XTAR

Really great shot! So cool!

A list for questions:

1. Is it a good idea to mix old and new batteries to power your electronics?

2. Can I leave lithium ion batteries on the charger?

3. Can I replace a 2400mAh battery with a higher 3000mAH?

4. Can I use rechargeable a 1.2V battery instead of Alkaline 1.5V?

5. How to decide the battery charging current?

6. What decreases battery capacity the most?

7. Is fast charging bad for your battery?

8. Can I replace 3.6V Ni-MH battery pack with a 18650 battery in RC toys?

9. How does temperature affect Li-ion batteries?

Q1. Is it a good idea to mix old and new batteries to power your electronics?

A: No. As batteries discharge, the internal resistance increases. This will limit current flow from the new battery since most devices require batteries in series. If you insert one new and one (50%) used battery into the device:

1. Assuming the current drain remains the same, the old battery will run out after half the usual time. Unless you marked them or can measure them afterwards, you will have to throw out both batteries. Which means you have wasted half a perfectly good battery.

2. If the device is sensitive to voltage (say a torchlight), the combination of new & old will start at 2.85V (e.g.1.5+1.35) instead of 3V. The torchlight may be less bright even at the beginning. That is, perform less well.

3. Old batteries tend to degrade chemically faster than new batteries. If you keep them in the device unused for a long time, you may find that the old battery could leak after a few months vs a year for new unused batteries, ruining your device.

Q2. Can I leave lithium ion batteries on the charger?

A: With a properly designed charger, you should not have to take them off the charger when fully charged, the charger should disconnect and end the charging for you. Such as the XTAR chargers all can intelligently detect the fully charge and automatically stop charging.

If you have a poorly designed charger, then yes it could damage the battery. So buying a good, reputable brand charger is really necessary.

Q3. Can I replace a 2400mAh battery with a higher 3000mAH?

A: mAH is mostly a measure of charge in the battery. The larger it is , the larger the battery is, or higher the density of energy that the material battery is made of can store.

To know whether you can use 3000 mAH battery to replace your 2400 mAH battery , you would need to know:

- voltage (a 2400mAH 1v battery can most definitely not be replaced by 3000mAH 12v battery for e.g).

- internal resistance (this defines how much current needs to be drawn from it at a given instance in time.)

Q4. Can I use rechargeable a 1.2V battery instead of Alkaline 1.5V?

A: 1.5 V batteries are typically Alkaline-manganese and/or carbon zinc which have a native open-circuit voltage of 1.5 volts. But during discharge, they will drop to lower voltage levels due to becoming depleted and internal resistance to current flow. Knowing this, virtually all battery-powered devices are designed to be able to work with depleting batteries down to 1.1, 1.0 or even 0.9 volts per cell.

If you want to use rechargeable cells like NiMH or NiCD, it will work fine, even though those have a rated 1.2 volts per cell, somewhat lower than 1.5 of Alkalines.

The reason is that those two rechargeable chemistries generally have a flatter discharge curve and lower internal resistance. So as they are depleted, the voltage goes down much more slowly. They are generally regarded as depleted around 0.9 to 1.0 volts, similar to the end of life voltages of alkaline cells.

Q5. How to decide the battery charging current?

A: It depends on the battery chemistry, lithium ions are usually charged at 50% of it’s Ah rating and lead Acid batteries are usually charged at 10% of its Ah rating. For example, if the 18650 battery is 2000mAh then the charging current set to 1A.

When you choose 1A as the charging current, the charger may not charge with 1A immediately, for the chargers use three-stage charging method, only when it enter constant current stage, it will charge according to your choose. All XTAR chargers use this method.

Nowadays, there are many smart chargers that can intelligently select an optimal charging strategy by detecting the internal resistance of the charged battery, input power and battery type, makes charging faster and safer.

Q6. What decreases battery capacity the most?

A: the following decrease battery capacity dramatically:

1. High charging/discharging rates.

2. Charging the battery to 100%, discharging the battery to 0%.

3. Storing battery at low or high state of charge(SoC) for long duration.

4. Keeping device/battery plugged-in after charging has completed.

5. Storing/operating batteries in extreme temperatures, low or high.

Q7. Is fast charging bad for your battery?

A: It is not the speed of charging that degrades battery. It is the heat that may build up. For lithium ion batteries charging, XTAR chargers have mainly 3 stages:

1. Trickle charge (pre-charge to revive the over-discharged battery)

2. Bulk charge (constant current)

3. Saturation charge (constant voltage)

When you charge your battery from 0-80%, voltage rises to 4.18-4.20V with the constant current if 0.5-1C. After this, battery is set to a constant voltage where voltage is set to 4.2V as the limit, the charging current decreases as it reached from 80-100%. Here the charging process is carefully monitored by internal charging circuit and controller.

Slow or fast upper voltage is always limited to 4.2V. So fast charging is only at the constant current charging stage, and will always start to slow down at constant voltage stage. The manual selecting button on the chargers actually just switch the charging current in the constant current stage, not the whole charging process. Choosing the larger charging current can shorten your waiting time.

What’s more, the high-quality chargers have built-in temperature sensors to detect and monitor the real-time temperature of batteries. When the temperature is too high, the chargers will automatically adjust charging current to ensure safety.

That’s why we suggest to buy high quality and reputable brand battery chargers.

Q8. Can I replace 3.6V Ni-MH battery pack with a 18650 battery in RC toys?

A: Inadvisable. It will power the toy, but the problem will be the charging circuit. NiMH and Li-ion need different charging due to their different chemistry. Most likely the toy’ s charging is just a resistor voltage dropper and nothing more than that. Definitely not good scheme for lithium. If you know how to DIY, then a lithium cell charger module can be considered.

Q9. How does temperature affect Li-ion batteries?

A: As temperature affects the reaction rates of the various chemical reactions taking place when operating a battery, the balance between these reactions will be destroyed.

At high temperatures, mainly the side reactions like gassing get increased. This results in higher self-discharge, but also in reduced lifetime (by increased corrosion, increased derioration of battery components, …)

The accessories in the package are very simple, the charger body, a Type-C charging cable, and a manual in 11 languages.

It is very practical to put it in the car as a spare charger. Moreover, it is small and exquisite, and it does not take up too much place in the armrest box.

Last but not least, let’s take a look at the charging efficiency of this charger.

Discharge two brand new 18650 batteries first.

Then use 1A current to charge at the same time. The MC4S does not come with a USB conversion head, so I chose the IPAD charging head, and the output is 2.1A / 5V, which is in line of the charger manual.

After 3 hours and 22 minutes, the MC4S showed full-charged, and the other charger was still trickle charging.

Summary:

This charger is small, convenient, simple and practical. It is very suitable for beginner flashlight players or as a backup player with charging needs. It has no fancy functions such as power detection and voltage detection, which reduces the possibility of damage and strengthens and also enhances portability.

00:08: unboxing of XTAR H3R 01:21: magnetic charging test 02:01: light function test 02:54: outdoor light test 03:49: indoor light test 04:14: test when wearing head strap 04:51: helmet clip test 05:46: bracket test 06:28: test when wearing helmet 06:50: waterproof test 07:16: magnet strength test With magnetic charging, just a lightly touch leads you to a new shining world.

• Good runtime • Instant access to Moon mode and Turbo mode • Good white tint • Strong Helmet Clip • Side switch is easy to activate • Fast 1A USB charging • Consider lightweight for its size Specifications: Led : Cree XP-L V6 6 different modes Max intensity : 5630cd Max output : 1000 lumen Max runtime : 18 days Max beam distance : 150 meters Waterproof : IPX-7 Impact resistant : 1.5 meters Battery : 1×18650 / 2×16430 / 2xCR123A Low voltage protection Overheat protection Dimension : 106.4mm x 21.9mm x 26.7mm Weight : 55g *Magnetic charging only for 18650 It is non-proprietary battery support. Any 18650 Li-ion battery, protected or unprotected, button-top or flat-top can be used. ^^ However, I do not recommend using battery with proprietary positive and negative contact point at the same side as the contact spring might risk creating a short. Turn the torch on / off with a single click. The flashlight switches on with the memory of the last mode (even TURBO) – unless you change the link, then it will start in high mode. Change the modes by holding down the button; they operate in the loop from the lowest to the highest. TURBO is activated by a fast double click (on the flashlight). Hidden modes: - quick 3 clicks activate SOS - when the torch is off we hold the button – to enable / disable the button lock against accidental switching on (when the lock is on and the button is pressed, the flashlight will turn on in the moon for a moment, when the button is released, the torch will go out) - when the torch is off, two quick clicks activate TURBO - when the flashlight is off, hold the button for a moment – it will turn on in the moon mode.

Summary: XTAR MAGNEMITE H3R is a headlamp designed mainly for people who expect a good range from a flashlight that they can wear on their head. Good workmanship, magnetic charging and easy-to-use controller, plus good equipment make H3R a really interesting proposition.

In the early years, when Android smartphones became popular, almost all charging interfaces of Android phones used Micro USB interface.

However, new mobile phones in recent years have begun to abandon the Micro USB interface and chose to use the Type-C interface. So, why now all mobile phones are suddenly replaced with Type-C interfaces?

What is the reason? What is the difference between Mirco USB and Type-C?

Micro USB charging port

Mirco USB is an upgrade of the previous Mini USB. Early electronic products basically adopted this interface. The interface is a trapezoidal interface with a width and a narrow width. Because the upper and lower widths of the interface are different, it is easier to cause a problem of which side is up.

Type-C charging port

Type-C can be said to be an upgraded replacement for Mirco USB. Its interface can be inserted on both sides. Its appearance officially solves the worldwide problem of “USB will never be inserted correctly.” It can be inserted on both sides. , Type-C also has the characteristics of positive and negative complete insertion, fast transmission speed, and so on.

The difference between Mirco USB and Type-C port

1. development path

From the development process, the C interface standard began to be recognized in 2015. In 2015, Apple applied the Type-C interface to the MacBook. In 2016, the Type-C interface began to prevail, and major flagship phones began to match the Type-C interface, giving up the commonly used Micro USB interface.

2. Shape design

In appearance, Mirco USB is narrower than the Type-C interface, but it has a heavy sense of overlap. Although Type-C is relatively wide, it is relatively thin and light.

3. Direction design

In the direction design, the Type-C interface has no positive and negative directions, and both positive and negative can be inserted. There are positive and negative directions of micro USB, and the influence of the serial cable itself, when inserted in the wrong direction, is also easy to damage the mobile phone interface.

4. Transfer speed

In terms of transmission speed, the specifications of micro USB limit the output of the highest voltage, and there are limitations in charging technology. The Type-C interface solves the problem of port voltage limitation, and the maximum output power increases significantly. The charging speed is reduced, the maximum speed can reach 10Gbps!

In this way, it is obvious that the Type-C interface is more practical and more fun. It can be said that it is the first choice for digital enthusiasts and technical friends! It is not an exaggeration to call it the king of the future data line market ~

Following the needs of the general public, XTAR also replaces the Type-C port on the charger interface. Among them, the most obvious is the upgraded version of MC4S and PB2C

In the end…

This is a portable charger with Power Bank function and it’s simple and practical.

PB2C appearance: small and portable 

I bought the PB2C package set, which includes a charger and two 18650 2600 mAh.

From the perspective of the overall design, I thought that XTAR is still of the highest quality. Let's take a look at the PB2C in detail.

XTAR logo is printed on the front of this power bank. It’s small and exquisite. As it’s made of plastic materials, you’ll feel delicate and smooth when you touch it.

A small orange tongue sticking out from the side is a small forged belt of the battery compartment, which is convenient for picking out the battery. The height of the power bank is about the same as the diameter of a coin, which is relatively small and round in the hand.

The gaps at the joints of each part are very small, and the black and orange combination looks very cool. Moreover, the lid of the battery compartment is held on by 2 magnets, they hold the lid on very firmly so it won't come off accidentally and it can prevent dust as well, yet it can be removed extremely easily.

The power input and output ports are on the same side, the output is A port, and the input is C port, which is very convenient.

18650 batteries: 2600 mAh

The battery is marked with some main performance parameters, including more than 500 cycles of charging, 9.62WH, and lithium-ion batteries.

It’s well acknowledged that 18650 batteries are more general and more standardized, so why is it called 18650? This is because this type of battery has a diameter of 18mm and a height of 65mm. 0 means that its shape is cylindrical, so it is called 18650.

PB2C charging: simple and practical 

After using XTAR PB2C, the overall feeling is that it’s extremely convenient and fast! Because there is no need to carry an additional battery charger, this power bank is itself a charger, which can charge and discharge in both directions. 

As for its application, no matter where you are, you can use this power bank by using the charging head and charging cable of your mobile phone, especially when you are hiking, it’s really practical!

As mentioned earlier, the output mode is the A port. It is very convenient to charge the mobile phone or the e-book. After all, the A port is still dominant on the market.

Plug in and press the switch on the power bank, and then the charging mode is turned on. However, it is a pity that 18W fast charging is not supported, it would be better if an iterative version could be released in the future.

I forgot to mention a very important parameter earlier, that is, the maximum power of charging and discharging of this XTAR PB2C is 10W.

It’s quite satisfactory, although 10W is not fast according to the current standard of fast charging. But as it’s powered by only two 18650 batteries, and it can reach 10W, which is already good.

According to the charging data of the mobile phone, the voltage can reach more than 4V, which is very stable, the current is between 1.3A and 1.5A, and the power is between 9W and 10W, which is quite in line with my expectations.

Indeed, the biggest advantage of XTAR is the replaceable battery. You can even upgrade the battery and replace it with a larger capacity 18650, so that the performance of the power bank will be further upgraded.

Summary: PB2C is fantastic

After using it for a period of time, the XTAR 18650 battery power bank gave me a very good experience. Whether it is self-charging or discharging to other devices, the speed is quite fast. In addition to being used as a power bank, the two 18650 batteries can also be placed in other equipment at home, such as flashlights for emergency use.

XTAR SC2 battery charger, give you an excellent fast charging experience.

It’s important to prepare a grab bag for easy preparation in case of emergencies, no matter for modern preppers or for common people.

Some of the items that are suggested for the bag include a first aid kit, batteries, a whistle, and a torch, copies of important documents, as well as a radio. 

MC4S can charge the batteries of flashlights, camera flashes, gimbals, toys, and other devices. And also, it can be charged by power bank, due to its USB-C input port. 

XTAR PB2C charger was released today! 

In 2018, XTAR had released the first PB series charger---PB2 which brought earth-shaking changes to the industry. PB2 became the first charger that combined battery charger and portable power bank 2 in 1 product. In 2019, the updated version of PB2—PB2S has broader battery compatibility that can charge larger 18650&21700 batteries at the same time, also with Type-C port charging. And now, another new product of XTAR PB series—PB2C was released.

The PB2C is a portable battery charger with a power bank function. It can charge 18650 Li-ion batteries as well as mobile phones, cameras, gimbals, flashlights, and other devices simultaneously as the PB2 does.

However, this is updated charger PB2C, it can charge all types of 18650 batteries which would be more useful for other users to use. Such as vapes and flashlights normally use 18650 batteries, giving greater compatibility and wider scope of application.

The PB2C is very easy to use. All you have to do is pop open the magnetic battery door on the back, and insert one or two 18650 batteries. The two bays have clear polarity indicators, but just in case you still manage to insert the batteries the wrong way, the PB2 features reverse polarity protection. The battery door is held in place by two pairs of very strong magnets and pops into place when you attach it to the charger. The magnets are so strong that there’s no risk of it coming off accidentally.

The negative terminal has a springy rod, for making good contact with all types of 18650 cells and inside is a ribbon for easy removal of cells. It’s nearly the same size as PB2, but pleasantly holds larger 18650 cells. That makes the total capacity possibilities much higher than the PB2.

PB2C can be carried in your pocket due to its small and exquisite design. It is convenient to carry whether you are traveling, hiking or exercising.