For the OP, this is the write up Roly did about fake AW batteries in 2014:
AW Batteries - Authorised Dealers
AW Batteries - Authorised Dealers
Trusted AW IMR vendors?
- Thread starter JetLiOrigami
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Sooooo...Personally, I wouldn't go there. The test results I can find for Imren are pretty consistent in grossly overstating their capacities. This similar "40A 3000 mAh" battery is at best a 15 to 20A battery in the real world.
Test of Imren IMR18650 3000mAh (Purple)
Pick more Imren tests here:
Battery test-review 18650 comparator
Can't find a test result for your specific battery. I won't use a battery I cannot research.
ETA: Enaud beat me to it (Hi Enaud!) but there you have it. At least Imren is consistent - but not in a good way.
These aren't "good" batteries?
Good - maybe for what they really are - and there's the dilemma.
Since test results show that Imren quite consistently overstates their battery capacities (I guess you could call that "lying") then how far are you willing to trust any Imren battery two inches from your face? At least with an electronic device you have some inherent protection built into the device - but not coming from the alleged specifications for the battery. That becomes flat out dangerous for anyone thinking they have a battery that they can "pulse" to 40 amps in a mechanical, when the battery is really being pushed beyond it's limits at only 15 amps.
In your specific case, let's say you are maxxing out your dna 30 according to it's specs and driving a 0.5 ohm coil at a full 30 watts. In that scenario you are drawing 7.75 amps from the "not 40 amp" battery and you aren't pushing the battery past it's more realistic 15-20 amp limit.
However, if someone using a mechanical thinks "cool, I'm good for up to 40 amps" and puts a 0.10 ohm build on that battery they are then (trying to) draw 37 amps out of a battery that can barely put out 20. And beyond a disappointing vape that's a potential safety problem.
Are they good? For a DNA 30 - probably ok. Are they good? As far as the wrapper saying they are something they clearly are not when tested - no. Stay away from brand names that have a consistent track record of misrepresentation like that.
Since test results show that Imren quite consistently overstates their battery capacities (I guess you could call that "lying") then how far are you willing to trust any Imren battery two inches from your face? At least with an electronic device you have some inherent protection built into the device - but not coming from the alleged specifications for the battery. That becomes flat out dangerous for anyone thinking they have a battery that they can "pulse" to 40 amps in a mechanical, when the battery is really being pushed beyond it's limits at only 15 amps.
In your specific case, let's say you are maxxing out your dna 30 according to it's specs and driving a 0.5 ohm coil at a full 30 watts. In that scenario you are drawing 7.75 amps from the "not 40 amp" battery and you aren't pushing the battery past it's more realistic 15-20 amp limit.
However, if someone using a mechanical thinks "cool, I'm good for up to 40 amps" and puts a 0.10 ohm build on that battery they are then (trying to) draw 37 amps out of a battery that can barely put out 20. And beyond a disappointing vape that's a potential safety problem.
Are they good? For a DNA 30 - probably ok. Are they good? As far as the wrapper saying they are something they clearly are not when tested - no. Stay away from brand names that have a consistent track record of misrepresentation like that.
Thank you!
This is the first time I've strayed from AW batteries, and I just KNEW I'd get bitten. I'm going to return these to my local shop and inform them that these batteries are garbage...because they ARE selling them for use in mechs.
(To be fair, 99% of the time I use Provaris, which are historically a perfect match for AW batteries, and vice versa. I only recently acquired this WAEII, and while the AW 18490 performs well in it, I'd like to use and 18650 with a high amperage rating than the AW, and maybe squeeze in some more mAh too. My local shop said these IMRENs would be good. Apparently not.)
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Thanks to Mooch, you can make an informed decision on whether these batteries are suitable for YOUR needs. If it were me and I already owned them, I'd go ahead and get the use out of them in a manner they would safely perform at.
That being said, I'd also run them for a while and keep checking the cell to see if it's getting warm etc. I don't see that his findings showed it to be a not good cell, just that it's specs are way over stated. I'd use them all day every day at my under 15 watt vaping and not worry a bit about it, but that's me. You ultimately have to make the call...
Seeing this post I like how you think! Returning them gives the shop the lowdown and also has the possibility of keeping one of their less informed customers out of potential harms way. Good Move HB!
Seeing this post I like how you think! Returning them gives the shop the lowdown and also has the possibility of keeping one of their less informed customers out of potential harms way. Good Move HB!
And when you do point them at ~> Battery test-review 18650 comparator and tell them to look. The results of the tests are there and that's what is important, not the printing on the battery wrapper.
Sooo... considering what people have found on Provape's blog, authorized AW suppliers that aren't also vape shops? We might be needing a list. 
Good batteries might get hard to find eventually. Some of the battery vendors should probably re-name their businesses. I'm going to re familiarize myself with the Candlepower forum, maybe get into the high power flashlight hobby.Sooo... considering what people have found on Provape's blog, authorized AW suppliers that aren't also vape shops? We might be needing a list.
I'm not expecting batteries to ever become a problem.
Ok so here's a good battery question!
@Baditude I'd love your thoughts on this:
Freezing/Refrigerating batteries
As a kid, I always saw my elders keep batteries in the fridge or even the freezer.
The thought was that would keep them viable longer.
As an adult, having some knowledge on different scientific principles, I agree that cold slows the degeneration of pretty much everything.
With that in mind, it seems like cold storage would be best for batteries.
I've never seen it cause any noticeable harm to common household batteries, such as: AAA, AA, C, D, 9V
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So what about our "vape" batteries?
Does anyone have any experience with cold storage and the batteries we use in our devices?
@Baditude I'd love your thoughts on this:
Freezing/Refrigerating batteries
As a kid, I always saw my elders keep batteries in the fridge or even the freezer.
The thought was that would keep them viable longer.
As an adult, having some knowledge on different scientific principles, I agree that cold slows the degeneration of pretty much everything.
With that in mind, it seems like cold storage would be best for batteries.
I've never seen it cause any noticeable harm to common household batteries, such as: AAA, AA, C, D, 9V
------
So what about our "vape" batteries?
Does anyone have any experience with cold storage and the batteries we use in our devices?
I was a kid too - and that notion of keeping batteries in a refrigerator was based more on old wives tale than factual science. One of those things in the 1960's that once it started getting passed around it just kept getting passed around. Where's the science?
For Li-On (or any battery) - freezing with subsequent damage that would result from that seems like a really bad idea. The things that accelerate aging of LiOn batteries are storage in high heat environments and storage at the wrong voltage, with storage at discharge or full charge states being far more damaging than anything else. Apparently there is next to no long term gain (2% or less) realized by keeping them cold.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
The bottom line is that they are chemical in nature and have a finite life span, used or not. Any type of battery never improves with age - if you got 'em use 'em.
For Li-On (or any battery) - freezing with subsequent damage that would result from that seems like a really bad idea. The things that accelerate aging of LiOn batteries are storage in high heat environments and storage at the wrong voltage, with storage at discharge or full charge states being far more damaging than anything else. Apparently there is next to no long term gain (2% or less) realized by keeping them cold.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
The bottom line is that they are chemical in nature and have a finite life span, used or not. Any type of battery never improves with age - if you got 'em use 'em.
I buy what's always worked for me -- AW batteries. I'm still using most from 2013.
And I've always bought them here:
Authentic AW Batteries - RTD Vapor
Looks like in the future I'll be buying them here (for my flashlights, of course)
Flashlights and Authentic AW Batteries - RTD Electronix
And I've always bought them here:
Authentic AW Batteries - RTD Vapor
Looks like in the future I'll be buying them here (for my flashlights, of course)
Flashlights and Authentic AW Batteries - RTD Electronix
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