Batteries, springs, and old school Grand usage (oh my!)

[bander68]

3 years since I bought my REO Grand, and it's been my all-day, every-day, only device. I still have some old ego batteries and carts with blue foam as a backup, but I've rarely even taken them out. Why bother? See my signature. As it says down there, I vape one flavor with a plain old-fashioned Bauway 510LR atty and a simple plastic Delrin drip tip.

My Grand looks like hell, scratched up, sanded in a few places where it got rough from being dropped on concrete, etc. But it works pretty darn good, and I'm satisfied.

So why am I posting? batteries, springs, etc..

1. About 2 years ago, I accidentally blew out an atty in my pocket when I forgot to lock it. I posted here, and after a couple of attys I got it working again. But I'll never forget how the spring was just a bit flat. I just stretched it back up and kept on vaping. Every once in a while I notice my battery is dinking around under the door and I stretch it a bit more. It works. No issues. But after reading around a bit, I see it's possible I did more damage than I originally thought. Do I need to replace that spring? It's worked fine for years, except for the occasional loose battery.

2. Lately, I've been running thru attys fast. Normally I get about a month out of them. I long ago gave up on trying to clean them - they never really got clean enough to get much more use out of them. So, I toss them in the trash and grab a new one. No biggie. Lately, though, they've been dying in about a week. I also noticed my AW-IMR 1600mah batteries weren't quite lasting the entire day, so I'd just grab one of my older ones to get thru the evening and put my depleted one back on the charger to be used the next day. I read somewhere yesterday that these batteries have a life of about a year....ummm....these are 2 year old (my newer ones) and 3 year old batteries. Will replacing them solve my issues with attys dying too quickly?

3. I feel like a complete newbie asking this question, but here goes. I did a search for AW-IMR 18650 batteries, and I kept coming up with a 2000mah version. Is it cool to use those instead of the 1600mah ones I've used for 3 years? Is it larger? Will it fit in my Grand ok? BTW, I bought what was at the time the best Pila charger according to everybody here. Will the 2000mah battery fit in the charger? It came with a bunch of adapters for smaller batteries, but I put them in a box in the back of my vape shelf and have never touched them. The 1600 is a perfect fit.

Thanks for answering my questions!

 

[Filthy-Beast]

HI,

Get the 1600 mah has a power curve that is much better for our REOs. A battery over times builds up an internal resistance that diminishes the power sent to the coil when firing. So the battery will test fine after charging but will deliver significantly less power to the atty than it did new. RTD vapor should have the 1600s.

The spring is a fuse, once it collapses you lost it's ability to act as a fuse. YES you need to replace it. I'd suggest you get the full rebuild kit that has newer gold plated beryllium copper spring and firing pin. These are much more efficient and will deliver more power to atty. You still noalox but do not file the new gold contacts.

Not sure on your atty life, before I switched to Reo and rebuildable atties, I noticed a drop in quality of the three atty manufactures I regularly used. Try a different vendor's atty or better yet get a RM2 start rebuilding. better flavor and better performance, once I made the switch I could never go back.

 

[tobarger]

1) Definitely replace the spring
2) New battery will not help you with attys dying too quickly
3) The 2000 mAh AWs will fit the Pila just like the 1600 mAh AWs

 

[BockinBboy]

Wow, a great testimonial to the true tank the REO is.

To answer a few of your questions...

Yes replace that spring! The spring collapses to protect your battery from overheating from a short or similar. Drops the battery away from the firing pin so it stops firing. The spring is a safety device for these REOs.

On Robs site there is a repair kit for the grand. That comes with a new spring and updated contacts - big improvement over the earlier ones.

I don't know too much about the regular atties so Ill leave that to others...

But batteries... Yeah, it's time to replace them. You can sill use the aw 18650 1600mah. I believe the voltage drop is actually better on those than the 2000 mah, but obviously the 2000 will give you more Vape time. Other batteries to consider might be sony vtc5s 2600 mah - pricier but they have a 30 amp rating too. Others can recommend more choices I'm sure.

- Bboy

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Since we typically pull batteries between 3.8 an 3.6 volts the 1600 gives a longer vape time. the mah is the time it takes to drain all the way 2.5 volts.

The 1600 takes longer to drain to 3.7 than the 2000, but the 2000 takes longer to go from 3.7 to 2.5. So for our use the 1600 is better.

 

[BockinBboy]

Makes sense FB, thanks.

- Bboy

 

[Ian444]

If you put a full rebuild kit in your Reo it will hit harder. After 3 years you might like it just the way it is, in that case just replace the spring and it should only hit a little bit harder. For the same reason I never put rebuild kits in my wife's Reo's, because she likes them exactly the way they are. Sounds weird I know, but the increased voltage from the new contacts can and does change the vape.

Of course, for those who sub ohm, the new contacts were/are the bees knees

 

[bander68]

Wow, thanks everybody! Good stuff all around. Another round of newbie type questions. This time about attys.

1. Can I use rbas on my old reo? There's no vv ability.

2. Is there a way to use rbas without fear of blowing my face off?

I've been so satisfied with this thing I've completely missed all of the vv and rba madness of the last few years and have zero knowledge of how/why I should learn something new. It's not a hobby for me, it's just something I do. That's why I got a REO to begin with- no more fiddling all day. It just works without any extra effort after a morning refill and battery swap. Educate me. Convince me I won't have to go back to fiddling.

 

[Raynman]

My suggestion would be to get a RM2 from Rob the rebuild kit and some READYXWICK. Reasons; RM2 easiest RBA to build on and provides a great flavor. Rebuild kit to upgrade the contacts if you don't go sub ohm your batteries will last longer because of less voltage drop. READYXWICK Lasts a very long time so no fiddling with your atty for 5 months at a time. (maybe longer I changed after 5 months just because) Watch videos from our own SuperXDrifter he shows how to make a micro coil that kicks ..... If you have any questions just ask we'll get you to the perfect vape using your new RBA.

 

[bander68]

Ok. Convinced. I ordered: rm2, two grand rebuild kit, 2 new 1600s, a cartometer. Thanks to all for your help. If all goes well, I should be attempting my first rebuild in a week or two. And if that goes well, hopefully I'll never buy another atty, right?

 

[Filthy-Beast]

It really isn't that hard and the Reo will protect you from yourself. After a few days of practice and with the help of these fine people in Reoville we have most people new to building coils very happy and saying " I don't know why I was so worried, that's really pretty easy."

The worst that can happen is you build a short. This will cause the spring to collapse. But this rarely happens since we have you test them first to catch any shorts before you press the button. So get an extra spring for just in case.

 

[Rule62]

Ok. Convinced. I ordered: rm2, two grand rebuild kit, 2 new 1600s, a cartometer. Thanks to all for your help. If all goes well, I should be attempting my first rebuild in a week or two. And if that goes well, hopefully I'll never buy another atty, right?

I don't know about never. Never is a long time. But once you get proficient at rebuilding, your RM2 will last you a good long time. All you will need is resistance wire, either kanthal or nichrome, and wicking material, whatever you choose to use. It might be cotton, rediwick, rayon, etc.
There are many sources available, and people on here, to help you get started on your rebuilding journey. You won't be sorry you made the jump.

 

[Filthy-Beast]

I don't know about never. Never is a long time. But once you get proficient at rebuilding, your RM2 will last you a good long time. All you will need is resistance wire, either kanthal or nichrome, and wicking material, whatever you choose to use. It might be cotton, rediwick, rayon, etc.
There are many sources available, and people on here, to help you get started on your rebuilding journey. You won't be sorry you made the jump.

Or now that you don't have to constantly fiddle the equipment to keep it working, you end with a bunch of free time. so you try other RBAs just because you want something new to play with

 

[redeyedancer]

Thanks for helping out folks

 

[Raynman]

You are our inspiration Rob.

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

OP - if you mean "never again" in the sense of durability and performance life, yes (for the foreseeable future); if you mean "never again" in the sense of "this is all you'll ever want", maybe not so much

Once you get into rebuilding (and you will prolly get into it, not just put up with it), don't be surprised if you find your mind wandering to what it would be like with other atties. A lot of us have several - you'll find they each have their own signature in terms of vape experience.

You will be an interesting test case - a non-fashionista reo user discovering the current reo vapescape. I, for one, will be intrigued by your impressions and thoughts.

 

[Rickajho]

Hi

By the numbers:

#1 Replace that spring! When it collapsed it did that for a reason and it's your safety mechanism. Once it's done that trying to reuse it again defeats it's purpose in trying to provide a safety mechanism a second time - bad idea.

#2 Battery life span is impacted by many things, among them number of charge cycles and simply the age of the batteries. After about 300 charge cycles run time will begin to drop off. After about three years - used or not - chemical breakdown will result in shorter run times. As with any battery chemistry - these don't improve with age either.

The atomizer problem is more like due to it being... an atomizer problem. Factories are fickle places and stock atty construction can go through good and bad phases. If you want a recommendation I have been playing with these 306's of late - only $3.99 - and they have been holding up for weeks with no sign of slowing down. => 306 Low Resistance Atomizer + Drip Tip - ecigExpress

#3 RTD Vapor carries the AW 1600 mAh battery. But if you are using stock attys the 2000 mAh version will work just fine. Whatever you do, buy them from a trusted source. Lot of fake AW's flying around out there. Not eBay. Not Amazon.

Either one will fit your Pila just fine.

 

[Rickajho]

Wow, thanks everybody! Good stuff all around. Another round of newbie type questions. This time about attys.

1. Can I use rbas on my old reo? There's no vv ability.

2. Is there a way to use rbas without fear of blowing my face off?

I've been so satisfied with this thing I've completely missed all of the vv and rba madness of the last few years and have zero knowledge of how/why I should learn something new. It's not a hobby for me, it's just something I do. That's why I got a REO to begin with- no more fiddling all day. It just works without any extra effort after a morning refill and battery swap. Educate me. Convince me I won't have to go back to fiddling.

Numbah ple-azz... lol

#1 You need to choose an atty that will fit your standard profile Grand - that's all. The newer low profile (LP) Reos have the catch cup milled way down - almost flat to the 510 connector - in order to fit most bottom feed attys. For your Grand - just make sure you choose one that is not designated LP or for low profile Reos.

#2 Replace that collapsed spring with a new one!!! Seriously - do that, that's your safety mechanism.

And you need a meter for resistance measurements. That will not only tell you what your coil resistance is, it can spot if you did anything bad - like have a short going on with a coil build.

 

[Rickajho]

Ok. Convinced. I ordered: rm2, two grand rebuild kit, 2 new 1600s, a cartometer. Thanks to all for your help. If all goes well, I should be attempting my first rebuild in a week or two. And if that goes well, hopefully I'll never buy another atty, right?

You can use both, you know. There - I said it.

In the mean time get to know your Reomizer and how to build it: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/reos-mods/413000-rm2-rba-2-0-reomizer-2-rebuild-tutorial.html

Have fun! Or - have more fun!

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Ok. Convinced. I ordered: rm2, two grand rebuild kit, 2 new 1600s, a cartometer. Thanks to all for your help. If all goes well, I should be attempting my first rebuild in a week or two. And if that goes well, hopefully I'll never buy another atty, right?

IF you haven't already ordered some, you'll need some kanthal I suggest 28 gauge as good starting point.

Kanthal Wire 28 Gauge RW0118 - 100 Ft 0.61oz Series A-1 Resistance AWG