Charger upgrade

[simplesid242]

So now that I'm getting into more mods I'm looking to upgrade my charger. I'm using vtc 4's and 5's. Currently using a nitecore intellicharger i2. What do you guys recommend as a upgrade. I was looking at the xtar vc4 or vp4. From looking thru battery and charging section those seem like good chargers. I just want to make sure they are good before I order. I do want at least a voltage readout on a charger.

 

[Rickajho]

Xtar is good but unless you have a desperate need for a charger to do both Li-On and NiMh batteries then stick with the VP4. The VC4 cannot recover under voltage Li-On batteries because of the dual purpose design. Also, the VP4 comes with it's own power supply, for the VC4 you have to provide your own 1 amp USB supply.

 

[Technonut]

Moved from RTA forum to Batteries and Chargers forum...

 

[DaveP]

The Efest LUC 4 is a good charger with independent voltage displays. I really like being able to pop a battery in just to check its charge level in a few seconds. My i4 has been in a drawer doing backup duty since the LUC 4. It also has two 26650 bays.

USB devices are taking over. My Provari V2 still gets vape time, but the convenience of being able to plug into a USB port makes me choose the iStick 20W or 50W when I'm going out. I don't have to carry extra 18650's. All I need is a cable and the USB charging port in my pickup. The 50W has 4400mah power in two internal18650's that charge through USB ports.

 

[VapieDan]

Xtar is good but unless you have a desperate need for a charger to do both Li-On and NiMh batteries then stick with the VP4. The VC4 cannot recover under voltage Li-On batteries because of the dual purpose design. Also, the VP4 comes with it's own power supply, for the VC4 you have to provide your own 1 amp USB supply.

I wiped out a 1 amp usb adapter with a VC4. The draw is 2.1 amps.

 

[DaveP]

I wiped out a 1 amp usb adapter with a VC4. The draw is 2.1 amps.

Try one of these. It charges everything I own, including iSticks and tablets. On sale for $12.99. You get two 2.1A outputs and three 1.x outputs. I've been charging everything USB that I have for a year or so. It charges my 50W iStick 4400mah just fine.

http://www.amazon.com/EasyAcc®-Charger-Technology-Portable-Smartphones/dp/B00HQY35SM/ref=pd_cp_cps_0

 

[LavaLampHero]

I use the LUC 2 bay charger. I've only got 3 batteries and it suits my needs just fine. It shows individual voltage for both batteries and the fact you can pop a battery in to check the voltage is great. You can also use the charger to charge your phone via USB cable. If both batteries are at full charge, you have a portable charger that needs no plugins.

 

[ronnbert]

The Efest LUC 4 is a good charger with independent voltage displays. I really like being able to pop a battery in just to check its charge level in a few seconds. My i4 has been in a drawer doing backup duty since the LUC 4. It also has two 26650 bays.

USB devices are taking over. My Provari V2 still gets vape time, but the convenience of being able to plug into a USB port makes me choose the iStick 20W or 50W when I'm going out. I don't have to carry extra 18650's. All I need is a cable and the USB charging port in my pickup. The 50W has 4400mah power in two internal18650's that charge through USB ports.

I use the 4 bay LUC. It has options for 0.5, 1, or 2 amps (middle two slots only for the 2 amp). You may be able to get 4 26650s on there if they fit in the outer 2 slots, but wouldn't be able to take advantage of the 2 amp charge. I love mine to death! To be able to charge 2 sets of married batteries at a time is wonderful for planning a long day. Also comes with a car adapter for those on the road a bunch!

 

[Froth]

Another vote for the Efest LUC V4, I've had mine for nearly a year without any problems and two of my friends have had one for about ~8 months without issue. Great charger with lots of features for a good price.

 

[sando7]

have the LUC4, 2 - I4's, 1 - D2, X-Tar mp1s and yes i still use it and i just bought an X-Tar VC2 simply for the reason it reads the mAh of your batts and i get 4.20 every-time...if i get another which i prob will down the line it will be a X-Tar VP2 or 4.....i do prefer to charge slow & easy when they hit 3.7v

 

[Thrasher]

Edit:

My bad I see you said vc4

Had a urp de durp moment there.

 

[classwife]

urp de durp moment

 

[dam718]

I recently bought a LUC4, and to be honest I am very happy with the purchase. It's been a great charger.

While I was waiting for it to arrive, I was watching video reviews and doing more research to learn as much as I could about it when I found what looks to be the holy grail of battery chargers. It's not a charger we usually talk about here in the Vaping world, as we normally stick to the Nitecore/Xtar/Pila/Efest norms, but this charger is regarded highly in other communities and after watching some videos and looking at test results, this thing is just ridiculously good.

It is the Opus BT-C3400

It can charge, discharge, analyze, test, and recondition dang near all types of rechargeable batteries from Ni-MH, Ni-CD, and Lithium... It can aute sense the type of battery you put in, has a multitude of charge currents, every channel is fully independent (meaning you can truly set the charge current separately for each channel individually)... It's just awesome.

Big drawback is, it has a cooling fan... A little one... And it can make some noise... Like a laptop fan on full speed ahead. It screams like a little banshee if it's getting too hot.

Amazon.com: BT-C3400 Universal Battery Charger Analyzer Tester for Li-ion NiMH NiCd rechargeable batteries: Electronics

Here is a video review on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlYPANszmv0

It's a long watch, but they really run this thing through it's paces and do some good testing. It's for the older model, the BT-C3100. The Amazon link is for the upgraded version