How I Check, Test, And Charge My Aa And Aaa Batteries - And Sift Out Defective Ones

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pros and cons

Pros

Simple to use.
It has plentifulness of techy features to please nan geeks.
It does a very bully occupation of sorting retired batteries that can't aliases shouldn't beryllium charged.

Cons

It is expensive.
It takes up a adjacent spot of table space.
It tin beryllium a small noisy successful use.

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Olight is simply a sanction that's been synonymous pinch value flashlights for a number of years. I've owned much than a fewer Olights successful my time, and they person been precocious performers that person acold surpassed my already precocious expectations.

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So, erstwhile I sewage nan chance to get my hands connected Olight's caller AA/AAA artillery charger -- nan Olight Ostation 2 Pro -- I jumped astatine it. After all, if it was anyplace adjacent arsenic bully arsenic its flashlights, it was going to beryllium excellent.

And it was.

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The Ostation 2 Pro is simply a beast

The Ostation 2 Pro (there's besides a modular type that omits immoderate of nan features) is rather hefty arsenic chargers go, and it has rather a table presence. It features a modern, all-plastic building that's some reliable and stylish.

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On nan beforehand is simply a 2.8-inch touchscreen for real-time monitoring of artillery cycles, health, and status, which really adds to nan high-tech, geeky consciousness of nan unit.

I for illustration nan touchscreen connected nan Ostation 2 Pro.

The charger is powered by a 12V/1.5A PD 3.0 USB-C input for faster charging nether afloat load (a mini wall charger is included), and there's an app disposable (iOS and Android) for those who want to dive deeper into nan specifications than nan show offers.

The app offers a deeper dive into charging.

What tin you charge?

The Ostation 2 Pro tin grip immoderate marque of AA and AAA Ni-MH batteries, arsenic good arsenic Olight's ain Ostation 1.5V AA rechargeable Li-ion batteries (Olight doesn't yet person immoderate Li-ion batteries successful AAA size).

I rather for illustration Olight's ain AA Ni-MH batteries.

However, beryllium alert that it won't complaint random Li-ion batteries because nan charger uses a unafraid handshake protocol to pass pinch Ostation batteries for maximum Li-ion charging safety.

It's conscionable truthful easy to use!

Once it's plugged successful and switched connected (and I urge downloading nan app to cheque for immoderate firmware updates), it's easy to use.

Also: This charger made alkaline batteries wholly unnecessary for maine successful 2026

Yup, presume everything needs a package update nowadays.

You load batteries into nan apical (it tin return a twelve AAs and different twelve AAAs), and past nan Ostation 2 Pro checks, tests, and charges them. Freshly charged batteries look successful nan due drawer astatine nan bottommost of nan portion complete nan people of nan time (an AA artillery takes astir 2.5 hours to afloat charge).

My batteries making their measurement done nan Ostation 2 Pro.

The portion tin complaint 4 batteries astatine a clip (two AAs and 2 AAAs).

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Any batteries that neglect to charge, are defective, aliases are alkaline batteries that shouldn't beryllium recharged extremity up successful a abstracted drawer.

And it each conscionable works. I've loaded it pinch each sorts of AA and AAA batteries -- Olight Li-ion batteries, random Ni-MH batteries, defective rechargeable batteries, and moreover a sprinkling of unrechargeable alkaline batteries -- and nan portion performed perfectly, charging each nan rechargeable batteries and rejecting each nan ones that couldn't aliases shouldn't beryllium charged.

The Ostation 2 Pro forces maine to beryllium tidy!

No fuss whatsoever!

There's a hidden concealed for Olight fans

On nan broadside of nan portion is simply a flap that hides 2 magnetic charging (MCC) ports that tin beryllium utilized to complaint compatible Olight flashlights (the Baton, Warrior, Seeker, Marauder Mini, Arkfeld/ArkPro, and Perun 2 bid of flashlights).

Since I person a fewer Olight flashlights, nan MCC ports are a bully touch!

ZDNET's buying proposal

What I really for illustration astir nan Ostation 2 Pro is conscionable really easy it is to use. Yes, I emotion nan touchscreen and nan deeper dive that nan app offers, but it's nan simplicity that is nan existent winning spot for me. There's nary request to load batteries into immoderate spring-loaded contraption, nary request to retrieve to cheque connected them each fewer hours, and nary request to interest that personification mightiness load nan incorrect batteries into nan charger. I emotion nan simplicity of conscionable piling discharged batteries into nan apical and pulling charged ones retired of nan drawer astatine nan bottom.

Also: Should you still bargain rechargeable batteries successful 2026? These USB-C ones opportunity yes

It's ace easy and ace convenient, and it makes it ace difficult for nan personification to messiness thing up.

Last mention of nan productThe Olight Ostation 2 Pro retails for $140 for nan charging portion alone, aliases $200 for nan charger and 24 Olight Ni-MH batteries (which is simply a bully deal). It's a superb charger, but if you want a cheaper option, nan Ostation 2 (which replaces nan touchscreen pinch an LED display, uses a slower 5.0V/2.0A USB-C charger, and doesn't see nan magnetic charging ports for Olight flashlights) is priced astatine $100 for nan charger alone and $160 if you want nan 24 batteries.