Best batteries over all (18650)?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Two_Bears

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 4, 2015
7,045
16,673
Northern Arizona
I'v been using efest 18650's for almost 4 months now, just bought a set of Samsung 25rs and find they out preform the efests by a long shot. Was wondering what the best 18650s are on the market right now? Just bought my first mech mod (Tugboat v2 red splatter) and want the best batteries available on the market.



Thanks in advance

I too use the baby blue 25 r.

Look at LG, Panasonic or Sony.
 

Topwater Elvis

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Dec 26, 2012
7,116
16,502
Texas
Fully charged the batteries should be 4.15v ~ 4.2ish v.
Using a regulated power device resistance is almost irrelevant.

Low voltage cut off ( the voltage at which the power device stops firing ) and watt setting combined with frequency of vaping ( chain vaping vs a puff or two every few minutes ).

For example;
Using 3.2v as low voltage cutoff & x3 batteries, always use the the low voltage cutoff for your specific power device.
100w/3.2v = 31.25a/3 = 10.41a per battery.
150w/3.2v = 46.87a/3 = 15.62a per battery.
200w/3.2v = 62.5a/3 = 20.83a per battery.

Batteries heat as they are used, as the voltage drops more amps are required to provide the voltage creating more heat, frequent/chain vaping creates even more heat and doesn't allow time for batteries to cool.
Heat weakens & kills batteries.
As batteries age they lose capacity.

Vtc5's are decent 20a cdr batteries.
It is always best/safest to leave a % under the battery cdr as a saftey margin.
( 20% ~ 50% under cdr )
 
Last edited:

Brian1989

Full Member
Jun 6, 2015
24
14
35
Fully charged the batteries should be 4.15v ~ 4.2ish v.
Using a regulated power device resistance is almost irrelevant.

Low voltage cut off ( the voltage at which the power device stops firing ) and watt setting combined with frequency of vaping ( chain vaping vs a puff or two every few minutes ).

For example;
Using 3.2v as low voltage cutoff & x3 batteries, always use the the low voltage cutoff for your specific power device.
100w/3.2v = 31.25a/3 = 10.41a per battery.
150w/3.2v = 46.87a/3 = 15.62a per battery.
200w/3.2v = 62.5a/3 = 20.83a per battery.

Batteries heat as they are used, as the voltage drops more amps are required to provide the voltage creating more heat, frequent/chain vaping creates even more heat and doesn't allow time for batteries to cool.
Heat weakens & kills batteries.
As batteries age they lose capacity.

Vtc5's are decent 20a cdr batteries.
It is always best/safest to leave a % under the battery cdr as a saftey margin.
( 20% ~ 50% under cdr )

right now I'm running it at 75w
 

Nikea Tiber

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Jul 21, 2015
466
566
42
so what would you recommend as a 30amp battery?

Sony VTC4. Right now there isn't a better battery for subohm mech use. My ADV is a compression wound 316l stainless steel dual coil build in a derringer on a praxis. After noticing my battery didnt get warm I used a .14 quad coil I built as a 30A load. I didn't chain vape, but the VTC4 stays cool (though I only run that build on parallel mechs for safety and voltage drop). Battery life at .14 is really bad on a single cell.
Beware of eBay and VTC5s, there are a lot of counterfeits out there, you could get burned.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RAWRferal

Topwater Elvis

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Dec 26, 2012
7,116
16,502
Texas
LG HB2 or HB6, 1500mah, true 30a CDR.
Sony VTC3, 1600mah, 30a CDR.
Sony VTC4, 2100mah, a good 20a CDR battery that can be pushed to 30a.
Mooch & other reliable accurate independent sources have tested & confirmed the above.

As batteries age they lose capacity, when pushed regularly to or just a few times beyond their CDR they degrade more rapidly.
 

suprtrkr

ECF Guru
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jun 22, 2014
10,410
15,049
Cowtown, USA. Where the West begins.

suprtrkr

ECF Guru
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jun 22, 2014
10,410
15,049
Cowtown, USA. Where the West begins.
I've been using it for 2 days now and the batteries arnt heating up what so ever
And good luck to you. VTC5s, assuming authentic, are good batteries, for all they're not VTC4s. You are further correct to make 75 watts across a .08 ohm coil about 2.5 volts are required; 2.44949 to be exact. And three 3.7v batteries (nominal) do make 11.1v (nominal) in series. However, my point is the voltage is meaningless. Regulated mods use voltage converters of one or another type on the board; that's how they can vary watts without changing the coil resistance. A DNA200 uses both buck and buck-and-boost converters. Thus, the voltage required to drive a given wattage across your coil is meaningless because it is invisible to the batteries; it's on the other side of the board. The batteries give you whatever voltage they have at their then-current charge state, no matter what. It's the board that measures this, and changes the voltage to make your required watts.

And the point of all this is, it's amps that kill batteries, not volts. Note your .08 ohm, 75 watt circuit also draws 30.16862 amps (plus I^2R losses on the board, connectors, conductors, etc.), and this value is greater than 150% of the rated loading of three 20 amp batteries in series. While I do not know how it does it-- just a guess, pulsation-- I feel sure your mod somehow reduces the load to or below 20 amps to stay within the permitted draw levels of your batteries. Therefore, so long as you stick with regulated mods, buy good, authentic batteries, and your mod electronics do not fail on, you are unlikely to blow yourself up. That's why people use regulated mods, so they don't have to worry about boring old Ohm's Law. So I repeat: Good luck to you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaveP

Brian1989

Full Member
Jun 6, 2015
24
14
35
And good luck to you. VTC5s, assuming authentic, are good batteries, for all they're not VTC4s. You are further correct to make 75 watts across a .08 ohm coil about 2.5 volts are required; 2.44949 to be exact. And three 3.7v batteries (nominal) do make 11.1v (nominal) in series. However, my point is the voltage is meaningless. Regulated mods use voltage converters of one or another type on the board; that's how they can vary watts without changing the coil resistance. A DNA200 uses both buck and buck-and-boost converters. Thus, the voltage required to drive a given wattage across your coil is meaningless because it is invisible to the batteries; it's on the other side of the board. The batteries give you whatever voltage they have at their then-current charge state, no matter what. It's the board that measures this, and changes the voltage to make your required watts.

And the point of all this is, it's amps that kill batteries, not volts. Note your .08 ohm, 75 watt circuit also draws 30.16862 amps (plus I^2R losses on the board, connectors, conductors, etc.), and this value is greater than 150% of the rated loading of three 20 amp batteries in series. While I do not know how it does it-- just a guess, pulsation-- I feel sure your mod somehow reduces the load to or below 20 amps to stay within the permitted draw levels of your batteries. Therefore, so long as you stick with regulated mods, buy good, authentic batteries, and your mod electronics do not fail on, you are unlikely to blow yourself up. That's why people use regulated mods, so they don't have to worry about boring old Ohm's Law. So I repeat: Good luck to you.


Yeah I'm 1000% sure they are authentic VTC5's got them from the most reputable shop in my city. They don't sell any fakes at all.

but I understand your point on people learning Ohms law, just cant find any good articles recommended for newbies
 

suprtrkr

ECF Guru
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jun 22, 2014
10,410
15,049
Cowtown, USA. Where the West begins.
Yeah I'm 1000% sure they are authentic VTC5's got them from the most reputable shop in my city. They don't sell any fakes at all.

but I understand your point on people learning Ohms law, just cant find any good articles recommended for newbies
Here's some good stuff from @Baditude :
[URL='https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/12-deeper-understanding-of-mod-batteries-part-i.5163/'](12) Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries - Part I | E-Cigarette Forum[/URL]
(11) Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries - Part II | E-Cigarette Forum
(14) Ohm's Law for Dummies (Vapers) | E-Cigarette Forum
(16) Explain it for the dumb noob: Ohm's Law calculations. | E-Cigarette Forum

This board is also blessed with @Mooch , who is a EE who works with batteries for a living. He has kindly provided the results of his bench tests of batteries that would be important to vapers, located here in chart form, and I recommend you look at it next time you buy batteries to help you select the right one.
 

Two_Bears

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 4, 2015
7,045
16,673
Northern Arizona
Yeah I'm 1000% sure they are authentic VTC5's got them from the most reputable shop in my city. They don't sell any fakes at all.

but I understand your point on people learning Ohms law, just cant find any good articles recommended for newbies

You sure about that?

It is getting harder and harder to separate the authentic batteries from the Counterfeit batteries.
 

seebo

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Oct 31, 2013
221
202
CT,USA
i am a high powered LED flashlight fanatic. if you want the best you should be looking at batteries that are used to power flashlights. the best? i'd say the NiteCore 3400mah Nitecore 18650 3400mAh 3.7V Protected Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Button Top Battery - Blister Pack (NL189)

they have the highest and TRUE capacity you will ever find in a 18650 battery, good for well over 500 charge cycles.
good reviews, but the question is what are you willing to spend for the "best"? :)

they also have the 2600mah for less money if you don't care about capacity as much and still one of the best batteries out there.
 
Last edited:

Brian1989

Full Member
Jun 6, 2015
24
14
35
You sure about that?

It is getting harder and harder to separate the authentic batteries from the Counterfeit batteries.

yes

i am a high powered LED flashlight fanatic. if you want the best you should be looking at batteries that are used to power flashlights. the best? i'd say the NiteCore 3400mah Nitecore 18650 3400mAh 3.7V Protected Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Button Top Battery - Blister Pack (NL189)

they have the highest and TRUE capacity you will ever find in a 18650 battery, good for well over 500 charge cycles.
good reviews, but the question is what are you willing to spend for the "best"? :)

they also have the 2600mah for less money if you don't care about capacity as much and still one of the best batteries out there.

but arnt Samsung, sony, LG, Panasonic the only ones who ACTUCALLY make their own batteries? Or does nitecore actucally make their own? I'd be more than willing to pay the money
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread