Which batteries to choose?

[dodari]

I've got about 8 AW IMR batteries that are about 4+ years old, they are only charging up to 4.13 to maybe 4.16 any more.

Anyway I will order their replacements from RTD and they will be AW IMR again.

My question is this. Should I get the 1600 Mah or the 2200 Mah? For me when the volts drop below about 3.8v the vape starts getting kinda cold. Will the 2200 Mah stay above 3.8v longer than the 1600 Mah?

Thanks

 

[Train2]

I don't think there's any reason NOT to get the higher mah version there.
The one that was rated poorly (for OUR use) was the OLD higher mah 18490.

You might want to throw a Samsung INR 18650-25R in your cart too. They're the "baby blue" ones.
I love 'em, and a LOT of people have made them their preferred battery lately. They're 2500 Mah, which doesn't mean much really - it's that they DO stay "in range" a good long time, and seem to deserve their popularity.

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

I have AW 1600's & 2200's, plus Samsung 25R's. The AW's are not appreciably different from each other (the 2200's hang in there a bit longer), and the 25R's seem to last the longest.

Buuuuut... I like the button top AW's as I get less arcing effects (scoring). Could be my builds (usually in the .3 - .4 range), my button press technique, or my preventative maintenance program (deoxit gold). The AW's seem to be proofed for this idiot.

 

[Train2]

Gotcha.
I've never had any issue with arcing (knock on woodvil!). Probably just because I'm at 0.5 or a little higher. I deoxit occasionally too. I'm actually planning to get another VTC5 or two - but for the price diff, I don't think I'd recommend it unless someone specified they needed the amps.

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

Gotcha.
I've never had any issue with arcing (knock on woodvil!). Probably just because I'm at 0.5 or a little higher. I deoxit occasionally too. I'm actually planning to get another VTC5 or two - but for the price diff, I don't think I'd recommend it unless someone specified they needed the amps.

Yeah, at .5 ohms, you're golden, drawing about 8.5 amps on any of those 20 amp bats. I am liking the 25R's, though, which appear to be in large (and authentic) supply.

Also, it's niggling and definitely a personal thing, but I like the shorter button throw with the button tops.

 

[Rule62]

I use both the AW1600s and the 2200s in my metal Reos. I prefer button tops in the metals, because I like the button throw better than with flat tops.
But lately, I've been using flat tops (VTC5s) in my Woodvils.
As for the AWs, the 2200 is rated 20amp continuous discharge. The 1600 is rated 24 amp. If you build super low, there is a bit more safety margin with the 1600s, but you sacrifice a little bit of useful run time.

 

[nerak]

I have the old AW IMR 18650 1600 still going good. But I bought some Samsung 25R. I can only use the button tops in my Woodvils. They are WAY to long to use in the metals. I have some in flat top and they work. But they are longer than the AW and compress the spring much more.

I love the Samsung but the fit bothers me. I will probably go with AW 1600 in the future.

 

[Alawot]

I have some AW 1600's and 2200's. The 2200 do seem to last longer. I bought the 1600's mainly in case I decide to experiment with lower builds. Just feel better having that extra 4 amp cushion if amps start getting close to 20.

 

[jifjifjif]

For .4 ohm builds, which I run constantly, I use the 1600mah exclusively.

 

[dodari]

Thanks y'all, I'm gonna stay with the AW IMR 1600 MaH, old tried and true and very reliable.

Harry.

 

[kas122461]

I have a question, why does nobody talk about using the AW protected batteries? I am using Aw IMR 18650 1600 MAH right now, which is what a lot of people are using, but I keep reading that it is recommended that you don't use unprotected batteries. I have used protected batteries in my billet box's, and I have never had any problems with them. I have been looking at the ones available at RTD Vapor, and they have 5 different versions of the AW protected batteries, but sense nobody ever seems to ever use them here, I don't really know which ones to try.

Thanks
KAS

 

[ancient puffer]

Someone may come along with other reasons for using the unprotected, but mine is simple. First of all, electronics can and do fail. With my luck the protection would fail at exactly the wrong time. The built in spring protection is mechanical, it will always drop to break the circuit (unless I stupidly try to "re use" a failed spring). Note too, that the protected batteries are slightly longer, and so compress the spring more than unprotected, so there's less room for the spring to "drop" if you use them.

I'm no scientist, these are just my 'logical' reasons for using the unprotected. I also use the 1600 mAH ones, because they have a higher amp rating than the other higher mAH ones. I'd rather change batteries more often than have plastic surgery

 

[kas122461]

Someone may come along with other reasons for using the unprotected, but mine is simple. First of all, electronics can and do fail. With my luck the protection would fail at exactly the wrong time. The built in spring protection is mechanical, it will always drop to break the circuit (unless I stupidly try to "re use" a failed spring). Note too, that the protected batteries are slightly longer, and so compress the spring more than unprotected, so there's less room for the spring to "drop" if you use them.

I'm no scientist, these are just my 'logical' reasons for using the unprotected. I also use the 1600 mAH ones, because they have a higher amp rating than the other higher mAH ones. I'd rather change batteries more often than have plastic surgery

I have just been switching out my batteries once a day which is fine, but I also kind of would like to try some protected ones, if the protection in the battery failed there is always the spring there also. I just thought it was kind of strange that it is stated to use a protected battery in one of the sticky's, yet no recommendation of which one to use, and I have never seen anyone ever post which protected AW's to use.

KAS

 

[ancient puffer]

Protected batteries are recommended for devices with no mechanical protection. REOs don't need them, and are designed to use the unprotected ones.

 

[kas122461]

Protected batteries are recommended for devices with no mechanical protection. REOs don't need them, and are designed to use the unprotected ones.

Here is a quote from the REO Frequently asked questions sticky, that had me kind of confused.

What kind of battery(ies) do I need?
It depends on the model you are ordering. Below are the recommended batteries. Please, do NOT use unprotected lithium-ion batteries or non rechargeable batteries. They will fail and it is simply not worth the trouble to save a buck or two.
Reo Mini: One AW IMR 14500 3.7 volt battery
Reo Mini 2.0 & 2.1: One AW IMR 18490 3.7 volt battery
Reo Grand: One AW IMR 18650 3.7 volt battery
Reo VV Grand: Two AW IMR 18350 3.7 volt batteries
Woodvil 18490: One AW IMR 18490 3.7 volt battery
Woodvil: One AW IMR 18650 3.7 volt battery
VV Woodvil: Two AW IMR 18350 3.7 volt batteries

I guess I just misunderstood about the unprotected part.

KAS

 

[Train2]

The way I've come to understand it is this - "Protected" batteries require protection, because they are not safe without it. Kind of.

You can read stuff about it from Baditude, or google (which might take you back here to ECF) but I think it amounts to this -
IMR batteries are safer chemistry, they can vent if shorted, but they don't require the protection that other Li-ion batteries do. Most vapers think the unprotected are, in our application, safer overall.

 

[sjoat]

Protected batteries are recommended for devices with no mechanical protection. REOs don't need them, and are designed to use the unprotected ones.

It would be great if there was some protection against auto firing

Ie. spring collapses if there is a >15/20 second connection, and then the timer resets when you break the connection. Not really mechanical though is it

It's never happened but I still sometimes have to check that the button is in the lock position multiple OCD times

 

[kas122461]

The way I've come to understand it is this - "Protected" batteries require protection, because they are not safe without it. Kind of.

You can read stuff about it from Baditude, or google (which might take you back here to ECF) but I think it amounts to this -
IMR batteries are safer chemistry, they can vent if shorted, but they don't require the protection that other Li-ion batteries do. Most vapers think the unprotected are, in our application, safer overall.

That makes sense, always more to learn!

KAS