Tekno Creations Wii InCharge Dual Charge Station
Today we’re going to take a look at the Tekno Creations Wii InCharge Dual Charge Station. Unlike competing products from Nyko and Intec, this unit uses induction charging technology (similar to an electric toothbrush) which means you can charge the Wiimotes with their protective sleeves on!
In our opinion, induction charging is a HUGE selling point for a Wii charge station device. Who wants to have to remove the protective silicone sleeves from the Wiimotes to charge them? Doing so almost defeats the convenience of having your controllers fully charged at all time.
Unfortunately there’s several flaws to the Tekno Creations Wii InCharge Dual Charge Station (whew, that’s quite the mouthful!). The first is that instead of notifying users that the batteries are fully charged by using a solid light (seems logical, eh?), Tekno Creations has chosen to use a blinking light. Why oh why? Blinking lights mean “warning” or “transmitting” or “error” or “out of service”, they rarely mean “everything’s good!”.
Second, there’s no way to charge the Wiimotes with a nunchuk attached. This may not bother some Wii users but it bothers us. Why design a product that uses technology (induction) so that users can charge their Wiimotes more conveniently, and then go ahead and make it inconvenient to use with another popular accessory…the nunchuk?
Pros:
- Uses induction charging technology (no sleeve removal necessary)
- Attractive design
Cons:
- Blinking light means fully charged
- Must remove nunchuk to charge
Summary:
If you’re not bothered by flashing lights and don’t regularly use nunchuks, this may be the perfect Wii charge station for you. Otherwise, we’d recommend you wait for the Energizer Induction Charge Station.
Wii Charge Station gives it the rating of…
(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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Intec Dual Charge Station
Today we’ll be reviewing the Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler by Intec. It retails new for about $25.
What’s unique about this unit is that it features a turbo cooling fan which is integrated into a vertical stand. The stand is quite compact and has slots for two (2) Wiimotes. Also included in the package are two (2) rechargeable battery packs (well of course!). The new battery packs have built-in LED turns red while charging and changes to blue once your remotes are fully charged. The stand itself has a glowing blue light along its bottom when turned on.
Overall Intec’s Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler (woah, that’s quite the mouthfull!) is designed quite attractively. The vertical stand is a good idea as it replaces the stock Wii stand (so as not to take up much additional space) and even looks better. If you’re into glowing blue lights, well you’re in luck too.
The stand has an ON/OFF switch which some users have commented is a nice addition (saves from having to pull the power cord out of the wall outlet), but unfortunately it only controls the charging function. The turbo cooler fan stays on all the time whenever the unit is plugged in. This may be a frustration to some gamers who would rather have the ON/OFF switch completely shut off the unit.
Some users have also complained that the fan in the stand is too loud, and that it’s a pain to have to remove the sleeve and wrist strap from the Wii controllers to charge them.
Pros:
- Compact design
- Turbo cooler fan helps keep the Wii cool
- Cheapest of the dual Wii charge stations
Cons:
- ON/OFF switch doesn’t fully shut off unit
- Fan is too loud
- Must remove sleeve and wrist strap to charge controllers
Summary:
The Intec Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler is a nice addition to the Wii charge station market, and it is priced to be affordable. However, it has received generally poor ratings from customers, so we can’t in good conscience recommend that you purchase it. If you’re looking for a dual Wii charge station, perhaps consider the Nyko.
Wii Charge Station gives it a rating of…
(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)You need to be a registered member to rate this post.
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Nyko Dual Charge Station
Our first review is, quite appropriately, on the first-to-market Wii Charge Station, released in Q1 2007 by Nyko.
The Nyko Wii Charge Station package contains two Wi controller battery packs, two rubberized battery covers, the charging station (doc) which can hold two Wiimotes (nerd-speak for Wii controllers) and an AC cord. The battery packs fit nicely into the controller battery compartments, and the new battery covers can then be snapped into place. The reason new battery covers are needed is because these ones have holes for the battery electrical contacts in order for the charging process to be possible.
We’re quite pleased with how the unit functions. It charges two Wiimotes in approximately 4 hours. If you get in the habit of storing the Wiimotes on the charge station when not in use, you’ll never have to worry about the charging time as they should always be fully charged. Nyko reports that the NiMH batteries can last up to 25 hours between chargings, so that should be good enough for all but the most hardcore marathong gamers 
. Our test lasted 19 hours of non-continuous playing, but this included several long breaks without playing (you know, to eat and sleep and all that other important stuff).
Pros:
- Performs as advertised
- Easy to assemble and use
- Respectable charging time
- Rubberized battery grip is a nice substitute for the silicone sleeves
Cons:
- Wrist straps sometime get in the way when placing Wiimotes on charge station
- Must remove Wiimote sleeves when charging
Summary:
The Nyko Charge Station is well worth the money. It will likely pay for itself in a couple years when you’re not having to constantly stock up on disposable AA batteries, and the convenience of having fully charge Wiimotes at all times makes this a recommended buy!
Therefore, Wii Charge Station gives it the rating of…
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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DreamGEAR Wii Dual Charging Station
This review is going to be on the Wii Dual Charging Station by DreamGEAR. It retails new for about $30.
This unit comes with an attractive, glowing charging stand that houses both your Wii console and two (2) Wiimotes. It has an LED charge indicator that makes it quite obvious when the remotes are fully charged.
Also, one unique feature that DreamGEAR’s Wii Dual Charging Station has is that the Wiimotes can be charged even when the Wii console is powered off. That sure is handy because you never have to think about flicking a switch or plugging anything in; the controllers will ALWAYS be charged as long as you place them in the stand.
Some comments from users include:
- “Customer service is excellent. I had one of the batteries become corroded and the pack would not charge. I emailed the company and got a speedy response and they promptly sent a new battery pack free of charge. Thanks DreamGear!”
- “The wii remotes do not fit very well and you really have to play with it to get it to charge. One of the battery packs did not fit so will have to fight to return.”
- “You have to remove the straps and the wii covers and you still fudge around with it to get it to charge. My kids are not able to put on and take off the strap and covers themselves. This is way more work for me. I will return to rechargeable batteries, the are much less work.”
- “This is a good charger but it is hard to get the remotes on the charger with the strap attached. I would recommend the charger with the fan because the chargers fit better.”
Pros:
- Attractive design
- Can charge Wiimotes even when console is off
- LED lights indicate when remotes are fully charged
Cons:
- Must remove the straps and protective sleeves to charge Wiimotes
- Stand is a bit bulky
- Battery packs are difficult to fit into controllers
Summary:
The DreamGEAR Wii Dual Charging Station has some decent features and is attractive enough. Unfortunately, it has received mediocre ratings from customers, largely in part to the controllers being difficult to fit into the stand, and the battery packs being difficult to fit into the controllers (sounds like the design team needs to get back to the drawing board!). If you’re looking for a better dual Wii charge station, perhaps consider the Nyko.
Thus, Wii Charge Station gives it the rating of…
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)You need to be a registered member to rate this post.
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