Introducing myself to Mech Mods

[hazefordays]

Hi guys, I just became a member of ECF but have been reading threads from this site for a month or so.

Basically, im a noob. A massive one when it comes to mech mods. There's no easy way to say it, but I have posted this hoping that a few of you could help me out and enlighten me somewhat.

Ive purchased the Beyond Vape Beacon mech mod, two imr 18350 batteries 3.7v and one torchy 4.2v 18650, along with some organic cotton and 28 gauge A1 Kanthal.
I need to purchase an atomiser and have been looking at the Ghost V2 rda and I only plan on single coiling for the time being

Is there anything wrong with this kind of equip? Will i vape successfully or are there any problems with the items listed above? If so I would really like some advice!

Thanks,

Jude

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Depends on the resistance range you intend to use and the batteries continuous discharge rate (CDR).
Torchy re wraps several different batteries.
What name brand mah & cdr are the batteries?

 

[nyiddle]

Hi guys, I just became a member of ECF but have been reading threads from this site for a month or so.

Basically, im a noob. A massive one when it comes to mech mods. There's no easy way to say it, but I have posted this hoping that a few of you could help me out and enlighten me somewhat.

Ive purchased the Beyond Vape Beacon mech mod, two imr 18630 batteries 3.7v and one torchy 4.2v 18650, along with some organic cotton and 28 gauge A1 Kanthal.
I need to purchase an atomiser and have been looking at the Ghost V2 RDA and I only plan on single coiling for the time being

Is there anything wrong with this kind of equip? Will i vape successfully or are there any problems with the items listed above? If so I would really like some advice!

Thanks,

Jude

It doesn't sound like any of those batteries are suitable for vaping. Do NOT put them in your mech mod. If you can provide more details (because Torchy is a battery vendor, not a battery manufacturer) then we might be able to tell you whether/not those batteries are suitable. Additionally, "18630" battery? I've never even heard of that, and just gonna gander a guess that it's no good to stick in your mod.

Mech mods are not for inexperienced users. And I'm not saying "inexperienced to mech mods" (because obviously, how would anyone start). I mean inexperienced to vaping in general. You should have at least some understanding of resistances, amp ratings, and battery safety before you even touch a mech mod.

Additionally, the Ghost V2 RDA (from what I can tell) has no "single coil" mode, that is, the airflow will always be open on both sides. Sticking a single coil in there will be a rather airy/sort of unsatisfying hit.

 

[hazefordays]

Thank you for the reply, I have a picture here.

 

[Baditude]

I'm not familiar with the mechanical mod you've chosen. I won't comment other than to say it looks like a bottom-fire button. Be extremely careful of a bottom-firing mod in that you don't set it on end or place it in a pocket during transport because it could unknowingly autofire and vent your batteries.

There's much more to using a mechanical mod safely than just putting any battery in and any topper on top. You need to have some knowledge of the proper batteries and some Ohm's Law.

Mechanical Mod Safe Useage Guide

The most important piece of gear is the batteries used in mods. Don't skimp when purchasing batteries. Use only high quality batteries of the proper chemistry and specifications for your setup. From your pic, it looks like you have one 18650 battery and two 18350 batteries.

IMR or Li-Mn batteries are what you want. Recognizeable name brand batteries are preferred, preferably by AW, LG, Orbtronics, Panasonic, Samsung, or Sony. Depending upon the resistance of your coils (ohms) in the topper, the amp limit (the "maximum continuous discharge rate") of the battery is extremely important. Never use a battery if you don't know the specific amp limit or the chemistry of the battery.

Battery Basics for Mods <--- recommended IMR batteries and their specifications

Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries

Explain It To The Noob: Ohm's Law Calculations

18650 IMR batteries will have either 10 amps, 20 amps, or 30 amps continuous discharge rate. Any use of sub ohm coils (less than 1.0 ohm) will require at least 20 amps, preferably 30 amps. This becomes more complicated when you realize that some manufacturers over-rate their batteries. 18350 IMR batteries will have far few amps, so their use with sub-ohm coils is extremely limited. Do not stack batteries end to end in a mechanical mod.

Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised

Never be afraid to ask a question here. There are no stupid questions where people's safety is concerned.

 

[nyiddle]

K, those smaller batteries are 18350's. I don't recommend using any 18350 with an RDA unless you plan on sticking to 1.8 ohm builds or up. Also, the fact that you have them stacked next to the mod leads me to believe that you may be planning on stacking your batteries inside your mod. DO NOT DO THIS. THIS IS A VERY VERY BAD IDEA.

That 18650 is sketchily unmarked, and as far as I can tell, Torchy doesn't make their own batteries. If I had to guess I'd say it's a 10A battery, which could work for your situation assuming you're staying above a certain resistance.

What resistance do you plan on building to?

 

[hazefordays]

Yes, you're right and there is no such thing as 18630 batteries, I had a typo there, I meant to write 18350, sorry about that.

The only experience I have with vaping is with e cigs, tanks and pens, so not a lot. Jumping into mech mods like this (without experience) isn't ideal.

Do you mind me asking how you, or the best way to get into mech mods?Thank you for the reply by the way.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

I wouldn't use any of those batteries in a mechanical.
Do not stack the 2 18350's.

 

[nyiddle]

Yes, you're right and there is no such thing as 18630 batteries, I had a typo there, I meant to write 18350, sorry about that.

The only experience I have with vaping is with e cigs, tanks and pens, so not a lot. Jumping into mech mods like this (without experience) isn't ideal.

Do you mind me asking how you, or the best way to get into mech mods?Thank you for the reply by the way.

READ.

Haha that's really the only advice I can give you. @Baditude is our resident battery expert (and genuinely nice individual), his blogs have a LOT of information for the beginner trying to get into mech mods/rebuilding.

If I had to lay out the most important topics in terms of battery safety it's kind of like this:

1. Understanding resistances, and subsequently being able to calculate how many amps you'll be pushing (Steam-Engine).
2. Knowing when "something [visibly] isn't right" (ie: knowing when your wire is touching a post, or when your mod is behaving strangely), ideally BEFORE you go to fire your mod..
3. Treating your batteries right, charging them when they get low (you don't want to drain your batteries to 0%), ditching them when you near 300 charge cycles, keeping them out of contact of metal objects (you'd be surprised how many people discharge their batteries in their purse/bag because the loose batteries come in contact with metal).

There's a lot more to it, honestly too much for me to outline in a single post.

Until you have a much deeper understanding of what you're getting into/the overall process that happens when you use a mech mod I'd definitely lay off throwing a battery in there and tryna let 'er rip. I realize I might seem a little harsh, but I genuinely don't want to see anyone hurt themselves because they skipped some steps.

Just about all the serious situations of battery discharge have occurred because of user error/the user simply not knowing any better. It spooks me, because for every smart individual who comes here and asks, "What do I do?" there are 20+ people who are just sticking batteries in their mods using a build they were given by a vape shop and assuming they know all they need to know.

 

[hazefordays]

.

 

[hazefordays]

I'm not familiar with the mechanical mod you've chosen. I won't comment other than to say it looks like a bottom-fire button. Be extremely careful of a bottom-firing mod in that you don't set it on end or place it in a pocket during transport because it could unknowingly autofire and vent your batteries.

The most important piece of gear is the batteries used in mods. Don't skimp when purchasing batteries. Use only high quality batteries of the proper chemistry and specifications for your setup. From your pic, it looks like you have one 18650 battery and two 18350 batteries.

There's much more to using a mechanical mod safely than just putting any battery in and any topper on top. You need to have some knowledge of the proper batteries and some Ohm's Law.

IMR or Li-Mn batteries are what you want. Recognizeable name brand batteries are preferred, preferably by AW, LG, Orbtronics, Panasonic, Samsung, or Sony. Depending upon the resistance of your coils (ohms) in the topper, the amp limit (the "maximum continuous discharge rate") of the battery is extremely important. Never use a battery if you don't know the specific amp limit or the chemistry of the battery.

Battery Basics for Mods <--- recommended IMR batteries and their specifications

Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries

Explain It To The Noob: Ohm's Law Calculations

18650 IMR batteries will have either 10 amps, 20 amps, or 30 amps continuous discharge rate. Any use of sub ohm coils (less than 1.0 ohm) will require at least 20 amps, preferably 30 amps. This becomes more complicated when you realize that some manufacturers over-rate their batteries.

Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised

Never be afraid to ask a question here. There are no stupid questions where people's safety is concerned.

Hey thank you, the mod I have purchased actually has a lock on the bottom fire button, and I have looked at those links before, they were really helpful but I am still blotchy in terms of ohms law/ resistance I would say.

Are there any tops that you would suggest? And are these Efest purple batteries okay for this kind of mod?

 

[nyiddle]

Thanks for the reply.

Just to be clear, I do not plan on sub ohming whatsoever. I turned to this site to increase my knowledge of vaping and terminology.

And in terms of the resistance i plan on building to, don't judge, I have no idea. I need a lot of help with this. Also, I am not going to even attempt to try to vape until I have broadened my understanding of all this.

What do you suggest?

I suggest building simple to start off with. Get some 26-30 gauge wire and try making yourself a nice solid 1-ohm microcoil. If you plan on using dual coils, keep in mind that the resistance gets halved, so if you want a 1 ohm dual coil, you will be making 2x 2 ohm coils.

I'm somewhat relieved that you're not going to be sub-ohming, and while it does mean your 18650 may be suitable, I'd suggest going the safer route and buying a fresh 20A battery from a reputable vendor such as Illumn or RTDVapor. Good batteries are the Samsung 25R, the LG HE2, LG HE4, and Sony VTC4. Batteries from companies like MXJO and Efest are likely to be rewraps of other cells such as the HE2. Skip the questionable and just buy a nice battery from a certified vendor.

There are loads of microcoil tutorials online, and it's not a particularly difficult process, it definitely takes some practice to perfect.

 

[hazefordays]

I wouldn't use any of those batteries in a mechanical.
Do not stack the 2 18350's.

If you don't mind me asking, what is stacking exactly?

 

[nyiddle]

If you don't mind me asking, what is stacking exactly?

Literally putting the batteries on top of one another and loading them into your mod, such that the positive end of one battery is touching the negative end of the other.

Don't do this. People did it a WHILE ago (2 or 3 years ago) and while not everyone blew themselves up, there were a lot of discharged batteries and close calls.

 

[Susan~S]

To all the above I would also add:

1. Get an ohm reader or DMM. All builds MUST be measured before you put them in a mod and fire them.

2. Get the best charger that you can reasonably afford. Statistically most battery incidents occur while charging. Pila, Xtar, and Nitecore Intellicharger are the most recommended brands.

3. Never charge batteries when you are not around (or are sleeping). Remove them from the charger when they are fully charged.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Buy various gauge wire, wicking material, multimeter / ohm reader, at least 2 good quality batteries & charger.
Learn ohms law & battery safety practices, learn to wrap coils & wick them, use one of the online calculators to get estimates on coil builds, start off with simple single coils until you gain experience.

Or buy a regulated apv with built in protection circuitry ohm reader, variable power output and vape happily & safely.

 

[hazefordays]

I suggest building simple to start off with. Get some 26-30 gauge wire and try making yourself a nice solid 1-ohm microcoil. If you plan on using dual coils, keep in mind that the resistance gets halved, so if you want a 1 ohm dual coil, you will be making 2x 2 ohm coils.

I'm somewhat relieved that you're not going to be sub-ohming, and while it does mean your 18650 may be suitable, I'd suggest going the safer route and buying a fresh 20A battery from a reputable vendor such as Illumn or RTDVapor. Good batteries are the Samsung 25R, the LG HE2, LG HE4, and Sony VTC4. Batteries from companies like MXJO and Efest are likely to be rewraps of other cells such as the HE2. Skip the questionable and just buy a nice battery from a certified vendor.

There are loads of microcoil tutorials online, and it's not a particularly difficult process, it definitely takes some practice to perfect.

I was thinking about single coiling 28 gauge wire, but am aiming for around 1-1.5 ohms. Can I achieve this by doing 13 full wraps with my 28 gauge? And do you know if the Sony VCT4 is safe and won't overheat this gauge in anyway?

 

[hazefordays]

To all the above I would also add:

1. Get an ohm reader or DMM. All builds MUST be measured before you put them in a mod and fire them.

2. Get the best charger that you can reasonably afford. Statistically most battery incidents occur while charging. Pila, Xtar, and Nitecore Intellicharger are the most recommended brands.

3. Never charge batteries when you are not around (or are sleeping). Remove them from the charger when they are fully charged.

Hey thanks for responding, I have bought the Nitecore i2 and also a multimeter which I forgot to mention.

If you don't mind me asking, how exactly do i measure my builds? And what are safe readings?

 

[nyiddle]

I was thinking about single coiling 28 gauge wire, but am aiming for around 1-1.5 ohms. Can I achieve this by doing 13 full wraps with my 28 gauge? And do you know if the Sony VCT4 is safe and won't overheat this gauge in anyway?

Hmm.. I think there's some confusion.

What's happening when you hit the fire button with a build in there is you're essentially shorting the battery over the wire (your build). The wire heats up, which then (assuming it's wicked) heats up your e-liquid and gives you delicious, nicotine-rich steam.

What determines how quickly the wire heats up is the resistance. Obviously, less resistance = electricity passes through it easier = battery is able to dump higher wattages (amperage) through your wire.

Additionally, you might be better of with some 30 gauge, as a 14-wrap build is somewhat hard to properly line up in front of the airflow, assuming you have a wide enough airflow to even accommodate a long surface-area build like that. Additionally, given that you're hitting it on a mech mod, it may take a while for it to actually generate vapor.

30 gauge 7-wrap 1.8 ohm dual coil sounds like a nice vape to me.

 

[hazefordays]

Literally putting the batteries on top of one another and loading them into your mod, such that the positive end of one battery is touching the negative end of the other.

Don't do this. People did it a WHILE ago (2 or 3 years ago) and while not everyone blew themselves up, there were a lot of discharged batteries and close calls.

Holy cr*p, well man, I don't even want to experiment. That sounds way too risky. Thanks for clearing it up.