The Sunday Age 05/04/98
Note that LazerCharge refers to a prior model of the ReZAP Battery Doctor.
The Sunday Age 05/04/98
New lease of life Thinking green helps the environment whether at home or at work. Recycling glass at home or using less paper at work help to eliminate waste.
A useful product, LazerCharge, gives batteries a new lease of life. Every year 15 billion batteries are dumped. This invention, by a Melbourne company, should help reduce the threat to nature. It can charge almost all domestic portable batteries including AA, AAA, C, D, 9V and 1.2V prismatic batteries.
So if you use batteries in toys, radios or cameras, it is worth investing in this product. It is an intelligent charger that automatically detects the size and type of battery while it is working. It can also charge different size batteries at the same time.
Recharging a set of four AA batteries costs about one cent. Charging times takes from
one to six hours. Alkaline batteries can be charged up to 15 times and the invention tells you
when the battery cannot be revived.
The Herald Sun 10/06/98
Never say die It's what every cash-strapped parent needs - a battery recharger that regenerates used alkaline batteries. Developed in Australia by Digital Works, this gadget brings used batteries back to life with this caveat: you need to get to the battery before it dies.
Charging takes from one to six hours depending on the condition, size and brand of battery. But on our road test several AA batteries we thought had fallen by the wayside did recharge. But it took at least six hours.
And even then, an electronic battery meter showed they were not fully charged. Still, the
idea of replenishing depleted batteries is praiseworthy on environmental grounds alone, so
the LaserCharge earns our qualified recommendation.
The Mail 11/03/98
Charging ahead A Footscray engineer has developed the world's first recharger of disposable alkaline batteries. Mr Wilson Lee, of Digital Works Engineering in Footscray, took four years to develop the technology.
For many years it was believed normal alkaline batteries could not be recharged because they would be a fire hazard.
The "LazerCharge" is a small, compact charger able to recharge almost all types of domestic portable batteries including the popular alkaline variety. It is approved by the Chief Electrical Inspector in accordance with electrical approval regulations and certified for Australian, European and US use.
Mr Lee said he had consumers' increased usage of batteries in mind, and the effect of disposable batteries on the environment when he undertook the project.
"Research shows 15 billion batteries are disposed of annually worldwide and buried in landfill. Eventually they will leak back into our water and food. We wanted to try and reduce that", he said.
Recharging times for batteries depend on size, and an off-switch is automatically activated when the battery reaches full capacity. Most batteries may be recharged eight to 20 times.
The charger operates on electricity. It will cost about 1 cent to recharge a set of four AA batteries.
Mr Lee said the project was a financial strain on the company. "We didn't get any financial aid from the government. It is a small business and we suffered a lot financially to bring the product out", he said. "We tried to look towards the end result and didn't give up hope".
LazerCharge became available to consumers on a national television home shopping program late last month and Coles supermarkets have shown an interest in stocking the product.
Mr Lee believes the increase in battery-operated appliances may counterbalance any effect
the recharger will have on battery sales.
Inside Australian Hardware April/May 98
New Invention Charges onto the Market After years of intense research and technological development, Digital Works Engineering has introduced LazerCharge to the Australian market, an innovative new product that recharges disposable batteries.
Compact and easy to use, LazerCharge will save consumers a significant amount of money because it is able to charge virtually all types of domestic alkaline batteries including AA, AAA, C, D, 9V and 1.2V prismatic batteries, increasing their life span up to fifteen times.
LazerCharge can automatically detect the size and type of battery whilst charging and is capable of charging batteries of different sizes simultaneously. Charging time can be as short as one hour, but full charging of a very low battery can take up to six hours.
The charging batteries are protected by LazerCharge monitoring and controlling the charge capacity. Once a battery is fully charged, it automatically switches itself to trickle charge mode to prevent any damage.
Digital Works Engineering spokesperson, Wilson Lee, said consumers using LazerCharge
would help to protect the future of the environment, by helping to reduce the 15 billion
batteries unnecessarily dumped and buried in landfills each year.
Silicon Chip May 98
Charge alkaline & NiCd batteries with LazerCharge Designed and engineered in Australia by Digital Works Engineering, the LazerCharge can recharge nicad and alkaline batteries, including AA, AAA, C, D and 9V types, as use in toys, audio equipment, cameras and other electronic equipment.
It automatically detects the type of battery to be charged and is capable of charging different size batteries. Charging time can be as short as one hour but in some cases fully charging a very low battery could take up to six hours.
Once a battery is fully charged, the unit automatically switches to trickle mode. The unit
employs an AlkalineMaxTM charge controller and microprocessor.
Australian Camera June 98
New Life for Dead Batteries Exhausted batteries are a constant problem for just about all photographers and some activities, such as using flash, really chew through the power. The LazerCharge looks like a good way to save money and problems.
According to distributor, Digital Works Engineering, the LazerCharge can increase the
life span of your batteries by up to 15 times. It accepts all the common sizes (AA, AAA, C,
etc.) and types which can also be mixed in the charger. The battery's charge capacity is
continually monitored to prevent overcharging and, yes, you can recharge the common or garden
alkaline batteries.
Gift Collection Winter 98
Recharge & refresh those spent Alkaline & NiCad batteries Kids toys,
radios, cameras, in fact anything that uses Alkaline or NiCad batteries can be given a new
lease of life by recharging the batteries with this innovative product. Saves hundreds of
dollars by recharging and help reduce the environmental waste from the needless dumping
of the toxic chemicals found in most batteries. The charger automatically detects the
type of battery being charged and will alert you when a battery cannot be revived. Takes
four 1.5V D, C, AA, AAA or one 9V battery. Engineered in Australia.
What's New in Electronics May 98
Disposable Battery Recharger The LazerCharge recharger of disposable batteries, designed and engineered in Australia by Digital Works Engineering, re-energises tired batteries, increasing their life span by up to fifteen times.
The LazerCharge is compact and easy to use at home or in the workplace, operating on 240V AC. It is able to charge virtually all types of domestic portable batteries including AA, AAA, C, D, 9V and 1.2V prismatic batteries.
It is essentially an intelligent battery charger that automatically detects the size and type of battery whilst they are being charged and is capable of simultaneously charging different size batteries. Charging time can be as short as one hour, but in some cases fully recharging a very low battery could take up to six hours. The size, quality and condition of the battery has a significant impact on the charging time. The cost of recharging a set of 4 AA batteries using about 5W of power is approxuimately 1 cent.
The LazerCharge protects batteries by monitoring and controlling their charge capacity.
Once a battery is fully charged the LazerCharge automatically switches itself to trickle
charge mode so that damage to the battery does not occur.
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