Look out for each other...

[six]

I mostly don't pay a whole lot of attention to "vaper in the wild" threads and I seldom have anything to add to battery safety threads other than linking Baditude's posts once in a while...

Look out for each other. Seriously. A fellow vaper saw me in traffic and got excited enough to see someone else vaping to follow me to where I was going and introduce himself. I'm glad he did... not that I get too awfully excited about it (nice guy - I'm just old and don't get too excited) but because he really wanted to show me his set up. - 18650 Tube mod - rebuildable - .5 ohm net on two 1 ohm coils - got all set up by a vape shop about 120 miles from here a couple of weeks ago.

I literally took these away from him:



I didn't even know you could still get those... and I'm shocked someone is selling them for sub ohming (and yeah - I've already left a message to talk to the manager at that vape shop... If they don't know what they are doing, they need to know... If they do know what they are doing... they suck).

Long story short, I didn't have any of my best batts (besides the one I was using) with me to give away, but I did have a couple of pretty new 2000 mah AWs for my flashlight and I expressed my strong opinion his .5 ohm/~8.5 amp set up was the absolute limit I would push a 10 amp battery and I'd personally feel better knowing he would consider adding a wrap to each of his coils.

My point: Seriously. Look out for each other in the real world. It's a very small percentage of vapers using forums like this one. And apparently, there are some real winners out there selling vape gear they know nothing about.

 

[DetraMental]

I completely agree. I've been reading elsewhere where new users are being set up on these sub ohms with bad batteries that can't support it. I appreciate your post!

 

[FlamingoTutu]

Good for you! Nominate you to be the ECF Member of the Week. Really, that was very nice of you.

 

[PapaSloth]

Yeesh! "Ultra Fire" is surprisingly apt in this case.

 

[Rickajho]

There are batteries and there are badderies. You done good.

 

[Susan~S]

Great job six!

Unfortunately I see this almost every day in the New Member forum. A new member was sent home from a vape shop with a mech mod, a RDA and a build with no instructions on battery safety, ohms law, etc. No talk about the importance of measuring your build before firing it on a mod (and no ohm reader to measure it).

Or, a new (or semi-new) member asking:

1. What RDA/RTA should I buy to get big clouds?
2. How many wraps do I need to get a .3ohm coil?
3. Will I be safe if I make "x" wraps around a 5/64" drill bit?

Fortunately Baditude now has 17 blogs that cover all the of safety aspects (as well as resources for getting into mech mods & rebuildables). Without those, it would be very difficult to point members in the right direction to educate themselves.

 

[shatteredsoul76]

I had a simlar situation with a co-worker just yesterday, he wanted to start vaping and against my better judgement just had to have a mechanical mod. The vape shop sent him home with a crappy dual coil set-up with a touch of silica wick and I knew it was an issue as soon as he pulled the top off to show me. Luckily I had all of my building supplies with me to build a few Kanger coils for other co-workers and was able to re-build his coils with some rayon.

One of the coils was shorting out and he didnt have a clue, it literally popped up a flame. It is really sad and disturbing that all of the vape shops popping up just to make a quick buck without a clue as to proper use and safety as a concern. Im a 50 day vape newbie that is learning everyday but even i know better than that. By the way this was a popular shop in Nashville TN.

 

[Baditude]

I agree with all of the above posts. I'm thankful that there are other veteran vapers like Susan~S who help educate the novices who don't yet know what they are doing here on ECF.

I was at my local vape shop about a month ago when a new fellow sitting next to me at the juice bar proudly showed me his new mechanical mod. He had just received it that day. I took a look at it and asked him what ohm he was running on his RDA. He didn't know, he didn't own an ohm reader. I asked to borrow the shop's ohm reader and it measured 0.2 ohms.

I asked what batteries he was using. He said they were "Good ones. Samsung is a good brand." I asked to see them. Yup, it was a Samsung all right. Except it was the pink ICR Samsung battery with only something like 3 amps continuous discharge rating (2C rating).



I told him that battery was absolutely not acceptable to use in a mod, let alone trying to power sub-ohm coils. I helped him pick out a 30 amp Sony VTC5 battery in the shop. I also recommended he buy an ohm reader, but he didn't have enough money after buying his mod and RDA.

I didn't ask who built his coils or who chose that battery. I know it wasn't anyone in this vape shop because they know what they are doing.

 

[shatteredsoul76]

Wow Bad, it seems this is getting to be rampant and all too common. I think vaping is a great thing but I also think folks are too quick to simply associate a battery is simply a battery and will supply power and while that is somewhat true is not the correct delivery of current and is obviously very dangerous. I dont think anyone has ever had a flashlight blow up on them for using craptastic batteries and that comfort level needs to be thrown right out the window with mech mods.

Neither of my two local vape shops have any kind of signs stressing the importance of battery safety and ohm loads, it would be nice to see this in every vape shop!

 

[Baditude]

I agree that most lay people believe a battery is just a battery. Heck, I wouldn't know as much about batteries as I do now (and I don't know everything about them, I'm still learning), if I didn't have a battery blow up in my first mechanical mod two years ago. That experience scared me enough to do my own research and learn about batteries. I try to pass on what I've learned so that others can learn what I know so that they do not experience what I did.

I was using an ICR Trustfire battery. That was what was recommended to be used in mechanical mods two years ago. At that time, people wouldn't think of using an "unprotected" IMR battery in a mod.



After doing my research, I discovered that IMR batteries were safer chemistry and high drain, and were actually better suited for all types of mods than an ICR battery. Maybe I played a small part in the change, but now IMR batteries are recommended over ICR batteries for all types of mods. In fact, many believe that ICR batteries are obsolete for mod use today.

 

[shatteredsoul76]

I for one appreciate you taking the time to educate folks such as myself on proper battery use and safety, I was a lost newbie. I also find it ironic that the battery brand is trust fire!

 

[six]

That experience scared me enough to do my own research and learn about batteries. I try to pass on what I've learned so that others can learn what I know so that they do not experience what I did.

I want you to know it is appreciated. I can't handle the new members forum like you, Susan~S and a couple of others... I have trouble enough communicating with 'veterans' without upsetting someone or saying something controversial, let alone brand new vapers and forum members. I'm not suited at all for it.

I do happen to know an awful lot about batteries because of my profession. I've been working with communication equipment in remote locations and often extreme environments for a very long time. - Most people will never in a lifetime see a battery vent, flame out, or explode. I have witnessed such things more times than I can remember and I have replaced more circuit boards, radios, and water/weather-proof enclosures that I can count due to battery fires and explosions. Something close to 85% of the catastrophic failures I've seen were lightening related... almost all of the rest were either heat or sub-par/defective/cheap-junk batts. It's a lot easier than people think to push a battery too far.

Frankly, the only thing that surprises me is that we don't hear about severe failures more often than we do. Your efforts giving the advice you do are important.

 

[Nana Gail]

I hope you know that you probably saved this persons eyesight, fingers, facial features or even his life depending on the circumstances when his gear went ballistic. It's nice to know that gaurdian Angels come in all shapes, sizes and temprements. And that God looks out for Fools and Children by sending these Angels at just the right moment! God Bless and Keep it up.

 

[KiMB00P]

I have had great experience with people watching out. I have a battery that is not recommended for subohming and I just like to run my magma with a 1.4-1.6 ohm single coil. My first choice vape shop wanted to check out my mod and when he saw my battery, he said, "uhhh... this battery is not really... recommended." Haha, and I said, "oh! I'm not going subohm! Don't worry!"

Secondly, I was at another vape store I frequent buying a battery for a mod that I purchased for my brother. He asked me what battery I was currently using and his face was like, *noooooo* and he said, "This battery should not be used in this mod!" Haha, so I had to explain once again that I do not vape subohm coils and he said he was so relieved hahaha.

So there are some great shops out there that know their stuff. Which makes me super happy. But at the same time.. So many people are vaping subohm that they are assuming that I am too.

 

[baseballmom]

Glad you were there to help educate and inform this person about battery safety! Hope more people do the same as needed/when needed especially as more people find vaping

 

[M3CH M0D M4DN355]

I think the "protected" written on the ICR cells Trustfires, Ultrafires etc give people a false sense of security.
And frankly I think a lot people are just too lazy to do any research what so ever. This sort of thing will certainly not benefit the vaping community and will only increase the odds of regulation IMO.