Eleaf iStick "pico"

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Jingles

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I ordered a purple sleeve for my pink pico last week from Sweet-Vapes. I received it a few days later and it really looks nice. Since they didn't have a pink sleeve, I wasn't sure which color to go with. The purple sleeve is a light, not deep, purple so it looks pretty good on a pink pico.
 

aznnp77

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So I've always wondered, and I figured I'd ask today.

I've seen that in the case of mods that have removable batteries that some people will charge them separately in an external wall charger. Because they claim that they charge faster sometimes, and that they "don't trust the internal charging of the mod."

So what about mods like the istick 20w, 30w, and 40w that don't have a removable battery? Should we not trust the internal charging of those? Is charging your battery inside a pico rather than in an external charger any more dangerous than doing a regular charge on an iStick 30w?

I know with all isticks, that the battery gets warm sometimes. Especially if you're using passthrough. But that seems normal like with anything that has a battery.

I figure those people that don't trust the internal charger of the Pico wouldn't trust the other isticks at all then wouldn't they?
 

TruSound

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Never met a silicone sleeve I liked, they stretch, hold lint, get stuck in your pocket and generally suck...they're so cheap it's no big deal when you toss it in the vape drawer never to be seen again.

The JWraps are a few more bucks and a much better option IMO, they'll outlast the silicone and allow you to personalize your mod having a ton of design styles. My 2 cents.
 

TheWestPole

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So I've always wondered, and I figured I'd ask today.

I've seen that in the case of mods that have removable batteries that some people will charge them separately in an external wall charger. Because they claim that they charge faster sometimes, and that they "don't trust the internal charging of the mod."

So what about mods like the istick 20w, 30w, and 40w that don't have a removable battery? Should we not trust the internal charging of those? Is charging your battery inside a pico rather than in an external charger any more dangerous than doing a regular charge on an iStick 30w?

I know with all isticks, that the battery gets warm sometimes. Especially if you're using passthrough. But that seems normal like with anything that has a battery.

I figure those people that don't trust the internal charger of the Pico wouldn't trust the other isticks at all then wouldn't they?

With single replaceable battery mods like Pico, or dual parallel mods like iStick 100, I have no serious reservations about charging internally. Whether outside or inside, it's just a matter of whether I want the mod back up and running right away.

As a general rule though, I don't charge series battery mods internally. But that's more about wanting to keep paired batteries from charging unequally, which series mods sometimes do.
 
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eiraku

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So I've always wondered, and I figured I'd ask today.

I've seen that in the case of mods that have removable batteries that some people will charge them separately in an external wall charger. Because they claim that they charge faster sometimes, and that they "don't trust the internal charging of the mod."

So what about mods like the istick 20w, 30w, and 40w that don't have a removable battery? Should we not trust the internal charging of those? Is charging your battery inside a pico rather than in an external charger any more dangerous than doing a regular charge on an iStick 30w?

I know with all isticks, that the battery gets warm sometimes. Especially if you're using passthrough. But that seems normal like with anything that has a battery.

I figure those people that don't trust the internal charger of the Pico wouldn't trust the other isticks at all then wouldn't they?

Similarly to TheWestPole, I have no issues charging with the internal port, though I personally prefer to use it more for emergencies.

However, one of the primary reasons for me choosing the Pico over other mods is the fact that the battery *is* removable. If it wasn't, I most probably would not have bought one.

TBH, charging externally *is* faster (internal probably does 250-300mA max, my ext chargers do 500mA-1A) and with use of "proper" external chargers, it *might* just be better for general battery longevity and health. Plus, prolonged, repeated exposure to heat *does* actually kill (or at least degrade) li-ion batteries. With external charging and adequate ventilation, you should have less of that problem for sure.

More importantly though, if you blow or otherwise break your external charger, you can simply get a new charger. If your microUSB port fails/breaks... well, it's pretty obvious that it's not going to be that easy, right?

And yeah, the port DOES fail/break. Just a week ago I've seen at least 2 posts up on Reddit about broken MicroUSB ports on mods. Not that you can't be careful with it... but you know, not much you can do if it breaks anyway.

As always, though, YMMV. The good thing with the Pico is at least you have a choice.
 
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GeorgeS

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    TBH, charging externally *is* faster (internal probably does 250-300mA max, my ext chargers do 500mA-1A) and with use of "proper" external chargers, it *might* just be better for general battery longevity and health.

    USB Volt/Amp meter shows the Pico charging at 0.85A. (hooked to a current limited computer USB port)

    If anything, the internal charger will be more conservative in the charge rate and final voltage. Sure some external chargers might charge up to 2A but higher charge rates have an effect on battery cycle life. I always charge my mods that have the USB charging feature via USB.

    Charge cords at home, car and desk at work. Why bother carrying extra batteries or the expense of an external charger.
     

    TheWestPole

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    I've had my Pico for one month now, using it every day, and have zero complaints. Yes, the wattage setting drifts down a few tenths a day, but that's nothing IMO. Pico has turned out to be all I'd hoped for when I first saw it. It's my favorite iStick, though my 100 TC squonker conversion isn't finished yet. That should rate at least a second best. :)
     
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    eiraku

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    USB Volt/Amp meter shows the Pico charging at 0.85A. (hooked to a current limited computer USB port)

    If anything, the internal charger will be more conservative in the charge rate and final voltage. Sure some external chargers might charge up to 2A but higher charge rates have an effect on battery cycle life. I always charge my mods that have the USB charging feature via USB.

    Charge cords at home, car and desk at work. Why bother carrying extra batteries or the expense of an external charger.

    Point taken and thanks for the internal charge reading (haven't had time to go test myself).

    But yeah, for me it's more about the longevity of the microUSB port itself really. And there's also the fact that I already have a few decent external chargers for home and travel use, so why not.

    Like I said, YMMV. It's not *wrong* to do either, it's just what works for you is best I guess. Plus, I'd plug the bugger up in a heartbeat if my spare was dead and a USB port (and cable) is all I had left.

    Coming from a mech I guess I'm just more used to popping the battery out and charging it outside.
     

    aznnp77

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    Slightly off topic. A friend of mine is looking for a small starter mod with vw/vv. Doesn't need a huge battery, and it will be very low wattage (5-6W). Vision spinner types are too tall for him.

    Did you guys like your istick 30w or 40w better?

    I like the 30w because it was lighter, and slightly smaller, but had the pulse width. The 40w has a nicer finish, but is heavier and a tad bit bigger, with a smoother signal. I really hated the 40w though, cuz that battery internal battery was shameful. Shouldn't be a problem for my friend though.

    If you guys can recommend any similar sized mods that can be charged via micro USB, I would consider it. I forget how big the Evic VTC Mini is. The display on it is nice, but I prefer not to start him off on something with an interface that you even have to learn.
     

    eiraku

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    Slightly off topic. A friend of mine is looking for a small starter mod with vw/vv. Doesn't need a huge battery, and it will be very low wattage (5-6W). Vision spinner types are too tall for him.

    Did you guys like your istick 30w or 40w better?

    I like the 30w because it was lighter, and slightly smaller, but had the pulse width. The 40w has a nicer finish, but is heavier and a tad bit bigger, with a smoother signal. I really hated the 40w though, cuz that battery internal battery was shameful. Shouldn't be a problem for my friend though.

    If you guys can recommend any similar sized mods that can be charged via micro USB, I would consider it. I forget how big the Evic VTC Mini is. The display on it is nice, but I prefer not to start him off on something with an interface that you even have to learn.

    The COV MiniVolt would be perfect... IF they weren't dying off left and right (which they are... unfortunately). Not sure what's happening, but ATM not sure if I can recommend it.

    Another one often suggested when you say "small" (and which isn't suffering from the same mass unexplained deaths) would be the Atery Nugget, which does 50w IINM and charges internally (of course... internal battery).
     
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    gerrymi

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    Slightly off topic. A friend of mine is looking for a small starter mod with vw/vv. Doesn't need a huge battery, and it will be very low wattage (5-6W). Vision spinner types are too tall for him.

    MINI Itty Bitty Mods

    Ranked by volume (mm³)...(with Depth x Width x Height in mm)

    Mini iStick-20W 21 x 23.5 x 52....25,662

    Athena-15W 15 x 22 x 84....27,720

    Artery Vapor Nugget 22 x 31 x 55.5....37.851

    Athena-20T 17.1 x 29.5 x 77.3....38,994

    LSS LSbox 22 x 37 x 52....42,328

    COV Mini Volt 22 x 35 x 56....43,120

    KSD Mini-40W 22 x 32 x 65....45,760

    Athena NANO-N4 23.5 x 23.5 x 86....47.494

    Vpark V-Box 22 x 41 x 55....49,610

    KSD Mini-25W 22 x 40 x 59.5....52,360

    iStick-30W 21 x 32.5 x 77....52,553

    KSD Sea Wasp 24 x 34 x 65....53,040

    Vapeberri 24 x 34 x 65....53,040

    KSD Vamo Box 23.8 x 41.5 x 56....55,311

    [Can search for prices/availability here:]

    Vapecrawler

    ..
     
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    vapingbeauty

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    eLeaf will probably lose some sales because they couldn't bear to add half a mm to the overall size. It's still looking like a brilliant form factor.

    And come on folks. If you just got one and are vaping it show a picture of your setup. Make us jealous.
    fd39176e8bc9c01d6d337eea30a70189.jpg


    Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
     

    Exchaner

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    It turns out the battery indicator on the Pico may not be accurate for every brand of battery. The empty light on mine has been flashing all day, but still, I have been vaping it for close to three hours without charging !! I am using the LG HG2.
     
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