) wall plug-in, or a (horizontal) floor plug-in.

Upon sliding the unit open (approximately doubling its length) you will see room for up to four batteries. Two small levers allow you to easily convert, with the flip of a switch, to which size battery you wish to insert. It will allow two or four of the same type, or two each of both types to be charged at once.

Insertion of the batteries is simple. With positive and negative signs clearly marked inside the charger, just match the battery to the picture and slip it securely into its holding place.

Once plugged in, the dual lights on the aforementioned battery icons will blink and eventually become solid as each battery becomes fully charged. Should the batteries be bad, the lights will blink rapidly to let you know this, too. Charging times range from two to six and a half hours, depending upon the battery capacity and size, though leaving them in for longer does no damage to them.

The suggested batteries for this unit are Energizer AA NiMH (standing for Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeables of up to 2500mAh, or AAA NiMH batteries of up to 900mAh. The claim is that these particular AA batteries will take up to 325 digital pictures from just one charging. This number can, and very likely will vary, however, with different cameras or under certain conditions.

Priced at around twenty dollars, with the batteries at about ten for a four-pack, the convenience and cost savings over regular batteries, along with the benefits to the environment, make this overall a worthwhile investment.

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