The display on my Xtar VP2 died. Replacement?

Subject says all. what would be a good replacement? I can still kinda see it if I turn all the lights out but I think this is going to be relegated to backup duty. I've been happy with my setup for a while now so I haven't kept up on what's new and exciting on the market. Is the new MC3000 worth the money? (could I use it to replace this and a C9000 both?) Does the C9000 support LiFePO4? That is important to me as one of my lights can't take Li-Ions without burning up, stupid Streamlight (yeah I know, Surefire is guilty of the same sin too. But I really like my Night Com UV)

In my opinion yes absolutely the MC3000 is worth the money. I have three of them and have given away or threw away lots of other chargers after using it. Except for a BT-C3400 that I travel with I really don't use anything else. The Mc3000 will replace the xtar and the c9000 and do a lot more. Did you mean to say does the mc3000 support LiFe? If so yes, if you have a c9000 you know it does not support LiFe.

Frank

Yes you understood what I meant even if my brain wasn't working right. So would you say the SkyRC is worth it over just directly replacing what I have for a lot less?

N8N said:

Subject says all. what would be a good replacement? I can still kinda see it if I turn all the lights out but I think this is going to be relegated to backup duty. I've been happy with my setup for a while now so I haven't kept up on what's new and exciting on the market. Is the new MC3000 worth the money? (could I use it to replace this and a C9000 both?) Does the C9000 support LiFePO4? That is important to me as one of my lights can't take Li-Ions without burning up, stupid Streamlight (yeah I know, Surefire is guilty of the same sin too. But I really like my Night Com UV)

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I was probably the first guy on this site to have a VP2, but it was quickly recalled due to a brittle plastic formulation under freezing conditions. That being said, mine has worked fine and they're now pretty cheap. For more flexible chargers, look to the Opus BT-3100/3400 chargers, which are multi-chem, multi-voltage and aren't all that much money. I think I paid $51 for my VP2 back in '14 and about the same for the Opus a bit later.

Still cheaper than the MC3000, but it's all about your budget and your needs.

The Xtar VP2 is a pretty good li-ion charger, if you only need to 'charge' up li-ions.

Chris

Check out the Miboxer line of chargers at miboxer dot com...they have 3 2-bay chargers to choose from.

The VP2 is still my go to charger for lithium-ions.

The screen on our oldest VP2 has become very dim, so last week I replaced it with a new one for $16.25.

We keep all of our VP2's plugged in 24/7, maybe that has something to do with it.

seery said:

The VP2 is still my go to charger for lithium-ions.

The screen on our oldest VP2 has become very dim, so last week I replaced it with a new one for $16.25.

We keep all of our VP2's plugged in 24/7, maybe that has something to do with it.

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That's exactly what happened to mine. I went to use my flashlight, noticed the cell was dead, and then couldn't read the display on the charger. I guess since you replaced it you haven't bothered to troubleshoot the old one? Still charged up fine, but I had to turn all the lights off to read the display.

As I'm looking, it looks like the TOTL Miboxer and the Opus models mentioned above don't support LiFePO4 which was the main reason for my purchase of the VP2 years ago. It also looks like the newer, fancier Xtars also do not support LiFePO4.

So as I see it now, my choices are a) another VP2 b) the MC3000 for about 5x the cost c) anything else?

I do have two C9000s and a Nitecore charger (forget the model) that does NiMH and Li-Ion both but not LiFePO4. Ideal would be support for all three chemistries, but LiFePO4 is the one thing that I need, I can't use my Night Com UV without a working charger. I can keep using the VP2 for a while but I don't know how long it's going to be until the display dies completely.

I would go withe the Opus BT-C3100 2.2. It is very reliable, versatile and only $45.

The batteries are Sony VTC5D which are re -wraps by Vapcell.

No LifePO4,,,,,,,,So it will not help in that regard.

After looking a little more it looks like the Miboxer C4 supports LiFePO4 for about the same price as a replacement VP2; opinions on a comparison of the two?

N8N said:

That's exactly what happened to mine. I went to use my flashlight, noticed the cell was dead, and then couldn't read the display on the charger. I guess since you replaced it you haven't bothered to troubleshoot the old one? Still charged up fine, but I had to turn all the lights off to read the display.

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Same here. Charges as normal, just dim.

Same here.
It doesn't help the OP 'cos it doesn't suppoert LiFePO4, but you could read a newspaper by the light my Dragon puts out. Worth it alone for the display - well almost.
P

The Opus Bt-C3100 and BT-C3400 support LifePo4 charging maybe not officially but it works. There is a switch just like on the Xtar with 3 voltage settings but it's inside the case. I drilled a ½ inch hold in mine just above the switch so I can move it with a toothpick and not have to take the bottom case cover off to change it.

Frank

peter yetman said:

Same here.
It doesn't help the OP 'cos it doesn't suppoert LiFePO4, but you could read a newspaper by the light my Dragon puts out. Worth it alone for the display - well almost.
P

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I have had my Opus for awhile and considered on getting the dragon.The deal breaker was ONLY being able to see the info for Two slots at once instead of all Four that the Opus provides,,,,Also costing Twice as much as the Opus. My preference.

There is that, but it works for me, and I do like the flying leads to check voltage and to a lesser extent IR.
P

May be not the best charger (high termination current), but there is Nitecore SC4 that supports all chemistries.

I still haven't bought anything, what do you guys think of the Nitecore D4?

Allow me to chip in. So the bad news is that, as told by my local distributor, the VP2 is to be discontinued sometime in early 2021 (even though it's still listed as a current model).

I must say, as a VP2 owner I'm sad to see this. In fact, this is the only LiIon charger in the entire Xtar lineup that allows for adjustable voltage strategies (3.2/3.7/3.8V), and in a handy form. Also the 0V activation function is very useful for resurrecting grossly undercharged LiIons, something even the high-end Opus C-3100/3400 cannot achieve.

I've tried to contact Xtar directly regarding the future of VP2, to see if a successor model would be in the works. Still no response as we speak.

BTW some member mentioned the Nitecore charger models. I know a few of them are multifunction and are compatible with multiple voltage charge strategies, but the overall quality build is only so-so and so are the reviews.

If you love the VP2, go to Ebay and buy a couple of others. When I first got mine, they were $52+ and as of a couple of years back, you could find them for $25 on places like Ebay, so a two for one deal.

I love my VP2, but I generally grab one of the two (v. 2.2, v. 3.1) Opus BT-3400s to charge stuff up.

ETA: There's a guy with 10 of them on Ebay, for $15 before shipping. They're fresh production with the newer white/blue packaging.

Chris