Review of Xp4 from Xtarlight

[djozz]

Thanks for the review lowks :-) , it sounds like a good charger, I agree that a good lcd display would have been nice.

[Chloe]

Thanks for the review.

If you use the advanced post editor you can simply copy and paste the review, it will include formatting and in line pictures.

[lowks]

Thanks! I feel like a real doofus now

[ohaya]

Thanks for the review.

There was some discussion about the charger (and NIMH batteries) warming up when using 0.25 amp setting here also:

Xtar XP4 charger gets warm?

Hi, I just received one of these today, and have it charging 3 Eneloop AAs, and I noticed that both the charger and the batteries are kind of hot. Not too hot to hold, but pretty warm. This is running of the power wall wart that it came with. I had the current set to 0.5 amps earlier, and have just set it back to 0.25 amps, but was wondering if this is normal? Thanks, Jim

So now, I only use 0.5 amp or greater when charging NIMH in my XP4…

Also, I should mention that other, previous chargers do multi-chemistry, e.g., Jetbeam i4 pro.

I haven’t measured the dimensions, but having now taken a bunch of 18650s through several cycles, it feels like the spacing between the bays in the XP4 is smaller than (for example) the i4. I have a hard time removing an 18650 from it with the 3 rightmost bays populated (then again, could be due to fat fingers :laughing:.

[lowks]

When I went to one of our local distributors here, he warned me several times against getting the i4 pro saying that already more than one of his clients have had their batteries melting in the charger, so coming from no background what so ever, I decided to take his word for it.

In 0.25A I found that it charged indefinitely as it was going back and forth between charging and terminating.

[ohaya]

@lowks

When I went to one of our local distributors here, he warned me several times against getting the i4 pro saying that already more than one of his clients have had their batteries melting in the charger, so coming from no background what so ever, I decided to take his word for it.

In 0.25A I found that it charged indefinitely as it was going back and forth between charging and terminating.

The “i4” that I have is the Jetbeam i4 pro in white. I think that there’re several versions, mine is the one with the mis-spelled “Intellicharger” name, and I’ve had it for awhile now, and have put a lot of batteries, mostly Li-ion from laptop pulls, but with some Eneloop and Duraloop, through it, no problems. Up until I got the XP4 a couple of weeks ago, it was the one I used mainly.

[lowks]

So what do you use mainly now for your charging … I did end up buying an intellicharger i2 based on HKJ’s recommendation.

[ohaya]

@lowks

So what do you use mainly now for your charging … I did end up buying an intellicharger i2 based on HKJ’s recommendation.

Was your question directed at me?

If so, for now, I’m trying to use the XP4, since I have it, both with Li-ions and NIMH.

I also have the Jetbeam i4 pro, and old Trustfire 4-bay, an Accucel, and a bunch of 1 bay chargers and the chargers that came with the Eneloop packs from Costco, and a new WP6, but I’m spending time with the XP4 to see how that works, and what I mentioned were my impressions of the XP4 thus far.

The spacing difference is kind of annoyiing, but I also miss the 3-LED indicators from the i4 :), but really would like a display. I had debated getting the XP4 vs. the Thrunite MCC-4, but opted for the XP4 because of the XP4 current selection capability.

Still waiting for a non-hobby, 4-bay multi-chemistry charger with display of both voltage and capacity (kreisler and/or dinoboy, are you listening) :)!!

[lowks]

I am also toying around with the idea of maintaining two main cream of the crop chargers mainly C-9000 maha and Xtar VP1. It would seem currently there are no multi chemistry chargers that are cream of the crop yet and mostly are just at their infancy.

[Woody]

This blog entry might be more interesting if you had commented on the charger’s ability to charge li-ion cells.

Edit>> Woops, just noticed- you don’t have any.

[lowks]

@Woody

This blog entry might be more interesting if you had commented on the charger’s ability to charge li-ion cells.

Edit>> Woops, just noticed- you don’t have any.

For the sake of the review I bought some but then it being my first set of Li-ion cells I did not feel qualified enough to comment. They just charged fine.

[ohaya]

@kreisler

i deleted my comments because i am trying myself to write a XP4 review and i don’t know what to write: the charger simply works, when the charging is completed the LED’s turn from red to green and i am good to go! i have no Lithiums either, so i can test only Eneloop but it’s just great.

i have posted my Eneloop tests in another bfl thread, but i am not sharing the review url yet

Did you try charging at 0.25 amps?

[ohaya]

@kreisler

@ohaya

Did you try charging at 0.25 amps?

try google search bfl for my test results

Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) - FLW Outdoors
www.flwoutdoors.com/bassfishing/bfl/‎

??

[panthervision23]

I say your review is done well. It sparks my interests in the XP4.

[raccoon]

Excellent review, lowks! 8)

@kreisler

wiv bfl i mean dis board

hh

:p

[lowks]

Thanks! I got some other chargers review coming soon.

[lowks]

Yeah I know that’s why I predicate it by saying it’s not really as indepth as probably HKJ’s one because I don’t really have the kind of setup he has so I mostly just report on what was the feeling like using the device plus what functionality could make the user experience better. Thanks for taking the time to read anyway.

[lionheart_2281]

@lowks

Yeah I know that’s why I predicate it by saying it’s not really as indepth as probably HKJ’s one because I don’t really have the kind of setup he has so I mostly just report on what was the feeling like using the device plus what functionality could make the user experience better. Thanks for taking the time to read anyway.

While HKJ covers the more technical side of things it’s all great to have someone explain their observations in laymans terms, you’ve done that really well and look forward to reading your future reviews.
Don’t be discouraged that your reviews aren’t as in depth as HKJ’s, sometimes people prefer less technical reviews like your own, personally I’m happy to read both.

[HKJ]

@lionheart_2281

While HKJ covers the more technical side of things it’s all great to have someone explain their observations in laymans terms, you’ve done that really well and look forward to reading your future reviews. Don’t be discouraged that your reviews aren’t as in depth as HKJ’s, sometimes people prefer less technical reviews like your own, personally I’m happy to read both.

It is definitely good to get different types of reviews, but the risk with very simple reviews is that they miss important details. Just charging two batteries on the charger is to simple a test.

[lionheart_2281]

@HKJ

@lionheart_2281

While HKJ covers the more technical side of things it’s all great to have someone explain their observations in laymans terms, you’ve done that really well and look forward to reading your future reviews. Don’t be discouraged that your reviews aren’t as in depth as HKJ’s, sometimes people prefer less technical reviews like your own, personally I’m happy to read both.

It is definitely good to get different types of reviews, but the risk with very simple reviews is that they miss important details. Just charging two batteries on the charger is to simple a test.

Completely 100% agree