[Review] XTAR VC4L: USB-C nimh, nicd, li ion (21700 capable) multi speed charger

Batteries and Chargers Chargers
1

I received the VC4L from XTAR for the review.

The VC4L is a 4 slot battery charger, with a digital display, USB-C input. It can charge li-ion (including protected 21700), nicd and nimh batteries. It is able to reactivate batteries with a tripped PCB.
It represents the evolution of the previous VC4, and adds 21700 compatibility and USB-C input.

Here’s the video review of this charger, including video footage of the display and the animations.

The VC4L comes in this box

Inside the box, the VC4L is protected by this nice plastic bag.

The VC4L comes with instruction sheath, usb-C cable and manual.

The VC4L is 115 mm wide, 34 mm tall and 154 mm long, for a weight of 234 grams.

On the back of the VC4L there are the specs of the model

The slides can fit batteries up to 78 mm in length, and are smooth and easy to operate.
The contact points at the positive side are 2 raised portions, allowing both for contact with flat top cells and with smaller cells.

The same goes for the negative contact points

On the top there is the usb-C port for input.

The charger has both a large display and a multi colored LED on each channel.
The LED on each channel will be
Green, when in standby, battery full, polarity inversion
RED: charging, reactivating the battery with a tripped PCB, diagnosing the battery

The VC4L is able to output 0.5 A on each channel, or 1A on channel 1 and 4 at the same type.
The display is backlit, and has a wide viewing angle. The backlit can be turned off by keeping the switch pressed.
The display shows the voltage of 2 batteries inserted, and the charging current of one channel (1 to 4, you can scroll them with a press of the button in the middle of the channels).

My thoughts
The VC4L is a simple charger with a big display that helps you understand what’s going on with the cells you are charging.
The charging current can’t be changed with a switch, but you can pick between 2 1A slots or 2 0.5A slots (or 4 0.5A slot when using 4 batteries).
The wide range of cells supported is good, but 0.5A can be a bit too high for smaller non IMR batteries.

2

Thanks for the review. XTAR need to update their analysing chargers with longer slots.

3

From what I know, these Xtar chargers can test capacity:

- Xtar VP4 Plus Dragon (fits only up to unprotected 21700 batteries, discharge current seems to be 0.25A and 0.50A)

- Xtar VC4S (fits only up to unprotected 21700 batteries, discharge current is 0.3A)

  • Xtar VC8 (fits protected 21700 batteries, discharge current is 0.3A)

I’m not sure if Xtar has any other analyzing charger models though.

4

Xtars Analyzing chargers are so … strange.

No Xtar with discharge-function, this function I prefer because I can select the charging and discharging currents, I see the charged and discharged capacity

Maybe it would kill the buggy Xtar-analyzer capacity-test-function with not fully charged cells which get rated with a low capacity. My VC4SL is one of the buggy Xtars

A big charger like the Dragon should also do faster discharge than 0,5A

And Xtar should be arrive in the present, charger with no individual slot configuration is maybe acceptable for a 15$-charger but not for 70$

Display with more infos would be also welcome

And I think the Dragon is the only Xtar-charger which charges the current I selected, the other ones have no selection, “selection” via slot or used slots, or like the VC4SL = automatic overrides manual selection.

There´s a lot of work for Xtar, but I´m not sure if they want to do that or able to do that

5

Why is there no current selection? With my rocket, I can choose myself, including 0.25A.

6

Yeah, the Rocket is one of the rare Xtar-chargers with current selection. Dunno if it is a real selection of charge current or a max. selection.

The Dragon can AFAIK do a real selection, others like the VC4SL have a selection which can be overrided by the charger. You can select e.g. 2A and the charger decrease it after some seconds to 0,5A

Others like the VC4 can do 1A in the outer slots if the inner slots not used, the inner slots can do max. 0,5A. If all slots are used it can do only 0,5A on all.

And I don´t know any Xtar which can do individual currents on different slots (dunno the rocket). Even my 20€ Opus can do more and have much more features like discharge, test

IMHO, in some basic points Xtar is caught more than 15 years in the past.

7

If I understand you correctly, then the Rocket has a real choice for both slots from 0.25A to 2A. Separately for each slot there is no choice.
…

8

Don´t know this charger, a test of a cell with a big internal resistance could maybe show it. Some Xtars (e.g. VC4SL) decrease the current on such cells, but I´m not sure if the display will show the real current or the selected max-value, the time should tell the truth. But I think it´s complicated because the Rocket don´t show charged capacity, the cell have to be empty and you have to stop the time.

9

It is sincerly misleading to call that a “digital display”. One expects a display which accurately shows values in numbers (#.##), not a simple light showing several preset levels.

I don’t understand the move either. Is it that much more expensive to go with a proper display?

10

Same here, I’ve tested a good number of Xtar chargers, but don’t seem to remember any that can do individual currents on different slots.
(I’ve tested the Xtar MC2 Plus, VC2, VC2S, , SC2, VC4, VC4SL, VC8, VC8 Plus, VP4 Plus Dragon, aside from a few Xtar single-slot chargers and probably a few more)

The Xtar VC8/VC8 Plus can do 2 different currents for the left 4 slots and another current for the right 4 slots, although these current will then be limited by USB power too.

11

I know Xtar is a bit active here in the forum, but will they read it? Vapcell seems to be interested what the ppl think/want, but Xtar?

I know Xtar have/had a good reputation for chargers, but I started with the VC4SL which is a pure failure (at least for NiMH). I decided to buy this charger because it´s one of the rare Xtar with current selection (in theory, it don´t work really) and can show some values of all 4 Slots, even the Dragon cannot do this.

OK, if the Power Supply can´t deliever enough power I can understand a limitation here. And I´m not sure about heat problems in a 8-Bay-charger with high current.

@Lightweightled

Not sure if a display with numbers only is more expensive than a graphical, I would think it´s the opposite. Maybe to call up all the values is a bit more complicated. The VC4SL show some real values, the charged/discharged capacity, the actual charging current, the actual voltage and the IR. In this case it beats the Dragon which can only show 2 Slots, % and the selected current. Xtars philosophy to start with a lower current is visible at the VC4SL while the Dragon show always the selected current.

So IMHO the VC4SL is one of the best chargers if it comes to view the actual state, even with the badly readable display. The things I miss is a time counter and working charging for NiMH.

I really like my Vapcell S4+, Dlyfull T5 and my Opus BT-C3100, but the Vapcell and Dlyfull show detailed info for only 1 Slot, the Opus show only 1 value for all slots.