Biting the Provari bullet

[artax]

Well, I recieved my Provari today. I ended up getting the Mini w/ the extender cap, so with the cap it's the same size/battery as the standard. I'm good about keeping a second battery charged so I thought the mini/reg was a better solution for me than the reg/extended. Is still huge! Will take a while to get used to and I imagine I'll get far more questions about it than with the eGo, which I will keep for the bars/backup.

Having not had a vv device up until now, are there any places that I can read up on configurations and voltage settings? I can already tell just popping my carto on this and dialing up the voltage a bit past the eGo's that this is exactly what I wanted in the first place, $250 ago, but the manual doesn't provide a lot of info on situational use. I plan to mainly use cartos and an Arry tank which I have yet to buy.

I'm also confused on the 510-510 adapter. Could I use my eGo-T tanks with that?

 

[artax]

Also, juice always leaks out of my cartos down into the battery connection. I wasn't so worried about this with a $15 battery, but I'm very concerned about how bad this is for the PV. Should I get worried about this?

 

[Bdbodger]

You could probably use a couple of 510 to 510 adaptors but better to also get a 510 to ego adaptor . The 510 to 510 is good for letting in more air or when something requirs an adaptor for leangth .

 

[hellsh0cked]

Provape recommends 3 ohm cartos/atomizers because you can use the greatest range of voltages with them. You can use higher or lower resistance devices just fine with a reduced range of voltages, for example, you might not be able to run a 1.5 ohm carto at 6 volts. The best voltage for a carto/atomizer depends on the juice and your personal preference. Just play with the voltage until you find what you like the best.

Well, I recieved my Provari today. I ended up getting the Mini w/ the extender cap, so with the cap it's the same size/battery as the standard. I'm good about keeping a second battery charged so I thought the mini/reg was a better solution for me than the reg/extended. Is still huge! Will take a while to get used to and I imagine I'll get far more questions about it than with the eGo, which I will keep for the bars/backup.

Having not had a vv device up until now, are there any places that I can read up on configurations and voltage settings? I can already tell just popping my carto on this and dialing up the voltage a bit past the eGo's that this is exactly what I wanted in the first place, $250 ago, but the manual doesn't provide a lot of info on situational use. I plan to mainly use cartos and an Arry tank which I have yet to buy.

I'm also confused on the 510-510 adapter. Could I use my eGo-T tanks with that?

 

[NickZac]

Errr...after I wrote this I realized I hadnt read the second page in which you already purchased one... h idiot me:

I don't think you can go wrong with a Provari. Even users who originally say they dont need a variable voltage unit often wind up using it and liking it...I personally fall into that category. Also, you will get an incredible series of safety systems built into the Provari, and won't have to worry about the exploding eGos anymore.

The current model is called the V2. The older model was the V1. The current offerings come in 2 sizes (mini and regular), and three LED colors (red, blue, green). As far as buying, you buy directly from Provape, the maker, if you are in the US...

So do you want a mini or a full size?...what color LEDs?
ProVari Variable Voltage Ecig: Best Variable Voltage E Cig Available!
ProVari Variable Voltage Ecig: Best Variable Voltage E Cig Available!

With the mini you can use the 18350 battery and with the extension the 18490
With the regular size you can use the 18490 and with the extension the 18650

From my usage, I would say that the 18490 will give roughly twice the run time of the 18350 and the 18650 will give roughly twice the run time of the 18490. Each extends the unit by about 3/4 of an inch. I personally use 18490s the most as I have around 10 of them. They give the best tradeoff of size and run time duration. The regular size with the extension is too long/heavy for me and the mini without the extension doesn't last long enough. But all of that is my opinion, and you will find the 'ideal size' depends on your own needs and preferences.

Also, consider buying the Pila battery charger (if not, an XTAR)...the Pila is one of the, and possibly the, finest charger ever made, and it makes recharging not only faster, but safer. People often cheap out on chargers and this is a bad idea. Remember that if a charger does not correctly terminate the charging of a lithium ion battery upon the battery reaching its full capacity, the battery will eventually be overcharged so high that it explodes (this is an issue that the eGos/eGo clones seem to have that happens quite frequently relative to other model PVs). Lithium battery explosions are violent and usually set whatever is in their immediate presence on fire. This is not a good place to save money. If you use a Provari with AW or Panasonic batteries and a Pila or XTARii charger, you have the safest and best performing combo that the industry currently has to offer.
Best Rechargeable Battery Chargers: Pila Battery Charger & Pila Charger

Battery wise, only use IMRs, which have the amperage needed to run this unit correctly. Provape sells AWs which are great. Panasonic makes some IMRs which also function the unit without issue, but they are only available currently in 18650 sizes.

You can use eGo components but you need to buy an adapter...
Ego-T Adapter

As far as tanks go, many tanks fit the Provari and there are a lot of tank makers. I have become a firm believer in the pyrex Phiniac tank, which not only looks awesome but performs flawlessly. I'm sure others here have their preferences as well, so that is kind of a personal preference thing.

The Provari will wash your dog and cook your breakfast. It will fill it's own cartomizer and make cheap juice taste like your favorite cigarette. If you buy anything else, you are throwing your money down the toilet. Everything else is garbage and snake-oil. The Provari will cure your asthma and prostate cancer. It will withstand a 20 ton hydraulic press and work in 800 feet of water. The first man on the moon brought a Provari with him.

O.K. That about covers it.
Provape.com

This is the best post I've ever read in my life..

 

[artax]

I guess what I'm wondering is how the voltages change the lifetime of cartos, flavor, etc. I get a much more consistent hit and I don't have to give myself a headache after a dozen vapes sucking on it like the eGo, but I wish I knew more about the "whys" of the voltages.

Very good info on the chargers. I got the one they offer on ProVapes. Says "Tenergy" on it. Where do I stand on that?

Also, finally a start on carto resistance explanation. So high res (i.e. 3 ohm) is better for the Provari? The ones I got for now are 2ohm.

 

[NickZac]

Someone feel free to correct me if I say anything wrong...I'm still new to this myself

I have the Tenergy and I am not personally a fan of it as I have one that 'whines', and had people tell me that is normal which I do not believe for a second...since it does that I havent used it enough to speak much on it. But realistically, they are probably ok quality-wise and I just have a bad one. Many people have them and seem to like them. As far as consistency, I like the Pila and XTAR because each battery when charged has a consistent voltage. My Trustfire TR001 is not quite that consistent tho I can't speak to the Tenergy as prefer to use the XTAR or Pila given they are really regarded as 'industry benchmarks'. In investment in one or the other is never a bad idea.

Voltage affects wattage, which is the actual power you make. Most people say the 'sweet spot' is between 6 and 10 watts. I find that different flavors are considerably different. So what you do is use the Provari to measure the atomizer/cartomizer resistance (13 clicks IIRC)...then plug that and a voltage into the calculator below and you have wattage. It may be worth noting which flavors taste best at what power settings.
Ohm's and Joule's Law Calculator

You are getting a consistent hit because the Provari is regulating the voltage. As the battery dies on a non-regulated PV, the actual power the unit makes dies with it. So some may start at 4.2 volts, but as time goes on, they fall usually to 3.3-ish before being recharged. And so the actual power the unit makes falls. The Provari's circuitry counters this battery power loss to regulate the voltage, which equates to a consistent wattage, which means a consistent vape. The Provari is the most consistent of all VVs that I know of, as even under a full load with a battery that is nearly exhausted, it has almost no voltage flux, where as even other VVs don't seem to be quite that consistent.

I have been told that the life of the battery will usually last longer with SR cartos as will the carto life itself. With that said, I still use LR ones and I don't find them to hurt the battery much nor have a significantly shorter life. The function of LR cartos are essentially to simulate the 'high voltage vaping' in which a high voltage device provides with a SR or HR atomizer or cartomizer. This is somewhat misleading because wattage is what is the actual measurement of power that will affect output, and the same wattages can be achieved with different resistance cartos at varying voltages. So what does this mean? When using LRs, you want to start your voltage lower...remember that resistance (ohms) affects ultimate wattage and so with a LR carto (less resistance), you will hit higher wattages than you will at the same voltage on a SR carto (higher resistance). So with a 2ohm LR carto, 3.2 volts will start you at about 5 watts, which is probably a good place to start sampling fluid. Perhaps try it and then bump it up .2 to .4 volts and see how it tastes as you up the voltage. However, by the time you get to 5 volts, your wattage is 12.5 watts...in which the fluid will likely taste burnt if you go much higher. If you use a carto lower than 2 ohms, the Provari will likely cut off once you reach a certain voltage above 5 volts due to its protection circuits...this is normal and it does not mean the unit is malfunctioning. Provape probably at least partially advises the 3.0 ohm cartos because with a 3 ohm carto, you will be able to go up to the max voltage (6 volts), where as you may not get that high with a LR carto. However, the fluid will taste burnt to crap long before you get to that point. I've noticed that what kills cartos are when they are allowed to sit 'dry'...keeping them moist seems to prolong them. Using clear liquid does as well as a dark liquid results in unavoidable sediment build up.