The AW IMR 14500's really do work best on the Mini and make a real difference when using LR atomizers because of their high "C" rating. All protected li-ion batteries are marginal in the small size. If anyone is going to use protected batteries instead of the high drain batteries due to lack of availability, the best alternate is the protected AW 14500 (black), which has a 2C rating, as opposed to the ****Fire which is 1.5C. Also AW produces a better quality product.
From the ECF thread
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html:
Power rating for rechargeables
The critical factor for ecig mod use is the C rating (discharge current) in amps. The minimum possible value for safe and effective ecig use is 1 amp (= 1000mA) although ideally it needs to be higher. The ideal rating is 2 amps (2000mA) or better as an atomizer usually draws 1A to 2A.
Chart of C ratings vs size
1C or less for low-quality Li-FePo4
Assume 1C for generic Li-ion unless otherwise noted
1.5C for ultra/sure/trust/-fire Li-ion
2C for AW ICR (Li-ion)
3C for BDL 10440 IMR (Li-Mn)
5C for BDL 14500 IMR (Li-Mn)
8C for AW 14500 and 16340 IMR (Li-Mn)
10C for AW 18650 IMR (Li-Mn)
10C for AW Li-FePo4
Note:
Tenergy etc Li-FePo4 (small cells) - <0.55A (~1C - half an amp or less - not suitable for ecig use)
Max drain rate in amps is C in mAh / 1000 x C rating
Example: an AW IMR Li-Mn 14500 battery has a capacity of 600mAh. The C rating is 8C (it can supply 8 times the capacity). Therefore the max discharge current in amps is:
600 x 8 over 1000 (600 multiplied by 8 divided by 1000)
= 4200 / 1000
= 4.2 amps
This shows it has enough beef to safely and effectively run an atomizer - which some 14500's don't. In other words it is less likely to go into thermal runaway if there is an internal fault in the battery and is then used to power a device that draws a relatively high current such as an atomizer; and it will not suffer from excessive voltage drop when powering the atty.
Useful formulas
Amp draw = voltage / resistance
Example: a 5 volt mod is used with a 2.5 ohm atomizer - what current is drawn?
5 / 2.5 = 2
The battery must supply 2 amps.
Power used by atomizer in Watts = volts x amps, or volts x volts / resistance
Example: a 5 volt mod delivers 2 amps to the 2.5 ohm atty - what power is used?
5 x 2 = 10
The atty uses 10 watts
or
5 x 5 / 2.5 = 10 watts