XTAR VC4S vs. NEW X4, which one do you prefer?

[XTAR Light]

It seems that 4 bay 18650 battery chargers are most popular among the Li-ion battery chargers. It can charge four batteries at once but doesn't cost much more. In XTAR, besides the Dragon VP4 PLUS, VC4S and NEW X4 are hottest 4 bay LCD smart chargers. But do you know their difference?

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Input & Charging Current
XTAR VC4S uses a Micro USB input port and supports QC3.0 fast charging. Its input power should be 5V 3A or 9V 2A. While XTAR NEW X4, also called X4 Extended Version, needs input power AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 0.8A or USB 5V 2.1A. It means that the new X4 has dual input port, the AC charging and Micro USB charging. I know many of you like the classic AC charging port, LOL.

For the constant charging Current, they both support 2A for 2 batteries, 1A for 4, and 0.5A for 4. And VC4S also supports 3A for a single battery if you use QC3.0 charging adaptor.

Available Batteries
They both charge 3.6/3.7V Li-ion and 1.2V Ni-MH/NiCD batteries. VC4S supports battery size from 10440 to 32650, AAAA to D, while new X4 charges 14500 to 26650, and AAAA to C batteries. Besides, new X4 can also charge 20700 and 21700 protected batteries, perfect for flashlights.

USB Output
Yes, new X4 has a USB output function. It can be used as a power bank. Insert a Li-ion battery in CH4 slot, it will charge your phone, rechargeable flashlights or other USB devices automatically. It is useful as an emergency power supply.

Battery Tester/Analyzer
XTAR VC4S has two special functions - grading mode and storage mode. With grading mode, it can test the real capacity of your battery by charging-discharging-recharging. In this way, it can help you to judge the battery performance. Need to store batteries for a long time? VC4S can adjust your batteries to the optional storage voltage with the storage mode to prelong the battery life. What's more, VC4S can test the internal resistance of your battery and show it on the LCD screen.

According to the comparison of VC4S and new X4 above, what do you think of them? Which one will you choose for your demands?

 

[Burgess]

Hmmmmm . . . . .

So the New X4 does NOT test & display internal resistance ? ? ?

Does not test for Capacity ? ? ?


:huh:
_

 

[rogue2020]

Hi Xtar team,

May I suggest that improving the IR measurement of the VP4 Plus to include AC Internal Resistance (IR) measurement so that we don't need to get the YR-1030 battery tester separately to do the same thing? Since the VP4 Plus already has the testing probes.

Also.. the VC4S's IR measurement accuracy also need to be improved as well.

Thanks...

 

[FrankTruth]

I just purchased an xstar vc4s.

I am an electrical engineer, and I can't figure-out how to use it.

Can someone from your customer service please contact me?

Maybe, once I understand how to use it, I can teach you how to write a comprehensible owner's manual.

Maybe, you wanted to save the cost of paper and packaging.

 

[XTAR Light]

I just purchased an xstar vc4s.

I am an electrical engineer, and I can't figure-out how to use it.

Can someone from your customer service please contact me?

Maybe, once I understand how to use it, I can teach you how to write a comprehensible owner's manual.

Maybe, you wanted to save the cost of paper and packaging.

Hi FrankTruth, you can check details in the user manual, there are introduction, specification and operation info. Besides, you can also check more via vc4s reviewing videos:

 

[adamlau]

NEW X4. Because of support for AC input power. Micro USB? I do not like the connector at all. VC4S + USB-C sometime soon?

 

[Swedpat]

I have Dragon VP4 plus since some year and ordered X4. Received it yesterday. I like that it shows both percentage and voltage. But one drawback is that it's not possible to choose the charging current manually. I read that the charger choose current based on battery type and length. This results in that it charges 26350 only at 0,5A(even in the first slot from left), which is a bit slow. But it chose 2A for IMR 18650.
Another thing I wonder about is that it sometimes show 80% despite it shows charged up to 4,2V. The question is here: shall consider it fully charged at 4,2v undependent of showed percentage, or wait until the screen shows FULL?

 

[Swedpat]

I have used the charger more now. And it's very common that the voltage shows 4,20V but the percentage remains at 80%. The question is: if the battery is charged to 4,20V, why it does not show FULL? And sometimes it happens that when I move the battery to another slot it immediately shows 100% and FULL.
I hope to receive a comment about this. It's a bit contradictory.

 

[Swedpat]

No comment XTAR? :wave:

 

[XTAR Light]

I have used the charger more now. And it's very common that the voltage shows 4,20V but the percentage remains at 80%. The question is: if the battery is charged to 4,20V, why it does not show FULL? And sometimes it happens that when I move the battery to another slot it immediately shows 100% and FULL.
I hope to receive a comment about this. It's a bit contradictory.

Hi Swedpat, thanks for your question. The charger indicates a fully-charged Li-ion battery with the constant voltage 4.2V (+-0.05V). When you see the voltage shows 4,20V but the percentage remains at 80%, the battery actually isn't charged fully. Please wait the "FULL" on the screen. That means the battery got fully charged. More explanation below.

As there is 1% charge cut-off voltage accuracy error between the slots (4.16~4.24V), the cut-off voltage varies slightly between different slots. If we assume that your battery's current voltage is 4.18V and the cut-off voltage on one slot is 4.16V, it will directly judge that the battery is fully charged. While, if the slot with the cut-off voltage of 4.24V will charge the battery for a little longer time and then cut off. For more easy and convenient way, if you check the "FULL" on the screen, it means the battery gets fully charged.

 

[Swedpat]

Thanks for the clarifying! :thumbsup: