Looking for something that won't explode easily...

[Corley]

If you haven't seen my post in the eGo forum, we had one explode this weekend. I am totally freaked out by that experience, and analogs have been my comfort, but I don't want to smoke and I am afraid to vape...

That being said, the hubby is pleading with me to check into a LT, so here I am.

I've seen the posts of the cord snapping, but has there been one about any explosion and/or what may have caused it?

Also, if I get a LT, what all do I need to go with it. I have quite a few things with a specific eGo thread on them, but I understand LT has 510. Is there an adapter for this (I'm sure there is, but don't know how/where to find one)?

Are the rebranded versions the same thing (same manufacturer) or are they different?

What other safety precautions should I know before getting a LT?

How long is battery life for someone who vapes a lot?

I know many of you have seen and answered all of these questions and more before. I can assume that if you monitor this forum, you love your LT...but please tell me the pros and the cons.

I thought I was informed on the eGo, and I still think I was for the most part - and we still had an explosion. I want to have a success story, but right now, I'm pretty much frightened of all of it.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

Let me second that it sucks to have a batt go up like that. Sadly, this can happen with any battery powered device using Li-ion batteries.
Not all ego's are made the same as well. They all say ego, but there are many variances in quality and manufacturing. I have had some of my ego's for over a year with no problems but had one that lasted just less than 3 months. Some eGo devices will handle LR attys and carto's and some will not. ALWAYS use a surge protector for your wall warts though. I always let my batteries sit for at least an hour comming off the charger as well and I only use the the charger that came with those specific batteries. My labeler has been a godsend on this one!

The LT has many names and minor batch variations. There are huge warranty differences. I would highly recommend purchasing through Volcano or TotallyWicked if you want a great warranty and customer service. Volcano does have the better batteries, but Totally Wicked does have the best price. I have personally ordered through Totally Wicked and it works wonderfully.

There are many safety features on the LT that are not found on an ego, such as overdraw protection (keeps from drawing too much power through the switch or battery), activator cutoff - keeps it from continually firing more than 10 seconds at a time, to reduce the chance of overheating both the batteries, switch or circuitry. It also helps lower the chance of killing an atty or carto. It has a full power off mode, so pressing the button will do nothing if you have it in your pocket (or purse) and the button gets pressed.

It supposedly has short protection, meaning that if an atty pops and causes a short, the LT will not fire, but I have heard of no one testing this or a report of anyone accidentally causing it and confirming that it works, but that could mean that it does.

I understand the concern, I am over cautious with my devices and batteries. If you are handy you can build a charge station. Go to home depot and get a main lug box or similar:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs..._mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D27X-_-100138862

Take the front panel off and remove the inside components. There are only a few screws holding that stuff in. Get a decent power strip that fits in the box. I use a 4 plug one in mine. Run the cord of the power strip through the hole in the box (you may need to knock out a plug covering the hole first).

Done. You now have a safe place to charge up nearly any batteries safely.

 

[DaveP]

Using chargers that come with the kit for an ecig is a good idea. I have two chargers that are 420ma rated, identical in specs. One came in a Riva kit and the other is an aftermarket eGo charger. I left my original Joyetech eGo charger in a hotel room. Last night I was charging a 1000mah eGo batt using the Riva charger. A little over 3 hours of charging after it blinked, the red light was still on. I got a little concerned, even though the battery case was nice and cool. I unplugged it and started the charge cycle over. 20 minutes later it was still charging. I changed to the other charger and within 5 minutes it was done.

That may be coincidence, but the number of overcharge meltdowns lately has me paying more attention to the charging process. You can't read the voltage on an eGo because it's PWM regulated and will always read around 3.4v Mine read 3.47v when the green light came on.

The charger can interact with the battery circuitry and determine actual voltage. It should cut off at 4.2v. We can't put it in real voltage mode without some device that can talk to the PWM circuitry and turn it off. That's a shame. There should be a click sequence that lets you switch from PWM to standard more for monitoring (or vaping). I'd like to be able to read my eGo batt and determine true voltage of the cell using a VOM.

The eGo-T variable voltage batteries are starting to look good to me. With those, you can do 3.2v, 3.7v, and 4.2v. That would let me switch modes and read the true battery level with a meter.

 

[Corley]

There are a lot of details of our explosion on the other thread, but many believe it was the battery, not the charger. This was all Joyetech brand. We also have the VV eGo, but it't not Joyetech.

I have looked at the Totally Wikid LT, and like the price and extras with the kit...

I have the eGo clearomizers from esmokeytreats that I really like to use, and need eGo threading for them, as well as the Stardust. I like cartos without filler. We have some 510 micromizers (with LED) that don't have filler, but they seem prone to spit juice up through a drip tip. We have Kangers and Resurrectors, but really don't like polyfill...So, is there anything else like these that don't need an adaptor from 510 to eGo that work really well?

Thanks again!!!

 

[rem700]

Corley
The 510 and the eGo threading is the same thing, About the only thing you are useing that would not work on a LT would be the Stardust because of the skirting. I have never tried the it but if you really wanted to use the Stardust a 510 extension may work.

 

[Corley]

The eGo clearomizer I use from esmokeytreats has the same skirting. If I could find something with just a 510 that was like these, I could do without them, but I really like the ease of use, big vapor, and no filler.

I don't know enough about all of the different brands to know which others have those specifications. Any suggestions?

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

As long as you are not using the skinting to thread the adapter you can use a 510 shorty extension. I would recommend this one:
510 Battery Extension
Or if you want the carto flush with the LT:
V2 510 Shorty Extension Sealed

The first one uses sthe same connectors you would find on an atty and battery, just with a atty tube so they are short. They work well and fit tight on my devices. The second one is a sealed adapter and has a nice thick insulator (compared to others I have used) and will bring the skirt to the level of the LT. You might want to get both because occasionally a carto skirt may be too long and keep the carto from connecting completely with the shorty (although I only have ever had 1 that was like this).

 

[carlton]

I understand the concern, I am over cautious with my devices and batteries. If you are handy you can build a charge station. Go to home depot and get a main lug box or similar:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs..._mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D27X-_-100138862

Most of my rc friends use an ammo box. Which looks much cooler.

I use a LiPo bag sitting on a tile floor, plugged into a gfi. I figure I'm fairly protected without going completely overboard.

Also note that the AW IMR's that are recommended for the LT are safe-chemistry. Now that doesn't mean the battery won't fail and out-gas, it means that if it does, it won't spout flame or explode.

One other safety feature, that I don't think was mentioned is vent holes. The LT has a single small vent hole on the bottom of the cap. The plastic cover on the cap is pressed on via two larger holes and will blow off in a massive out-gassing event. Now, this may turn it into a rocket, since all of the holes are in the bottom, but it's better than an ied with no vents.

Oh, and I use a 510-ego adapter for those Vision Ego Clearomisers or Stardusts or Turbos or whatever you want to call them. A 510-510 would also work. I know Joe said they may short out, but I figure the odds are about the same that the clearo may short out.

 

[Corley]

Oh, and what's the difference with a mini LT? Does it still do all the same things with same safety measures, but is just smaller?

 

[carlton]

Afaik, the mini is exactly the same as the regular, just with a shorter tube to accept smaller batteries.

 

[Corley]

As long as you are not using the skinting to thread the adapter you can use a 510 shorty extension. I would recommend this one:
510 Battery Extension
Or if you want the carto flush with the LT:
V2 510 Shorty Extension Sealed

The first one uses sthe same connectors you would find on an atty and battery, just with a atty tube so they are short. They work well and fit tight on my devices. The second one is a sealed adapter and has a nice thick insulator (compared to others I have used) and will bring the skirt to the level of the LT. You might want to get both because occasionally a carto skirt may be too long and keep the carto from connecting completely with the shorty (although I only have ever had 1 that was like this).

Just read this again. The Stardust appears to have threading for both 510 and eGo built in. The eGo clearomizers we have only have the threading in the skirt.

 

[sailorman]

There are a lot of details of our explosion on the other thread, but many believe it was the battery, not the charger. This was all Joyetech brand. We also have the VV eGo, but it't not Joyetech.

I have looked at the Totally Wikid LT, and like the price and extras with the kit...

I have the eGo clearomizers from esmokeytreats that I really like to use, and need eGo threading for them, as well as the Stardust. I like cartos without filler. We have some 510 micromizers (with LED) that don't have filler, but they seem prone to spit juice up through a drip tip. We have Kangers and Resurrectors, but really don't like polyfill...So, is there anything else like these that don't need an adaptor from 510 to eGo that work really well?

Thanks again!!!

I also prefer cartos without the polyfill. I've tried CE2s, CE3s and G4s, as well as the Vision Stone 2 and the Vision Grande. They're all a little fiddly. There are minor little things that need to be done, or specific filling procedures that need to be done. Some of this is due to the thicker than average juice I use, so YMMV.

The best unit so far that I've found is the Vision Stone 2. It fits the Lavatube like a glove. If you use thick, over 80%VG, juice, or if you experience a little off-taste, you might need to do a little minor trimming to the plug in the top. But it's very easy, minor stuff and there's no risk of permanent damage unless you're drunk, in which case you shouldn't be playing with X-acto knives. The nice thing is that the guts of the Vision Stone are replaceable and not very expensive.

As for the smaller cartos, the CE3's seem to work best, but nobody but me in the whole world likes them, so don't get them. I live in anticipation of 90% off clearance sales so that I can stock up.

Unless you use your 510/eGo adapter and use the cartos you know you like, you're just going to have to experiment. They all get mixed reviews. In your position, I would consider a tank system. for a tank that takes standard cartos, the J-tank comes highly recommended. Avoid Smoketech DCT tanks and dual coil cartos under 2.5ohms in general.

I don't think anyone matches the one year warranty of Apollo e-cigs. Their kit only includes one battery, but a very nice eGo case that's worth as much as a battery. The only thing about Apollos is that they seem inconsistent about what battery they send you. Mine was a IMR 1600mah, that's working fine. I have heard other people got 2200mah batteries that Apollos says are Panasonics, which is good if they are genuinely IMRs.

If you get one with a short warranty and you are concerned about it, I'd suggest going to SquareTrade and pick up a 3 year warranty for $10. Another $6 gets you coverage for accidental damage, like if you drop your LT in the pool. For items with this value, they pretty much pay up with no hassle or delay.

 

[Corley]

I also prefer cartos without the polyfill. I've tried CE2s, CE3s and G4s, as well as the Vision Stone 2 and the Vision Grande. They're all a little fiddly. There are minor little things that need to be done, or specific filling procedures that need to be done. Some of this is due to the thicker than average juice I use, so YMMV.

The best unit so far that I've found is the Vision Stone 2. It fits the Lavatube like a glove. If you use thick, over 80%VG, juice, or if you experience a little off-taste, you might need to do a little minor trimming to the plug in the top. But it's very easy, minor stuff and there's no risk of permanent damage unless you're drunk, in which case you shouldn't be playing with X-acto knives. The nice thing is that the guts of the Vision Stone are replaceable and not very expensive.

As for the smaller cartos, the CE3's seem to work best, but nobody but me in the whole world likes them, so don't get them. I live in anticipation of 90% off clearance sales so that I can stock up.

Unless you use your 510/eGo adapter and use the cartos you know you like, you're just going to have to experiment. They all get mixed reviews. In your position, I would consider a tank system. for a tank that takes standard cartos, the J-tank comes highly recommended. Avoid Smoketech DCT tanks and dual coil cartos under 2.5ohms in general.

I don't think anyone matches the one year warranty of Apollo e-cigs. Their kit only includes one battery, but a very nice eGo case that's worth as much as a battery. The only thing about Apollos is that they seem inconsistent about what battery they send you. Mine was a IMR 1600mah, that's working fine. I have heard other people got 2200mah batteries that Apollos says are Panasonics, which is good if they are genuinely IMRs.

If you get one with a short warranty and you are concerned about it, I'd suggest going to SquareTrade and pick up a 3 year warranty for $10. Another $6 gets you coverage for accidental damage, like if you drop your LT in the pool. For items with this value, they pretty much pay up with no hassle or delay.

Thanks! That's a lot of info!!! I think Totally Wikid is offering a 1 year warranty on their LT as well.

 

[sailorman]

Also, regarding charging. If you're using IMR's, there's no need to charge them in a fortified bunker. IMRs are not LIPOs. They aren't even regular lithiums or Li-Co's. That's not to say get careless, but recent events have created a degree of mass hysteria around here. Charge your batts in a metal box and you probably have incurred more risk of shorting them out against the inside metal surface of the box than you had to start with.

Just follow these steps and you'll be fine.

1. Get a meter and check your voltage when they come off the charger. They should meter at 4.20-4.25V. If they're more than that, they've been overcharged.

2. Once you know approximately how long a charge takes, use a timer on your charger so that it cuts off after the batteries are charged, in case you forget to take them off or fall asleep or something.

3. Remove the batteries within a reasonalbe time of when they're charged. Don't panic if you realize you've they've been on the charger for an hour with the green light on. Just don't leave them sitting there all the time or overnight or something.

4. Put you charger on a non-flammable surface. A cookie sheet is good. If you have an enclosed or well sheltered porch or patio, that's even better.

5. Get enough batteries so that you have 2 per PV. Recharge often. Never allow your voltage to fall below 3.5V, unloaded. Definitely never let them fall below 2.7V. That will significantly reduce their life. Personally, I recharge when they hit the 3.7-3.8 range. It's not necessary, but its better for the batteries and I'm always around a charger anyway.

6. If you're truly paranoid, get a better charger. There's nothing inherently wrong with the chargers they send with a kit. 99% of the problems are caused by the cord. But there are high quality chargers on the market for $50 and up if it helps you sleep better. Some monitor battery temperature and have multiple sensors that determine charging parameters. The chances of a battery overcharging is nearly 0 with these chargers. Just make sure you get one that is rated for 3.7 volts. Some of them are designed for smaller 3.4 volt lithium-ion batteries. They won't hurt anything but they won't give you full battery capacity.

7. If you're truly, truly paranoid, but not yet as paranoid as MASTEROFDAMPF, put your charger in a LiPo Sack. They're about $10-$20 and are made to contain an exploding LiPo battery. Your IMR will NEVER vent or explode with anything near the intensity or heat of a LiPo, so a LiPo sack is more than enough to handle anything an IMR, or 3, can dish out.

8. Never connect a battery to a charger unless the charger is already powered on or plugged in. If you must unplug a charger, take the battery out first.

9. This is going to be disputed because it seems counter-intuitive, but here it is and I have enough experience to stick to it. If you keep the generic charger you get, leave it plugged in. Preferably plug it into an outlet controlled by a wall switch or a surge protector with a switch on it. Leave the LiPo Sack around it if you want. Alternately, find a high quality cord to replace the one that came with it. Or, put it on a timer and keep it there, plugged in but not activated. Best case, plug a mechanical timer into a switched surge protector and leave your charger plugged into the timer.

These cords are cheap. The connections at the plug especially are cheap. Repeatedly plugging and unplugging them, over time, raises more risk of a short in the cord than any perceived risk that comes from leaving them plugged in. If you can shut off the power, via a timer or switch, all the better. But the main thing is to minimize the fatigue experienced by the wire in the cord or the connection joints at the plug.

I have Eight chargers in my house. Five of them are cheapies. All of those cheapies and 2 high quality chargers stay plugged in 24/7. The only one that doesn't is a LiPo charger I dont use anymore. They've been continuously plugged in for anywhere from 2 to 10 years. If leaving a charger plugged in caused a problem, I'd know about it.

 

[sailorman]

Thanks! That's a lot of info!!! I think Totally Wikid is offering a 1 year warranty on their LT as well.

YW. Good about TW. I like what they include in their kit. I don't know what kind of IMR's those are. Probably the same as Apollo, but they look a whole lot cooler. If I had it to do over, I'd probably go with TW. But I do like that eGo case.

 

[antfuzz]

I thought I would include this in this post it might be helpful to some. This is the official joytech website, it lists all the distributors around the world.

Joyetech brand offline electronic cigarette shops

This link is for websites that are selling copies.

http://joyetech.com/about/copycat.php

 

[sailorman]

Another tip about charging. A large clay planter or flower-pot works great. Put the charger on a non-flammable surface and invert a clay pot over it. If it has a chip in the rim, all the better. Place the chipped area over the cord so you don't pinch or squash it. You can see the charger light through the hole in the bottom. The pot will contain any bad stuff. I've seen this work with LiPos, so it'll certainly work with Li-Ions and IMR's.

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

I am nervous, but I have had batts go rocketing off, go thermal, vent and flame, hiss, pop, and just about everything else over the years. Battery chemistry is getting better but once bitten twice shy. I think the worst were probably the Ni-Cad, but not many applications require them anymore.

 

[Corley]

I am nervous, but I have had batts go rocketing off, go thermal, vent and flame, hiss, pop, and just about everything else over the years. Battery chemistry is getting better but once bitten twice shy. I think the worst were probably the Ni-Cad, but not many applications require them anymore.

Agree. Once was enough for me.

 

[sailorman]

I am nervous, but I have had batts go rocketing off, go thermal, vent and flame, hiss, pop, and just about everything else over the years. Battery chemistry is getting better but once bitten twice shy. I think the worst were probably the Ni-Cad, but not many applications require them anymore.

Yeah, I've never had a problem with NiCads, but I hate them for their environmental impact. The only good thing about NiCads is that they don't self-discharge hardly at all. Sometimes, that's more important than anything. My life was probably saved once when I had to use an emergency marine radio that had been stashed for a year. If the battery had been anything but a NiCad, it would have been dead like everything else on the boat.

I was heavily into RC planes for awhile (talk about an expensive hobby). So I had a lot of LiPos. I've had them balloon up all by themselves without being connected to anything. I had one erupt and catch fire when I landed too close to the waterline at the beach and saltwater splashed on the electronic speed control. The worst was when I tried to charge a 7.4V LiPo on a charger set to 11.1V. Luckily I heard it and knocked it onto the tile floor before it caught the ceiling on fire. (Hint: You can't put them out with water). But I can't blame that on the battery or the charger. I'm just glad I hadn't gone to bed when it happened.

Other than some outgassing (smells like vinegar) of little Li-Ion 123A primary flashlight batteries, I never had any other problem with any batteries. I've gotten a lot more careful with them all since the LiPo incidents, but besides the bloating LiPos, I've never had a problem that wasn't my own fault.