nwhornet
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Xtar PB2S Charger
Although this product was sent FOC for the purpose of review, the thoughts expressed are my own & I have no connection to either Xtar or POTV.
For review today is the latest offering from Xtar in the shape of the PB2S portable charger/power bank. This is the big brother to the first offering, the PB2, & offers more options than it’s sibling.
In the box
The box is the normal white Xtar branded packaging, with multi language descriptions & specifications. Inside is a plastic tray with the PB2s fitting snuggly & underneath is a USB C charging cable & comprehensive instruction manual.
Specifications
This is a feature packed 2 battery QC3 compatible portable charger giving the end user a range of options both as a charger & power bank.
· 18650/18700/20700/21700 unprotected/protected 3.6/3.7 Li-on/IMR/INR/ICR compatible
· Input QC3 5v-2A/9v-2A
· Output QC3 5v-2A/9v-2A
· Charges 2 x 2A, 2 x 1A, 1 x 2A
· USB A out/USB Type C in
· Information screen giving Output/Input/Voltage/Current & Capacity %
· Side button for info selection
· Magnetic battery door
· TC/CC/CV three-stage charging to maximise battery life
· 0v battery recovery for over discharged batteries
The unit itself is a rubber feel finish, same as the PB2, large black display area & very well fitting door. XTAR in white is printed on the magnetic door, again same as its little brother. All round a well-made product that should last.
In use
Using the PB2S is simplicity itself, pretty much plug & play. Insert the batteries, plug the USB lead into a suitable power supply & the unit checks the batteries. If you charge 2 unpaired batteries the PB2S will start to charge the lower discharged battery first to balance the load.
Fitting the batteries is easier with the spring loaded pins on the negatives, as is removal either with or without the fitted ribbon. The pins are a better choice than the spring loaded sliding terminals seen on most table top chargers & are highly unlikely to result in damaged/torn wraps. As previously noted all sizes from 18650 to 21700 are catered for & with it’s balanced charge/discharge different sizes can be used at the same time.
The display screen shows the Input V, Current & Capacity %(Output V when used as a power bank) and using the side button you can scroll between cell 1, cell 2 & both.
I was fortunate enough to be sent an Xtar QC3 18W 3 pin wall plug so was able to fully test charging on QC3. Charging started at 9v/2A (2 18650 cells) & completed in a little over an hour from 17% to full. I had an issue with using an in line USB tester with the supplied USB lead cutting the voltage back to 5v, which showed on the PB2S. Taking the tester out of line allowed the cable to supply the full 9v. Checked with another USB C cable but this worked as intended so can only assume a conflict with the original cable & tester. In use there was some heat generated at the top of the unit, not excessive but I’d be cautious & not charge unattended. Batteries get slightly warm but no hotter than being charged at 2A on the Xtar Dragon. The heat was significantly less when charging at 5v but there is a trade off with longer charging. Charging times are slightly slower than the Dragon but for an on the go charger this fits the bill more than adequately. Charging 2*700 was longer but then my batteries have between 500-1000 more mAh capacity than the 18650 cells I used.
The side button allows you see the current state of each function.
During charging, the numeric display shows the input voltage, current and battery capacity percentage.
Pressing the button will alternate the information shown on the display.
Press once to show battery voltage and slot 1 charging current. Second press shows slot 2 state & 3rd press takes you back to the main info. This is replicated when in power bank mode.
In power bank mode, depending on type of battery, you can get up to 8000mAh for charging a phone, mod or earphones (or whatever is in need of a charge via USB). On a non USB C connection this will charge at the lower 5V/2A (1A on a Samsung works phone). On a compatible QC3 phone you should get the full 9V/2A but couldn’t test this as Oneplus use their own proprietary Dashcharge so could only charge at the lower power.
Conclusions
Owning the original PB2 I already took advantage of the charging/power bank/battery storage capabilities & now have the option of using larger cells in the PB2S. Personally I would buy this just for that option & USB C & QC3 are great additions. Empty, this is surprisingly light but in no way flimsy. And even with 21700 cells it never felt too heavy. There’s no battery movement & the strong magnets hold the cover on securely. Only negatives (minor) is that it only comes with a USBA to USBC cable so a micro USB lead will be needed for the majority of products not yet using USBC or the oddball Lightning connection so loved by Apple. Also the QC3 plug I was supplied with is a separate purchase, so around £5 extra needs to be factored in for a quality QC3 wall plug.
If you don’t own a PB2 get this & if you do, still get this.
The PB2S is due for release on 21/08/19, hopefully with a comparable price (PB2 is currently £13.99) around £16. It will be available in 4 colours, Orange, Red, Blue & Black.
Many thanks to @XTAR for the opportunity to review this item & all those that read this.
Although this product was sent FOC for the purpose of review, the thoughts expressed are my own & I have no connection to either Xtar or POTV.
For review today is the latest offering from Xtar in the shape of the PB2S portable charger/power bank. This is the big brother to the first offering, the PB2, & offers more options than it’s sibling.
In the box
The box is the normal white Xtar branded packaging, with multi language descriptions & specifications. Inside is a plastic tray with the PB2s fitting snuggly & underneath is a USB C charging cable & comprehensive instruction manual.
Specifications
This is a feature packed 2 battery QC3 compatible portable charger giving the end user a range of options both as a charger & power bank.
· 18650/18700/20700/21700 unprotected/protected 3.6/3.7 Li-on/IMR/INR/ICR compatible
· Input QC3 5v-2A/9v-2A
· Output QC3 5v-2A/9v-2A
· Charges 2 x 2A, 2 x 1A, 1 x 2A
· USB A out/USB Type C in
· Information screen giving Output/Input/Voltage/Current & Capacity %
· Side button for info selection
· Magnetic battery door
· TC/CC/CV three-stage charging to maximise battery life
· 0v battery recovery for over discharged batteries
The unit itself is a rubber feel finish, same as the PB2, large black display area & very well fitting door. XTAR in white is printed on the magnetic door, again same as its little brother. All round a well-made product that should last.
In use
Using the PB2S is simplicity itself, pretty much plug & play. Insert the batteries, plug the USB lead into a suitable power supply & the unit checks the batteries. If you charge 2 unpaired batteries the PB2S will start to charge the lower discharged battery first to balance the load.
Fitting the batteries is easier with the spring loaded pins on the negatives, as is removal either with or without the fitted ribbon. The pins are a better choice than the spring loaded sliding terminals seen on most table top chargers & are highly unlikely to result in damaged/torn wraps. As previously noted all sizes from 18650 to 21700 are catered for & with it’s balanced charge/discharge different sizes can be used at the same time.
The display screen shows the Input V, Current & Capacity %(Output V when used as a power bank) and using the side button you can scroll between cell 1, cell 2 & both.
I was fortunate enough to be sent an Xtar QC3 18W 3 pin wall plug so was able to fully test charging on QC3. Charging started at 9v/2A (2 18650 cells) & completed in a little over an hour from 17% to full. I had an issue with using an in line USB tester with the supplied USB lead cutting the voltage back to 5v, which showed on the PB2S. Taking the tester out of line allowed the cable to supply the full 9v. Checked with another USB C cable but this worked as intended so can only assume a conflict with the original cable & tester. In use there was some heat generated at the top of the unit, not excessive but I’d be cautious & not charge unattended. Batteries get slightly warm but no hotter than being charged at 2A on the Xtar Dragon. The heat was significantly less when charging at 5v but there is a trade off with longer charging. Charging times are slightly slower than the Dragon but for an on the go charger this fits the bill more than adequately. Charging 2*700 was longer but then my batteries have between 500-1000 more mAh capacity than the 18650 cells I used.
The side button allows you see the current state of each function.
During charging, the numeric display shows the input voltage, current and battery capacity percentage.
Pressing the button will alternate the information shown on the display.
Press once to show battery voltage and slot 1 charging current. Second press shows slot 2 state & 3rd press takes you back to the main info. This is replicated when in power bank mode.
In power bank mode, depending on type of battery, you can get up to 8000mAh for charging a phone, mod or earphones (or whatever is in need of a charge via USB). On a non USB C connection this will charge at the lower 5V/2A (1A on a Samsung works phone). On a compatible QC3 phone you should get the full 9V/2A but couldn’t test this as Oneplus use their own proprietary Dashcharge so could only charge at the lower power.
Conclusions
Owning the original PB2 I already took advantage of the charging/power bank/battery storage capabilities & now have the option of using larger cells in the PB2S. Personally I would buy this just for that option & USB C & QC3 are great additions. Empty, this is surprisingly light but in no way flimsy. And even with 21700 cells it never felt too heavy. There’s no battery movement & the strong magnets hold the cover on securely. Only negatives (minor) is that it only comes with a USBA to USBC cable so a micro USB lead will be needed for the majority of products not yet using USBC or the oddball Lightning connection so loved by Apple. Also the QC3 plug I was supplied with is a separate purchase, so around £5 extra needs to be factored in for a quality QC3 wall plug.
If you don’t own a PB2 get this & if you do, still get this.
The PB2S is due for release on 21/08/19, hopefully with a comparable price (PB2 is currently £13.99) around £16. It will be available in 4 colours, Orange, Red, Blue & Black.
Many thanks to @XTAR for the opportunity to review this item & all those that read this.
