first mechanical mod help (kind of an emergency)

[birdseyepine]

Emergency
SO I'm currently vaping on a SMOK with a twist or variable wattage (does that make sense?) with a SMOK tank. I'm down to just this one right now!

I LOVE vaping! off cigs (pack a day) for a week (vaping for about a month) I can tell my equipment has everything to do with my success. I'm vaping 24% (?) But I need to upgrade and I need your help.

The current vape pen I am using just started to die in less than 12 hours! YIKES!

I like to chain vape

I keep my SMOK battery at the highest v 4.8

I want a mod with a battery life, good throat hit, and at least 4.8v

This is what I'm thinking about starting my first mechanical mod with:

SMOKTECH Magneto
Kanger Aerotank
Kanger airflow valve (do I need this?)

Questions:
Please give any feedback on my choices?
Please send me in other directions with links
What batteries do I need to achieve my goal?
Do I need a kick? Is the kick for safety?
What other accessories are needed when starting the mechanical mod?

I would like to keep it simple, I don't want to get into changing wicks, swapping wires etc.. I'm just not to that level of knowledge yet. I'm watching GRIMGREEN videos and reading blogs, but this is so much info to sort through!

Thank you so much for your help!

-Birdseyepine

 

[djsvapour]

The Magneto is a mechanical mod? (Yes..you know)

You're either going to need to make your own coils (probably) or use a kick to match the kind of power you've been vaping at.

IF you buy the Magneto (good mod...) you'll need to work out what you are used to.. you know you are using your Spinner at 4.8v...do you know the resistance of your smok clearomizer/atomizers? Unless you can tell us that, it's hard to help 100%.

I have 2 x kick modules. I use them in a mechanical mod to set the watts... (some of the time)

 

[Lessifer]

A mechanical mod without a kick will start at ~4.2v and then fairly quickly run down to 4.0-3.9 and then you'll have a slower steady drop down until you change out the battery. How fast the drop is will be determined by what topper you're using, and how much you use it.

If you want a steady 4.8v, why not get an APV with variable voltage that's capable of holding a steady 4.8v? Something like a vamo, svd, provari, mvp, etc.

 

[inksane]

I have a vamo v5 and 2 MVP2 and I like the MVP way better than the vamo. The battery lasts for a few days which is awesome.

 

[icemanistheking]

From everything I've seen, the Magneto has gotten good reviews, as has the Aerotank. And I believe the Aerotank already has an airflow valve included

A Kick is primarily to boost power, and turns your mech into a makeshift variable wattage device. To get 4.8v out of your mech, you will need a Kick, as the batteries you will be using are rated at 3.7v, and are safe to charge to a max 4.2v. SmokTech sells a cheap Kick clone, but I would recommend the legit Evolv Kick 2. As far as safety features, the Evolv warns you of a low battery by "stutter vaping", and I think the SmokTech one just stops working. I'm not sure if the Kicks have reverse polarity or short circuit protection.

You will need IMR batteries in 18350, 18490/18500, or 18650 size - the Magneto specs page should recommend what you need specifically however, if there are any limitations. If you don't already have batteries on hand, it might be a good idea to get both some button tops and flat tops, as some mods are finicky on which ones they fire with. As for brand, stick with Efest, AW, Panasonic, Sony, MNKE, etc. Just make sure whatever you buy says "IMR"! You don't want ICRs (tend to explode if they fail), TrustFires, UltraFires, or anything that says "protected circuit". You also need a good Li-ion battery charger with safety features, like the Efest LUC V4 Charger. DO NOT SKIMP ON THE CHARGER. Overcharging these batteries is a good way to have a bad accident, and the higher quality chargers automatically stop charging when the batteries are fully charged.

I would also recommend a multimeter to check battery voltage and resistance. You don't have to worry as much about resistance with using standard clearomizers, but it is still good to have on hand. Your Efest charger will give you a voltage reading when you first put the battery on, but I've found it to not be very accurate on the low end - for example, a battery I had at 3.4 volts read 3.7 volts on the charge. Make sure you know how to use the multimeter properly before starting to probe stuff.

Really though, as I typed this up, I think you need to do some more research. It took months of reading and getting comfortable with this stuff before I bought my first mech, though I know lots of people pick them up quicker. It just sounds like you are trying to rush into it because you have the funds to buy one mod or something, and you want to go ahead and make it a mech. If you do decide to go through with the purchase, just be aware that while the above will get you started, it is by no means comprehensive, and you need to understand what you are working with. At the very least, continue your research after making the purchase.

 

[Completely Average]

I'm going to answer your questions out of order, but in order of relevance.

First, if you are just starting with mechs and are going to use a retail topper like an Aerotank then I would HIGHLY recommend also getting a Kick module. You don't have to have one, but it will give you MUCH better performance than running without one. A Kick module performs two functions, the first is to regulate wattage output and second is to provide a layer of safety. Since you are just using retail toppers for now I would recommend the original Kick module by Evolv or the Smoktech Kick clone which actually goes a little higher in wattage than the Evolv Kick.

Next is the mod itself. The Magneto is a good mod to start with, but it does have one significant drawback. If you're using a Kick then you'll be limited to 18500 battery sizes which means the batteries won't last as long on a charge. You'll probably get a single day of use out of a single battery, but if you're chain vaping or taking really long draws a lot then a battery might not even last a full day.

There are very few mech mods that can take an 18650 battery with a Kick module at the same time. The Nemesis and the 69 mod are two that I own that will take an 18650 and Kick at the same time.


Which brings us to the batteries. First, make sure that you get IMR or Hybrid High Drain batteries. If they aren't IMR or Hybrid, or if they aren't High Drain, do not buy them. Since you're using a Kick that will limit your amp draw which means you don't really need to worry about high amp batteries. That being the case you should look for the highest mAh rating you can find.

That said, this comes back to the mod you pick. If you take the Magneto then you'll be limited to 18500 sized batteries with a Kick. That's going to limit you to 1100 mAh batteries. If you decide to get a mech that can take 18650 batteries with a Kick then you can go as high as 2900 mAh batteries that will last more than twice as long on a charge.



Now, I personally use a Nemesis with a Kick and 18650 batteries, and often have a Kanger Aerotank on top when I'm not using my Kayfun. This setup works extremely well and is absolutely reliable. There is minimal fuss and I rarely have to do anything more than fill the tank and replace the battery to keep it working. Once in a while I'll take it apart and clean it, just to keep it working at it's best.

My wife uses a 69 mod with 18650 batteries and a Kick with an iClear 30S tank exclusively. She doesn't use anything else anymore.

Both of these setups work great and provide an easy pathway from the typical VV/VW mod with retail toppers to unregulated mechs with RBA/RDAs.

 

[djsvapour]

IThe Magneto is a good mod to start with, but it does have one significant drawback. If you're using a Kick then you'll be limited to 18500 battery sizes which means the batteries won't last as long on a charge. You'll probably get a single day of use out of a single battery, but if you're chain vaping or taking really long draws a lot then a battery might not even last a full day.

There are very few mech mods that can take an 18650 battery with a Kick module at the same time. The Nemesis and the 69 mod are two that I own that will take an 18650 and Kick at the same time.

Ouch, yes I'd forgotten about that. Same problem with the 8w. (edit.. that's not telescopic though...whoops)

 

[69CamaroSS]

Check this out for a simple and cheap solution to long lasting power cheap

 

[birdseyepine]

This was all very helpful. Thank you all!