The entry point in this charger range, one slot rather than two, four or eight, but it still covers both major rechargeable chemistries in that single bay, switching automatically between the 1.2V NiMH charging profile and the 3.7V Li-ion profile depending on which type of cell is actually inserted, so there's no mode dial to get wrong before starting a charge.
Charging current is selectable between 500mA and 1000mA, and the unit uses constant current followed by constant voltage charging, the same two-stage approach found in far more expensive chargers, to protect the cell's long-term capacity rather than simply pushing power in at a fixed rate. LiFePO4 and 3.85V high-voltage lithium cells need their mode set manually rather than relying on auto-detection.
Safety and recovery
- Refresh function brings a fully depleted, 0V battery back to a usable state
- LED status indicators show charging progress at a glance
- Overcharge, short-circuit and reverse-polarity protection built in
Those same protections are found across this whole charger range, safety features that don't get cut just because this is the simplest, most affordable model in the lineup. It covers 18650, 26650 and 14500 lithium cells alongside standard NiMH sizes, a genuinely broad range for a one-bay unit, though the battery itself is sold separately. For two bays running independently rather than one, the XTAR MC2 is the natural next step up without a large jump in price or complexity.
Chargers
