Are you done stocking up?

[Wow1420]

Lithium secondary (rechargeable) batteries, whether replaceable or built-in, can only be counted on for a couple of year life span. It's a chemistry thing. Even unused, and maintained at a reasonable storage voltage, there'll be a decrease in capacity after a year or so.

I know some folks talk about built-in battery mods working okay after 4 or 5 years, but I have faith in science. They may work, but they certainly have decreased battery performance.

Any mod I count on for multiple years out has replaceable batteries, and any replaceable batteries I pick up are fair game for immediate use, since they will drop in performance over time.

(Sowwy for all the posts from me tonight [emoji3])

I have a lot longer experience with cell phone batteries than those in vape gear. The only thing I've learned from it though is that batteries are weird. Some last a lot longer than they are supposed to. And some last a lot less than they're supposed to.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

based on this i have 10 sobras to keep me going.
but, one just died at 2 months.
i have no idea how dependable they now are.
i figured i was set for at least 10 years but now i don't know.

This is why I have been looking to buy cheap, old model mech mods. I have a few, but looking to buy more. But they have to be cheap. I found a source, but waiting to pay off some debt to buy more.

I don't prefer mechs, in fact, I don't prefer them in most situations, but I think it's a good idea to have them as there are no electronics to break. And if I can buy them cheap-as-dirt, no big deal if I end up not using them.

 

[markfm]

Well I guess that depends on a lot of things. All my current 18650s in rotation are way over 2 years old. They still work with no problem except they don't hold a charge as long as they used to when brand new. But being a <20W vaper, one old battery still lasts me quite a few hours.

As long as they continue to hold a charge for 2 or more hours, and as long as they don't show signs of being unreliable or unsufe, I use 'em.

Is this unsafe practice? Idunno. So far, it hasn't proven to be unsafe (for me), but anything's possible.

I don't believe it's a safety issue at all, literally just the capacity drops.

This is no different than the lithium power packs in hand tools. They're a much better tech than the older nickel batteries, but I've had to replace them over time, when they no longer hold enough charge to be useful.

Diminishing returns - i already use a couple of batteries in a day, having to do a half dozen swaps would not be fun [emoji3]

 

[markfm]

On fasttech orders, of my 6 outstanding orders I'm seeing restocking times extending (something listed with a 10 day timeframe on Monday is now showing as 11 days from today), and increase in items needing restocking (reported as ready on Monday) with no estimated dates.

Also no response to inquiries posted via a ticket on Monday and a posting to their account here on ECF.

Combined with today's news reporting, a very large uptick in both cases and deaths, it sounds like things aren't going so well on the mainland.

 

[NolaMel]

On fasttech orders, of my 6 outstanding orders I'm seeing restocking times extending (something listed with a 10 day timeframe on Monday is now showing as 11 days from today), and increase in items needing restocking (reported as ready on Monday) with no estimated dates.

Also no response to inquiries posted via a ticket on Monday and a posting to their account here on ECF.

Combined with today's news reporting, a very large uptick in both cases and deaths, it sounds like things aren't going so well on the mainland.

I did get an immediate refund to my account for the FT items I canceled. So, at least one person is there. 3FVAPE has shipped, but the tracking number isn’t complete... track17 can’t locate it. No idea what to make of that, except the person logging it in doesn’t know how to do it correctly (not their normal job?). BuyBest, no movement. FT order did move up to packaging.

 

[CaveFurby]

More likely they're trying to pretend it's business as usual again, when it's probably not.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

I did get an immediate refund to my account for the FT items I canceled. So, at least one person is there.

They are largely working from home in a limited capacity. Anniepan (FT forum moderator & customer service rep) has said so many times in the past week or so on the forum.

Also, IIRC, if you cancel the DIY way (in your order management screen), refunds are automatic.

 

[NolaMel]

Realistically we all know there’s no threat from packages coming in from China... but our government being as illogical as they can be, wonder if this will have an effect on customs processing? Between the CNY and the illness outbreak, incoming shipments and packages have to have dwindled down considerably.

 

[CaveFurby]

2FDeal tells my my two items have now shipped....I tend to think it's 'shipped' from one staging area to another....lol. Seriously don't think I'm going to see this order till the end of March. My own fault tho, I didn't order it until two days into their New Year's holiday.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Between the CNY and the illness outbreak, incoming shipments and packages have to have dwindled down considerably.

No that there's a good time for a virus like this, but seriously, what a bad time for a virus like this.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

2FDeal tells my my two items have now shipped....I tend to think it's 'shipped' from one staging area to another....lol. Seriously don't think I'm going to see this order till the end of March. My own fault tho, I didn't order it until two days into their New Year's holiday.

You'll get your stuff.

Just try to forget you even bought it and when it comes it'll be like Christmas...









in July.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

@NolaMel - you threw me off with your new avatar. I was like who TF is this ?

 

[CaveFurby]

Lol, July is probably right! Dang though, this is my Vapor Giant Ulton clone!

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Lol, July is probably right! Dang though, this is my Vapor Giant Ulton clone!

Well then it'll be like Xmas, your birthday and New Years all wrapped up into one sweaty July extravaganza!

 

[Seiggy]

I closed myself in the fridge once just to see if the light goes out. It does.

With all of the High Tech available these days, one would have thought to maybe place a cell phone in video record mode and shut the door. But, I bet it was more fun squeezing in and then trying to unlock the door.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

With all of the High Tech available these days, one would have thought to maybe place a cell phone in video record mode and shut the door. But, I bet it was more fun squeezing in and then trying to unlock the door.

I don't have a smartphone and my fridge doesn't lock.

But I did have to empty the fridge and remove the racks. It was worth it, tho, 'cuz now I know for sure.

 

[markfm]

A new status post from ft: Service update: Due to Wuhan new coronavirus, some services will be delayed until February 17,2020.: FastTech Forums

Hoping that things resume more or less normally on 17 Feb.

Some staff are doing customer service things from home right now.

They have limited staff at their facility trying to get the backlog orders up to 12 Feb out the door by 19 Feb.

Items requiring restock sound more iffy. Production at many places has been shut down, won't start to resume until the 17th.

 

[NolaMel]

@NolaMel - you threw me off with your new avatar. I was like who TF is this ?

Gotta keep you on your toes
I’ll cycle back around to the pelican after the 25th (see, I warned you this time)

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Items requiring restock sound more iffy. Production at many places has been shut down, won't start to resume until the 17th.

And that's the "kick in the head" for many items in my CNY order.

I remember reading years ago on the FT form that FT doesn't warehouse the vast majority of what they sell. They literally do pick-ups at the manufacturers' sites daily. That FT HQ is in HK, but that's merely offices...and their warehouse operations are in Shenzhen where all the manufacturers are.

Basically, anything that shows "in-stock" or even "ships next day" is probably warehoused. Everything that shows "ships in X days" is picked up at the manufacturer. IIRC, this was divulged by an old forum moderator named "geek", who I believe was USA-based judging from his impeccable conversational written English.

I have no idea if this was BS or not. But if it's true, if FT were to resume full operations tomorrow, that doesn't mean that the manufacturers they pick-up from will be. Thus...

...and changing almost daily.

 

[Haktuspit]

20% at vaprzon is a solid discount, hopefully someone will use it.

(I kind of wonder if you have to use the 20% before the 35% would work on a given account. )

@Haktuspit - the 20 off is from your post on 21 Jan

That might as well be last January for me.