# Test/Review of Charger Xtar MC1



## HKJ (Apr 9, 2014)

[SIZE=+3]Charger Xtar MC1[/SIZE]















Xtar makes many LiIon chargers, this is their smallest charger that can handle 18650/26650 batteries. The charger is small and light weight, it can only charge one battery at a time and only with 0.5A.



 










I got the charger in a small cardboard box with the specifications printed on it.






The box contains the charger, a usb cable, a instruction manual and a warranty card.






There is no power supply included with the charger, you must supply your own usb power supply/charger. With a maximum charger current of 0.5A the charger can run will most usb supplies (Some of the cheaper ones does not supply specificed current: See my test).
The connector is micro usb, i.e. most mobil phone chargers can be used.






There is not much user interface on the charger, only a red/green led. It is red while charging and green at all other times.









The charger can handle both button top and flat top batteries.
The slider moves smoothly and can hand cells from 31mm to 72 mm long.





























The charger can easily handle 70 mm long batteries, including flat top cells. (See my small LiIon comparison for length of different brands).
The current is to high for 10440 batteries.


[SIZE=+2]Measurements[/SIZE]



Below 2.9 volt the charger charges with about 70 mA (Red led is on). 
Above 2.9 volt the charger applies regular charge current. 
When the charge is finished the charger is charging with a few uA. 
The charger will restart if the voltage drops below 4.12 volt, but the led will first indicate charge if the voltage drops below 4.09 volt (This probably depends on the actual reference voltage of the two charge chips). 
Power cycling or battery reinsertion will not restart charging. 
When charger is disconnected from power, but with a battery in, it will draw about 25 uA from the battery. 
Charger has two parallel charging circuits. 







In the first curve I have both measured the charge curve, the input current and the temperature. With only 0.5A charge from 5 volt, there is not much heat in the charger.
It does a fairly good CC/CV, it is slightly below maximum possible speed, because the charge current drops slightly when battery voltage raises and it changes to the CV phase a bit early. The termination current is around 40mA, but the charger reports battery full at about 130mA.
It will probably be random what charge circuit finish first, i.e. on half the chargers the led will be correct.






A 3400mAh battery takes longer to charge.






And a 2600mAh battery is faster to charge






No surprise with the 18350 cell.






Even my old 16340 cell is charged perfectly.






A 800mAh 14500 cell.






The charge current varies slightly with input voltage, i.e. a usb supply that can deliver stable 5 volt will mean slightly faster charging than one that drops to 4.5 volt.
The charger can supply 0.4A with about 0.6 volt drop in the charger, this can also be seen in the charge curves, it maintains nearly full charge current until the battery voltage is above 4.1 volt.






M1: 27,5°C, M2: 26,1°C, M3: 27,2°C, HS1: 28,7°C
With only 0.5A charge current, there is not much heat in the charger. This is very good.






The charger is a simple charger and does not need any time to initialize when power is turned on, it simply starts charger with 0.5A.



[SIZE=+2]Conclusion[/SIZE]

For a simple and light weight charger, this is a good charger. 
The charge indication led may report finished before the battery is full, but it is usual only a few percent charge that will be missing.



[SIZE=+3]Notes[/SIZE]

The charger was supplied by XTAR for a review.

Here is an explanation on how I did the above charge curves: How do I test a charger


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## StorminMatt (Apr 9, 2014)

Given the profusion of portable USB solar chargers these days, this charger would be perfect for those situations where you are off grid.


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## HKJ (Apr 9, 2014)

StorminMatt said:


> Given the profusion of portable USB solar chargers these days, this charger would be perfect for those situations where you are off grid.



And I believe that it will work fairly well with a solar panel. You will need something to secure the voltage is 5 volt or below, but periods without sun will not be a problem with this charger, i.e. you do not need a battery between the charger and the panel.


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## tobrien (Apr 14, 2014)

thanks HKJ! 

You mention it is lightweight, but is it still well-built?


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## HKJ (Apr 14, 2014)

tobrien said:


> You mention it is lightweight, but is it still well-built?



It does fell solid. I would still be careful with the micro usb connector (I have not seen any problems with it).


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## tobrien (Apr 14, 2014)

HKJ said:


> It does fell solid. I would still be careful with the micro usb connector (I have not seen any problems with it).



thank you!


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## mcnair55 (Apr 14, 2014)

HKJ said:


> It does fell solid. I would still be careful with the micro usb connector (I have not seen any problems with it).




Nice report and thanks,these industry standard mobile phone micro usb have caused problems with rough handling and mainly by women i have noted.


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## xiejol (Apr 16, 2014)

I've had this charger for a couple of weeks and it is a perfect backup charger for when I'm away from the house. Eventually I'll get a solar USB panel to use when I travel, but for now I've used it with computer USB ports and with standard USB chargers. It charged using both sources without any issues. The unit is well made. It feels sturdy and the thing I like the best is the nice strong spring that holds the batteries in place. I'm charging both my 16340s and 18650s and this thing holds onto them tightly. I got mine from an e-cigarette site for around $6.


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## LEDAdd1ct (Apr 19, 2014)

Thank you, HKJ.

This looks great! 

What do you think about using this with Amazon product B00E3OL5U8
which is the "Anker 14W Solar Panel" charger...?

It is only $60.00 and the only consistent negative I get from reading the reviews
is that it has no blocking diode. :-(


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## HKJ (Apr 19, 2014)

LEDAdd1ct said:


> What do you think about using this with Amazon product B00E3OL5U8
> which is the "Anker 14W Solar Panel" charger...?
> 
> It is only $60.00 and the only consistent negative I get from reading the reviews
> is that it has no blocking diode. :-(



Blocking diode is not needed with this charger.

If the panel will give at least 0.5A in normal sunshine (I saw the 2A rating), and do not go significantly above 5V in very bright sunshine, it looks perfect for the charger.


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## LEDAdd1ct (Apr 19, 2014)

Excellent!

Is that because the charger itself will prevent current from flowing out,
at a maximum discharge of 25 uA from the battery?


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## HKJ (Apr 19, 2014)

LEDAdd1ct said:


> Is that because the charger itself will prevent current from flowing out,
> at a maximum discharge of 25 uA from the battery?



Exactly.


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## Perfectionist (Apr 20, 2014)

xiejol said:


> I've had this charger for a couple of weeks and it is a perfect backup charger for when I'm away from the house. Eventually I'll get a solar USB panel to use when I travel, but for now I've used it with computer USB ports and with standard USB chargers. It charged using both sources without any issues. The unit is well made. It feels sturdy and the thing I like the best is the nice strong spring that holds the batteries in place. I'm charging both my 16340s and 18650s and this thing holds onto them tightly. *I got mine from an e-cigarette site for around $6.*


$6 Cool! Which website did you buy from?


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## StorminMatt (Jun 30, 2014)

I just thought I might add that I went ahead and got a couple of these chargers. For $6 each, why not buy two? Anyway, these chargers actually work quite well with USB solar panels, and are quite good for charging batteries in the wilderness. I have not yet tried using them with my Biolite Stove. But I would assume they would work with that as well. The one thing to keep in mind is that this charger is SLOOOOWWWWW! Half an amp just isn't much current for charging some of the higher capacity batteries available today. Even a 14500 takes around 1.5-2hrs to charge. Because of this, this charger is best used to top off batteries rather than charge dead ones - especially in the wilderness. And having two is actually a good idea since you can charge two batteries at a time (therefore cumulatively giving you more charge). But as far as I know, a faster USB Li-Ion charger (which could take advantage of, say, an iPad charger or a high power USB solar panel) doesn't exist. This charger seems to be quite well built and, given enough time, it gets the job done.


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## UnderPar (Jun 30, 2014)

Great review HKJ! This is an inexpensive charger that can do the job to replenish the juice of our batteries.


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## bobstay (Dec 3, 2014)

Can you explain a bit more about the two parallel charging circuits?

I guess you mean that there are two separate charging chips inside which both feed into the battery, and the indicator LED is connected to only one of those charging chips. This would explain the early charge termination indication if one chip terminates slightly earlier than the other.

Is this correct?


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## HKJ (Dec 3, 2014)

bobstay said:


> Can you explain a bit more about the two parallel charging circuits?
> 
> I guess you mean that there are two separate charging chips inside which both feed into the battery, and the indicator LED is connected to only one of those charging chips. This would explain the early charge termination indication if one chip terminates slightly earlier than the other.
> 
> Is this correct?



That is exactly the way I expect it is working.


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## KITROBASKIN (Dec 3, 2014)

xtardirect.com has these fine chargers but they seem to be popular and may be out of stock for a short time. I can confirm that it works with a 15 watt Goal Zero Boulder panel that has a USB output. I'd rather keep the charging amps at .5, believing it makes for a longer lasting cell. The last order I made was an additional MC1, a VC2 charger, and a Samsung 25R 18650. Shipping is reasonable and prices are competitive. (But they did not tell me that I would have to wait a few weeks to get restocked. Finally they sent a shipping notice. They did not respond to my query about the delay in shipping. My first two orders came quite quickly)


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## naked2 (Jan 1, 2015)

My USB power supply output is 1A; is it OK to use with this charger? If so, the charger still outputs .5A?


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## HKJ (Jan 1, 2015)

naked2 said:


> My USB power supply output is 1A; is it OK to use with this charger? If so, the charger still outputs .5A?



That is fine. You can use any charger with 0.5A or *more*. The charger current will stay at 0.5A.


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## Illum (Jan 1, 2015)

Bought two of these chargers after reading the review, they terminate charge at 4.21V and 4.22V respectively. These work wonders in the laptop bag, takes up minimal space.


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## StorminMatt (Jan 2, 2015)

Illum said:


> Bought two of these chargers after reading the review, they terminate charge at 4.21V and 4.22V respectively. These work wonders in the laptop bag, takes up minimal space.



I also have a couple of these chargers, and always keep one in my car. That way, I can always charge my battery if I'm going on an impromptu nighttime walk, taking a trip, or even going camping. I feel like having a charger with me much of the time will extend my battery life, since I will feel less of a need to keep my batteries constantly at a high state of charge. After all, when you can always charge, there is no need to constantly top off batteries. As cheap as they are, I think it's a good idea to have a few of them around in various places so that you don't have to worry so much about charging.


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## LightWalker (Jan 19, 2015)

Would the Xtar MC1 perform better than the Ultrafire WF139?


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## HKJ (Jan 19, 2015)

LightWalker said:


> Would the Xtar MC1 perform better than the Ultrafire WF139?



Both better and safer, Ultrafire chargers are not very good.


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## LightWalker (Jan 19, 2015)

HKJ said:


> Both better and safer, Ultrafire chargers are not very good.



Ok, thank you. I am a little concerned about the safety of the UF charger since I just got my first unprotected 18650 and noticed it terminated at 4.21 instead of the usual 4.16 that I get with protected cells . I also read your review of the WF 139 and noted that it does not have a proper cc/cv charge operation.


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## brightnorm (Sep 17, 2015)

Amazon.com: ZEEFO 2 Pack Wall Charger High Quality USB AC 1.0A Power Adapter Home Travel Charger for Iphone 6 5 5s 5c 4S, Ipad 2 3 4, Ipad Mini, Ipod Touch, Ipod Nano, Samsung Galaxy S5 S4 S3 Note 2 3 And Most Android Phones: Cell Phones & Accessories

Thanks for that helpful review. Would this wall adapter be appropriate for this charger?

Brightnorm


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## naked2 (Sep 17, 2015)

That power supply will work perfect with this charger.


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## brightnorm (Sep 18, 2015)

Thanks

BN


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## Short_Circuit (Sep 20, 2015)

Thanks for the review. I got one of these chargers in a bundle with the Sunwayman Flash and Nitecore 18650 battery bought on ebay. I liked it but wasn't sure of how good it was and if I should be using it long term or not especially since I just got a Nitecore D2 charger. But this one being usb would be great to carry in my truck for back up charging as someone else mentioned so I'll probably use it for that and the D2 at home. 

I'm not new at flashlights but I'm pretty new to the world of rechargeable batteries and the rechargers that one needs to charge them. These reviews are extremely helpful and are helping me get up to date and not waste money on junk. I now buy nothing but the best I can afford that has passed muster in the tests and reviews I read here.


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## tatasal (Sep 21, 2015)

This charger is currently available at gearbest in a 7-hr flash sale for only $ 3.59 !


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## stephenk (Nov 20, 2015)

I've just bought this charger as my first foray into Li-ion batteries. I was looking for a low cost, single cell charger, that terminates well (as I'm not keen on blowing up the house) and this seems to fit the bill. 

Thanks for the review HKJ !


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## Chris_Lappas (Nov 24, 2015)

Does anyone know if this charger can also be used for a RCR123a rechargeable battery as well? It does not mention this type in its specs, although theoretically there is no reason why it can't handle it.


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## Yamabushi (Nov 24, 2015)

Chris_Lappas said:


> Does anyone know if this charger can also be used for a RCR123a rechargeable battery as well? It does not mention this type in its specs, although theoretically there is no reason why it can't handle it.


It charges at 500 mA so it should be fine. BTW, it does mention it in the specs: "... can charge 10440/14500/14650/16340/17500/...". "16340" is an alternative designation for RCR123.

EDIT: HKJ (post below) is absolutely correct. I forgot about the 3.0/3.2V variety for which the MC1 is *not* suitable.


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## HKJ (Nov 24, 2015)

Chris_Lappas said:


> Does anyone know if this charger can also be used for a RCR123a rechargeable battery as well? It does not mention this type in its specs, although theoretically there is no reason why it can't handle it.



It can handle one of the RCR123 types.
Read here for more info: http://lygte-info.dk/info/CR123A and rechargeable substitutes UK.html


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## Chris_Lappas (Nov 24, 2015)

So, the OLIGHT ORB-163P06 RCR123A should be ok. 

I already have the MC1 charger for an 18650 I use on my Fenix pd35, and as I am considering getting an Olight S1 Baton I would hate to have to buy a different charger.

Thank you for all the answers.

Chris


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