I am looking for a 4 bay charger that when charging 4 18650 batteries , I get at least .5 amp to each bay? or 1 amp would be better ? My current Xtar charger drops to .2 amp when 4 batteries are installed.I would prefer a charger that has a screen that tells me what is going on .and not to expensive would be good too ! then one more question ,is it beter for battery life if charging is done at .2 amp or 1 amp ? thanks in advance
4 Bay Charger Recomendation please !
- Thread starter 7MMMARK
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WalkIntoTheLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Just about any modern charger will do what you want. I have three 4-slot chargers that do at least 1 amp, have a fancy display, etc. The Nitecore SC4, Xtar X4, and Liitokala Lii-500. There are plenty of others. Check out HKJ's reviews for all kinds of info about them. Also, I think I've done youtube reviews on those 3 chargers I mentioned.
For 18650s, 1 amp charging is fine. It won't stress your cells any more than 0.2 amps.
You were really charging 18650 cells at only 0.2 amps ??? That would take all day long, and longer!
For 18650s, 1 amp charging is fine. It won't stress your cells any more than 0.2 amps.
You were really charging 18650 cells at only 0.2 amps ??? That would take all day long, and longer!
tripplec
Enlightened
Lots of review and a chart of Good one here. I am not sure if its in the Stickys or not. Pro and Cons to quite a few you pretty much have to decide and a lot of threads started with the same question if you read them.
Is pricing a priority ?
You can always get an Opus 3100 which supports 1A on each slot and can also test batteries.
If your Xtar drops to .2A it's not really normal, looks like a fake one to me (unless they have a .2/.4A entry level model I don't know of).
You can always get an Opus 3100 which supports 1A on each slot and can also test batteries.
If your Xtar drops to .2A it's not really normal, looks like a fake one to me (unless they have a .2/.4A entry level model I don't know of).
yes my XTAR VC4 is basically an overnight charger it takes that long . Using two bays it shows it is charging at .5 when you put in 4 batts, it drops to .2. not sure how to tell if it is a fake , it came with all the factory looking box and stuff. Also I have a few NCR18650B and one of them takes a full charge but consistently takes longer to charge. it is still ok to use ?
peter yetman
Flashlight Enthusiast
What are you using to power your VC4?
If the USB power supply cannot deliver 2 Amps then the charger cannot supply the rated currecnt.
Have a look at HKJ's review for more imprtant tips...
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?400085-Test-Review-of-Charger-Xtar-VC4
If you want a charger that will deliver 1 amp to all four slots, then you'll need to use one that has a wall wart or a mains power supply.
I've only ever used Xtar which suit my needs very well. I have two VP4 Plus Dragons which have never put a foot wrong.
P
If the USB power supply cannot deliver 2 Amps then the charger cannot supply the rated currecnt.
Have a look at HKJ's review for more imprtant tips...
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?400085-Test-Review-of-Charger-Xtar-VC4
If you want a charger that will deliver 1 amp to all four slots, then you'll need to use one that has a wall wart or a mains power supply.
I've only ever used Xtar which suit my needs very well. I have two VP4 Plus Dragons which have never put a foot wrong.
P
For the $, the Nitecore SC4 is hard to beat for a 4 slot high output charger. Up to 1.5 amps each when charging 4 batteries at a time.Sure there are other chargers that also offer more options such as discharging, probes,etc but you will pay much more for them.The SC4 can be had for $40.
Thank you Peter , my problem may be the USB wall adapter the I am plugging my charger into ! it says 2 amps but if I want the charger to charge 4 bays with 1 amp each, that wont work So before I buy a new USB wall adapter what amp rating am I looking for ? 4 amp ? 6 amp ? thanks Mark ps I am looking at the Nitecore SC4
I'd recommend the Miboxer C4-Upgrade. Go to Miboxer.com to view them. Charger can be had for less than $30. I think it's a deal for what you get.
The upgrade version is the one with the 4 lines of text towards the left side of the screen. The original is the text in the lower right corner. On Amazon some sellers still have the older one. So be careful which one you get. You'd have to look at these on Amazon to know what I mean. Or go to Miboxer website. Anyhow the Upgrade version will allow the longer 21700 battery which I needed. The price is good. Miboxer is popular among the flashaholic community. There's other Miboxer units, and the C4-12 may be more popular because of a higher current capability but the Upgrade will still do 1 amp per bay and 1.5A for two bays. What you want is a charger that is powered by either AC or a 12v adapter and not a USB. This Miboxer unit gives you both the AC and 12v option to power it. Thus you can power it easily from solar or your car. Will do all battery types including NiMh and 4.35v lithium ion. Other Miboxer units offer a USB port which doesn't interest me that much, so I went with the C4-upgrade because it hit all of my requirements. One of their 2 bay units will do a discharge if that interests you.
The upgrade version is the one with the 4 lines of text towards the left side of the screen. The original is the text in the lower right corner. On Amazon some sellers still have the older one. So be careful which one you get. You'd have to look at these on Amazon to know what I mean. Or go to Miboxer website. Anyhow the Upgrade version will allow the longer 21700 battery which I needed. The price is good. Miboxer is popular among the flashaholic community. There's other Miboxer units, and the C4-12 may be more popular because of a higher current capability but the Upgrade will still do 1 amp per bay and 1.5A for two bays. What you want is a charger that is powered by either AC or a 12v adapter and not a USB. This Miboxer unit gives you both the AC and 12v option to power it. Thus you can power it easily from solar or your car. Will do all battery types including NiMh and 4.35v lithium ion. Other Miboxer units offer a USB port which doesn't interest me that much, so I went with the C4-upgrade because it hit all of my requirements. One of their 2 bay units will do a discharge if that interests you.
