KytanDale
Mod Resurrection Specialist!
- Joined
- May 30, 2019
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The discovery of the XTAR PB2C charger and power bank, sent to me by XTAR in order to get my opinions on it.
Will start with what the PB2C is, it is 18650 battery charger and a portable power bank to charge your phone, vape or other devices. On top of it, is a masterpiece of technology, this little guy is Smart.
Features:
- USB C connector
- Compatible with any 18650 battery, flat top or protected
- multiple protections: over-charge, over-current, over-voltage, reverse protection
- Input current up to 2.1A
- Output current up to 2.1A
- Balanced charging
- Single-cell usage
- Passthrough charging
- 0V cell activation
Since most power banks have the cells fixed, this device lets you use your batteries. This is not a new concept, there are many devices out there that allow you to put even 8 cells in and use them as a power bank. The issue is that those devices are as basic as it gets, the cells are in parallel with no balancing, no protections and are a safety hazard in my opinion. The XTAR PB2C has all the protection you need for your safety and to extend the life of your 18650 cells.
Using the PB2C as a charger:
The unit is simple to use, pop the cells in and plug it to a 5V USB port. Ideally, something that is capable of 2 Amp’s or more. My trusty charger has always been a Samsung 5V / 2A charger that I use to power my other XTAR chargers. A computer or laptop USB port can be used but the charging time will increase. Please avoid cheap USB chargers.
The unit can charge a single cell at 2A or two cells at 1A each. This is where this little guy shows that is smart. The XTAR PB2C has a balancing function that will check the batteries individually and will start charging the lower value one first until it is at the same level as the other one, then continue charging both. This protects the cells for an overcharge.
The PB2C has a high precision cut off at the end of charge. At +/-0.05V, this guarantees no risk of overcharging.
Using the PB2C as a power bank:
Same simple operation, pop the cells in and plug a device to be charged, it should start to charge automatically, if not just press the small side button. I was surprised again by the device, you can use it with one cell only and the current output of 1A max. If the cells you put inside have different charges, the PB2C will use the higher charged one first until they get to the same level then continue using both. This protects the cells from over-discharge.
0V activation function:
Li-Ion batteries that end up dropping their voltage under a certain limit can be unsafe to use again if they are put to a normal charge. Therefore, most chargers will not charge them. XTAR has implemented this function in many of their chargers and the PB2C is no exception. 0V charging will detect the “dead” batteries and charge them with a special procedure that slowly and safely gets the voltage up to a good value and then it will switch to the normal charging protocol.
Measurements and build quality.
The unit feels solid enough, good plastic, the magnetic cover stays firmly in place. Opening the unit reveals a small board that is also well built, with good soldering and specialized quality parts used.
Under charge the unit draws 1.8 to 1.9A, this means that the 2.1A charge current is an absolute maximum value and the charging current per cell is a bit lower than 1A. I tested with a 2A charger and a 4A charger and it did not go over 1.9A current draw. Perfectly fine with me.
It charged a pair of protected 3500mA cells and a pair of High discharge LG cells with no issues and surprisingly fast. It only gets a bit warm which shows that the parts used and the circuit is designed with good tolerance.
I tested the charging on an iPhone 6S, a Samsung S9 and an OnePlus 6. This is where it is not perfect. The first small issue is not a fault from XTAR as this is not something easy to do and they had to make it universal. With most phones, the output charging current is limited at about 0.9 -1.0A, this is because certain android phones will not be able to use more as they do not detect a charger that supports the Qualcomm Quick charge protocol that Samsung uses or the Dash Charge used by OnePlus for example. Even though the PB2C can deliver 2.1A on output, many devices will not use this. But at 1A is still a good device to have with you daily. As far as charging capabilities, it will depend greatly on the cells used and their age but with a pair of XTAR 3500mA protected cells I got 2 full charges on an iPhone 6S and still had some power left. This is a very good result for a power bank with 2 cells only.
The second small disappointment is the fact that under load the output voltage drops significantly. Measurements showed the voltage to drop from 5V to 4.77V under a 0.88A load which is a bit concerning. Not a major issue as by the time this review is written the XTAR PB2C is already next to me daily and has charged my phone many times with no issues. But still, I would like XTAR to check and address this as it should not happen.
Final words:
Would I recommend the XTAR PB2C? Yes, it is a great device that combines technology with functionality in a small and easy to use package. Since having is it has been next to me daily either as a power bank or as a charger for my Vape batteries as it is faster than my XTAR VC2 due to charging at higher current.
Not a perfect device but the XTAR PB2C is a must-have if are a user of power banks for your devices, a vaper or have multiple devices that use 18650 batteries. It is safe, smart and will not disappoint you.
Pros:
- Small
- Good build quality
- Smart technology
- Double usage as charger and power bank
- Multiple protections
- 0V cell recovery
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Magnetic cover not so useful if the unit is dropped, I would like a slide cover to reduce the chances of the batteries coming out if dropped.
- Limited charging current to 1A with certain mobile phones.
- Slight output voltage drop under load
Sorry for the long one and I hope you have enjoyed it. @XTAR , thank you for sending the unit for review, it is getting good use daily.
Will start with what the PB2C is, it is 18650 battery charger and a portable power bank to charge your phone, vape or other devices. On top of it, is a masterpiece of technology, this little guy is Smart.
Features:
- USB C connector
- Compatible with any 18650 battery, flat top or protected
- multiple protections: over-charge, over-current, over-voltage, reverse protection
- Input current up to 2.1A
- Output current up to 2.1A
- Balanced charging
- Single-cell usage
- Passthrough charging
- 0V cell activation
Since most power banks have the cells fixed, this device lets you use your batteries. This is not a new concept, there are many devices out there that allow you to put even 8 cells in and use them as a power bank. The issue is that those devices are as basic as it gets, the cells are in parallel with no balancing, no protections and are a safety hazard in my opinion. The XTAR PB2C has all the protection you need for your safety and to extend the life of your 18650 cells.
Using the PB2C as a charger:
The unit is simple to use, pop the cells in and plug it to a 5V USB port. Ideally, something that is capable of 2 Amp’s or more. My trusty charger has always been a Samsung 5V / 2A charger that I use to power my other XTAR chargers. A computer or laptop USB port can be used but the charging time will increase. Please avoid cheap USB chargers.
The unit can charge a single cell at 2A or two cells at 1A each. This is where this little guy shows that is smart. The XTAR PB2C has a balancing function that will check the batteries individually and will start charging the lower value one first until it is at the same level as the other one, then continue charging both. This protects the cells for an overcharge.
The PB2C has a high precision cut off at the end of charge. At +/-0.05V, this guarantees no risk of overcharging.
Using the PB2C as a power bank:
Same simple operation, pop the cells in and plug a device to be charged, it should start to charge automatically, if not just press the small side button. I was surprised again by the device, you can use it with one cell only and the current output of 1A max. If the cells you put inside have different charges, the PB2C will use the higher charged one first until they get to the same level then continue using both. This protects the cells from over-discharge.
0V activation function:
Li-Ion batteries that end up dropping their voltage under a certain limit can be unsafe to use again if they are put to a normal charge. Therefore, most chargers will not charge them. XTAR has implemented this function in many of their chargers and the PB2C is no exception. 0V charging will detect the “dead” batteries and charge them with a special procedure that slowly and safely gets the voltage up to a good value and then it will switch to the normal charging protocol.
Measurements and build quality.
The unit feels solid enough, good plastic, the magnetic cover stays firmly in place. Opening the unit reveals a small board that is also well built, with good soldering and specialized quality parts used.
Under charge the unit draws 1.8 to 1.9A, this means that the 2.1A charge current is an absolute maximum value and the charging current per cell is a bit lower than 1A. I tested with a 2A charger and a 4A charger and it did not go over 1.9A current draw. Perfectly fine with me.
It charged a pair of protected 3500mA cells and a pair of High discharge LG cells with no issues and surprisingly fast. It only gets a bit warm which shows that the parts used and the circuit is designed with good tolerance.
I tested the charging on an iPhone 6S, a Samsung S9 and an OnePlus 6. This is where it is not perfect. The first small issue is not a fault from XTAR as this is not something easy to do and they had to make it universal. With most phones, the output charging current is limited at about 0.9 -1.0A, this is because certain android phones will not be able to use more as they do not detect a charger that supports the Qualcomm Quick charge protocol that Samsung uses or the Dash Charge used by OnePlus for example. Even though the PB2C can deliver 2.1A on output, many devices will not use this. But at 1A is still a good device to have with you daily. As far as charging capabilities, it will depend greatly on the cells used and their age but with a pair of XTAR 3500mA protected cells I got 2 full charges on an iPhone 6S and still had some power left. This is a very good result for a power bank with 2 cells only.
The second small disappointment is the fact that under load the output voltage drops significantly. Measurements showed the voltage to drop from 5V to 4.77V under a 0.88A load which is a bit concerning. Not a major issue as by the time this review is written the XTAR PB2C is already next to me daily and has charged my phone many times with no issues. But still, I would like XTAR to check and address this as it should not happen.
Final words:
Would I recommend the XTAR PB2C? Yes, it is a great device that combines technology with functionality in a small and easy to use package. Since having is it has been next to me daily either as a power bank or as a charger for my Vape batteries as it is faster than my XTAR VC2 due to charging at higher current.
Not a perfect device but the XTAR PB2C is a must-have if are a user of power banks for your devices, a vaper or have multiple devices that use 18650 batteries. It is safe, smart and will not disappoint you.
Pros:
- Small
- Good build quality
- Smart technology
- Double usage as charger and power bank
- Multiple protections
- 0V cell recovery
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Magnetic cover not so useful if the unit is dropped, I would like a slide cover to reduce the chances of the batteries coming out if dropped.
- Limited charging current to 1A with certain mobile phones.
- Slight output voltage drop under load
Sorry for the long one and I hope you have enjoyed it. @XTAR , thank you for sending the unit for review, it is getting good use daily.
