17Nov Watson Duo LCD Charger – First impressions
I’ve used a few dual charger options in past but the Watson Duo is the first one I’ve picked up with an LCD screen. Supposedly this model has a higher current output (max 2 amps) and better regulation controls than other generic charges on the market. It’s hard to come up with a test method that actually proves these claims so all I have to go on is the nameplate data.
The Watson Duo charger doesn’t come with much in the box. You get the charger, a power cord, and a car adapter. The manual basically says “it’s a charger” and that’s about it. Seems a little overpriced for what you get.
This particular charger is for Canon BP-900 series batteries, but the plates on the Watson Duo charger are interchangeable. Infact you can buy plates to fit pretty much any battery currently on the market for $1.99 a peace on B&H which is a nice feature. Carry around a single charger with 4 extra plates and you have something that can take care of all of all the batteries in your bag.
When I say the Watson Duo charger is over priced, it’s because there are 2 other brands of dual chargers available on the market that look almost identical for less than the $79 Watson charges. First you have the Pearstone Duo charger for $59 and second you have the PhotoPro Dual charger for $49. Both of these competing chargers appear to be the same exact charger with the only difference being the stenciled name on the front of the unit.
The battery adapter plates for all three of these brands appear to be the same so there isn’t much issue there. Some might have green backlights on the screen and others white, but that differences are mostly superficial. While the Watson and Photopro stay at around $79 and $49 respectively for every compatible battery type, the Pearstone duo has drastic price changes depending on the type of battery plate you use.
I’ve read more negative reviews about the PhotoPro Dual charger then either of the other two brands. Maybe PhotoPro sells the units that don’t make it through QA testing, while Pearstone and Watson sell the “A” grade models.
I’m still waiting on a few adapter plates to show up, but so far the Watson Duo charger seems to work fine on the Canon BP-900 series batteries and the USB port charges my tablet without a problem. Once the adapter plates show up, i’ll give it a test on the large sony batteries used in my LED lights and monitors and see how it works out.
November 17th, 2013 at 6:46 pm
I have the Pearstone version of this. It works alright but it gets really hot and makes a high pitched noise towards the end of the charge cycle. I noticed there are a few reviews online that say the same thing. I guess it’s the luck of the draw if you get one that works ok.
November 17th, 2013 at 9:04 pm
The Watson works well on the batteries I’ve tested. No heat or high pitched noise. Maybe it’s worth it to spend the extra on the Watson.
November 20th, 2013 at 7:43 am
hi!
i seen this online! and am very interested! i have a gopro and recently bought a RX100mkII
i have a few question hopfully you can help answer…
1. does it take the same time to charger as you would using the normal charger?
2. can you put different adapter on the two different side?
3. i guess this is a follow up on above qn. can you changer different battery at the same time? 1 side a gopro batt, the other side another brand battery?
great stuff! hope to hear a reply!
November 20th, 2013 at 7:51 am
1. Though I haven’t timed it, the unit does seem to be faster than my other chargers. Though this could be a placebo.
2. Yes
3. Yes
November 20th, 2013 at 7:53 am
thanks! for the quick reply…
u mention that the pearstone adapter can be used for the watson charger, and vice versa…
as i looking to buy a few different adapter.. i just want to make sure that they can all fit no matter if it say watson or pearstone…
November 20th, 2013 at 8:06 am
The ones I’ve tested so far work, despite branding differences.
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:14 pm
To your knowledge does the charger stop trying to charge when it get to 100% or do you need to make sure to take if off on a full charge to prevent damage to the battery
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:31 pm
When it reaches 100%, the charger stops charging and indicates that the battery is charged.
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:38 pm
Cool, thanks for the quick response I just brought it and wanted to know if I could set it and go to sleep.
I do hear a low level hum, but I love to LCD screen to know what’s going on with it.
June 16th, 2014 at 10:01 pm
When I plug in the charger cable
the data on the screen stays 0% for 1-2min
will it display “charging” on the screen?
or it really take long time to charge to reach 1%?
Thanks!
June 18th, 2014 at 7:49 am
The charger runs a test on the battery before it starts charging. Mine takes about 30 seconds, 1 or 2 min seems like a pretty long delay.
August 18th, 2015 at 12:51 pm
Hey Deejay,
Just wondering how long it takes to fully charge a dead Sony NP-F970 and or NP-F550?
August 19th, 2015 at 8:07 am
A couple of hours depending on the charger.