# XTAR VC4



## gopajti (Feb 4, 2015)

Now VC4 released, looks very interesting, nimh support etc. Waiting for HKJ review 

http://xtarlight.com/05-chanpin/p-001-1.asp?styleid=340


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## Davekan (Feb 4, 2015)

I do like their stuff. Nice find.

dave


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## Javora (Feb 4, 2015)

I'm interested in the review as well. Being able to charge NiMH as well as Li-ion is the reason I picked up a Nitecore D2. This might be my next charger.


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## smooth2o (Feb 4, 2015)

I have the Nitecore D2 on order as my second charger (2nd home) and I'm considering changing only for the NiMH reconditioning feature that the D2 doesn't have (AFAIK). What really gets me is why they don't show all four channels at once with Capacity, Voltage, Current, and Time. I mean, they already have an LCD screen so they can put anything on it. There may be a few more descrete parts required which are dirt cheap but certainly no more ICs. I think they already provide pulse charging so those components are multiplexed anyway, so the screen readouts could be too. I think that would make a killer charger.

BTW, is it really necessary to recondition NiMHs? I would be of the mind that after a couple of hundred uses and recharges, these batteries are going to be looking in pretty bad shape (cosmetically). My inclination would be to buy new ones and toss the old. I mean, they more than paid for themselves....


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## hammerjoe (Feb 4, 2015)

I agree with Smooth2o about the display, it still looks good thou.

What I dont like is the last line: "●Max 0.5A*4 / 1.0A*2 charging current make sure your batteries can be fully and 
quickly charged"

Does it mean that it can only charge 4 cells at 500mah max???


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## tandem (Feb 4, 2015)

smooth2o said:


> BTW, is it really necessary to recondition NiMHs? I would be of the mind that after a couple of hundred uses and recharges, these batteries are going to be looking in pretty bad shape (cosmetically). My inclination would be to buy new ones and toss the old. I mean, they more than paid for themselves....



It's not just reconditioning which is useful; chargers that offer _discharge reporting_ give you the scoop on what available capacity really is. Charge mAh "in" isn't the same. 

We are an all season all weather biking family and I consider it a failure if our rear tail lights fail on a ride. It has happened a few times over the years; in every case it's been because I slacked off on monitoring and a weaker cell with less capacity got paired up with another. Fortunately this is totally preventable.

I do a reconditioning pass every once in a while (at least once a year for the AAs, a little more often with AAA format) to find cells that are under performing. Physically my oldest Eneloops (5 years) are holding up pretty well although some of the coating on the outer shell is wearing off on a few. 

I use Refresh/Analyze on my Maha C9000 as a first step; those that come off > 750mAh capacity go straight back into the ready-to-use bin in our cell box, and most do - even the 5 year old cells. Yay! 

Those that don't make the bar go through 4 Charge/Discharge Cycles; if they come up to par (most have) they go back into the ready-to-use bin. This morning 3 of four came right back up to ~750 -785mAh so they went into the box, the other turned in 695mAh - that one I put on Discharge and will run Break-in against it while I go on with the R-A cycling of another three. If it doesn't recover appreciably it'll be recycled. 

Continue-until-done!

It's not cost avoidance that makes me want to have a good analysing charger, it's _performance_​.


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## smooth2o (Feb 4, 2015)

hammerjoe said:


> I agree with Smooth2o about the display, it still looks good thou.
> 
> What I dont like is the last line: "●Max 0.5A*4 / 1.0A*2 charging current make sure your batteries can be fully and
> quickly charged"
> ...



Yes, that's how the other VPs work too. You can only charge at 1A on two cells, then it gets split for 4. The D2/4 operate the same way except it splits .75A. Most of this doesn't make as much of a difference as you'd think. After the main charge to 4.2, the charger then lowers the current to maintain 4.2V. This lower current is well below the charge current but the time at 4.2 is significant and therefore not the whole story with respect to total charge time.


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## HKJ (Feb 4, 2015)

hammerjoe said:


> I agree with Smooth2o about the display, it still looks good thou.
> 
> What I dont like is the last line: "●Max 0.5A*4 / 1.0A*2 charging current make sure your batteries can be fully and
> quickly charged"
> ...




The advantage with this is lower temperature in the charger and being usb it will not be able to get power enough to charge four cells at 1A each, 0.5A is already stretching it.


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## smooth2o (Feb 4, 2015)

tandem said:


> It's not just reconditioning which is useful; chargers that offer _discharge reporting_ give you the scoop on what available capacity really is. Charge mAh "in" isn't the same.
> 
> We are an all season all weather biking family and I consider it a failure if our rear tail lights fail on a ride. It has happened a few times over the years; in every case it's been because I slacked off on monitoring and a weaker cell with less capacity got paired up with another. Fortunately this is totally preventable.
> 
> ...



Yeah, the D4/2 doesn't have that capability.

So to make it clear to me, you put a used battery in the charger and in the correct mode, the charger discharges the battery to a known low level, then charges it up while measuring the mAh that are going into the battery and reports to you at the end of charging, the capacity of the cell? That is to say that at or near EOL, the battery will hold less capacity (the charging characteristics change) but show the same top voltage?

I thought the Eneloops (don't have any, but considering) had like a 5 year life, this seems like some amount of work to go through (if you weren't interested in someone clobbering you from behind on a bike) on a normal basis. But I can see how you need to tell a good one from the bad ones. Thinking of trashing my order for the D2 and go with the VC4....


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## Aperture (Feb 4, 2015)

Awesome news, thanks for the link.

MSRP is $29.95, also couple of more pics here:
http://www.xtardirect.com/collections/chargers/products/xtar-vc4-charger

I really like my VC2 so can't wait to buy the VC4 for the extra channels and NiMH support.


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## tandem (Feb 4, 2015)

smooth2o said:


> So to make it clear to me, you put a used battery in the charger and in the correct mode, the charger discharges the battery to a known low level, then charges it up while measuring the mAh that are going into the battery and reports to you at the end of charging, the capacity of the cell? That is to say that at or near EOL, the battery will hold less capacity (the charging characteristics change) but show the same top voltage?



The C9000 has a number of functions that can be useful in recovering capacity. Break-in does a long slow 0.2C charge, discharge, slow 0.2C charge again. Refresh/Analyse lets you pick the charge and discharge rates. Cycle does the same, but multiple times. For programs where the C9000 does a discharge it reports that value at the end of the function.



> I thought the Eneloops (don't have any, but considering) had like a 5 year life, this seems like some amount of work to go through (if you weren't interested in someone clobbering you from behind on a bike) on a normal basis. But I can see how you need to tell a good one from the bad ones. Thinking of trashing my order for the D2 and go with the VC4....



I don't mean it to sound like work, because it really isn't much effort although when you have 100's of cells yes it does feel a bit like work.  The alternative... buying many thousands of non-rechargeable cells... isn't very appealing to me. dI find AAA cells require a little more supervision, probably not due to construction or chemistry but simply because they have less capacity. Also in tail lights you don't always notice they are out until at your destination where head lights are usually much more obvious. 

Typically in real life use it won't be chronological age or cycle age where you see the odd cell lose some capacity.Ultimately it comes down to low self discharge NiMH cells appreciating a full work out. Those that don't get such a work out regularly can give up some capacity, and working them out with an intelligent charger can restore a cell. The best thing about intelligent chargers that report discharge capacity is you'll know when you have a slightly misbehaving cell and can bring it back into line. Or recycle the cell if need be.


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## gopajti (Feb 6, 2015)

found a video on youtube,



small bag looks nice and this charger looks bigger than I imagined


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## Berneck1 (Feb 8, 2015)

I think the camera lens may be distorting the size a little. Think I need to order one of these...


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## Berneck1 (Feb 15, 2015)

Has anybody ordered this charger yet? Are there any reviews? I think it's still on pre-order. I'm thinking of getting one, but I don't like to buy anything right out of the gate like this, unless there is a reliable review, etc....


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## ssneil (Feb 19, 2015)

Berneck1 said:


> Has anybody ordered this charger yet? Are there any reviews? I think it's still on pre-order. I'm thinking of getting one, but I don't like to buy anything right out of the gate like this, unless there is a reliable review, etc....
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums



i preordered this a weeks ago and just got it in today. i don't think there are any reviews yet. i'm a complete noob, so I'm not even sure what to comment on. i just hope these are as good as the other chargers xtar puts out.


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## Berneck1 (Feb 22, 2015)

I received it yesterday. I'm not sure I understand this charger. I thought it would show how much the battery is currently charged, and then charge it to capacity and display that capacity.

Instead, every battery I put in starts at zero and slowly ticks up until "full". I had some Eneloop Pros, that charged up to 249 mah and said "full". I'm assuming that is the amount that was added to the battery? But that doesn't make sense to me...

Does anybody have some insight as to what it is I'm reading?


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## HKJ (Feb 22, 2015)

Berneck1 said:


> Instead, every battery I put in starts at zero and slowly ticks up until "full". I had some Eneloop Pros, that charged up to 249 mah and said "full". I'm assuming that is the amount that was added to the battery? But that doesn't make sense to me...



Why does that not make sense? It is the same as the VC2


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## Berneck1 (Feb 22, 2015)

HKJ said:


> Why does that not make sense? It is the same as the VC2



Ok, so that is simply the amount being added? 

When reading the marketing material I thought it would display the full capacity of the cell...


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## stevevalo (Feb 22, 2015)

I'm looking at this charger as well, just cancelled the Nitecore D4 I had on order, as I thought this would be better for the same money?

It does say on the website it displays charging Capacity but then displays "FuLL" when Full, so what is the, "charging capacity"? Is that the full capacity of the battery? 

It also states on the website, "Foreknow the battery life - After discharge your batteries to the cut off voltage and recharge in VC4, if "0000mAh"shows 70% of the nominal capacity which means that your battery life is almost to an end."


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## stevevalo (Feb 22, 2015)

This is what it states for the VC2:

*How to test your batteries mAh capacity:*
Step 1: Insert your *discharged battery *(at a discharge cut-off voltage generally below 3.0V)
Step 2: Let the battery charge and notice the 0000mAh displayed on the screen. Do not remove the battery until the charge is complete.
Step 3: When the battery is fully charged, the screen will show "FULL" and the entire screen will flash 3 times every 10 seconds.
Step 4: The mAh on the screen should now give you the batteries actual capacity.


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## ko4nrbs (Feb 22, 2015)

To get full capacity I guess you have to discharge the cell and then recharge it??
Bill


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## Aperture (Feb 22, 2015)

Capacity is measured by either completely discharging a full battery or charging an empty one, the VC2 and VC4 use the latter method.


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## Berneck1 (Feb 23, 2015)

Yes it seems that I need to fully discharge the battery and then recharge it. The VC4 will not show the full capacity once charged. It will only show what was presumably added.

The one concern I have is, I topped off some Eneloops, supposedly adding 250mah. Which took about a hour and 15 minutes. I took them out of the charger, and put them right back in. It took about 40 mins or so for them to register "full" again, presumably adding another 130mah. 

If I did that on my D4 it would take just a few minutes to register full again. I'm not sure why it would take so long for the VC4 to show full on a "full" battery.

I don't know much about how these chargers "think". 




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## Berneck1 (Feb 23, 2015)

Some additional observations. 

I'm realizing there's not much of a difference between the D4 and VC4. They have their pros and cons. I kind of like the D4 more, however the VC4 is a little more useful to me in some ways.

The D4 definitely charges faster, however the batteries can get quite warm. I prefer them not to get so warm. On the other hand, if you're in a situation where you need to charge your batteries quickly, you're going to find the VC4 frustrating, especially with D cells.

The VC4 can accommodate D Cell batteries very well in the two outside ports. The D4 barely holds two C cells, it will not hold D cells. Furthermore, you can still utilize the middle ports on the VC4 while charging D cells. The C cells pop out when your try to charge other batteries on the D4.

The charging current on the D4 is more consistent and controllable. The VC4 fluctuates quite a bit. I assume because it's USB. You cannot control the current on the VC4, other than using the two middle ports for 1A.

The fact that the plug on the VC4 is USB is COMPLETELY USELESS because the input is not a micro USB. No matter what, you have to bring THAT cord with you. The D4 cord is no larger.
The fact that is it USB causes the VC4 to charge very slowly. I could look past that somewhat if the cord was interchangeable with other mobile devices I have, but it is not. The selling point of it being USB compatible would be using the cable interchangeably with other popular devices, such as with a micro-USB connector, not simply swapping the USB brick. 

I like that the VC4 shows what was added to the battery. The D4 simply has progress bars. That being said, it's not all that useful unless that battery is fully discharged and you can see the true capacity of your battery. I originally thought the VC4 would reveal the full capacity of the battery once charged. 

If the D4 could accommodate D Cells the way the VC4 does, I would probably not find much use for the VC4 at all. The only advantage beyond that is seeing how much is added back to the battery, but again, that's really only useful if the battery is fully discharged and you can see the true capacity of the cell once charged up. The display on the VC4 is really cool, but doesn't tell me much more than the D4.

In the end, I think my expectations were high for the VC4. Given the price, it's not a bad charger, but I think it falls short a little of what I feel it could have been. Since the it's not a true USB to micro-USB cable, I would have just preferred a regular plug giving a higher current, with the ability to select the charging current. 







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## Aperture (Feb 24, 2015)

Berneck, with all due respect I suggest that you read the manuals provided with both chargers as you clearly don't understand their specs and capabilities.

Hint, the VC4 is the more powerful charger with a very consistent and controllable output if you A) use a 2.1A USB charger (like the 12W iPad charger) and B) know which channels deliver which output (outer channels 1A, all channels 0.5A when an inner channel is used).


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## stevevalo (Feb 24, 2015)

@berneck1, what is the amps of the USB brick that you are using?

@aperture, do you have/use the VC4, and would you recommend it over the D4?


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## Aperture (Feb 24, 2015)

stevevalo said:


> @aperture, do you have/use the VC4, and would you recommend it over the D4?


I have the VC2 and will get the VC4 once my go-to-store has it in stock (nkon.nl) but as usual I read manuals / online specs before ordering.

For me the choice to go with the VC4 over de D4 is a no-brainer:
- Its more powerful
- Easier to use
- I prefer USB over AC or 12V input (compatible with all power banks, USB hubs are small, etc)
- Screen reports exactly the information I want to know; voltage, amps and capacity in mAh
- And I assume it can handle fatter and longer cells (VC2 has big slots and Nitecore tends to be on the short side)


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## Aperture (Feb 26, 2015)

About the cable, micro USB is limited to 1.8A so isn't suited to provide the needed 2.1A for the VC4 to go full throttle so they needed to use something else, just like Apple did with the lightning connector for the iPad which can handle at least 2.4A to charge the giant internal battery within an acceptable timeframe.

Based on the pics I think and hope they went with the DC 3.5x1.1mm plug which is pretty common for 5V DC, my powerbank uses the same input plug and the many other powerbanks I have came shipped with an USB to 3.5x1.1mm cable and an assortment of 3.5x1.1mm phone plugs.

In the near future I hope everything will use the upcoming USB C standard which can handle 5A at a 5-20V range for a total of 100W, plus the plug can be plugged in both ways on both ends of the cable so is also very user-friendly in use (I hate micro USB in that regard).


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## ko4nrbs (Feb 26, 2015)

I use one of these with mine:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311279605334?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Bill


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## stevevalo (Mar 10, 2015)

@ Apeture, why do you mention Micro USB? Is that what you are using?

I'm using a standard USB charger, with an output of 1.6Amps, I have a 2.1Amp 5 Volt charger on order.

Just not sure why the VC4 is reporting .5Amps per Channel when my charger can only supply 1.6Amps, when all 4 channels are utilised?


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## stevevalo (Mar 10, 2015)

I've just tried this VC4 with another USB charger, its output is 1.2A 5V and the VC4 is reporting on the display .5A per channel with all 4 channels used 4xAAA.

When I inserted the 1st battery it reported 1A, as I put the 2nd battery in it dropped to .5A and did not change when inserting the 3rd and 4th batteries. 

Is this possible?


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## Aperture (Mar 10, 2015)

stevevalo said:


> @ Apeture, why do you mention Micro USB? Is that what you are using?



I was merely responding to an earlier post where somebody complained about the fact the VC4 doesn't have a micro USB connector.



stevevalo said:


> Just not sure why the VC4 is reporting .5Amps per Channel when my charger can only supply 1.6Amps, when all 4 channels are utilised?



With a 1.6A charger the VC4 should be able to deliver 0.5A on four channels up to a charging voltage of 3.2V (1.6/2.1 times its 4.2V max voltage), my guess is you where charging four NiMH cells.


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## oozhawad (Mar 18, 2015)

It might be advantageous to not assume because the manufacturer had cleverly not mentioned it due to their new baby being a "On a Need To Know Basis", which that this VC4 is ONLY an automaton charger in that it will neither discharge nor offer any means of setting charging values.

This charger is seemingly an instrumentation sort of new toy for the well-heeled of pocket and imagination.


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## Beacon of Light (Mar 22, 2015)

Ok, I'm not getting what people are referring to when they say they are using a USB charger. Does this VC4 charge cells in it when say plugging your VC4 into your laptop USB port? I'm only seeing a DC jack on the VC4 so assuming it is this way. There is no USB output to use the VC4 with cells in the bays to function as a power bank the way the VP-1 will do? Not liking the LCD screen on this or the VC2 and just wish they'd make a 4 bay version of the VP-1


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## angerdan (Mar 23, 2015)

Beacon of Light said:


> Ok, I'm not getting what people are referring to when they say they are using a USB charger. Does this VC4 charge cells in it when say plugging your VC4 into your laptop USB port? I'm only seeing a DC jack on the VC4 so assuming it is this way.1


If you take a closer look at the product site of the VC4, you will see the charge cable has an USB plug:


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## oozhawad (Mar 30, 2015)

gopajti said:


> Now VC4 released, looks very interesting, nimh support etc. Waiting for HKJ review
> 
> http://xtarlight.com/05-chanpin/p-001-1.asp?styleid=340



Perhaps the forthcoming HKJ review might confirm that, for NiMH, this unit actually inject less mAh than even a Maha C-9000 with FW that does not top-up [at least mine doesn't top up with Mr Maha getting away wheet eet yet again], due possibly to the verbally Easy-Come, Easy-Go Chinese engineered circuitry for NiMH terminal voltage detection being distracted by Birds a-nesting nearby. As for Li-Ion, the terminal voltage detection might be OK and therfore the charging too but if you are after fairly full charging of your NiMH and couldn't careless about "extreme long life of gazillions of recharge-ability" [who wants to live forevah, eh?], then one should tread carefully before cashing-in this cow of a VC4 and its glitzy semi-circular display which disarms those who imagine that that is the sign that some Chinese god had his hands in the design. Not quite boyo.

This VC4 of a Chinese circus act is basically a Li-Ion charger with NiMH charging being there merely for show if you trust the declared verbage. Meaning that be wary should you intend to buy this mainly gor NiMH charging. Either that or my unit is one of those which had escaped from the QC asylum, the poor thang.


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## bobspel (Mar 31, 2015)

Got my VC4 last week. Only charged a couple of 18650s, but it worked well. I have not tried NiMHs yet, but i have other smart charges for them. I do not have a 2.1 amp wall power supply yet, only some 1.0 amp ones, so I was not able to get the fastest charging out of it. The display looked nice and clear and provided the information I wanted. Build quality is quite good, and overall, I am quite happy with this purchase.


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## ChrisGarrett (Apr 2, 2015)

Can somebody tell me what the benefit of this USB charger is, if you really can't use it plugged into a typical PC USB 2.0 socket, but have to use it with a USB charger that plugs into an AC outlet?

I get that it might be able to be used with a power bank having a 2.0A output, but is that the only tangible benefit to using this charger? If I don't own a power bank and rely on AC or the PC's USB output, won't I be better off with just a unit that plugs into the wall, or has a 12v socket to run the charger with my emergency solar panel rig?

Thanks, Chris


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## Berneck1 (Apr 3, 2015)

ChrisGarrett said:


> Can somebody tell me what the benefit of this USB charger is, if you really can't use it plugged into a typical PC USB 2.0 socket, but have to use it with a USB charger that plugs into an AC outlet?
> 
> I get that it might be able to be used with a power bank having a 2.0A output, but is that the only tangible benefit to using this charger? If I don't own a power bank and rely on AC or the PC's USB output, won't I be better off with just a unit that plugs into the wall, or has a 12v socket to run the charger with my emergency solar panel rig?
> 
> Thanks, Chris



Agreed. It's a bit of a gimmick if you ask me. 


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## Aperture (Apr 3, 2015)

ChrisGarrett said:


> Can somebody tell me what the benefit of this USB charger is, if you really can't use it plugged into a typical PC USB 2.0 socket, but have to use it with a USB charger that plugs into an AC outlet?


Because every smartphone and tablet (and most other mobile devices for that matter) comes packaged with such an USB wall charger so instead of using a 12V adapter I don't need for any of my other devices I can now use one of the USB chargers already plugged into the wall at home, or is already in my travel bag, borrow from any of my friends because all of them have at least one, use the dual USB charger already in my cars 12V cigarette socket, etc, etc.

And yes you can also use the USB ports on your PC, the USB ports on my 4 year old MacBook Air for instance can deliver 5W of power which is enough to charge AA's at full speed and li-ions at half speed. A 12W USB charger is only needed to go full power with li-ions.

USB is the future, soon all mobile devices including laptops, battery chargers, etc will be charged with the new USB-C standard (100W at 5-20V), one charger and one cable to rule them all.


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## zipplet (Apr 3, 2015)

What is the performance of this charger like when charging NiMH cells?
I kind of like the idea of having a single charger I leave out on my desk for lithium-ion and NiMH cells. Living in a small apartment, space is a premium 

Kind regards


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## Ferdinando (Apr 4, 2015)

in my humble opinion the benefits of this charger are:

- it's a XTAR, that usually make good chargers (as many HKJ reviews says)
- it is USB powered (even if must be a very good USB source to get the maximum charging rate)
- it has 4 charging slots
- it can charge cells at 1A
- it shows charged mAh other than current cells voltage (I don't know how much accurate measure is, but it shows)
- it charge Li Ion and NiMh

In my few tests, it has charged some my no-brand NiMh 2500mAh,
showing 19xx mAh of charged capacity, more or less the same capacity that my MAHA shows with same cells
What is missing is the ability to discharge the NiMh cells.


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## CuriousOne (Apr 4, 2015)

1A max charge current is quite limiting, considering increasing popularity of higher capacity cells.


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## ven (Apr 4, 2015)

Ferdinando said:


> in my humble opinion the benefits of this charger are:
> 
> 
> - it can charge cells at 1A
> ...


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## zipplet (Apr 4, 2015)

ven said:


> I would love a 4 bay all in one with the options of all 4 x18650 being charged at 1a



I agree with you, however it would not be possible to do if it only had a USB power supply. I like the USB power input feature and it would be a shame to remove it. Assuming 100% efficiency which you wont get in reality, for the charger to charge 4x 18650 at 1A from USB it will need a 5V 3.36A power supply. I don't know any "legit" USB power supply that will do that. It would be bad if it required a rare super high current USB power supply too.

A solution would be for XTAR to put 2 inputs on the charger. Keep the 5V 2A input and limit to 0.5A with 4 cells, but add a 12V input for charging with all 4 bays at 1A. Keep everyone satisfied


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## Berneck1 (Apr 4, 2015)

I think USB C can handle the power, right? If everything starts moving to that, then it would be much more useful. I guess time will tell.


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## Aperture (Apr 4, 2015)

USB-C is able to deliver 5A at 5 to 20V, so at 5V it can deliver 25W which is double of the current 2.4A / 12W iPad charger.

But with USB-C one is no longer limited to just 5V, the mobile device can tell the charger what it needs in voltage and amps so the same charger can also deliver 12V if needed.

Btw Apple is using a 29W USB-C charger for the newly announced 12" MacBook, I expect they will do this for all their MacBook, iPad en iPhone models.


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## zipplet (Apr 4, 2015)

Hmm thanks for the interesting information on USB-C, I'll go and do a bit of research on it. I'm quite excited by the possibilities - USB really will become "one power supply for almost everything" - we are almost there already but not quite.


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## Korgath (Apr 7, 2015)

Hum it should be a very interesting review if HKJ gets to review it!


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## HKJ (Apr 7, 2015)

Korgath said:


> Hum it should be a very interesting review if HKJ gets to review it!



Review is finished, it will be the next charger review I publish.


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## Aperture (Apr 10, 2015)

Aperture said:


> Based on the pics I think and hope they went with the DC 3.5x1.1mm plug which is pretty common for 5V DC, my powerbank uses the same input plug and the many other powerbanks I have came shipped with an USB to 3.5x1.1mm cable and an assortment of 3.5x1.1mm phone plugs.


Received the VC4 yesterday and it turned out the plug is 5.5x2.5mm, also a very common size but usually reserved for the output port and not the input which is usually 5.5x2.1mm when a 5.5mm plug is used.

Not really a problem but this does mean that the PortaPow DC Power Monitor can't be used (5.5x2.5mm in and 5.5x2.1mm out) without an adapter plug, of course it can also be used between the USB charger and USB cable but somehow the VC4 lowers the charging amps when using an inline USB voltmeter (tried several meters) so the measurements won't be representative.

The VC4 showed the same behaviour btw with the old 10W iPad charger but did go full speed with the new 12W iPad charger and the Antec multi channel USB charger.

That's the downside of USB, it isn't very predictable performance wise....


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## SuLyMaN (Apr 10, 2015)

Waiting for this HKJ review


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## HKJ (Apr 10, 2015)

SuLyMaN said:


> Waiting for this HKJ review



It is up: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?400085-Test-Review-of-Charger-Xtar-VC4 

If you do not like a technical review: Skip the "Measurements" chapter.


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## markr6 (Apr 10, 2015)

ven said:


> Ferdinando said:
> 
> 
> > in my humble opinion the benefits of this charger are:
> ...


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## angerdan (Apr 11, 2015)

Aperture said:


> Received the VC4 yesterday and it turned out the plug is 5.5x2.5mm, also a very common size but usually reserved for the output port and not the input which is usually 5.5x2.1mm when a 5.5mm plug is used.


Cables with that plug size are getting more common, as you'd say.
Delock Products Delock Cable USB Power > DC 5.5 x 2.5 mm Male 90° 1.5 m
Delock Products Delock Cable USB Power > DC 5.5 x 2.1 mm Male 90° 1.5 m




Aperture said:


> Not really a problem but this does mean that the PortaPow DC Power Monitor can't be used (5.5x2.5mm in and 5.5x2.1mm out) without an adapter plug, of course it can also be used between the USB charger and USB cable but somehow the VC4 lowers the charging amps when using an inline USB voltmeter (tried several meters) so the measurements won't be representative.


Maybe another USB Voltmeter than your InLine will work. HKJ did test also some.


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## hammick (Jun 5, 2015)

Is it safe to charge Eneloops at 1A with this charger? My current NiMH charger does AAA at 150ma and AA at 300ma. Takes forever to charge Eneloops.


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## ven (Jun 5, 2015)

AA is fine at 1a and AAA 0.5a


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## Capolini (Jun 5, 2015)

ven said:


> Ferdinando said:
> 
> 
> > in my humble opinion the benefits of this charger are:
> ...


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## hammick (Jun 5, 2015)

smooth2o said:


> I have the Nitecore D2 on order as my second charger (2nd home) and I'm considering changing only for the NiMH reconditioning feature that the D2 doesn't have (AFAIK).



What is the NiMH recondition feature? I'm not seeing anything about it on the Xtar website.


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## CelticCross74 (Jun 5, 2015)

oh lord my new VC4 will be showing up in the mail tomorrow. Gonna go read HKJs review and pray I just didnt buy a boondoggle


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## ven (Jun 5, 2015)

I like mine celtic cross,handy for finding mah out of cells,fine if just charging 2 x18650's,patience if 4 but i have many others to use come those times.
0.5 is too slow for me on the vp4 and vc4

2 middle bays 2 +3 are a pita to remove cells from without removing bays 1+4 1st!!! as gaps closer to fit the 26650 in the outer bays. Would have prefered a little wider charger and of course 1a support across all 4 bays..............oh go on nimh support too for an all round winner!!!



so i slap 2 in another on 1a 








Up stairs i also have




In work i have an xtar sp1 and AWT as well(2xAWT chargers) so i can charge 4 eneloops at 1a between the 2.

Picking holes,i struggled with a plug,ended up paying £15 for a 2.1A so the A did not drop on 2x18650 cells,this is after having trouble with apple chargers,ipad air2 ones as well.............10w rated.Tested with the xtar USB and showed fine on new plug . Hindsight i should have got the vp4 BUT i wanted nimh support as well hence vc4 first........Still no regrets,still will get used,still handy for finding mah. Also nice display,large and clear,just prefer digital V rather than the not as accurate dial.


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## CelticCross74 (Jun 6, 2015)

good to know! My new VC4 as well as 2 new 3400mah Orbtronics and a fresh 4 pack of Eneloop Pros are all due in the mail today! Should be fun I hope! I would have gotten the VP4 but ive GOT to be able to do both chems!


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## ven (Jun 6, 2015)

CelticCross74 said:


> good to know! My new VC4 as well as 2 new 3400mah Orbtronics and a fresh 4 pack of Eneloop Pros are all due in the mail today! Should be fun I hope! I would have gotten the VP4 but ive GOT to be able to do both chems!




Me too..............BUT i ended up with a vp4 as well,against my original thoughts due to not charging 4x18650 at 1a(same as the vc4) but wanted nimh support the vp4 was excluded......Maybe i have xtarchargaphobia............either way its been used none stop since yesterday :laughing:





Another thing i like,you just sit the cell in,no messing with the A,1+4 bays with 18650 go to 1a,unlike the vp1/2 where every time its been powered off it resets to 0.25.

Noticed on the vp4 as well,remove or no cells in bays, it defaults to 0.5a,soon as you place an 18650 in 1 or 4(or both) it goes to 1a............great!!


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## CelticCross74 (Jun 6, 2015)

If only the VC4 could do 1a across all 4 bays! HKJ explained why it doesnt had something to do with that would require some huge powerblock or something. Either way the mail will be here soon and Im pretty excited this will be a good step up from my old d4. Getting the new 2015 TK35 today as well am really looking forward to charging up those new 3400 Orbtronics on the VC4 and firing up that TK35


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## CelticCross74 (Jun 6, 2015)

notice you use Samsung SD1's how do those work out for you?


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## ven (Jun 6, 2015)

Good so far,15a 3000mah,ideal for lights and ecig mods(dont require high Amp use for mine).

Got 4 for the tn36vn,to rotate with the vc5's,4 spare for ecigs


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## CelticCross74 (Jun 11, 2015)

question for ya Ven, does the VP4 do 1a across all 4 slots? Been rocking the VC4 a few days now and it kicks the crap out of any d4 or i4 Ive used before it. Would just love to be able to do 1a across all 4 slots for all my 18650s. Its awesome the VC4 does that in slots 1 and 4 though. VC4 has been the first charger Ive had that charges to max capacity. Idk how it does it but the VC4 charged my new Orbs to their cut off point of 4.34v! On other 18650's like my Olight and Fenix branded cells it only charges to 4.2v. Its also the first charger Ive had that charges my AA's to 1.5v


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## zipplet (Jun 11, 2015)

The VC4 will only deliver 0.5A across all 4 slots if they are used at the same time.

If slots 1 and 4 are used, 1A will be delivered to either (or both) of them.
If any of slots 2 or 3 are used, ALL slots will be limited to 0.5A.

So:
- 1 battery in slot 1 or 4: 1A per cell
- 2 batteries in slot 1 and 4: 1A per cell
- 1 battery in slot 3 or 4: 0.5A per cell
- 2 batteries in slot 3 and 4: 0.5A per cell
- Any other combination (e.g. 2 batteries in slot 1 + 2): 0.5A per cell


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## ven (Jun 11, 2015)

CelticCross74 said:


> question for ya Ven, does the VP4 do 1a across all 4 slots? Been rocking the VC4 a few days now and it kicks the crap out of any d4 or i4 Ive used before it. Would just love to be able to do 1a across all 4 slots for all my 18650s. Its awesome the VC4 does that in slots 1 and 4 though. VC4 has been the first charger Ive had that charges to max capacity. Idk how it does it but the VC4 charged my new Orbs to their cut off point of 4.34v! On other 18650's like my Olight and Fenix branded cells it only charges to 4.2v. Its also the first charger Ive had that charges my AA's to 1.5v




Hi there,no unfortunately ,similar to the vc4 as with bay 1+4 at 1a ,all 4 at 0.5a. I do like the fact there is no need to select the rate like the vc4. Put the 18650 in 1 or 4(or both) and will charge at 1a from turning on. Example the vp1 and 2 always default to 0.25a from on.


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## ChrisGarrett (Jun 11, 2015)

ven said:


> Hi there,no unfortunately ,similar to the vc4 as with bay 1+4 at 1a ,all 4 at 0.5a. I do like the fact there is no need to select the rate like the vc4. Put the 18650 in 1 or 4(or both) and will charge at 1a from turning on. Example the vp1 and 2 always default to 0.25a from on.



The problem with the 'auto detect' chargers is the sensor and whether it's implemented well enough to be consistent. Think a 18350 vs. 16340--which does it choose if it's got a 250mA, 500mA and 1A rate? 500mA is good for a 18350, but a tad too high for a 16340.

I'm now playing with the Xtar MC1+ and XP1 and the former has an auto detect for its 500mA and 1A rates, based on cell length. As long as that sensor keeps working, I'm OK.

Now, the VP1/VP2 and my XP1 have buttons for selecting rates and I like this option. I don't mind the 250mA default because it's a bit 'safer' should somebody have a mental lapse when initiating a charge cycle--the phone rings as you're inserting the cells and you forget about them, or the power goes off and then back on, perhaps?

Idiot proofing chargers makes us all mentally soft and coupling that fact with video games, means that humanity is doomed as a whole. 

Doomed I say!

Chris


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## ven (Jun 11, 2015)

:laughing: I love your posts Chris!!! 

I guess I am getting lazy or fed up of having to press a button twice to get to 1a :laughing: and usually only once or twice a day!!!! .....very lazy

I would say 95%+ of my charging consists of 18650 food though.
Some 30Q in this pic


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## markr6 (Jun 11, 2015)

Cool pic ven. I occasionally joke to my wife and say in a serious tone, "I think I'll get into vaping"

She immediately says "NO DON'T!" :naughty: She's fun to pick on!


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## hammick (Jun 12, 2015)

I received my VC4 today. I have two brand new Olight 18650 batteries. I discharged them both to just under 3v. They were on the charger for about 1.5 hours and everything seemed fine when I noticed the charger power off and back on two times in a row. I checked the USB charger plugged into the 120v outlet and it was very hot and smelled. The USB wall plug is an Amazon 9w 1.8a plug. They are not cheap.

I know I wasn't using a 2.1a plug but I though the charger would ramp down the charging voltage if the plug can't supply what it needs. The VC4 was indicating that it was charging the two batteries at 1a. The batteries were in slots 1 and 4. One is a 2,600mah and the other a 3,400mah. I'm not sure I trust this charger.


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## zipplet (Jun 12, 2015)

Hi Hammick,

Please rest assured your charger is most likely OK. I have a VC4, and can confirm that it does not draw more power than it is supposed to and has not damaged any of my USB power supplies. Quite the opposite - if I use a USB power supply that cannot cope with the power demand the VC4 will lower the charge current and indicate that on the display.

I think what has happened here is your charger tried to draw 5V 2A, and the wall plug PSU allowed that (its up to the wall plug to throttle back the power, which the VC4 detects and then lowers the charge current). I suspect your wall plug does not have good overload protection and then overheated. I guess at that point that your wall charger started to cycle the power as it was overstressed. I know this is hard news to take because you are using an Amazon power supply so you would be right to expect it to be of good quality. Assuming this is a real amazon power supply I would try to get a replacement from amazon as that should not have happened. It does sound to me like your wall plug is defective because if it was designed for 9W continuous load and had no overload protection, I doubt 10W would cause it to overheat because these things should have a margin of safety built in.

Other members here have been using this charger a lot with various USB power supplies, there are all kinds of comments here about the behaviour of the VC4 under various conditions.

Please do not use a wall charger that cannot provide 10W continuous power safely unless the wall charger has very good overload protection (most quality ones do). Ones with working overload/overcurrent protection will allow the VC4 to throttle back.

What other USB power supplies do you have?


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## hammick (Jun 12, 2015)

Zipplet than for the quick and thorough response. I suspect that because the Amazon wall plug is 1.8a and 9w that it was so close that it attempted to supply the whole enchilada. It then got hot and shut down.

I'm am charging right now with an Ipad wall plug. It's warm but not hot. Can anyone using an Ipad plug confirm that they get warm charging two 18650s at 1a?

I also tried an el cheapo usb wall plug that came with an Ecig. The charger stepped down to .5a with it.

Does anyone make a charger like the Maha C9000 that will do all the cool recondition and break in stuff and also do charge lion 18650s?


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## zipplet (Jun 12, 2015)

Is it a wall plug for a full size iPad or an iPad mini?

The wall plugs for the full size iPads supply 2A or more (depends on the model) and work just fine. I have run my VC4 from one.


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## CelticCross74 (Jun 12, 2015)

had my VC4 a few days now and freaking love it! Love the mah added display. Odd occurrence though the first Orb 3400mah cell came off the VC4 at 4.34v on my multi meter it hasnt done this since Im gonna chalk it up to a one in a million occurrence as I just dont have the technical knowledge to explain why or how that happened. I am ecstatic that the VC4 charges my AA NiMHs to a full 1.5v my d4 and i4 before it stopped at 1.42v


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## hammick (Jun 12, 2015)

Full size Ipad 10w 2.1a. I have another one of the Amazon plugs and I'm trying it now. They are authentic. I bought them from Amazon. Surprisingly I tried an Iphone wall plug and the charger went to .7a Not bad for such a small plug.

I'm also trying a Kensington cigarette lighter plug with a 2.1a usb output. So far it's charging at 1a and not even getting warm. We will use this a lot in our travel trailer on 12v power and I'm glad to see the Kensington works as advertised.


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## hammick (Jun 12, 2015)

So am I correct that the mah meter on the VC4 is just a guesstimate of the battery capacity? Doesn't a discharged cell at 2.9 or 3v have some mah in it?

Wouldn't you have to keep charging notes of the voltage of the battery when it goes on the charger and the mah meter reading at full charge to really know if your batteries are losing capacity?


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## ChrisGarrett (Jun 13, 2015)

hammick said:


> So am I correct that the mah meter on the VC4 is just a guesstimate of the battery capacity? Doesn't a discharged cell at 2.9 or 3v have some mah in it?
> 
> Wouldn't you have to keep charging notes of the voltage of the battery when it goes on the charger and the mah meter reading at full charge to really know if your batteries are losing capacity?



I think that the meter starts 'counting' once the charger starts charging. If you want to really know the capacity, you'd want to discharge a cell down to 2.5v, or 2.75v, depending on the manufacturer's spec and charge it back up on the VC4, but that's almost self destructive, so don't do it.

I don't own an analyzing lithium-ion charger, but I kept notes on the starting points of most all of my NiMH batteries, so I can go back and compare, but you can tell by doing an occasional discharge test, after they've been topped up.

Internal resistance is also a good indicator.

I just tried charging up some 3 year old Sanyo 2700 AAs with my new Xtar XP1 USB multi-chem charger and Ruinovo power bank and the battery wouldn't charge. I tried a 1A Apple cube and one battery couldn't charge above 230-250mA, even when I had the 500mA setting picked. 

I thought that it might be the charger that was broken, but on li-ion 14500s, it would hit 500mA. I then threw the Sanyos onto the Maha C-9000 and tried to charge them and the first one had an I.R. of 2.66v and the second one had an I.R. of 2.63v, lol. This causes them to heat up during charging.

The Maha will reject a battery at 2.00v, but realistically, it's closer to 2.10-2.13v. So things aren't looking too swell for the Sanyos. A second quad only had one battery up over 2.00v, but the others were in the high 1.7s and 1.8s, so they're not long for this world unless you use a dumb charger that can 'force feed' them.

Point is is that you don't have to have copious notes to know when your batteries and cells are going dwanky on you.

Discharge tests and I.R.s are both good indicators. For li-ions, if on a couple of chargers, your cells are only charging up to 4.10v, or less, they're getting long in the tooth.

Chris


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## markr6 (Jun 13, 2015)

Use a hobby charger or something like the Opus BT-C3100 which charges, discharges, then recharges to determine the capacity. Looking forward to getting mine. It's been in the mail for a couple weeks now.


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## RtOaNn (Jun 15, 2015)

Has anyone tried the VC4 with an Anker 25W 5-port charger? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DVH62J2/?tag=cpf0b6-20
or the 40W version?


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## KiwiMark (Aug 4, 2015)

I've just ordered a VC4, good price and the USB power source will be very useful.
I have a Blitzwolf 40W USB charger that can power the VC4 while also charging my 10" tablet and my cellphone and my GoPro style action cam.
I also have a 12V USB charger that plugs into the vehicle cigarette lighter socket.
And I have several USB boxes running off batteries including one that is powered by 4 x 18650 cells.

I have better chargers like my 2 hobby chargers, but I'm running those from a computer PSU and it is a big and unwieldy to take on trips with me.
On a trip I'd like to be able to take one charger that can charge my 18650 cells and my Eneloop cells, the VC4 looks like a really good option.


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## ChrisGarrett (Aug 4, 2015)

KiwiMark said:


> I've just ordered a VC4, good price and the USB power source will be very useful.
> I have a Blitzwolf 40W USB charger that can power the VC4 while also charging my 10" tablet and my cellphone and my GoPro style action cam.
> I also have a 12V USB charger that plugs into the vehicle cigarette lighter socket.
> And I have several USB boxes running off batteries including one that is powered by 4 x 18650 cells.
> ...



I just finished the USB charger/solar panel/power bank exercise with the addition of my VC4 (MC1+/XP1) and I like it as a charger, although 4x500mA is a bit slow. This isn't my 'go-to' charger (Maha C9000/VP2,) so it's fine for the role it's intended for.

I'm pretty much done with my portable power/light kits--maybe adding something like that new Fenix lantern, or a couple of StreamLight Siege jobbies.

It's been fun and interesting putting this latter gear together.

Chris


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## Timothybil (Aug 4, 2015)

ChrisGarrett said:


> I just finished the USB charger/solar panel/power bank exercise with the addition of my VC4 (MC1+/XP1) and I like it as a charger, although 4x500mA is a bit slow. This isn't my 'go-to' charger (Maha C9000/VP2,) so it's fine for the role it's intended for.
> 
> I'm pretty much done with my portable power/light kits--maybe adding something like that new Fenix lantern, or a couple of StreamLight Siege jobbies.
> 
> ...


Now that you are all done, can you give us a breakdown of what all you have in your solar setup? I wouldn't mind tapping your knowledge of all this for my own future reference. Thanks.


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## ChrisGarrett (Aug 4, 2015)

Timothybil said:


> Now that you are all done, can you give us a breakdown of what all you have in your solar setup? I wouldn't mind tapping your knowledge of all this for my own future reference. Thanks.



I have two, one a 12v 60w (2x30w rigid mono panels) system that I wrote about here, three years ago:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?342073-Portable-solar-charging-setup-I-just-built

It's more a moderately portable system, that runs my Maha, Xtars, NiteCore chargers and other sundry USB devices, along with a couple of 12v AGM/SLA mother batteries (12Ah/22Ah.)

Then, last month, I wanted one of the smaller 5v USB solar panels in the 6w-15w range that we all were talking about and settled on a Sunkingdom 14w folding USB panel, a Ruinovo (HKJ's review) 4x18650 power bank and a few Xtar USB chargers: XP1, MC1+ and the VC4. I bought an OEM 2.4A Apple wall wart and together, they allow me more portability, as I can carry the stuff around, say to the beach, or even use them out on my patio.

I can't run 12v stuff off of the latter, but my bases are covered with the mother batteries and 12v system and then the smaller USB stuff.

While we haven't had many hurricanes in Miami over the past 9 years, power does go out and at least I can run my 12v fan and have plenty of light, between my flashlights and lanterns.

Everybody should have something along these lines and the two systems sans chargers, adapters and lights probably cost me in the range of $500-$600 when all was said and done. I might have saved a bit on the rigid system, but it is what it is.

Chris


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## HopelessGearhead (Aug 4, 2015)

ChrisGarrett said:


> I have two, one a 12v 60w (2x30w rigid mono panels) system that I wrote about here, three years ago:
> 
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?342073-Portable-solar-charging-setup-I-just-built
> 
> ...



Thanks for sharing your info. I have a couple of 100W panels sitting around (torpedoed travel trailer project) as well as a charge controller & 2 deep cycle batteries. I've been wanting to do something along the same lines with them, but haven't been sure where to start. Thanks for the push.


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## ChrisGarrett (Aug 4, 2015)

HopelessGearhead said:


> Thanks for sharing your info. I have a couple of 100W panels sitting around (torpedoed travel trailer project) as well as a charge controller & 2 deep cycle batteries. I've been wanting to do something along the same lines with them, but haven't been sure where to start. Thanks for the push.



You're already in like Flynn, as we say.

Solar, at least for smaller things, might just be the nail in the coffin if you need to keep some power going. 

I wish I could have afforded 2x100w panels at the time, but I'm in a condo and I wanted to keep things lighter and smaller, hence the 30w panels.

I'm no prepper, but I needed to have some sort of 'car camping' rig that I could use in the event that a hurricane blew through town again and the power went out. GF had her power out for 2 weeks during Wilma, boss had his out for 3 weeks and my uncle/aunt were out for about 8 days, so it happens.

I was out for 18 hrs during Andrew and 15 for Wilma, but former Senator Bob Graham's family owns the town I live in and he pulled some strings for us, lol.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Chris


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## KiwiMark (Aug 5, 2015)

ChrisGarrett said:


> 4x500mA is a bit slow. This isn't my 'go-to' charger (Maha C9000/VP2,) so it's fine for the role it's intended for.



At home my 'go-to' charger is my iCharger 208B which is capable of 20A or 350W and can charge 1-8 Li-Ion cells in series or 1-25 NiCd or NiMH cells.
I also have an iCharger 106B+ that has a bit less grunt but can still handle 10A or 250W charging output, up to 6 Li-Ion cells or 17 NiCd/NiMH cells.
My iChargers can charge NiCd, NiMH, LiCo, LiMn, LiFePO4 & Lead acid - they are VERY versatile chargers!

But when I'm on holiday and travelling around the country I do it on a Motorcycle (either my Honda ST1300 or my Suzuki DR650) and am not going to take all my good charging gear.
I'm fine with 2 x 1A or 4 x 500mA limits, good enough to get some Li-Ion or NiMH cells charged up, even if I need to leave it going for a few hours to do it.


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## ChrisGarrett (Aug 5, 2015)

KiwiMark said:


> But when I'm on holiday and travelling around the country I do it on a Motorcycle (either my Honda ST1300 or my Suzuki DR650) and am not going to take all my good charging gear.
> I'm fine with 2 x 1A or 4 x 500mA limits, good enough to get some Li-Ion or NiMH cells charged up, even if I need to leave it going for a few hours to do it.



I hear ya. I don't mind that my VC4 only does 4x500mA because it does most other things that I want in a USB charger. It's not as small as my VP2, but it does both NiMH and ICR/IMR chemistries and seems to be a bit better a charger than my multi-chem NiteCore i4 v.2, so it'll do.

Chris


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## SigmaTheDJ (Aug 5, 2015)

Hey guys. I just signed up to ask a couple of questions about this charged as I bought one today, but I'm not sure it's working properly.

I first charged a couple of 18650 batteries. They fully charged and everything was fine.

I then put a couple of AA Eneloop Pro batteries into the 2 inner charging slots. After about an hour, I put a couple of AAA Eneloop Pro batteries into the outer 2 charging slots.

The AA Eneloops fully charged, except the Voltage meter went up to 1.55 Volts - as high is it goes. Should it go up that high? I thought these batteries were either 1.2 or 1.4 Volts? They work fine after charging, but I thought I would ask anyway.

The AAA Eneloops fully charged according to the charger, but when I placed them back into my cordless phone, they only showed as being about a third charged - they were nowhere near full.

Any advice/answers you can give me would be great, as I'm not sure if my charger is faulty. Thanks!


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## KiwiMark (Aug 6, 2015)

SigmaTheDJ said:


> The AA Eneloops fully charged, except the Voltage meter went up to 1.55 Volts - as high is it goes. Should it go up that high? I thought these batteries were either 1.2 or 1.4 Volts? They work fine after charging, but I thought I would ask anyway.



Sounds fine to me. These batteries are 1.2V as an operating voltage, while charging they will go much higher. If you put these batteries in a device and turn that device on then the voltage will quickly drop to somewhere around 1.2V just like their specs say. What you describe is completely normal and expected.

For the AAA batteries - I'm not sure, I'd suggest putting them back in the charger and seeing how much more charge they will take - maybe they terminated early for some reason?


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## ChrisGarrett (Aug 6, 2015)

KiwiMark said:


> Sounds fine to me. These batteries are 1.2V as an operating voltage, while charging they will go much higher. If you put these batteries in a device and turn that device on then the voltage will quickly drop to somewhere around 1.2V just like their specs say. What you describe is completely normal and expected.
> 
> For the AAA batteries - I'm not sure, I'd suggest putting them back in the charger and seeing how much more charge they will take - maybe they terminated early for some reason?



1.2v is their nominal voltage, where they're pretty much depleted, although my Maha C9000 discharges down to .90v with it does its discharge and my LaCrosse BC-700 is 1.00v, IIRC. There's really nothing left in the tank much below 1.20v, although battery vampire lights and eek out the rest.

I believe the Maha reaches 1.47v and the LC hits 1.51v, when terminating charge, so our VC4s might terminate a bit higher, hence the 1.55v marking on the dial.

Chris


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## KiwiMark (Aug 7, 2015)

ChrisGarrett said:


> 1.2v is their nominal voltage, where they're pretty much depleted,



Or the normal operating voltage . . . depending on the load placed on the battery.
The fact is that the voltage is a pretty fluid thing - voltage under a load, resting voltage, voltage while charging, voltage under a larger load, etc.
1.2V was chosen as some sort of middle ground under some sort of load, but the voltage will vary greatly depending on what is happening.

Similarly 1.5V batteries can be 1.7V with no load when brand new and 1.0V under a decent load.


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## SigmaTheDJ (Aug 7, 2015)

KiwiMark said:


> Sounds fine to me. These batteries are 1.2V as an operating voltage, while charging they will go much higher. If you put these batteries in a device and turn that device on then the voltage will quickly drop to somewhere around 1.2V just like their specs say. What you describe is completely normal and expected.
> 
> For the AAA batteries - I'm not sure, I'd suggest putting them back in the charger and seeing how much more charge they will take - maybe they terminated early for some reason?


Thanks very much for the response! You've set my mind at ease about my charger possibly being faulty.

I tried some other AAA batteries in the phone and it also said that they were 1/3rd charged, even though they were full too, so I think it's the phone that has issues rather than the batteries.


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## Timothybil (Aug 8, 2015)

Well, I'm sold. Got my VC4 the other day, along with my TM16 and four Nitecore 2000 mAh IMR cells. I had been thinking about upgrading from my i4 for a while, and finally took the plunge. I was happy with my i4, but it was just so slow in charging my cells. After playing with my TM16 for a couple of days, the little blue blinky told me I was down to 50%, so I decided to see how the VC4 looked. It looked really sharp all the way. I like how the display kept sliding over one channel as I added cells to the charger. The channel voltmeter's said 3.7 volts for each cell, and the charge indicator stayed rock solid on .5 amps. After a little over two hours, all four cells were recharged and ready to go. I really like the fact that it is a USB charger, so that it will work straight from my power banks/solar panels if needed, without having to use my homebrew USB to 12v boost circuit.


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## crea7or (Aug 8, 2015)

How the capacity indication works? Discharge and then full charge?


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## Bullzeyebill (Aug 8, 2015)

Charge then discharge to see capacity. 

,Bill


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## crea7or (Aug 9, 2015)

Bullzeyebill said:


> Charge then discharge to see capacity.



Thanks! 
Is it standard behavior for this function in chargers? I heard that Opus is better in this function (maybe I misunderstood something).


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## KiwiMark (Aug 18, 2015)

My charger arrived today, connected it to the Blitzwolf and put in a Li-Ion battery - couldn't be easier to use. It is definitely a charger I'd prefer to let someone else use rather than my more complicated hobby chargers. For $25 this charger seems like pretty nice value for money and it is capable of charging almost every battery I've got (all but my LiFePO4 cells I think).


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## Dr. Tweedbucket (Nov 7, 2015)

I just used all 4 slots on mine today for 4 different 18650s and it did a great job of getting each one up to 4.2V and then turning off the juice. I like how you can see exactly what is going on with it voltage and current wise. I did some cheap NiMh batteries the other day and they charged up pretty nice. I'm using mine with a 5V wall wart .... didn't like the USB thing.

A+ so far!


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## zipplet (Nov 8, 2015)

I have been using my VC4 as my primary "grab and go" charger for the past few months, for my various li-ion cells (mostly 18650) and Eneloops. I pair it with a USB charger that outputs 5.2V rather than 5V - this seems to be the sweet spot and current does not reduce even if I charge 4 cells at the same time.

Still functioning perfectly. I'd say this is definitely the best li-ion charger to recommend to someone uncomfortable with chargers that offer too many options. It just works.


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## hank (Dec 5, 2015)

No "NiMH reconditioning feature" on this one.
Can anyone identify which Xtar charger has that and how it's done? I see it mentioned as available on the XP4C, but not documented.


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## Xiphex (Dec 11, 2015)

I'm not sure if my VC4 is working properly or not anymore. It's charge cycle for Li-Ion is stuck at 0A - 0.2A and it won't go up to 0.50A or 1A. It's plugged into a 10A 10 Port USB charging dock. :thinking:


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## HKJ (Dec 11, 2015)

Xiphex said:


> I'm not sure if my VC4 is working properly or not anymore. It's charge cycle for Li-Ion is stuck at 0A - 0.2A and it won't go up to 0.50A or 1A. It's plugged into a 10A 10 Port USB charging dock. :thinking:



If you usb power supply is above 5 volt, the charger might have a problem, but if the usb power supply is below 5 volt it is expected behaviour of the charger.
A thin cable or bad connection can also make the charger work like the power supply has a low voltage!


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## Xiphex (Dec 11, 2015)

HKJ said:


> If you usb power supply is above 5 volt, the charger might have a problem, but if the usb power supply is below 5 volt it is expected behavior of the charger.
> A thin cable or bad connection can also make the charger work like the power supply has a low voltage!




I also tried a Fusion 4 Port 5V 2A & Apple 5V 2.1A ipad charger both charge at 0.2A -> Maybe because 3 of 4 batteries are already at 80% charge? for the UltraFire batteries, Channel 1 3 & 4 are at 3.9V ; Channel 2 at 3.5V

These batteries for my laser pointers: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...t-Review-of-UltraFire-SJ18650-6000mAh-(Black)

Edit: I have a single NL188 3100mAh battery on channel four and it's charging at 0.4A , charger seems normal. Sorry for the freak out.

I'm itching to purchase a second Opus BT-C3100 V2.2 Apparently I tend to charge all 16 18650s on the same day.


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## Tamadite (Dec 12, 2015)

I have also found strange behaviors with my VC4 when it comes to charging, e.g. charging current going below 0.5 when adding extra batteries, not steady screen brightness, etc.


The sort story: cable quality problem.


The long story: first I suspected problems with the power delivered by the power supply (5v-2.1A). I checked it with a USB-tester and I noticed poor performance. I replaced the power supply with another one with higher capacity (5v-3A) but same poor performance. I noticed slightly better performance when not using the USB-tester. From this point on, I discarded the USB-tester. Then I went for a 12V-3A power supply and a buck converter. I tried it setting it to 5v and 5.2v. I got again poor performance and so getting the amperage below 0.5A when charging more than 2 batteries. I also noticed higher temperature on the batteries when using 5.2v. Another phenomenon I observed was that regardless the voltage I set, the screen was always flapping on intensity in tune with the blinking figures/text as if the charger wasn't getting enough power to even keep a steady screen brightness. Then I decided to build my own power cable with a thick wire and bingo!!!! I do not get any drop on amperage nor blinking brightness when charging multiple batteries. To get the correct gauge of the cable, please refer to an AWG calculator (http://www.solar-wind.co.uk/cable-sizing-DC-cables.html).


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## Timothybil (Dec 12, 2015)

That is the reason I never buy cheaper USB cables. Most of the low end cables are 26 ga., and the really cheap ones are 28 ga., which is basically about five hair thin wires wrapped around a single thread. Snap one of those wires by kinking the cable or bending it too much at any spot, and you have a built-in dropping resistor. I only buy Amazon Basic or MediaBridge cables these days. I actually wrote to MediaBridge and asked what gauge cable they used. Their response was only 24 ga., as anything less was asking for trouble. I agree with them, and have never had a problem when using cables from those two sources.


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## ChrisGarrett (Dec 12, 2015)

Timothybil said:


> That is the reason I never buy cheaper USB cables. Most of the low end cables are 26 ga., and the really cheap ones are 28 ga., which is basically about five hair thin wires wrapped around a single thread. Snap one of those wires by kinking the cable or bending it too much at any spot, and you have a built-in dropping resistor. I only buy Amazon Basic or MediaBridge cables these days. I actually wrote to MediaBridge and asked what gauge cable they used. Their response was only 24 ga., as anything less was asking for trouble. I agree with them, and have never had a problem when using cables from those two sources.



26ga. on that one:

https://www.mediabridgeproducts.com...usb-to-usb-cable-high-speed-a-male-to-mini-b/

Chris


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## Timothybil (Dec 12, 2015)

ChrisGarrett said:


> 26ga. on that one:
> 
> https://www.mediabridgeproducts.com...usb-to-usb-cable-high-speed-a-male-to-mini-b/
> 
> Chris


OK, so my memory is going bad. I was just off by one step. Still points out that the cheaper cables have a much greater chance of having an unacceptable amount of voltage drop, as well as being more fragile than better made cables.

When I was putting myself through college working in the A/V Center, I sometimes had to repair the cheap headphones we had to check out to students. Trying to solder 28 ga. wire is a pain in the you know what. Always spend more for good cables, it's the little things that rise up and kick one in sensitive regions when you try to cut corners.


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## Xiphex (Dec 13, 2015)

Welcome to CPF Tamadite

The USB - DC cable that came with my VC4 is working normally. The Xtar VI01 is giving a reading of 5.16V 2.1A. The led backlight does not flicker on my 10A USB dock charger iBoost. Flickering only applies when the charger outputs less than 2A, like my LaCrosse C89201 alarm clock rated at 1A or via PC USB

My NL189 NL188 batteries do not turn warm when charging empty to full at 1A. The batteries charge cool

NCIX Sells the replacement cable. Link StarTech.com 3 ft USB to Type M Barrel 5V DC Power Cable Edit: might, might not be the cable. DC internal looks different

VC4 uses USB to DC ........


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## Octavian (Jan 24, 2016)

Does anyone tried a 12V 2Ah power supply? :duh2: (without any voltage adapter). I need to know if I can use the power supply from XP4 charger without fried the VC4 charger.

I wish to replace my XP4 (because can not charge properly NiMh AA at 05 Ah , and my LiIon cells are charging only at 4,1 V..)


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## ChrisGarrett (Jan 24, 2016)

Octavian said:


> Does anyone tried a 12V 2Ah power supply? :duh2: (without any voltage adapter). I need to know if I can use the power supply from XP4 charger without fried the VC4 charger.
> 
> I wish to replace my XP4 (because can not charge properly NiMh AA at 05 Ah , and my LiIon cells are charging only at 4,1 V..)



The VC4 is a 5v USB charger that needs a good solid 2.1A USB wall wart.

12v should fry the VC4.

Chris


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## Octavian (Jan 25, 2016)

With a true 2,1 A USB source can I get 0,5A per each slot? I hear that is possible to not get the 0,5A per slot even with a 2,1A power source.

Thanks for reply


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## ChrisGarrett (Jan 25, 2016)

Octavian said:


> With a true 2,1 A USB source can I get 0,5A per each slot? I hear that is possible to not get the 0,5A per slot even with a 2,1A power source.
> 
> Thanks for reply



I've had two of them.

To answer your question, maybe, or maybe not.

I've charged up two 26650s that were near empty (3.5v) and got 1000mAh for three consecutive hours, almost perfectly--1000mAh/hr., but that was the exception, not the rule.

Most of the time, especially with 4 slots filled and my Apple 12w wall wart, I don't seem to be getting 500mAh per hour. Closer to a 375mA rate. Same with 2 slots...680mAh per hour.

I bought it not because it's a fast, or a great charger, but because it runs on USB 5v supplies and I have a 14w USB solar panel, so I can charge up more than one cell/battery compared to my Xtar XP1 and MC1+ chargers.

It's a safe and proper charger that's not very fast, much like my NiteCore i4 v.2 charger. If you want 4 cells to be charged fast, get an Opus BT-3400/3100, or two Xtar VP2s.

Chris


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## ateupwithgolf (Jan 25, 2016)

I have a VC4 and am using a Belkin 2.4 amp wall wart. Is there any need to get a better USB wall wart if my gauge is reading 1.0a on bays 1 and 4?


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## ChrisGarrett (Jan 25, 2016)

ateupwithgolf said:


> I have a VC4 and am using a Belkin 2.4 amp wall wart. Is there any need to get a better USB wall wart if my gauge is reading 1.0a on bays 1 and 4?



As long as it's not melting, or catching fire, you don't require anything else.

IMO, the key with the VC4 is to time things out and don't go solely by the display readings.


Chris


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## ateupwithgolf (Jan 25, 2016)

ChrisGarrett said:


> As long as it's not melting, or catching fire, you don't require anything else.
> 
> 
> Chris



Well that's reassuring! LOL


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## Ki113rMi113r (Mar 19, 2016)

Is this better than the BC1000 Alpha Power charger or about the same? I'm think about buying one of them. 
Matt


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## Xiphex (Jun 27, 2016)

The only USB Power adapter that's working for my Xtar VC4 is the Linke Q135 Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 
It's giving me a solid 1A @ 2 & 0.5A @ 4


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## Crazyeddiethefirst (Jun 27, 2016)

ChrisGarrett said:


> As long as it's not melting, or catching fire, you don't require anything else.
> 
> Chris



So today I am assembling my chargers, and I inadvertently grab the wrong cord(This is where I should say that I NEVER mix up my cords-I have a "foolproof" process, nice simple color coded power strips and power cords....but due to a move I was forced out of my routing and had to use one power strip for three chargers-I'm an idiot sometimes)....I grab the wrong cord, plug it in and have flashing lights and a melting VC4...You can't fix stupid....


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## zipplet (Jun 27, 2016)

Xiphex said:


> The only USB Power adapter that's working for my Xtar VC4 is the Linke Q135 Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0
> It's giving me a solid 1A @ 2 & 0.5A @ 4


While it's excellent this is working for you, please can I remind people to try cleaning their USB ports (they might not look dirty) if they have trouble with a high quality USB PSU. The VC4 is demanding, but with a good PSU (the quoted one here may be good, Apple iPad chargers are good, Anker multi-port chargers are good) you will have no issues - as long as the USB socket and plug contacts are clean.

It's fiddly, but get some rough (recycled) paper and fold it until you end up with a strip that fits slightly tightly into the end of the usb PLUG. Use it on the charger first, gently (you might see some black marks on the paper - that's good - it means it is cleaning the socket). Then use the other side to clean the plug, even if the charger cable is new. That will resolve the issue unless your power supply really is not delivering enough power. While you're at it, give the end that fits into the VC4 a quick rub with a clean cloth (the barrel plug).

In Japan, they sell special products for cleaning USB ports (search Amazon Japan for USBポートクリーナー) that work very well, but for the plugs I use the strip of rough paper method.


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## zipplet (Jun 27, 2016)

Crazyeddiethefirst said:


> So today I am assembling my chargers, and I inadvertently grab the wrong cord(This is where I should say that I NEVER mix up my cords-I have a "foolproof" process, nice simple color coded power strips and power cords....but due to a move I was forced out of my routing and had to use one power strip for three chargers-I'm an idiot sometimes)....I grab the wrong cord, plug it in and have flashing lights and a melting VC4...You can't fix stupid....



Ugh, I have almost made that mistake and I wish that they used a standard USB socket for the input rather than the barrel plug. That's the only strike against the VC4 in my book.


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## Newlumen (Jun 27, 2016)

Guess what guys? I accidentally turn on my nitecore ec4 modified light inside my holster... When I check the voltage on Keeppower 18650 protected cell, it read 0 volt.. So i put the cell back into my vc4, it start charging from 3.0v.. So far so good. Vc4 0v activation function is nice to have..


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## Xiphex (Jun 28, 2016)

Zipplet - I connected the VC4 to my Anker A7515 USB 3.0 60W PowerIQ Hub. It gave me a 0.2A charge rate


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## zipplet (Jun 29, 2016)

Xiphex said:


> Zipplet - I connected the VC4 to my Anker A7515 USB 3.0 60W PowerIQ Hub. It gave me a 0.2A charge rate



That should work! Did you connect it to the "IQ" ports or the USB 3 ports?
If the hub is fully USB 3 compliant, then it will limit the current when connecting it to the USB 3 ports.
If you did indeed use one of the IQ ports, then your cable/connections might be dirty - please see the recommendations I posted earlier - I also recommend getting hold of a cheap USB power meter.


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## CelticCross74 (Jun 29, 2016)

I freaking love my VC4. I have it plugged into the new Xtar 6 USB port wall wart which gives full 2.4(I think)power to each USB slot. Love it. No more lagging due to weak wall wart. For some reason that I do not know the VC4 is the only one of my chargers that will charge my li-ion cells to 4.20v no matter what. I have had a couple "problem" cells that would not charge past say 4.15v but put it on the VC4 and it takes it all the way full up. Now have the VC4, 2xVP2's and the huge 8 port Maha for my NiMH cells...cannot remember the model number but it is the one that takes all NiMH sizes and has a huge power brick along the power cord. Even on slow charge it tops off even my 11000mah Powerex D NiMHs in just a few hours..


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