@Bearkat just ordered one…thanks for the idea and heads up!
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All of my batteries live either in a charger being charged, in a mod being used, or in plastic battery boxes.
I bought another Nitecore D2 a couple months ago on Amazon Prime for $19.00
It had a car charger and two D-cell adapters for AA batteries.
Here is some good info on the D2 charger…
http://charger.nitecore.com/product/digicharger-d2
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A link to the last one I bought…
And the Nitecore D4 …
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I have a two port charger at my camper, and a 4 port at home. Get the ones with the highest review ratings.
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I tease @ozo but he’s right. Come on… you just pop them in there and go to work or the store and you need 'em and they’re charged. We should be sharing the battery chargers to NOT buy …who said up top that there’s a model that keeps charging your batts after their full. I want to know to not buy that!
Being one of the dumb@sses myself that just read the description from the manufacturer and made a buying decision, after some research (which was all over the web) it’s clear to get any real bonus features (like discharging) the price quickly quadruples+
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Yep, my Brother @BoDarc (son) teases me like a bleached-blond hair-do in the 50’s, but at least he isn’t mean and treat me like a red-headed step-child. I was born a coon-ass salt water crocodile, and he continues to try and penetrate my hard head, er, uh, skin…he’s a goodun’ as most of you know, he just needs a little higher % of Marshmallow (FA) and a lower % of Sour Wizard (FA) and he is a good S-N-V…
I would love to see everyone using the very best equipment [like a nice Barnstead mag stirrer…or a Lamborghini Superlegarra 400 GT 2+2, etc] but it simply isn’t in everyone’s budget. I am very frugal, but you can’t put a price on safety, and with time spent on research, you can have both these days.
If you buy things just to impress others, then you should be one of the biggest $$$$$ donors to homeless Veterans and animal rescue foundations [after extensive research].
For most folks, they need something that works safely, and is affordable…even a good kitchen knife.[then they need a way to keep it sharp so that it remains safe to use]
All tools are not created equal in quality, and the consumer needs to research almost everything they buy to get the best for the least…unless you have won the lottery.(maybe)
Batteries used in vaping, especially 18650’s, can be dangerous if handled wrong or carelessly. They can also be as safe as safe can be when handled properly…regular inspection of the battery, charged in an intelligent charger, carried and stored in the proper manner [plastic battery cases are cheap], and used PROPERLY IN A MOD at the right setting. www.steam-engine.org is free, and a wealth of info…even if you don’t build your own coils…click the tabs for great tools, and learn what it all means…just be safe…ignorance can be fixed, but stupidity rarely gives you a second chance. Any of you may easily know more than I, but if I can help you stay safe, just ask and I will do my utmost. Battery knowledge is crucial to safety…don’t be one of those you see on youTube titled “vaping dumbasses compilation”. Peace out, alfalfa sprout…[stolen from you-know-who…]
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Ill just put this out there, i bought a Luc Blu6 in May, it is now dead. Sure i charge a LOT of batts but my Nitecore D4 lasted twice as long. I am probably going to get nut checked from the wife but i ordered this tonight:
Seeing as i have spent nearly a 100 bucks in the last two years on charger i figured i would get the best one out there.
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The MC3000 may appear to be pricey for most folks,but if you own a lot of 18650 batteries like many of us do, it will pay for itself in the long run, using the different modes.It will actually ‘teach’ your batteries how they should ‘act’ for optimum performance and life.
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That charger is impressive.
I bought a Blu6 not too long ago, but now I really want one of these. It would be very nice to go through my older batteries and refresh and analyze them.
The Xstar VC4 is not well made! I have that and the Nitecore D4 and the Nitecore is far superior, the power lead on the VC4 is ridiculously sensitive, u knock it or even knock the unit and the power input drops dramatically and doesnt go back up, I had to take mine apart and hardwire the powerlead in, it also doesn’t turn off when left alone, the D4 does (without batteries in obv) I got the D4 due to being sick of the VC4.
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Great post! Appreciate you sharing your experiences with it!
Not having had hands on one of these units, there’s a couple of thoughts that initially come to mind… One: there’s always a chance that you got a bum unit that never should have made it through QC. Two: these units also seem to have a large feature set with a price point that’s very low (speaking relative to other more reputable units; reviews on the Opus BT series speak volumes). So they almost have to have skimped on components/assembly, or worse, both. That’s why I had asked for @BoDarc’s thoughts on the vape mail thread.
Some of the Nitecore products seem like solid units, but they lack features that I’m hoping for.
It seems more and more (as I continue reading) that there’s probably only one brand choice for me at this point (unless I find a “fully loaded” Nitecore). For now, I’m torn between the Opus BT-3100 and the BT-3400.
Great reading so far, and appreciate everyone sharing their experiences! Thanks again to the wonderful OP for bringing this up!
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Between reading all of the replies here and internet searching I’m right there with you.
Thanks to everyone for your input, it’s been very helpful!
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you’re very welcome, I could not for the life of me work out why Xstar decided to power the thing with a USB lead, it’s a ridiculous idea. but yes I would recommend Nitecore for simplicity, can’t comment on the Opus but I have heard good things.
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I was able to get a wall charger adapter with mine, but it doesn’t make any of the shortcoming of the XSTAR any better. I think their ad explains the USB was so it could be used in your car, but having to get an AC adapter added to the cost. Hey it’s pretty and has cool display and it does charge batts …the only pros, but I still have some Buyers Remorse (.5 volt charging on two of the 4 slots and doesn’t display the MaH of a fully charged battery , only what was charged)
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If I were spending over $50 for a charger to use for my 18650’s, I would spend the extra $$ and get the SkyRC MC-3000 especially to get the extra features like Cycle, Storage, and Break-In modes. Another thing I really like about it…is having aluminum fins to dissipate heat…along with the fan. You can also get real-time data with graphs on your PC.
If I were spending less than $50, I would just get a Nitecore D2 or D4
http://www.skyrc.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=219
EDIT: Now that the Opus BT-C3100 is around $40 or less [was $60 and up] I would get the Opus3100
Hope this didn’t arrive too late for many, but I forgot this was here.
I have mentioned this on several other threads.
Like an old coon hound…I sometimes forget where I roam.
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I like the looks of it… Off to do my homework!!
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And a LOT of homework there is. This thing is nuckin futs…
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Yeah… the size difference between the Opus and the SkyRC is a whopper. Not to mention the price being double. And the weight triple
They seem to stay on top of the updates though…and it’s got a plethora of features.
After everything, still think I’m gonna stay with one of the Opus units…(probably the 3400). Simply because it’s been refined (assuming you stick with a v2.2 or newer) and is a very solid performer (from reviews and specs), But the Sky’s definitely a nice candidate though!
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I have a Opus 3400 arriving in a couple of days because my LUC ran out , pun intended on one charging bay .
I would love to have one of the SkyRC chargers but I know it would blow my small mind.I still have three of the Nitecore units , to fall back on for now.I went to amazon and read the reviews and the Opus seems pretty easy to understand , we shall see.
https://www.amazon.com/BT-C3400-Universal-Analyzer-rechargeable-batteries/dp/B00NR77SL2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1470719001&sr=1-1&keywords=opus+3100#Ask
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