XTAR Dragon vs Vapecell S4 Plus vs OPUS BT-C3100

[jayflash]

Please indulge me for my frequent postings, lately. I've a renewed interest after a hiatus from new lights and the CPF. I'll probably go away again once I'm more up-to-date with things ... no promises.

I've read the reviews and am wondering what users of these charger/analyzers think. My first impressions are that the Opus is the oldest but, perhaps, the best value. The Vapecell, next, for value and the XTAR the most expensive but maybe better for really accurate IR testing. I like the lower charging available in the Opus & Vapecell because I use 10440 cells and like to baby the 16340's that I have. I briefly had the XTAR and liked the IR testing probes and ability to charge D cells but the lowest charging rate is 0.5A - maybe just a little too high?

What are your thoughts & experiences?

 

[Grijon]

I have an XTAR Dragon. I haven't used any of its higher features, just been charging with it - so I can tell you from my experience that it does not put out the charging amperage it claims. Charging 4 NiMH it runs less than .7A instead of 1A. That has also been my experience with another of XTAR's 4-bay chargers.

XTAR seem to be very well regarded by HKJ and the community, so if that's their only weakness it may not be a big deal to most people, but as you say you pay a premium for them and two of the three models I have underperform on this point.

 

[Grijon]

My Dragon must have heard me saying I'm not too pleased with it; I was charging 4 NiMH D in it yesterday evening and discovered after making that post that it missed termination on two of them...

I have not been impressed at all with XTAR.

 

[jayflash]

Thanks for the feedback. Three reasons I opted for the Dragstar were the ability to charge four D cells, the dedicated IR testing probes and it was well-reviewed on the CPF and elsewhere. Plus, it has a 120 volt power supply rather than depending on a USB source.

Maybe the quick failure of my first one was a sign. I hope not because I ordered another one.

 

[jayflash]

I've got a question and a couple observations. After using the IR probes on the XTAR the display stayed in the resistance screen and wouldn't show charging or discharging even though the LEDs indicated the status. I had to unplug the charger to reset the display. Does it take a long time for the display to reset?

I'll keep an eye on charge termination point and charge rate, as 0.7A is too low for big cells and 0.5A is a bit high for small LiIons. So far I like the Vapecell better, but I haven't had them long. I'm hoping the XTAR will prove to be worth the extra cost and I'll like more of the features. I'd like to have a back-up LiIon/NiMh charger because several have failed over the years.

 

[peter yetman]

Double click the middle button to get back to the normal display.
P

 

[jayflash]

Thanks so much Peter, I'll try that. It's amazing how absolutely bad the distructions are for this rather complicated charger are - especially considering the number of features it has. This is true for a few very expensive audio products too; thousands of dollars with a 10 cent manual.

 

[peter yetman]

Tell me about it.
I often wonder if i could get a job explaining tp people how to use their new stuff. I do it with Mrs Yeti every day.
P

 

[jayflash]

After living with the two chargers for a week, I'd choose the Vapecell if I could only have one. The four independent channels and common-sense functions appeal to my ordinary sort of sense. The fact that a separate discharge function isn't available with the XTAR is another issue for me. XTAR has better 26650 & D cell capability, but the negative slide contact is barely tall enough on either charger.

Any opinions or experience with the Opus?

 

[stephenk]

My XTAR Dragon has been going strong for 3 and a half years now. Very impressed with it.

 

[jayflash]

Thanks for the feedback. I've been using the XTAR mostly for charging and with larger LiIons that can handle the minimum 500mA current. The discharge function (only after first charging) isn't good for testing a cell's capacity if you want to check for loss over an extended storage time. Also, unlike some other chargers, the discharge rate cannot be set independently from the charge rate. Lack of independent channels is another disadvantage for me.

Given the price, I wouldn't have gotten the XTAR, had I realized all the details. I should have thought about it more, but since I have it, I'll use it for what it does well: accepting large cells, IR testing and separate leads. The 2A max charge rate is OK for me but I'd imagine some would prefer more. The cell info recording could be useful but the instructions are vague and what may be obvious to some users isn't detailed enough for me. I haven't taken the time to figure out how the recording function works, maybe one of these days ... unless someone here can help.

While the XTAR may be just the ticket for some of us, I've found some other less expensive chargers having better features (for me) and easier to use. Maybe I'll appreciate the XTAR more the longer I have it.

 

[louie]

I wrote my own manual for the Xtar Dragon, maybe it'll help. PM me and I'll send you a PDF.

 

[jrgold]

The fact that a separate discharge function isn't available with the XTAR is another issue for me. XTAR has better 26650 & D cell capability, but the negative slide contact is barely tall enough on either charger.

Any opinions or experience with the Opus?

Ive been happy with my dragon. Although there isn't a dedicated discharge for storage mode, you can just use the refresh mode and remove the batteries when they are at 40% recharged.