“REVIEW”: XTAR PB2 – Powerbank and Battery Charger + PROMOTION & DISCOUNT CODE [PIC HEAVY]

Hi BLF!

Some weeks ago, I received from Banggood the XTAR PB2, a powerbank and battery charger! I didn’t receive any other compensation than powerbank/charger.

The XTAR PB2 can be bought on Banggood (non-affiliate): XTAR PB2 Rapid Smartphone Power Bank & versteckte LCD Display 18650 Batterie Ladegerät Sale - Banggood Deutschland sold out-arrival notice-arrival notice CORRECT LINK! :slight_smile:

Banggood is also making a promotion until June 30th. The price is $12.99 .
After the promotion, you can use the code: ad8cd9 for the price of $13.69 .

Thanks Swi from Banggood for these offers!!! :slight_smile:

There is an ongoing discussion thread about this powerbank/charger, here: XTAR PB2 thread
And here’s HKJ awesome review: Test/review of Xtar PB2 Charger & power bank

NOTE: This is my first non-flashlight review. I won’t be able say some things about this XTAR PB2 powerbank/charger, as I didn’t make tests (charge/discharge times), and I also don’t have some tools to inform you about the charging and discharging currents.

That said, this is what I can show you !!

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PACKAGING and ACCESSORIES

The XTAR PB2 arrived inside a box, wrapped in foam – to protect from bruises -, which arrived in a plastic bag. The box has some basic information on the back, which can also be found on the user manual.

Inside the box we find: the powerbank/battery charger, a USB to micro USB cable (80cm; 2.5A) and the user Manual.

About the user manual, it is (well) written in at least 10 languages (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Russian, Japanese and Polish).

Here’s a detail “attempt” for the English part :stuck_out_tongue:

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THE POWERBANK / BATTERY CHARGER

The body colour of the PB2 is a mix of dark blue and grey. It has an overall rectangular shape, but it is rounded instead of square. This gives it some ergonomics when grabbing it!

The PB2 made of plastic, but has a soft rubber touch, and seems to be anti-scratch.
The body material is also flame retardant, as mentioned in the box.

Front and back
On the front we find the luminous display and the removable panel.
On the back we find some information about battery compatibility and using currents.

Left and right
On the middle left we find a groove to help removing the battery panel.
On the top right we find the button to switch the powerbank function.

On the top it has a USB and micro-USB port.
The USB port works with the output of 5V 2.1A and with it we can use the XTAR PB2 as powerbank.
The micro USB port works with the input of 5V 2.1A and with it we can use the XTAR PB2 as a battery charger.

The XTAR PB2 has a removable panel on the front through which we can access the battery slots.
This is a magnetic panel, with 2 strong magnets, one in each side. It is reversible, meaning that there is no “correct” or incorrect side to attach it to the body of the charger. Therefore, the XTAR logotype can be turned to the left or the right!


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BATTERIES

The battery slots are able to fit 1 or 2 batteries that can be 3.6V or 3.7V Unprotected 18650 batteries (Li-Ion /IMR / INR / ICR).
I only have unprotected flat top batteries, therefore, I couldn’t test if unprotected button top batteries fit this powerbank/charger.
However, the space that is left in the negative contacts let me think that unprotected button top batteries may fit ! If someone has input on this please post :wink:

As mentioned above, protected 18650 batteries will not fit this powerbank/charger. As an example, I picked:
1 unprotected Sony US18650 VCT6 3.7V 3000mAh battery (Green)
1 protected Odepro 18650 battery 3.7V 3000mAh battery (Grey)

As you can see below, the protected battery is too long to fit the inner space of the powerbank / charger.

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DIMMENSIONS & WEIGHT

The XTAR PB2 is very lightweight (specially without batteries :smiley: ) and compact.
Even with batteries it is easily portable in the pockets or in your backpack (or man purse).

Without batteries >>> With batteries (yeah, some flashlights weigh more :stuck_out_tongue: )

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DISPLAY

The luminous display has space for 3 digits (to mark the 100 % charge).
Here is how it works:

  • Constant light: device is being used as powerbank, the cells are being discharged;

- Flashing single digit (on the right): batteries are being charged;
When the PB2 is being used to charge the batteries and as powerbank at the same time, the diplay will blink as charging.

- Flashing double digit: low voltage signal;
I actually tested this one. The double digits started to blink at 9% when discharging. When I took the battery out, I used the Opus BT C3100 to see the voltage of the cell and it was on the 3.49V .

- Er : when batteries are wrongly placed and the device won’t work (reverse polarity protection), or by short circuit, or over-voltage input.

If the PB2 is being used incorrectly (the powerbank function is not working, or the charging is not working), the display will turn OFF.

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OPERATION & FUNCTIONING

CHARGING : To charge 1 or 2 batteries, place them correctly (+ towards display; - towards bottom), insert the micro USB cable in the port and it will start charging after 1 or 2 seconds.
The display lights ON and when charging the digit on the right will start blinking and will ramp up according to the charge.

POWERBANK : To use the XTAR PB2 as powerbank, with 1 or 2 batteries inside, either plug in the USB cable and it starts discharging or use the power button on the right side to turn the powerbank function ON. To turn it OFF, one must retrieve the USB cable or the batteries. The button will not work to switch the device OFF.

According to specs on user manual:

CHARGE / INPUT

- when 1 battery is charging, input current is 2Amps (1 channel)

- when 2 batteries are charging, input current is 1Amp per channel.

  • when 2 batteries with different Voltage are charging, the charger will charge first the one with lower Voltage until it equals the one with higher Voltage. When they are equal, then the charger will charge both batteries together.

DISCHARGE / OUTPUT

- when only 1 battery is being used within the powerbank, the output current will be 1Amp

- when 2 batteries are being used withing the powerbank, the output current will be 2Amps

  • when using 2 batteries, if one has a lower Voltage, the powerbank with discharge first the one with higher Voltage, and the discharges the 2 batteries together.

SIMULTANEOUS CHARGE / DISCHARGE
If the batteries are being charged and discharged simultaneously – ex: at the same time, charging cells while using the PB2 as powerbank to charge a cellphone – the input current will serve to charge the external device first so that the batteries’ charging cycles are safeguarded.

This means that, in these cases, the greatest amount of current will be directed to the cellphone (e.g.) and not the batteries. The batteries will not be over-charged, then, due to that simultaneous charge-discharge tension!!

0V ACTIVATION FUNCTION
The XTAR PB2 can also be used to battery revival – if they can be revived. According to specs, a 0V battery placed in the charger will start charging after 10 minutes.

As I mentioned ealier, I didn’t perform charge/discharge tests. So I’ll just leave you some photos about how this appears to work.

When charging 2 batteries, the number that is shown on the display is the “mean” of both batteries Voltage, not the number for an individual one. As far as I perceived that “individual” value can’t be displayed.

Battery #1 (left) = 80 % charge
Battery #2 (right) = 56 % charge
Both batteries = 67 % charge [this is the result of = (#1 + #2) : 2 ]

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OVERALL APPRECIATION

What do I really appreciate on this charger?

1) Well…it can be used as a battery charger for unprotected 18650 cells ! :smiley:

2) Well…it can be used as a powerbank ! :smiley:

3) We can put inside the powerbank (unprotected) batteries that we trust and of which we know the real capacity (if we can test them outside this charger). So, we can have at least 6800mAh (or more) to use, if you use 2 x 3400/3500mAh 18650 batteries. Well, if we use a single imaginary 6800mAh battery…then we can easily reach the 13600mAh :person_facepalming: :smiling_imp:

4) We can use the ‘juice’ of 1 or 2 batteries in powerbank mode. So, depending on the needs, one battery can be used for other things or spared!

5) When on a trip/travelling, we can take the XTAR PB2 to charge our cells and act as a powerbank (I don’t see me taking the OPUS BT C3100 on a trip…. :person_facepalming: ), and we can also use the same cells in your Flashlights :smiley: :sunglasses:
Honestly, this is what I liked the most, as from now on I don’t need to be carrying a powerbank and extra batteries for my flashlights :heart_eyes: :student:
This means that it can help to reduce the weight of the backpack when travelling and have the best of both worlds :smiley:

6) The touch of the XTAR PB2 is soft and seems to be anti-scratch.

7) It is easy to reach and replace the batteries, and the removable magnetic panel doesn’t fall easily, even if shaken!!

8) It is very portable and ergonomic.

9) It works with USB and micro USB (a plus for those like me that don’t have USB-C cables) and it brings a USB to micro-USB cable included.

——————- /////——————-

What do I think that could be improved?

1) The power button could be used to turn OFF the powerbank function, despite retrieving the cable also works.

2) It only uses unprotected batteries. Well it probably wouldn’t work completely if protected batteries were used due the protection trip at lower voltages.

3) It isn’t much clear if when using different capacity cells (3400mAh + 2800mAh) it will only behave accordingly to Voltage or it the capacity will have something to do with the performance too.

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So far I don’t have much more to say as a “bad” or “to improve” thing.

I will probably order some 3400mAh (Sanyo GA) batteries to use in it!

If any of you has remarks to do, please, feel free to do so :wink: They’ll be welcome!

Thanks for reading!
Best regards to all!

OH, and don’t forget:
The XTAR PB2 can be bought on Banggood (non-affiliate): XTAR PB2 Rapid Smartphone Power Bank & versteckte LCD Display 18650 Batterie Ladegerät Sale - Banggood Deutschland sold out-arrival notice-arrival notice CORRECT LINK! :slight_smile:

Banggood is also making a promotion until June 30th. The price is $12.99.
After the promotion, you can use the code: ad8cd9 for the price of $13.69 .

:money_mouth_face: :beer:

Not the good link

The product seems interesting

Sorry and thanks for the warning ! Will ask Swi to change it :person_facepalming:

elnino, thanks for your heads-up!

The link has been corrected: XTAR PB2 Rapid Smartphone Power Bank & versteckte LCD Display 18650 Batterie Ladegerät Sale - Banggood Deutschland sold out-arrival notice-arrival notice !

Thank you! And yes, this is a pretty nice charger/powerbank! Versatile and I guess I can say “intelligent” ! Cheers :beer:

The charger is still on sale on Banggood (non-affiliate): XTAR PB2 Rapid Smartphone Power Bank & versteckte LCD Display 18650 Batterie Ladegerät Sale - Banggood Deutschland sold out-arrival notice-arrival notice !

After the promotion, you can use the code: ad8cd9 for the price of $13.69 .
Courtesy of Swi from Banggood :beer:

So, I used the XTAR PB2 in the last 2 days to charge my smartphone.

I put 2 Sony VTC6 on it and I managed to make 2 charges, even if they were not full: initial “load”, as shown in the PB2, was 88%, batteries were about 4.13V each.

Today I used it and it went back to 0% load, batteries were at 3.08V.

Now I’ll see how long it will take to charge them and it it will go till the 4.2V! :arrow_right:

EDIT (later today): I put the batteries charging in the PB2. They were at 3.08V on the begining. About 5hours later, more or less, they were fully charged up to 4.20V (confirmed on the Opus BT-C3100).
Don’t know if this is important or not, but it is some “data”!
:arrow_right:

Hey, out of curiosity: I don’t understand well: if I put 2 batteries in XTAR PB2 W with different capacity 2500 mAh and 3500 mAm, does the charger stop to recharge them in different times? If it is so, I can recharge the batteries and to go to sleep and I can take off the batteries the follow day. Is it right? Thanks.