Test / Review: Xtar SP2 charger

Batteries and Chargers Chargers
47

CT, what’s the cheapest price you’ve found?
Thanks.

48

Thanks for the review!

Which one do you recommend or which one is better?

Xtar SP2 or Sysmax i4 Intellicharge v2?

Found these in here: What do you think about bestvaping.net? Any ideas?

49

eBay and SBflashlights seem to go hand in hand, about 45$ with shipping added.

edit:

too bad I did not ask bestvaping for SP2…
Just ordered Xtar batteries. Shipping is not shown in web page.
For 8 x 18650 it was about 11$. I think this charger will cost far more to ship.

50

Hmm.
I wrote eMail to ask about the shipping. Got too curious since the price is pretty low for the charger alone.

51

I would go for the SP2, I like the 3 charging rates. I do also prefer chargers that do not pulse the current.

I cannot comment on the shop, I have never used them.

52
53

Thanks.

54

At bestvaping.net, Xtar SP2 cists 17.70$ + 16.64$ for shipping to FI.
This adds up to 34.34$, which I think is quite good price.

Bestvaping has been answering to eMails pretty quick, although there was a small misunderstanding since they were thinking I was some other finn.
(also my fault, did not supply my order no. but it was not needed anyway, since I was asking JUST for shipping. They got carried away probably since I mentioned “Irecently ordered batts etc.”)

55

Hm, correct me if I’m wrong, H, but if I remember well, pulse charging is good… well, at least for NiMh batts :expressionless: For li-ion constant current charging is better?
Thanks in advance.

Same price @PWS

http://www.powerwholesale.net/xtar-sp2-36v37v-liion-battery-charger-with-car-charger-p-2053.html

56

Same price @PWS

http://www.powerwholesale.net/xtar-sp2-36v37v-liion-battery-charger-with-car-charger-p-2053.html
[/quote]

Any quote about Intl shipping?

57

They are available in Germany. Sadly the German importer passed away and his store closed. Some German sources are:

http://www.ktl-store.com/xtar-sp2.html

http://www.akkuteile.de/product_info.php?info=p56_xtar-sp2——ladegeraet-incl—kfz-adapter.html

http://www.selected-lights.de/ladegeraet-xtar-wp2-ii-fuer-18650-akku-oder-als-powerpack/batterien-akkus-und-ladegeraete/ladegeraete/a-1277/

You should ask them if it is still available with the EU-plug.

58

I guess they are the same company :slight_smile:

http://www.sz-eyoung.com/
http://www.sz-eyoung.com/sdp/1232278/4/cp-5546615/0/About_us.html

http://e-young.company.weiku.com/

http://efest.en.alibaba.com/
http://efest.en.alibaba.com/contactinfo.html

http://e-young.en.alibaba.com/
http://e-young.en.alibaba.com/contactinfo.html

http://www.bestinone.net/index.php?route=information/contact ( Tel numbers here same:)

I also remember one more site of them but can not remember name of it or maybe I remember wrong.

59

Quoting myself :slight_smile:

As for PWS and others… what’s the point of creating dozen, identical webs with the same stuff, etc.? :expressionless: Same happened to CQG.

60

Hi, I also really liking this SP2 charger along with their WP6 II, but recently my SP2 were a bit strange :expressionless:

Whenever after it charged a battery off the right slot with 18650 at 1A or 26650 at 2A, the led will blinks red/green continuously after I removed the battery.

I tried cycle the input or let it rest for 10-15mins, power on its still the same, until out of sudden, it return to solid green (w/o battery in the slot)

At first I assumed is the heat or something, so I try again with another 26650 @ 2A, while I stand up the charger, after it charged, red/green blinks again after battery removal :frowning: this doesn’t happen on the left slot ever.

As while it was blinking red/green, I put in a battery & it will still charge it (solid red till green, and blinks again when battery removed).

Does any one having this symptom ? or should I return to the seller for replacement ?

61

Have you had a look inside?
The reason the WP2 was so unreliable is there was only the protective coating on the pcb preventing a short circuit. After a few uses, the battery terminals wore the coating away causing a short (and potential electrocution)

62

I do not have WP2 II, the problem is the newer SP2, but well, I think I don’t want to temper with the foam screw cover to open it up to have a look as u suggested to avoid warranty issue. Anyway thanks for the suggestion ~

63

It all came down that the right channel on my SP2 slot were not charging anymore.

So I took the risk & opened it up to have a look on the charger pcb, especially on the right channel area.

Found a SMD component near to C10 had sort of cold-solder, the left channel sides also not to my liking. (sorry, forgot to take photos)

Switched on my hot air gun with small round nozzle to correct it & wicked up extra solder, after satisfied & to my liking, time to close it back & have a try.

Surprisingly it was charging again, it also doesn’t blinks red/green after a charge anymore, no matter with 26650 at 2A or 18650 at 1A setting, great to actually solved it.

64

The other problem with the WP2 (and the WP6) was that they had to detect a voltage before they would charged, so would not charge a protected battery if the pcb had tripped. Luckily the MP1 didn’t have this problem, but it meant you needed two chargers.
Any sign of this with the SP2?

65

I’d tried many times with SP2 to reset tripped cells from AW RCR123 & UltraFire Blue Protected 18650, where WP6 II shown green light, or maybe I didn’t put those tripped cells long enough for WP6 II to reset it ?

66

Can you take a photo anyway? Want to see what are you talking about :slight_smile: