I need help/advice with a few issues

[Gatelyne]

Hello all. I'm fairly new to the sub ohm world so bare with me.

First... the setup:

Evic mini
smok tfv4 mini clapton dual coil .37 ohms
Sony 16850 vtc5 2600 mah
Cuttwood unicorn milk. 6%

The first issue:

Battery life. I only get about 3 hours max before needing a recharge. Seems a bit low to me but that may be the norm...?

Second issue: I am ALWAYS adjusting wattage. I try to stay in the 43 to 48 range. Sometimes a get what I thought was a dry hit that didn't have much flavor so I would lower the wattage so I may avoid burning anything but that didn't help(this happens more when the battery was getting low). I decided to raise the watts and the flavor and vapor was back but every now and again I would get a more 'spicy' tasting vape so I would back off the wattage. It's kind of a continuous circle. Another thing is that I have to continuously adjust the wattage after refilling the tank.

Third issue:

The Sony 2600 mah batt (I think it's a sony. Could be a well made clone) out performs a purple efest 3000 mah that I have. The efest seems to have a touch more life on it per charge but the green sony just has more 'brute' force.

To me, my issues almost seem more like electric inconsistencies rather than a wicking problem with the coil but I could be wrong... wouldnt be my first time.

 

[djsvapour]

The Sony should beat the Efest.... since Efest never really sold genuine spec/ratings batteries.

What is your coil supposed to be? 0.37ohms is what your mod reads it at, yes?

Coil ratings are a little suspect, maybe it's just too strong. (?)

I go up and down watts all the time, sounds normal to me to 'monitor' your vape.

 

[Gatelyne]

My mod does read .37. The coil is supposed to be .3 I have not checked it with a multimeter.

 

[edyle]

Hello all. I'm fairly new to the sub ohm world so bare with me.

First... the setup:

Evic mini
Smok tfv4 mini clapton dual coil .37 ohms
Sony 16850 vtc5 2600 mah
Cuttwood unicorn milk. 6%

The first issue:

Battery life. I only get about 3 hours max before needing a recharge. Seems a bit low to me but that may be the norm...?

Second issue: I am ALWAYS adjusting wattage. I try to stay in the 43 to 48 range. Sometimes a get what I thought was a dry hit that didn't have much flavor so I would lower the wattage so I may avoid burning anything but that didn't help(this happens more when the battery was getting low). I decided to raise the watts and the flavor and vapor was back but every now and again I would get a more 'spicy' tasting vape so I would back off the wattage. It's kind of a continuous circle. Another thing is that I have to continuously adjust the wattage after refilling the tank.

Third issue:

The Sony 2600 mah batt (I think it's a sony. Could be a well made clone) out performs a purple efest 3000 mah that I have. The efest seems to have a touch more life on it per charge but the green sony just has more 'brute' force.

To me, my issues almost seem more like electric inconsistencies rather than a wicking problem with the coil but I could be wrong... wouldnt be my first time.

1: battery life.
A typical battery these days has about 2000mAh; that is 2Ah; 4 volts x 2Ah = 8 watthours of energy.
That amounts to
8 watts for 1 hour, or
16 watts for 30 minutes, or
32 watts for 15 minutes.

So if you vaping at 40 watts, expect about 10 minutes of actual vape time.

2: Always adjusting wattage:
yeah, it's nice to be able to do that heh!

3: Sony outperforms efest; well no surprise there.
3000mAh has more life per charge than 2600mAh; yep; more mAh means more energy.
the sony has more brute force; yep the sony has higher CDR (Continuous Discharge Rating).

 

[Baditude]

The first issue:

Battery life. I only get about 3 hours max before needing a recharge. Seems a bit low to me but that may be the norm...?

The Sony VTC5 is only a 20 amp battery despite many believing it is a 30 amp battery. Sony VTC5 20A 2600mAh Bench Test Results...a good 20A cell

Therefore, you're pushing that battery pretty hard with a 3.7 ohm load. There are better batteries for the way you vape, probably a real 30 amp continuous battery.

Battery Basics for Mods: The Definative Battery Guide for Vaping
18650 Battery Safety Grades -- Picking a Safe Cell to Vape With​

Second issue: I am ALWAYS adjusting wattage. I try to stay in the 43 to 48 range. Sometimes a get what I thought was a dry hit that didn't have much flavor so I would lower the wattage so I may avoid burning anything but that didn't help(this happens more when the battery was getting low). I decided to raise the watts and the flavor and vapor was back but every now and again I would get a more 'spicy' tasting vape so I would back off the wattage. It's kind of a continuous circle. Another thing is that I have to continuously adjust the wattage after refilling the tank.

Hard to figure this one out for you.

Third issue:

The Sony 2600 mah batt (I think it's a sony. Could be a well made clone) out performs a purple efest 3000 mah that I have. The efest seems to have a touch more life on it per charge but the green sony just has more 'brute' force.

Unless you bought your batteries from a reputable source like ...

RTD Vapor
Illumn
IMR Batteries
Orbtronics​

... you may well have counterfeit Sony's. Efest batteries are merely re-wrapped batteries from who knows who, with over-rated specifications. Again, you can do better.

Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised​

 

[suprtrkr]

+1. It could be you have a bad coil, or maybe the wick is getting gunked up. How old is it? Try changing the coil and see if that fixes it. If so, old coils can be given an extended life by soaking them overnight in pure grain alcohol or high proof vodka, then rinsing well in hot water, then allowing them to dry completely, either air dry on a paper towel overnight, or they can be force dried with a hair dryer. Three hours does seem a bit light on that battery, but not impossible if you're hitting it hard. So long as you don't go over 60 watts, you can buy some LG HG2s or Samsung 30Qs. Those have 3000 mAh and should extend battery life a bit, about 15%. I'd stay away from those efests, especially in a one battery mod that will go to 75 watts. In fact, I wouldn't go over 60 watts even on your VTC5s, as these are also 20A batteries. If you find you want to vape higher than that, you need better batteries: the Sony VTC4s or the LG HB6s. Be advised battery life will suffer with either. Probably the right thing for you to do is just buy some more batteries and carry spares. CAUTION: spare batteries should not be carried loose in the pocket where they can short on coins or keys. Use a battery sock or battery condom, like this:

 

[Gatelyne]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I guess the constant wattage adjustment is just the 'nature of the beast.' I can handle that.

Another thing I think may contribute to the cold vape with harshness and less flavor is because it's cold here. I'm refilling from a cold bottle and the tank gets cold if I don't vape for awhile. I can raise the wattage and the flavor and smoothness comes back but I have to back it back off once the tank is at a good operating temperature.

To answer the age of the coil question: it's 2 days old.

Both batteries came from a local vendor so it's a guess at the authenticity. What is a good trusted source for batteries?

One last thing since we are talking about sources... how about good places to get dyi materials for coil builds?

 

[Baditude]

What is a good trusted source for batteries?

One last thing since we are talking about sources... how about good places to get dyi materials for coil builds?

I already posted good sources for batteries above. You can buy DIY materials (wire, wick, jigs, meters) from RTD Vapor.

 

[djsvapour]

My mod does read .37. The coil is supposed to be .3 I have not checked it with a multimeter.

Just checking; a 0.07 discrepancy is quite good... so no problem there.

 

[Gatelyne]

I already posted good sources for batteries above. You can buy DIY materials (wire, wick, jigs, meters) from RTD Vapor.

I see it now. Thanks! I hate browsing forums on a phone.

 

[Vesuvius]

As far as battery life, I go through 2 Sony VTC4's a day on a single battery mech mod running .28ohm dual kanthal from 6am till 10pm. Now I am not walking around with my mod glued to my mouth but, I say I go through 7-10ml of juice a day. I also have a decent charger for them, Nitecore Intellicharger I2.

 

[Gatelyne]

As far as battery life, I go through 2 Sony VTC4's a day on a single battery mech mod running .28ohm dual kanthal from 6am till 10pm. Now I am not walking around with my mod glued to my mouth but, I say I go through 7-10ml of juice a day. I also have a decent charger for them, Nitecore Intellicharger I2.

A charger is a near future purchase for me. I'm a chain vapor. The evic doesn't go far from my face. It will go to my shirt pocket only when I need both hands to do something.

 

[Vesuvius]

A charger is a near future purchase for me. I'm a chain vapor. The evic doesn't go far from my face. It will go to my shirt pocket only when I need both hands to do something.

I will just +1 everything @suprtrkr said.

I would pick up some LG HG2's they are 3000 MAH and would give you a little more vape time. I would get some but my Sony's are doing the job for me.

 

[BrotherBob]

Welcome and glad you joined.
Might like to read:
What is Sub Ohm Vaping? Our Sub Ohm Vaping Guide & Tips
ECF Sub-Ohm Advisory

 

[Gatelyne]

How about vaping while charging? How you guys feel?

I understand the dangers in certain applications. I was an underground coal mine electrician. Charging batteries were a frequent act. I understand the chemical reaction while charging creates heat and putting a load on the battery can produce even more heat but that's a totally different chemical make up on a massive scale.

I have been charging while vaping taking the cover off and feeling the battery. I would guess that the battery gets 10* f warmer than body temperature. I don't think there's anything to worry about but then again like I said these batteries are a different makeup than what I'm used to... and it's close to my face so what do you all think?

 

[Gatelyne]

And I apologize for all of these questions but I'm trying to gather all the info I can from experienced users to prevent from losing my teeth, nose, and whatever may get blown off.

 

[suprtrkr]

It's an avoidable risk. Therefore I avoid it. I charge in a stand alone charger.

 

[Robino1]

And I apologize for all of these questions but I'm trying to gather all the info I can from experienced users to prevent from losing my teeth, nose, and whatever may get blown off.

I'm glad that you are coming here for answers instead of waiting till something bad happens!

Welcome to ECF!​

 

[daviedog]

I have an aversion to pass thru vaping. Buy 2 good batts, a stand alone charger & one less issue to fuss over..

 

[Baditude]

I have been charging while vaping taking the cover off and feeling the battery. I would guess that the battery gets 10* f warmer than body temperature. I don't think there's anything to worry about but then again like I said these batteries are a different makeup than what I'm used to... and it's close to my face so what do you all think?

And I apologize for all of these questions but I'm trying to gather all the info I can from experienced users to prevent from losing my teeth, nose, and whatever may get blown off.

Heat is the enemy to a battery's health. You shouldn't store batteries in a hot, unventilated car (glove compartment or trunk included). You shouldn't push a battery to its upper amp limits because that causes the battery to generate heat. Heat causes internal damage to the battery, affecting its performance/longivity/safety. Our resident battery expert @Mooch bases his battery safety tests on how much heat a battery creates/tolerates during use.

IMHO, a battery should not feel warmer than normal room temperture. If it does, then you're pushing the battery over its limits.