I love multi-channel 1S smart chargers for my tiny whoops. Not only are they simple to use, they also let you charge multiple batteries at once and speed things up significantly. You get control over charging settings, and you can also use them to put batteries into storage charge. BetaFPV has made lots of great whoops, but never a great 1S charger until now – introducing the HexaCharger! In this review I’ll test the pro version, and see how it stacks up against established models like the Vifly WhoopStor V3 and GEPRC WooPower.
Wondering how to handle LiPo batteries properly? Check out my beginner’s guide: https://oscarliang.com/lipo-battery-guide/
Table of Contents
Where to Buy
Get the HexaCharger from:
- BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-q13w
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c36RkpWP
It doesn’t come with any accessories or a manual — just the charger itself.
Pro vs Non-Pro Version
There are two versions: Pro and non-Pro. They look almost identical (apart from the color). The main difference is maximum power output and charging current.
Although the Pro version is probably overkill for most people flying 65mm and 75mm whoops, the price difference is only $5 and you get over 3 times more power, so I think the Pro version makes a lot of sense. However, you’ll need a more powerful power source for charging at max current (for example, a 100W USB-C charger). For the non-Pro version, a 30W power adapter would be sufficient.
I’m reviewing the Pro version here.
To power the HexaCharger Pro via USB-C, you’ll need a suitable power adapter, such as the Anker 100W charger: https://amzn.to/46js6yc.
You can also use a high-output, PD capable power bank, which is what I used during testing. It’s more portable. My recommendation is the Anker:
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DdW4lHl
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3U8c3w7
Specifications
|
| HexaCharger | HexaCharger Pro |
| Input | 5V 3A Max~12V 2.5A Max | 5V 3A Max~20V 5A Max |
| Charging Current | 1A Max (When All Ports In Use) 3A Max (When Only One Port In Use) | 3A Max (All Ports In Use) |
| Charging Power | 24W Max | 78W Max |
| Supported Battery Type | LiPo/LiHV | |
| Output Voltage | 4.2V/4.35V | |
| Storage Voltage | 3.85V | |
| Discharging Current | 400mA per port | |
| Voltage Accuracy | ±0.03V | |
| Input Power Connector | Type-C | |
| Input USB-C Protocol | PD 3.0 | |
| Output Connectors | BT2.0/PH2.0 | |
| Dimensions | 106×56×25.5mm | |
| Weight | 109g | 115g |
Design and User Experience
The charger features a nice color LCD screen with good resolution, a clean layout, and well-designed graphics. All the essential information is displayed clearly on one screen — input voltage, battery voltage, charging current, and charging status.
However, it’s not as detailed as the GEPRC WooPower, which also shows how many mAh have been put into each battery — something that can be useful for monitoring charging progress more precisely (can be useful for current sensor calibration too in Betaflight).
The screen viewing angle is excellent, slightly better than the GEPRC in my opinion.
I also like that all the output ports are upward-facing. Unlike the GEPRC charger, where PH2.0 ports are on the sides, everything here is neatly positioned on top. That said, for most people this won’t matter much, as the hobby has largely moved away from PH2.0 and toward BT2.0 connectors.
Ports & Battery Compatibility
There are 6 ports, meaning you can charge up to 6 batteries simultaneously.
However, you cannot control each port individually. All 6 ports share the same settings (i.e. charge mode and current). Once you start charging, the selected settings apply to all ports. This is exactly how the Vifly WhoopStor V3 works as well, and is probably fine for most people. But if you want to independently control each port, your only option right now is the GEPRC WooPower.
Each port includes two connectors: BT2.0 and PH2.0 — this is pretty standard nowadays because these are the two most common 1S battery connectors on the market.
In terms of compatibility, I can confirm the BT2.0 connector works flawlessly with batteries using A30 connectors. The PH2.0 ports also work perfectly with batteries using NX69 connectors, based on my testing.
Batteries with BT2 & A30 Connectors.
Batteries with PH2 and NX69 connectors.
So many different connectors huh? You can find out their differences in this review:
- A30/BT2.0/PH2.0: https://oscarliang.com/micro-battery-connectors-testing/
- NX69: https://oscarliang.com/newbeedrone-nx69-connector/
Charge Current
For the Pro version, the charge current goes up to 3.0A per port — extremely powerful for a 1S charger and more than enough for most users.
For those flying 65mm or 75mm whoops, this is arguably overkill, as non-pro version’s 1A is already plenty. But since the Pro version costs only $5 more than the base model, I think it’s worth getting.
One limitation though, current adjustment is in 0.5A increments, and the lowest setting is 0.5A. If you religiously follow the “1C charge rate rule”, this may not be the right charger for you. For example, charging a 300mAh battery at 1C would be 0.3A — which isn’t possible here.
That said, many pilots in the hobby often charge 1S whoop batteries at higher currents. Charging a 300mAh pack at 0.5A is quite common (actually recommended by BetaFPV), and some even go up to 1A. I assume BetaFPV chose 0.5A increments to make adjustments quicker and simpler.
I’m not suggesting what current you should use — do whatever you’re comfortable with. But if you absolutely need to charge below 0.5A, or you require finer adjustments, this charger isn’t or you.
Input Power
The HexaCharger can only be powered via USB-C. It does not have an XT60 or barrel connector input, so it’s less flexible compared to the Vifly or GEPRC chargers.
User Experience
The HexaCharger is very easy to use, and very similar to the Vifly charger. Everything is controlled with just two buttons.
Once charging has started, you can plug in or remove batteries at any time without pressing buttons. This is excellent if you’re flying whoops in the house for hours — you can keep swapping batteries continuously without interrupting the charging cycle.
Charging speed is decent and consistent. Charging a 1S 300mAh LiHV battery from 3.3V to 4.35V at 1A takes around 20 minutes on average in my testing.
The charger also supports discharging, but only in storage mode when battery voltage is above 3.85V. Discharge current is 0.4A (not adjustable), which is reasonable. For a fully charged 1S 300mAh pack, it takes roughly 20 minutes to reach storage voltage.
One small quirk with storage mode: sometimes the charger appears to get “stuck” at around 3.84V–3.85V for a very long time and doesn’t want to finish. I usually just unplug the battery manually at that point. It’s close enough to storage voltage and not really a deal breaker in practice.
How to Use It
Power the charger using a USB-C PD 3.0 power source, such as a 100W USB-C charger (for example, an Anker 100W adapter), or a capable power bank.
Step 1: Select Charge Mode
Press the Mode button to cycle through:
- LiPo Charge – stops at 4.20V
- LiHV Charge – stops at 4.35V
- Storage Charge – stops at 3.85V
- If the battery voltage is higher than 3.85V, the charger will discharge it at 0.4A.
Step 2: Set Charge Current
Press the Current button to adjust the charging current.
- Adjustable from 0.5A to 3.0A
- In 0.5A increments
- To mute the charger beeping, hold down the Current button for 3 seconds.
Step 3: Start/Stop Charging
Long press the Mode button for 3 seconds to enter Charging Mode.
You can do this even without any batteries plugged in. Once the charger is in Charging Mode, you can plug in batteries at any time and they will begin charging automatically. You can also unplug batteries at any time without pressing any additional buttons.
Each port changes color depending on status:
- Blue – Charging
- Purple – Discharging
- Green – Charging Complete
The charger also makes a beep when charging is finished.
To stop charging, either:
- Long press the Mode button for 3 seconds again, or
- Simply unplug the USB-C power cable.
Performance Testing
Voltage Reading Accuracy
Note that both connectors in each port (BT2.0 and PH2.0) are electrically connected, meaning they read the same voltage.
I took a random battery, and measured its voltage using a multimeter: 3.848V
I then plugged this battery into each port to compare readings on the screen:
- Port #1: 3.85V
- Port #2: 3.85V
- Port #3: 3.85V
- Port #4: 3.85V
- Port #5: 3.85V
- Port #6: 3.85V
Overall, voltage accuracy is excellent.
Charging LiHV (4.35V)
Next, I charged LiHV batteries in all 6 ports, and measured the final voltage of these batteries using a multimeter. Ideally, it should stop at 4.350V.
Results:
- Port #1: 4.354V
- Port #2: 4.357V
- Port #3: 4.357V
- Port #4: 4.340V
- Port #5: 4.348V
- Port #6: 4.354V
The deviation is within ±0.01V, which is more than acceptable for hobby use.
Storage Charge (3.85V)
Repeating the same test in Storage Mode (target: 3.850V):
- Port #1: 3.855V
- Port #2: 3.848V
- Port #3: 3.845V
- Port #4: 3.841V
- Port #5: 3.847V
- Port #6: 3.847V
Again, accuracy is within ±0.01V. I’d consider this very precise for a 1S charger.
Input Voltage & Power Accuracy
I measured how accurate input voltage and power readings are.
Results: Power measurement appears to be accurate, but the input voltage displayed on the charger seems to be overestimated by almost 2V compared to the figure on the power supply. Not a major concern for most users, but worth noting.
Maximum Power Test
I set all 6 ports to the maximum 3.0A charge current to see if it could truly deliver the advertised maximum output.
Result: it handled it without issue. The charger successfully delivered 72W – 3A on all 6 ports simultaneously. The cooling fan kicked in within about a minute. You can hear it, but it’s not excessively loud or annoying.
Issue: No Reverse Polarity Protection?
During testing, I plugged a 1S battery into one of the ports backward. Immediately, I noticed a burnt smell — and that port stopped working properly. It still detects voltage when I plug in a battery, but it no longer charges and remains stuck at 0.0A. See CH5 in this image.
While 1S connectors are typically designed to prevent reverse insertion, they are not foolproof. It’s still possible to force them in the wrong way if you’re not careful. Unfortunately, this charger appears to have no reverse polarity protection at the output.
I really hope BetaFPV considers adding reverse polarity protection in the future, as this is a basic safety feature that could prevent permanent damage.
If you plan to get this charger, make sure you check battery polarity before plugging it in. A small mistake can permanently damage a port.
Final Thoughts: Do I Recommend It?
I genuinely like all 3 1S chargers I’ve tested: Vifly Whoopstor V3, GEPRC WooPower and HexaCharger. But which one you should get depends entirely on your needs.
Top: GEPRC WooPower; Mid: HexaCharger; Bottom: Whoopstor V3
If You Want Maximum Control
The GEPRC WooPower is easily the most advanced 1S charger currently available. It allows you to:
- Control each port individually
- Choose different mode per port
- Set different current per port
- Adjust charge current in smaller increments
- You can even adjust end voltage!
That level of flexibility is unmatched, that’s why it’s currently my daily driver.
If You Want Flexible Power Input Options
Both the GEPRC WooPower and Vifly Whoopstor V3 support:
- USB-C input
- XT60 input
This means you can power them using:
- A USB-C wall adapter
- A power bank
- A 6S LiPo or Li-ion battery
That versatility is incredibly useful. Personally, I often power my 1S charger with a large Li-ion pack (for my long range drone), which lets me charge anywhere in the house or out in the park without being tied to a wall outlet.
Where the HexaCharger Fits
The BetaFPV HexaCharger Pro focuses on simplicity:
- Clean and easy-to-read screen
- Very straightforward operation
- Affordable price
- Strong charging performance
It’s a solid alternative to the Whoopstor V3 if you prefer a modern UI and simple workflow.
Get the HexaCharger from:
- BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-q13w
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c36RkpWP
However, the biggest limitation is that it only supports USB-C power input. There’s no XT60 input, so you cannot power it directly from a LiPo battery. If you don’t already own a capable USB-C PD charger, expect to spend an additional $20–$30 on a proper power adapter.
If you value portability and already rely on LiPo-powered charging setups, the USB-only input may feel restrictive. In that case, investing in a good PD power bank or a LiPo-to-USB-C PD trigger adapter would be a good option.
Check out my reviews for:
- GEPRC WooPower: https://oscarliang.com/geprc-woopower-w63-charger/
- ViFly Whoopstor V3: https://oscarliang.com/vifly-whoopstor-v3/
1 comment
I would like to add that my experience with using the Vifly Whoopstor to charge PH2.0 batteries has been quite miserable, since the batteries kept disconnecting. I think this is because of the connectors not being flush with the case and therefore too deep into the charger to properly latch on to the batteries. If they have raised the connectors they could’ve fixed some of the connection issues.