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Landman

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I saw that Unkamen has a custom request/order form. I don't recall anyone mention they had submitted a request, so I went ahead and put one in for NiFe52. I don't know if there's any possible jewelry applications for it and if not, he may not be interested in picking it up, but maybe he will...
Mr. Helmrich @ UnkamenSupplies responded to my request. He said that he's going to check with his mill and let me know if he can get it. I like to try being an optimist so I'm going to read into his reply that he's not worried if there's any kind of jewelry use for it - if he can get it and we want to buy it, he'll stock it. :w00t:
 

dwcraig1

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Mr. Helmrich @ UnkamenSupplies responded to my request. He said that he's going to check with his mill and let me know if he can get it. I like to try being an optimist so I'm going to read into his reply that he's not worried if there's any kind of jewelry use for it - if he can get it and we want to buy it, he'll stock it. :w00t:
And we will if he does, a great place to deal with.
 

BigEgo

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Mr. Helmrich @ UnkamenSupplies responded to my request. He said that he's going to check with his mill and let me know if he can get it. I like to try being an optimist so I'm going to read into his reply that he's not worried if there's any kind of jewelry use for it - if he can get it and we want to buy it, he'll stock it. :w00t:

I think Helmrich is in the same boat that Sally's beauty supply and Ko Gen Do were in a year ago. "Why the hell are we suddenly selling out of cotton pads?" Helmrich is probably wondering the same thing with his Ti wire (although I think he is aware now of vaping).
 

AlaskaVaper

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Wow! 150 does sound very interesting.

Not least because it could be the key to answering a question that @Mad Scientist and I talked around earlier today:

When exactly does TCR matter for accurate TC on mods?

We know that SS's ~ 0.001 is 'low', and Dicodes describe this as accurate to nearest 30°C, versus nearest 5°C for Ni200. We know that 0.0032 (Resistherm NiFe30) and 0.0035 (Titanium) and above are fine, from our own experiences and testing.

So when does 'fine' change to 'low'?

I'm wondering if this SS 410/430 could a the 'missing link' wire, the one that shows us the lowest TCR we can use with good accuracy.

But now I'm also wondering - how did Dicodes decide that SS @ 0.00105 (the TCR they give for 'Stainless Steel', unspecified type, in their guide) is accurate to nearest 30°C, but Ni200 to 5°C?

A quick TCR calculation:
  • Accuracy of high-end TC mod: 1 milliohm
  • TCR: 0.00105
  • Temperature: 20°C -> 220°C (200°C increase)
  • Base resistance: 1.0Ω
    • End resistance: 1.21Ω
    • Delta: 0.21Ω = 210 milliohm
    • 200°C / 210 mΩ = 0.95°C/mΩ
    • Accurate to nearest 1°C?
  • Base resistance: 0.20Ω
    • End resistance: 0.242Ω
    • Delta: 0.042Ω = 42 milliohm
    • 200°C / 42 mΩ = 4.76°C/mΩ
    • Accurate to nearest 5°C?
What am I missing here? Why, on a milli-ohm mod, isn't Stainless Steel accurate to nearest 5°C with a 0.20Ω base resistance coil and up to 1°C at a 1.0Ω coil? Why did Dicodes state it as nearest 30°C?

Even if they're factoring in some SR, those figures are a long way off.

Now I wish I had done proper temp probing with SS on the Dicodes, and DNA 200 for that matter. I will do that ASAP.

But I do feel, from subjective vape experience, that SS is not as accurate as the other wires we talk about. I often can't set a coil at the usual temps I set other coils : I might set 210-215°C instead of 230-240°C, for example.

It feels, from subjective experience, to match what Dicodes described: 'repeatable', not 'accurate'.

Is there some other factor I'm neglecting? Have I muffed the maths?

Anyway, yes of course you should get some, @balazsk ! I know I'm going to :) We must vape all the wires! :D

But seriously, 0.00150 is interesting - if it makes SS half way accurate (assuming it can't be already), then that's another usable, dry-burnable wire, and one that has no nickel and is cheap and strong. At the least it's another option worth considering.

Not to mention that it might bring SS into range of being usable with temperature offset on a Titanium mod; 150 down from 350 is not such a huge difference, especially if it's very linear.

Hope this is not too long but it is inmformative.
STAINLESS STEEL INFO


“What you need to know”
(Probably more then you ever wanted to know!)
The following is a discussion of the various types of stainless steel. For other terms and their definitions you will encounter when dealing with stainless steel click here.

18-8: 300 series stainless steel having approximately (not exactly) 18% chromium and 8% nickel. The term "18-8" is used interchangeably to characterize fittings made of 302, 302HQ, 303, 304, 305, 384, XM7, and other variables of these grades with close chemical compositions. There is little overall difference in corrosion resistance among the "18-8" types, but slight differences in chemical composition do make certain grades more resistant than others do against particular chemicals or atmospheres. "18-8" has superior corrosion resistance to 400 series stainless, is generally nonmagnetic, and is hardenable only by cold working.

304: The basic alloy. Type 304 (18-8) is an austenitic steel possessing a minimum of 18% chromium and 8% nickel, combined with a maximum of 0.08% carbon. It is a nonmagnetic steel which cannot be hardened by heat treatment, but instead. must be cold worked to obtain higher tensile strengths.
The 18% minimum chromium content provides corrosion and oxidation resistance. The alloy's metallurgical characteristics are established primarily by the nickel content (8% mm.), which also extends resistance to corrosion caused by reducing chemicals. Carbon, a necessity of mixed benefit, is held at a level (0.08% max.) that is satisfactory for most service applications.
The stainless alloy resists most oxidizing acids and can withstand all ordinary rusting. HOWEVER, IT WILL TARNISH. It is immune to foodstuffs, sterilizing solutions, most of the organic chemicals and dyestuffs, and a wide variety of inorganic chemicals. Type 304, or one of its modifications, is the material specified more than 50% of the time whenever a stainless steel is used.
Because of its ability to withstand the corrosive action of various acids found in fruits, meats, milk, and vegetables, Type 304 is used for sinks, tabletops, coffee urns, stoves, refrigerators, milk and cream dispensers, and steam tables. It is also used in numerous other utensils such as cooking appliances, pots, pans, and flatware.
Type 304 is especially suited for all types of dairy equipment - milking machines, containers, homogenizers, sterilizers, and storage and hauling tanks, including piping, valves, milk trucks and railroad cars. This 18-8 alloy is equally serviceable in the brewing industry where it is used in pipelines, yeast pans, fermentation vats, storage and railway cars, etc. The citrus and fruit juice industry also uses Type 304 for all their handling, crushing, preparation, storage and hauling equipment.
In those food processing applications such as in mills, bakeries, and slaughter and packing houses, all metal equipment exposed to animal and vegetable oils, fats, and acids is manufactured from Type 304.
Type 304 is also used for the dye tanks, pipelines buckets, dippers, etc. that come in contact with the lormic, acetic, and other organic acids used in the dyeing industry.
In the marine environment, because of it slightly higher strength and wear resistance than type 316 it is also used for nuts, bolts, screws, and other fasteners. It is also used for springs, cogs, and other components where both wear and corrosion resistance is needed.

Type Analysis of Stainless Type 304
Carbon 0.08% max. Silicon 1.00% max.
Manganese 2.00% max. Chromium 18.00-20.00%
Phosphorus 0.045% max. Nickel 8.00-10.50%
Sulfur 0.030% max.
316: For severe environments. Of course, there are many industrial processes that require a higher level of resistance to corrosion than Type 304 can offer. For these applications, Type 316 is the answer.
Type 316 is also austenitic, non-magnetic, and thermally nonhardenable stainless steel like Type 304. The carbon content is held to 0.08% maximum, while the nickel content is increased slightly. What distinguishes Type 316 from Type 304 is the addition of molybdenum up to a maximum of 3%.
Molybdenum increases the corrosion resistance of this chromium-nickel alloy to withstand attack by many industrial chemicals and solvents, and, in particular, inhibits pitting caused by chlorides. As such, molybdenum is one of the single most useful alloying additives in the fight against corrosion.
By virtue of the molybdenum addition, Type 316 can withstand corrosive attack by sodium and calcium brines, hypochlorite solutions, phosphoric acid; and the sulfite liquors and sulfurous acids used in the paper pulp industry. This alloy, therefore, is specified for industrial equipment that handles the corrosive process chemicals used to produce inks, rayons, photographic chemicals, paper, textiles, bleaches, and rubber. Type 316 is also used extensively for surgical implants within the hostile environment of the body.
Type 316 is the main stainless used in the marine environment, with the exception of fasteners and other items where strength and wear resistance are needed, then Type 304 (18-8) is typically used.

Type Analysis of Stainless Type 316:
Carbon 0.08% max. Silicon 1.00% max.
Manganese 2.00% max. Chromium 16.00-18.00%
Phosphorus 0.045% max. Nickel 10.00-14.00%
Sulfur 0.030% max. Molybdenum 2.00-3.00%
We've added this more basic breakdown that includes just about every other grade of stainless steel we've heard of:

Other Types of Stainless and grades:

Austenitic:
Type 301
contains less chromium and nickel than 302 for more work hardening.

Type 302 is the basic type of the 300 series, 18% chromium— 8% nickel group. It is the renowned 188
Stainless and is the most widely used of the chromium nickel stainless and heat resisting steels.

Type 303 contains added phosphorus and sulfur for better machining characteristics.Corrosion resistance is slightly less than 302/304.

Type 303Se contains Se and P added to improve machinability.

Type 305 has increased nickel to lower work hardening properties.

Type 309309Shave added chromium and nickel for more corrosion resistance and high temperature scaling resistance. 309S contains less carbon to minimize carbide precipitation.

Type 310310Shave higher nickel content than 309309Sto further increase scaling resistance.310S contains less carbon than 310 to minimize carbide precipitation.



Type 321 contains titanium to tie up the carbon and avoid chromium carbide precipitation in welding.

Type 330 ultra high nickel content provides best corrosion resistance to most furnace atmospheres. This grade has low coefficient of expansion, excellent ductility and high strength.

Type 347 – 348 have columbium tantalum added to tie up the carbon and avoid chromium carbide precipitation in welding. Use for temperatures from 800to 1650 degrees F.

Ferritic:

Type 405 contains 12% chromium with aluminum added to prevent hardening.

Type 430 is the basic type in the ferritic group, possessing good ductility and excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion. Its scaling resistance is higher than 302 in intermittent service, somewhat lower in continuous use.

Type 430F430Sehave sulfur and selenium (respectively) added for increased machinability.

Type 442 has added chromium for improved resistance to scaling.

Type 446 has still higher chromium content (27%) for added scaling resistance and is highest of the standard straight chromium types. Alloys with over 30% chromium become too brittle to process.

Martensitic:

Type 410 is the basic Martensitic type. It is the general purpose corrosion and heat resisting chromium stainless steel. It can be hardened by thermal treatment to a wide range of mechanical properties. It can be annealed soft for cold drawing and forming. This grade is always magnetic.

Type 403 is a special high quality steel made for blades and buckets for steam turbine and jetengine compressors. This grade is eminently suited for very highly stressed parts. This material is magnetic in all conditions.

Type 416416Se
are modifications of Type 410, being the free machining, nonseizing, nongalling alloys. These properties are obtained by the addition of sulfur or selenium to Type 410.This is a heat treatable grade with corrosion resistance and other characteristics closely approaching those of Type 410.

Type 420 is a chromium stainless steel capable of heat treatment to a maximum hardness of approximately 500 Brinell. It has a maximum corrosion resistance only in the fully hardened condition. Type 420 is magnetic in all conditions.

Type 431 is a nickel bearing (1.252.00%)chromium stainless steel which may be heat treated to high mechanical properties. It is magnetic in all conditions of use. It has superior corrosion resistance to Types 410, 416, 420, 430 and 440 stainless steels.

Type 440C is the stainless steel that can be heat treated to the highest hardness of any of the
 

BigEgo

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Wow! 150 does sound very interesting.

Not least because it could be the key to answering a question that @Mad Scientist and I talked around earlier today:

When exactly does TCR matter for accurate TC on mods?

We know that SS's ~ 0.001 is 'low', and Dicodes describe this as accurate to nearest 30°C, versus nearest 5°C for Ni200. We know that 0.0032 (Resistherm NiFe30) and 0.0035 (Titanium) and above are fine, from our own experiences and testing.

So when does 'fine' change to 'low'?

I'm wondering if this SS 410/430 could a the 'missing link' wire, the one that shows us the lowest TCR we can use with good accuracy.

But now I'm also wondering - how did Dicodes decide that SS @ 0.00105 (the TCR they give for 'Stainless Steel', unspecified type, in their guide) is accurate to nearest 30°C, but Ni200 to 5°C?

A quick TCR calculation:
  • Accuracy of high-end TC mod: 1 milliohm
  • TCR: 0.00105
  • Temperature: 20°C -> 220°C (200°C increase)
  • Base resistance: 1.0Ω
    • End resistance: 1.21Ω
    • Delta: 0.21Ω = 210 milliohm
    • 200°C / 210 mΩ = 0.95°C/mΩ
    • Accurate to nearest 1°C?
  • Base resistance: 0.20Ω
    • End resistance: 0.242Ω
    • Delta: 0.042Ω = 42 milliohm
    • 200°C / 42 mΩ = 4.76°C/mΩ
    • Accurate to nearest 5°C?
What am I missing here? Why, on a milli-ohm mod, isn't Stainless Steel accurate to nearest 5°C with a 0.20Ω base resistance coil and up to 1°C at a 1.0Ω coil? Why did Dicodes state it as nearest 30°C?

Even if they're factoring in some SR, those figures are a long way off.

Could be because the TCR is not linear above a certain temperature. Nickel loses accuracy above 572F, which is slightly below Evolv's 600F cut-off. Many of the Chinese mods (including Yihi) set their cut-off at 572F. I don't think this is a coincidence. So, it could be the same situation with SS.

Or it could be that considering there are a bajillion grades of SS, that you have picked the wrong one for your calculations.

But seriously, 0.00150 is interesting - if it makes SS half way accurate (assuming it can't be already), then that's another usable, dry-burnable wire, and one that has no nickel and is cheap and strong. At the least it's another option worth considering.

Many commonly used grades of SS (303/304/316) do indeed have nickel in them. 304 is about 8% nickel. The main difference in Kanthal A-1 and SS is the nickel (Kanthal swaps nickel for aluminum).

Composition of 304 SS (in percentages of each element):

Carbon 0.08 max.
Manganese 2.00 max.
Phosphorus 0.045 max.
Sulfur 0.030 max.
Silicon 0.75 max.
Chromium 18.00-20.00
Nickel 8.00-12.00
Nitrogen 0.10 max.
Iron Balance

So, 304 SS is Iron (~ 70%), Chromium (18-20%) and Nickel (8-12%)

Of course, it's plausible the SS Dicodes is talking about isn't 304 grade at all and is something different.
 
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TheBloke

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Could be because the TCR is not linear above a certain temperature. Nickel loses accuracy above 572F, which is slightly below Evolv's 600F cut-off. Many of the Chinese mods (including Yihi) set their cut-off at 572F. I don't think this is a coincidence. So, it could be the same situation with SS.

Or it could be that considering there are a bajillion grades of SS, that you have picked the wrong one for your calculations.

RE the TCR, the TCR used in the calcs was the one stated by Dicodes as the one they used, which an average across the vaping range. Hence grade of SS is irrelevant, as we're calculating with a specific stated TCR.

Actually the mystery was solved in my next post after that one. The calculations are correct, it's Dicodes' assertion of 30°C inaccuracy that's wrong, or at least inapplicable for standard SS vaping coils.

At milliohm accuracy on the mod, SS really does seem accurate to nearest 2°C-5°C depending on the base resistance of the coil. This now needs empirical confirmation from real temp testing, but the numbers are accurate.

Many commonly used grades of SS (303/304/316) do indeed have nickel in them. 304 is about 8% nickel. The main difference in Kanthal A-1 and SS is the nickel (Kanthal swaps nickel for aluminum).

Yes true, I didn't realise this until later.

Interestingly the SS type @balazsk raised, 430, as having potentially a much higher TCR, is also nickel free - or at least the supply that Unkamen is selling of 430 is nickel free.

So a much higher TCR and nickel free: could be a big winner.

I just got an IPV D2 in and have been messing around with a nickel build. My build is 0.087 at room temperature (not sure of the temp in here, but it's between 65-75F). I have it set to 450F. Whenever I vape it, the resistance maxes out at .20 to .21. By my calculations this would put it closer to 500F than 450.

Is my math wrong or can anyone confirm?

An Ni200 coil at 0.087Ω at 70°F will, when reaching 0.20Ω, be at 456°F. At 0.21Ω it will be at 491°F.

It's possible you have 0.01Ω of varying static resistance in there accounting for the overshoot when it sometimes reaches 0.21Ω.

It's also possible it's not actually reaching as bad as 0.21Ω, this might be the result of rounding. If the display only shows two digits on screen, then that 0.21Ω might actually be 0.205Ω which is 474°F

Unfortunately many newer TC mods have a tendency to underheat the coil - thus over-show the temperature - requiring the temperature set a bit higher than you actually want it. This can be as high as 20-30°C (70 - 90°F).

Examples include the Joyetech EVic-VT, the Smok XCube 2 and Smok Koopor Mini, I think the ELeaf TC, and no doubt many others. I don't know if it includes the D2, and if it does it'd be the first Yihi chip to do so. But it's possible.

Anyway, when it's at 0.20Ω it's very close to spot on so it depends how often it shows higher than that, and even at 0.21Ω it might be rounding and thus be more like 475 than 500.

See what happens with other builds and other atomizers.

Better, move to Titanium where you are far less subject to inaccuracy from static resistance. At 0.087Ω cold resistance, a not-uncommon 0.01Ω of SR causes 22°C inaccuracy (71°F). With a Titanium build with a 0.30Ω start resistance, the same 0.01Ω static resistance would cause only 6°C inaccuracy (42°F). And 0.30Ω is pretty low for a Titanium cold resistance, so that's a worst case.
 
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balazsk

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I have made more calculations and it seems that type 410 is better than 430.

SS_types.PNG
 
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TheBloke

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NiFe70 wire available now at Vape Atomizer Mesh!

http://www.vape-atomizer-mesh.com/products/NiFe30-Wire-.html

Wow, amazing news out of the blue - Vape Atomizer Mesh, the sister company of Crazy Wire, have today listed NiFe70/30 wire in sizes 0.3, 0.32, 0.35 and 0.40 - 28 to 26G.

I hadn't seen this coming; I hadn't even bothered to contact them to ask, as they've been poor in responding to emails in recent weeks. They only add wire with a lot of public interest, so there must be a lot of people now getting interested in NiFe.

(Edit: Actually I just remembered I did ask them for NiFe, months ago, but never got a response; they must have had others asking too in recent weeks.)

I've ordered the 0.32, 0.35 and 0.4 spools. I don't know if I'm too late for it to ship today, possibly, but I'll definitely have it next week.

No word on specifications - resistance per metre, TCR, anything like that. I will get the wire and test it ASAP.

For some reason they only have 25m spools?! But they're very cheap - £5 for 25m. Less than some places charge for 10m of Titanium and other wires. I'm sure smaller spools will come in future as they expand the range.

Anyway this is good and very surprising news. Weeks ahead of expectation there is now decent gauge NiFe spools available, and at good prices.

Crazy Wire are not the most reliable vendor, and they won't provide data sheets so it'll be up to us to test the wire ourselves. But they are cheap, and a viable option at least for UK users (I'm not sure I'd recommend them for international, certainly not over Stealth Vape, as Vape Mesh are both expensive for international shipping and low on reliability.)


Things are moving fast now: in a couple more weeks ZiVipf will also have thicker gauges of NiFe70/30, as well as the much-anticipated NiFe52.

Stealth Vape are also stocking NiFe70, see two posts below!
 
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TheBloke

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I have made more calculations and it seems that type 410 is better than 430.

Awesome work @balazsk thank you!

So 410 is better, but 430 isn't bad. And we know we can get 430 right now, from Unkamen. I'm going to try and get some 430 ASAP (with the kind help of @Landman )

If we see a spool-sized (or at least, spool-priced!) supplier of 410, of course that would be amazing.
 
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TheBloke

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Stealth Vape to supply NiFe70-like wire very soon

Just heard back from Rob and I can announce this. The 'EU supplier' I've been mentioning are Stealth Vape.

Rob has sourced a wire very similar, but not identical to Kanthal NiFe70. When available it will have a mostly full datasheet - his supplier doesn't provide the complete alloy details as it's a trade secret. It won't give the precise Nickel content, but will list all the trace elements and amounts.

The wire will have a TCR of 0.0049 and a resistivity of 0.20. It will be available in the following sizes and resistances:
  • 0.28mm @ 3.25Ω/m
  • 0.32mm @ 2.50Ω/m
  • 0.40mm @ 1.60Ω/m
These figures make it seem almost identical to Kanthal NiFethal70, though it definitely is a different alloy. The TCR is slightly lower, but hopefully so close that a single setting would work for either Kanthal NiFe70 or Stealth NiFe70 without serious inaccuracy.

The wire has already been added to @Dampmaskin 's Coil Calculator and Wire Wizard. (I see he also now has Kanthal NiFe70 and 52 - thanks Lars!)

The wire will be annealed, as apparently it's not possible to guarantee a TCR for non-annealed wire. Interesting, I'd not known that. Therefore it will be soft to some extent, but we don't yet know what extent.

No word on ETA yet. I assume a matter of weeks at most.

A big advantage of Stealth Vape versus Crazy Wire/Vape Atomizer Mesh is we'll have a proper datasheet. They are also a much more reliable vendor - there are numerous stories of lost/missing packages from Crazy, something I experienced for the first time myself last week with a Vape Atomizer Mesh package which they had to re-send after 8 days of non-arrival. To be fair, they did then re-send it immediately and I got it the next day, but I've heard stories from others who have waited up to a month.

Based on past experience we can probably expect Stealth Vape to be more expensive, but they do provide a more reliable service - and they are vapers who understand vapers.

Also, Stealth Vape's spools are compact and have little cut-outs in them for securing your wire and Crazy/Vape Mesh's spools are large and don't ;)

Oh, and Stealth Vape, for their Ni200, provide spools with little magnets on them which 100% prevent run-away/despooling wire. They don't with Titanium as it's not magnetic. The Kanthal NiFe70 I have is magnetic, so there's every chance that Stealth's will be as well - so I hope we will get magnet-spools :D
 
Last edited:

TheBloke

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Hmm, I had an impression that NiFe52 should have been superior to NiFe70 for our application?

Yes, overall NiFe52 should be superior to NiFe70.

TCR is only half the story

The key fact here is that TCR is only one half of the calculation for accuracy.

The calculation that is done is: <Base Resistance> * <TCR>

Therefore, base resistance is equally as important as TCR.

What makes an accurate wire

A coil wire that has high TCR and high resistance is the ultimate accurate material. Low TCR and low resistance is the opposite.

In practice, we're finding that materials with high TCR often have low resistance, and vice versa, so they often balance out:
  • Ni200 has extremely low resistance, but very high TCR.
  • Stainless Steel has very low TCR, but fairly high resistance.
  • Titanium is on the lower end of TCR, but the higher end of resistance.
  • NiFe70 has a higher TCR, but a lower end resistance.
  • NiFe52 has a mid-level TCR, and a mid-level resistance.
Of course, resistance of a given build varies with wire thickness, diameter and number of wraps. So what we're looking at here is the overall Resistivity factor of the wire and assessing, assuming two identical coils of Wire X vs Wire Y, which is the higher resistance.

So in fact when we compare NiFe70 at TCR 0.005 with NiFe52 at 0.004, we will find that NiFe52 is actually more accurate, because its base resistance is higher than its TCR is lower.

Mod accuracy depends on its resistance reading granularity

Finally, the accuracy of a given mod will be heavily affected by the granularity of its resistance reading. Many mods now read in milli-ohm increments: the Dicodes chips, the DNA 200 chip, the Yihi chips, the new Smok chips. Maybe others too, but those are ones known to display to mΩ.

They can assess resistance changes in 0.001Ω increments, and therefore the key measurement for a mΩ mod is how much temperature changes when 0.001Ω of resistance changes. This gives us, theoretically, ten times greater accuracy at a given factor than a ten-milliohm mod; that is, one that reads resistance to two decimal places.

I say theoretically because In practice the mod's resistance reading is only part of its overall performance. It also matters how quickly and how smartly the mod adjusts its power in response to changing resistance. It's no good having mΩ accuracy if the mod only adjusts power once a second - or adjusts it too much or too little!

I'll assume a mΩ mod for this comparison.

Comparing NiFe52 to NiFe70:
  • Coil of 8 x 3.0mm wraps of 0.40mm / 26G
  • NiFe70:
    • Coil: 0.160Ω
    • TCR: 0.005 = 50% per 100°C = 0.5% per 1°C
    • Resistance rise per 1°C: 0.160Ω * 0.5% = 0.00064Ω
    • Temperature per mod's minimum 0.001Ω: 0.001 / 0.00064 = 1.56°C
    • This coil of NiFe70 is accurate to nearest 1.56°C
  • NiFe52:
    • Coil: 0.296Ω
    • TCR: 0.004 = 40% per 100°C = 0.4% per 1°C
    • Resistance rise per 1°C: 0.296Ω * 0.4% = 0.001184Ω
    • Temperature per mod's minimum 0.001Ω: 0.001 / 0.001184 = 0.84°C
    • This coil of NiFe52 is accurate to nearest 0.84°C
So we have NiFe52's accuracy at nearest 0.84°C, compared to NiFe70's at nearest 1.56°C. NiFe52 is nearly twice as accurate as NiFe70! :)

To be clear, nearest 1.56°C is more than good enough! And we're not likely to notice the difference between accuracy to 0.84°C vs 1.56°C in a real vaping situation.

But the above shows that TCR is only half the consideration. It is TCR as a multiple of the base resistance that matters, and because base resistance changes between wire types, it's crucial to compare this when comparing accuracy of wires - exactly as important as comparing TCR.

That is the major mistake Dicodes made that I discussed yesterday - pointing out that Stainless Steel for a 0.1Ω coil would be only nearest 10°C, compared to Ni200 at 0.1Ω being nearest 1.6°C, but then failing to connect the fact that while 0.1Ω is a common base resistance for Ni200, for Stainless Steel it's more like 0.5Ω - making it, theoretically, almost as accurate as Ni200!

This still remains to be empirically tested, certainly with SS - there might be other considerations when the TCR is that low. But that's the principle.
 
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Dobo

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Thanks Bloke, you're just fabulous!

On the side-note, how does one bookmark the post?

Yes, overall NiFe52 should be superior to NiFe70.

In a nutshell: From about 0.003 upwards, TCR is good enough for accurate TC on any current TC mod. Titanium at 0.0035 is providing great, accurate TC vapes for an increasing number of people. NiFe52 @ 0.004 is already above that (though its resistance is lower than Titanium, balancing out that difference as I'll explain below.)

For the best mods - Dicodes, DNA 200, Yihi SX Mini M - which we know have milli-ohm accuracy, it appears that even Stainless Steel with its 'paltry' 0.001 has enough TCR to provide accuracy to the nearest 2°C if the base coil is 0.50Ω.

So for TCRs in the 30s and 40s - Resistherm NiFe30, Titanium, NiFe52 - it's much better, at least as long as the resistance isn't too much lower.

The key thing to remember is that base resistance plays a crucial part, as crucial as the TCR. Which is why the resistance of the wire type is important - just as important as the TCR.

And in fact, when we compare NiFe70 at TCR 0.005 with NiFe52 at 0.004, assuming a milli-ohm accurate mod, we see NiFe52 is actually more accurate, because its base resistance is higher than its TCR is lower:
  • Coil of 8 x 3.0mm wraps of 0.40mm / 26G
  • NiFe70:
    • Coil: 0.160Ω
    • TCR: 0.005 = 50% per 100°C
    • Therefore, for each 1°C of heating, resistance rises by 0.5%
    • 0.160 * 0.5% = 0.00064Ω resistance rise per 1°C
    • Accuracy is to nearest 0.001Ω: 0.001 / 0.00064 = 1.56
    • This coil is accurate to nearest 1.56°C
  • NiFe52:
    • Coil: 0.296Ω
    • TCR: 0.004 = 40% per 100°C
    • Therefore, for each 1°C of heating, resistance rises by 0.4%
    • 0.296Ω * 0.4% = 0.001184Ω resistance rise per °C
    • Accuracy is to nearest 0.001Ω: 0.001 / 0.001184 = 0.84
    • This coil is accurate to nearest 0.84°C
So we have NiFe52's accuracy at nearest 0.84°C, compared to NiFe70's at nearest 1.56°C. NiFe52 is 'twice' as accurate as NiFe70! :)

To be clear, nearest 1.56°C is more than good enough!

But the above shows that TCR is only half the consideration. It's TCR as a multiple of the base resistance that matters, and because base resistance changes between wire types, it's crucial to compare this when comparing accuracy of wires.

That is the major mistake Dicodes made that I discussed yesterday - pointing out that Stainless Steel for a 0.1Ω coil would be only nearest 10°C, compared to Ni200 at 0.1Ω being nearest 16°C, but then completely failing to mention that while 0.1Ω is a common base resistance for Ni200, for Stainless Steel it's more like 0.5Ω - making it, theoretically, more accurate than Ni200! (On a milli-ohm accurate TC mod.)

This still remains to be empirically tested, certainly with SS - there might be other considerations when the TCR is that low. But that's the principle.
 
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TheBloke

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Thanks, it's a pleasure!

Look down at the bottom right of each post, and see where it gives the post number. The number of my earlier post is [HASHTAG]#1216[/HASHTAG].

If you click that link on each post, the forum gives you a popup. The top field in that popup is the URL of the post, which you can copy and then add into a new bookmark.

Or, if you just right click on the [HASHTAG]#link[/HASHTAG], and choose Open In New Tab, then that will give you the post in a new tab and you can then just Add Bookmark that page from there.

Here's the link to my post, so you can just click this link then Add Bookmark.
 
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