XTAR PB2 battery charger - Review

Raindance said:
@Hooked, Seems the idea is that you charge your 18650 in the charger. Once charged and left in the charger you can then use the device to charge something else from the batteries you charged in it. It is thus a power bank that stores it's charge in user replaceable cells.

@Raindance Ah! Now THIS is a clear explanation. Thank you!

But it still seems awfully cumbersome to me. For example, I'm going out and about with my mod. Before I go, I must charge the batteries (in the XTAR or elsewhere). Then off I go with the XTAR and the batteries still in it. My mod runs out of power, what to do? Now I must plug my mod into the XTAR in order for the batteries in the XTAR to charge the battery in my mod.

Right now, if I go out I just pop spare batteries in my bag or pocket and off I go! Mod runs out of power, I just replace the battery. I don't need to connect to yet another device which I have to cart around.

In terms of the charging time, sure it can and indeed will charge a couple of 1500mAh 18650's in a very short time. Charging time will also be affected by the supply current. The charge time when plugged into a 1A power supply will be double that of using a 2A supply. If stated performance was based on charging two 2500mAh cells on a 2A supply and you are charging two 3000mAh cells on a 500mA supply from a PC USB port results will be very different.

I didn't charge it from a PC. I charged it via a 2V USB plug, plugged into a wall socket.
Regards
Click to expand...
 
@RainstormZA See my reply to Raindance.

As far as charging a phone, it's far easier to charge it in the car. If it's an old car which doesn't have a USB slot (like mine), just buy a car phone charger, which is inserted into the cigarette lighter hole. The charger isn't expensive and it's readily available. I think I bought mine from a Vodacom shop.

Or, if I need to charge my phone and I'm not in the car, I use a Whizzy powerbank, which can be bought from Take-a-lot for R149. I've been using mine for about 2 years without a problem and I would think that R149 is much cheaper than what the XTAR will go for.
 
This device was most probably not designed for vape devices specifically. More for cell phones and tablets and that type of stuff. For users of devices that have fixed internal batteries it is also a pro, specially the pen style devices that have small capacity internal batteries. If you have both internal and external style devices, use it as a spare battery carry case for the 18650 device that can also charge your fixed bat device if need be.

upload_2018-6-3_9-20-5.png

That statement right there scares the whatsisname out of me. You do mean those are in some sort of case I hope! so easy for a short to happen and tragedy to follow! Always keep them in a protective case. (Think I saw you use those silicon cases in one of your posts) If you do not have, use this. Perfect actually, go out swap cells as needed, when you come home just plug in your battery case and be assured to always have charged batteries on hand. No need to remove from its protective case and place in charger.

Regards
 
I'm going away tomorrow, returning Tuesday or possibly Wednesday. My vaping case is packed. I'm taking a few bottles of juice, plenty of charged batteries and four mods (backups of backups). Do I want to take yet another device with me. No.
 
You can still use the batteries in the xtar as spares for your mod. No need to charge the mod from the batteries. See the xtar, when out and about, as a battery holder that can also be a powerbank for your phone in an emergency.
 
Ok fair enough on your point of view. As for me, I don't have a portable so this may work for me as I only have three mods and a cellphone to charge. When one lives in the uk, apparently parking is expensive everywhere as my mom just informed me a few days ago. I'll be walking everywhere and relying on public transport so it will work in my favour.
 
Raindance said:
This device was most probably not designed for vape devices specifically. More for cell phones and tablets and that type of stuff. For users of devices that have fixed internal batteries it is also a pro, specially the pen style devices that have small capacity internal batteries. If you have both internal and external style devices, use it as a spare battery carry case for the 18650 device that can also charge your fixed bat device if need be.

View attachment 134104

That statement right there scares the whatsisname out of me. You do mean those are in some sort of case I hope! so easy for a short to happen and tragedy to follow! Always keep them in a protective case. (Think I saw you use those silicon cases in one of your posts) If you do not have, use this. Perfect actually, go out swap cells as needed, when you come home just plug in your battery case and be assured to always have charged batteries on hand. No need to remove from its protective case and place in charger.

Regards
Click to expand...

@Raindance I do indeed put them in silicone cases. I don't want to be a bright spark ...
 
@XTAR @RainstormZA

While I was away I used XTAR, with one fully-charged 18650 battery, to charge my phone. My phone had 46% charge remaining when I connected it to XTAR. I didn't use the phone while it was charging. It charged up to 67% and then stopped.

Should I have used TWO batteries? I don't know, but quite frankly, I want my batteries for my mods! I'll try it again with two though.
 
@Raindance I hope you're sitting down while you read this. I was on the balcony (vaping allowed there) of a restaurant. One of the waiters came up to chat, as he's also a vaper. And lo and behold, he put his hands into the pocket of his apron and pulled out two handfuls of batteries - none of them in any kind of case whatsoever!

EDIT: @Raindance He also informed me that he has about 40 mods and that the most expensive one cost R9,000. I took all that with a pinch of salt that wasn't on the table.
 
Last edited:
Hooked said:
@XTAR @RainstormZA

While I was away I used XTAR, with one fully-charged 18650 battery, to charge my phone. My phone had 46% charge remaining when I connected it to XTAR. I didn't use the phone while it was charging. It charged up to 67% and then stopped.

Should I have used TWO batteries? I don't know, but quite frankly, I want my batteries for my mods! I'll try it again with two though.
Click to expand...

Yeah two batteries are needed. A combination of 6000mah in that will definitely help. It does take two 3500mah batteries but not sure where one would get a battery in that capacity.
 
RainstormZA said:
Yeah two batteries are needed. A combination of 6000mah in that will definitely help. It does take two 3500mah batteries but not sure where one would get a battery in that capacity.
Click to expand...

If you look at XTAR's pic, the batteries have XTAR written on them. I wonder if one shouldn't use XTAR batteries - or were they "made" just for the pic?
 
Hooked said:
If you look at XTAR's pic, the batteries have XTAR written on them. I wonder if one shouldn't use XTAR batteries - or were they "made" just for the pic?
Click to expand...
No, those were just for the pic. Other batteries will be fine. And yes, as a charger it will not be as efficient as from your power outlets, but a heaven sent for emergencies. With two fully charged 3000 mAh batteries in the xtar, you should be able to fully charge your phone.
 
RainstormZA said:
3500mah batteries

View attachment 134409
Click to expand...
But 10A CDC, you don't want to use those in a mod :)
For a powerbank though, they're great.
The way I see it, the XTAR is a powerbank. They shouldn't even be associated with vaping (neither should they advertise as such). It's a powerbank with removable batteries.
 
aktorsyl said:
But 10A CDC, you don't want to use those in a mod :)
For a powerbank though, they're great.
The way I see it, the XTAR is a powerbank. They shouldn't even be associated with vaping (neither should they advertise as such). It's a powerbank with removable batteries.
Click to expand...

@aktorsyl EXACTLY!!!! "It's a powerbank with removable batteries" is exactly what I was thinking! Question is, how would a non-vaper know where to buy 18650 batteries? Not at Pick 'n Pay, that's for sure! I'd never, ever seen them or knew about them until I started vaping.
 
aktorsyl said:
But 10A CDC, you don't want to use those in a mod :)
For a powerbank though, they're great.
The way I see it, the XTAR is a powerbank. They shouldn't even be associated with vaping (neither should they advertise as such). It's a powerbank with removable batteries.
Click to expand...
Why do you say that? For me it sounds very handy for when away from home - for a weekend or longer. I have a charger for my vape batteries, a handy case to store spare vape batteries when on the go and a around 6000 mAh powerbank for my cellphone in case of an emergency.
 
This evening I charged my phone again, this time with two 18650 batteries in the XTAR. It charged very quickly from 23% to fully charged. Unfortunately I forgot to note the times exactly, but it seemed as quick as when I used the Samsung fast charger.

I must admit that I'm beginning to like the XTAR because of the convenience which it gives me. For example, I needed to use my phone tonight in the lounge, which I couldn't have done if I'd had to plug it in to electricity.
 
I didn't charge it from a PC. I charged it via a 2V USB plug, plugged into a wall socket.
@Hooked

I am really sorry for the confusing information you met on PB2. In our description, we said that a 2500mAh 18650 battery can be fully charged in 1.5h, but it must be 5V & 2.1A input. If you use a 2V input plug, the time should be doubled.

I was under the impression that the PB2 is a portable charger. How can it be portable if I need to plug it in?
@Hooked

For those vapers who already have several 18650 batteries but do not have a power bank, XTAR PB2 should be a good choice as a power bank. For those non-vapers who do not have 18650 batteries, it may be not a good choice as a power bank.
 
@XTAR

If this were advertised as a battery-powered powerbank, I would not have been confused. However, now that I understand it to be so, I have used it for charging mods and my mobile and it works perfectly. It comes in very handy when I'm on the go and NOW I like it very much indeed!
 
Hooked said:
@XTAR

If this were advertised as a battery-powered powerbank, I would not have been confused. However, now that I understand it to be so, I have used it for charging mods and my mobile and it works perfectly. It comes in very handy when I'm on the go and NOW I like it very much indeed!
Click to expand...

:winnerwinner:
 
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