XTAR BC4 Charger Preview
I have had this BC4 charger from XTAR for a while now and I’ve not figured out a good way to test it. I’ve used it here and there and I have an opinion about it, but all without any graphs. If you’re interested in that, read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the XTAR BC4 Charger product page.
Price
These go for around $20 and are available at aliexpress.
Short Review
This is a good and simple charger for your NiMH AA and AAA-sized cells. The 1.5V lithium-ion cells that are included (and can charge in here) are…. well if you need them then they’re good. But for flashlights, they aren’t ideal. It’s a bonus that there’s USB output. But for $20 (or less), I think there are other XTAR products that would suit this need better.
Long Review
Key Features
· Independent Four-slot, Charges AA and AAA Batteries Simultaneously
· Tiny Size, One-hand Operate
· Type-C Input, USB Output
· LED Light for Emergency Use
· Widely Applicable
· Intelligently Matching Constant Current and Constant Voltage
· Multi-protection functions, physical anti-reverse
Manual and Packaging
What’s Included
- XTAR BC4 Charger with separate cover
- XTAR 1.5V lithium-ion AA-sized cells
- Charge cable (USB to USB-C)
- Manual
Build Quality and Durability
Not much to write home about – the BC4 gets the job done regarding build. It’s very simple.
Interestingly there’s a lanyard loop on the corner.
The back has what I like – imprinted specs, regarding what the charger can do.
Notably, it can charge NiMH cells in AA/AAA size, as well as the 1.5V Lithium Ion cells like what is included with the charger. Note it will not charge 10440 or 14500 lithium-ion cells!
The plastic cover is a nice addition but… more on this cover later.
There’s an attached ribbon for putting the cells over. This should allow for easier removal and it does. If you can remember to put cells over it (unlike me).
The positive and negative terminals are easy to separate.
Here you can see the positive – there’s just one set of four terminals here. Clever that there are divots for both supported cell sizes
The side of the charger for the negative terminal has two connectors. The bigger one for AA-sized cells, and the smaller for AAA-size.
Also, note the nice imprinted cell orientation markers in each bay.
The ribbon is permanently affixed to (inside) the case.
There’s one button on this device. It’s on what I’d call the “right side” of the device.
The cells fit inside the BC4 completely – the cover fits with cells installed.
One thing I don’t like about the BC4 is the top. Below, see the top fitted properly.
Now rotated 90 degrees, and the top no longer fits. How hard would it be to make this device square instead of “just barely” rectangular, and the top to fit in any orientation?
Size
Officially 80mm x 75mm x 27mm.
Power
Power is sent to the BC4 by a USB to USB-C cable, which is included.
As stated above, the BC4 will charge AA and AAA-sized cells of NiMH and 1.5V lithium-ion chemistry. It will not charge 10440 or 14500 lithium-ion (3.7V) cells!
Each bay also has an indicator – green means charged and red means charging.
The BC4 also offers USB output, via a “regular” (USB-A). This output is rated at 1A and 5V.
User Interface and Operation
There’s just one button on the BC4. It mostly handles its own settings for you, so there’s little to fiddle with (at least if what you want to do is charge cells.)
But the BC4 also has a little light on the front. To turn this on, install any cell that can also charge in the device, and hold the button for >2s. The light will turn on. Click again for off.
You’ll also need to click the button to turn on USB output.
Conclusion
What I like
- Ability to charge NiMH in AA and AAA-sizes
- Price fairly low and includes 2 cells
What I don’t like
- Creates a problem to solve
- Top doesn’t fit both ways
Notes
- This item was provided by XTAR for review. I was not paid to write this review.
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