Ok first off there are times I want something, but no one makes it. I tend to cuss a bit, but then figure out how to deal with the situation. Such was the case charging my AD200 batteries. You see I find I use these a lot. Accent lights, rim lights, key lights, you name it they get used in a multitude of various roles during my sessions. And I almost always travel with them to client sessions. Which means I HAVE TO REMEMBER TO BRING ALL OF THE CHARGERS. UGH!
Sure they’re small so packing them is not too big of a deal. But since I have five of these remarkable little strobes AND round heads AND barn doors, AND AND AND, I have a list JUST FOR the 200s! I have a drone I use for some jobs and although DJI is really cool by including this little hub that charges the batteries in succession, I needed one that would charge three batteries all at once along with my controller. So I ended up finding one.
Top my drone battery charger that charges up to three battery packs all at once along with my controller. Below that are two of my five AD200 battery chargers. So with just these three units that takes up three plug slots……I also got frustrated charging AA and AAA batteries. Sure I had the kind that charge four at a time. But some of them would only charge in pairs. And then I had to buy ones for AA versus AAA! UGH. But I found charging heaven with this unit:
16 slots for either AA or AAA or in combination or alone! YAY…. And then I wondered if ANYONE would produce something like this for the AD200 batteries…
So when I got my MB-6 I initially thought “This is too good to be true.” Rather than having five different chargers, five different power cords, now I only have ONE unit and ONE power cord to pack to charge all the batteries! And even one more spot for when I order another 200!
One thing I worried a bit about is if this charger would charge my batteries as fast as the individual OEM single charger. So I tested it. Four drained batteries, two in their OEM chargers and two in the MB-6. And guess what? It charges just as fast as the OEM! Now I have yet to try it with six batteries, but I’m pretty sure it will perform the same. And if not, I’ll post what I find here.
Here’s my protocol:
- Charge all of my strobe, camera, transmitter batteries the night before a shoot
- Pack all of my charging gear into one bag
- Pack all LiOn batteries and bulbs into my carry on luggage
- Once the first day’s session is complete, all batteries go into chargers
- Next morning all batteries go back into their respective units
What having the MB-6 now means is instead of having to use five plug outlets I only need ONE! And instead of having to remember to bring five chargers I only need….wait for it…ONE!
Some may be put off by having to spend 170.00 for a multiple battery charger. For the shooter using one or two of the AD200s only occasionally I believe it would be overkill. But for anyone who is actually making money (meaning profit) shooting, then the value of having gear that saves time and hassle is invaluable. I’m not a pro baker, but I purchased a KitchenAid mixer because it will last me a lifetime and makes my paltry baking much more enjoyable. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what they value.
As time goes on I’ll report more about my experience with this device.
