Batteries

[Arignumb]

Hey all! I've been vaping and building for quite some time now (building on many different mods and rda's, experimenting with tons of drippers and rebuildables). However when it came to my battery of choice, I was unaware of the large technical restrictions of some batteries. Currently firing on my DNA30, I just bought the recommended VTC4 and for my mechs, I just got the Efest 3100 mAh one based on mAh and the nice color.

I was hoping someone could explain to me the difference between A discharge and the mAh. I was under the impression that mAh had to do with battery life and I'm still trying to figure out what the number for discharge means. How should I take this number into consideration and what kind of batteries should I expect to get to continue building? What's the difference between, say, a rating of 20A, 25A, and 30A for the batteries?

Thanks all!

 

[Lefty88]

The life of your battery is measured in mAh, and A is the rating for how many amps can be drawn from the battery safely (i.e. the discharge rate). If you check out Steam Engine's battery drain calculator, it'll let you know if you're staying within your amp limit.

 

[Kaezziel]

Lefty got it right... mAh is how many milliamps the battery can discharge over the course of 1 hour...
for example, your 3100mAh battery can continuously discharge 3.1A for 60 minutes. Or 6.2A for 30 minutes... etc., etc...

The Amp rating is how many amps it can discharge at, depending on the resistance of your coil build...
for example, with a 1.0 ohm coil, it will draw (thus the battery will discharge) 4.2A, a 0.5 ohm coil will draw 8.4A... always stay under your max Amp limit of your battery...

FYI, VTC series batteries are rated for 30A

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here!

I highly recommend you spend some time with Baditude (one of our resident battery experts) and visit his blogs. Make sure you purchase an ohm reader and a voltmeter or DMM so you can measure your builds, check for shorts and measure the remaining charge on your batteries.

Baditudes Blogs. The blogs regarding battery safety & ohm's law listed below:

BATTERIES

9. Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?
* Another essential read to understand which batteries are safe to use in mechanical and regulated mods. Includes a frequently updated list of recommended safe-chemistry, high-drain batteries with their specifications.

11. Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries Part 1
* For those who want to learn the differences between IMR, IMR/hybrid, and ICR batteries. What do those numbers and letters on batteries mean? What's an amp rating?

12. Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries Part 2
* Protected vs unprotected batteries - what's the difference? Ohm's Law 101. What is an AW battery? What is an inline fuse? What is stacking batteries?

17. Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised
* A cautionary blog that reveals that the purple Efest batteries may not have the specifications advertised. Also includes a commentary on "continuous discharge ratings" vs "pulse discharge ratings" of battery specs.

OHM'S LAW

14. Ohm's Law for Dummies (Vapers)
* My attempt at explaining Ohm's Law in layman terms and how it relates to vaping.

16. Explain it to the Dumb Noob: Ohm's Law Calculations
* As simple as it is to use, some people have a tough time grasping the concept. Warning: Includes graphic photos of mod explosions.

BATTERIES - WHERE TO BUY

Only buy batteries from a reputable supplier (not ebay or Amazon) as there are many counterfeit batteries being sold. Here are several reputable battery suppliers in the US.

* RTD Vapor
* Illumination Supply
* Lighthound
* Orbtronics

COILING CALCULATOR

Here are a few links for you regarding building coils and getting the resistance just where you want it:
1. Steam Engine
2. Coil Toy Calculator

Make sure to check your build with an ohm reader or DMM before putting it on your mod and firing it.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

The Continuous Discharge Rate (CDR) expressed in amps ( aka amp rate ) is the maximum amps that can be drawn from the battery and it remain in a safe operating range. Safe operating range as determined by detailed manufacturer testing.

20a, 25a, 30a, represent the CDR of a battery and defines the amount of amps that can be drawn from the battery safely.
What battery you need is dependent on what your intended use is, regulated APV / mechanical, resistance range, amp requirements...
As mah increases CDR decreases, no way around it.

When using a mechanical all aspects of safe vaping is up to the user.
All reputable regulated APV manufacturers recommend a battery CDR / amp rate to use in the device they make.

I am really not trying to be rude or sound harsh but, if you don't already understand battery basics most importantly basic battery safety it would be a good idea to put down the mechanical and stick with regulated APV's until you get a better understanding about batteries, resistances, ohms law etc...

 

[Arignumb]

I am really not trying to be rude or sound harsh but, if you don't already understand battery basics most importantly basic battery safety it would be a good idea to put down the mechanical and stick with regulated APV's until you get a better understanding about batteries, resistances, ohms law etc...

It's a good thing both my batteries were 25-30A

 

[Susan~S]

It's a good thing both my batteries were 25-30A

I have never seen a 25A battery. What is the brand and mah of that battery?

 

[Topwater Elvis]

It's a good thing both my batteries were 25-30A

Maybe, you have to watch out for the fakes of high quality well known batteries and the re wrapped lesser quality cells with false CDR claims and the flat out marketing hype amp rated batteries.

Your new purple 3100mah efest is actually a 10a CDR battery (at best) confirmed by accurate & reliable independent testing.

 

[InTheShade]

Maybe, you have to watch out for the fakes of high quality well known batteries and the re wrapped lesser quality cells with false CDR claims and the flat out marketing hype amp rated batteries.

Your new purple 3100mah efest is actually a 10a CDR battery (at best) confirmed by accurate & reliable independent testing.

I only use my efests in my flashlight and occasionally in a Vamo.

I made a decision recently not to use any efest battery in my mechs, buy any more of them or recommend them on the forums due to them claiming much higher amp limits than they came to be tested at.

That 20amp battery is only 6.5amp according to the testing cited in this thread http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...87759-purple-efest-18650-battery-warning.html

That's just ridiculously dishonest and possibly dangerous.

 

[EBates]

Well, guess that is the end of my buying Efest products.

 

[1mouse3]

an stay away from the vamped batts they dont perform as good as a vtc4, the one i had went a silent death and barely used it. I had it against a dual .8 ohm coil build an would not go more than a hour for light use, where a vtc4 would go 4-5 hours

 

[Topwater Elvis]

I only use my efests in my flashlight and occasionally in a Vamo.

I made a decision recently not to use any efest battery in my mechs, buy any more of them or recommend them on the forums due to them claiming much higher amp limits than they came to be tested at.

That 20amp battery is only 6.5amp according to the testing cited in this thread http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...87759-purple-efest-18650-battery-warning.html

That's just ridiculously dishonest and possibly dangerous.

Correct, though recent testing of newer batches show inter mixing of 6.4a and 10a CDR cells, the experts I rely on are as sure as can be that efest is re wrapping at least 2 different cells with as usual fictitious CDR claims.

 

[InTheShade]

Just to be fair and in the interests of presenting all the facts and allowing you to make your own mind up, there are 16 pages to that linked thread I posted earlier. Efest did respond to a direct inquiry from a forum member explaining the differences between their labeling and what the batteries test at.

That response in on page 16 of that thread and can be seen here

TL;DR = they say they test as marked... so there you go, make your own mind up.

 

[SunshinePete]

I use several purple Efests and am happy with them. All my mods are regulated and none are rated above 15W, so I'm not asking for more than about 3A continuous, and the purple beauties serve me well.

 

[Arignumb]

So what 18650 and 18350 batteries are safe for my .3-1 ohm builds? I have been using the Kamry one that came with a K100 with authentic VTC4s and AW IMRs

 

[Kaezziel]

Get these, and you'll be fine...
Xtar 30A (VTC4s)

 

[Arignumb]

thanks a lot man.

 

[KenD]

So what 18650 and 18350 batteries are safe for my .3-1 ohm builds? I have been using the Kamry one that came with a K100 with authentic VTC4s and AW IMRs

Look at the continuous discharge rating, and use an ohms law calculator to make sure that the current draw isn't higher than that (input 4.2v for a fully charged battery and the resistance of your coil). No 18350 can handle 0.3 ohm coils. The highest rated 18350s are the Efest purple (10.5 amps) and blue Tensai (14 amps), but I wouldn't push them to close to those amp draws.