Lost in the world of BATTERIES

[sentinefour]

Looking for a couple of 18650's for my mech mod, Sentinel M16 clone, and now am lost with all the different options out there. I understand volts, mah, C ratings and all that, and flat top and button top, but what is best for me? What do you use? (I know AW and Efest and Panasonic are popular...)

Also, what charger? There is so much Chinese made crap out there I really can't sort through it all, with all these ternigy and ultrafire batts that people say are flat out dangerous. Plz guide me to quality batteries for a Mech mod!

 

[xtwosm0kesx]

Paging Baditude...

Baditude to the battery department!

(sorry couldn't resist)

AW's and Efests are what i use and both do their job well.

Regarding cheap china chargers, i have a Nitecore i4 and it works fine, others have had issues with um.

 

[Harlen]

This battery is going to be with you for a year or more
Get the best you can get.

 

[albcig]

panasonics are also very good ones

 

[Peppie]

I was in the same boat a few months ago.
I learned you cant go wrong with AW IMR batts. Safe an for sale on MANY vape sites.

If you plan to go with really low ohm's under .6 IMO you need a higher amp battery than the AW IMR series

 

[quiter]

AW's are a safer chemistry battery because they are less likely to vent however they are more expensive and less mAh than other good batteries like Panasonics or Sony's (same company actually). Your budget and how fast you need them makes a big difference in any advice I would give you on where to pick them up. However, I would suggest that for the Sentinel mod that you buy protected batteries, not just for safety but because you don't want to over drain them. Lion batteries will die if fully drained and it's easier to do that than you think. Good batteries are needed for a mechanical mod because you want to keep them as close to 3.7 volts as you can for as long as you can. It's not so much that you need the extra mAh because most of that is useless to you anyway because it's below what will give you a good vape. So what you need are batteries that will keep a full charge for as long as possible.

If you can wait a little longer and want great batteries at a great price then I would suggest ordering these. They are Sanyo 2600 protected batteries. They will keep your mechanical mod running at close to full charge for as long as any battery around and are priced right.

$11.03 Sanyo UR18650F 18650 2600mAh Protected Rechargeable Lithium Batteries (2-pack) 2-pack - protected at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

If you want them faster and are willing to pay more then this e-bay seller is great. I have bought from him a bunch of times and so have a bunch of my fellow flashlight junkies on another forum. These are Panasonic 3400 protected for 2 for $19.99 That is a good deal and he is reliable and fast. He also has Panasonic IMR high drain with protection. for $16.50 a pair. They are both high drain, safe chemistry and protected. Very hard to beat for that price. You won't get quite the runtime as you would off of the other two I suggested but it's still going to be close.

2 Panasonic NCR18650B Li ion Battery 3400mAh 3 7V 18650 New Protection PCB Japan | eBay

2 Panasonic CGR18650CH High Drain 10A Hybrid IMR Li on 18650 Battery 2250mAh PCB | eBay

I am really into batteries because of my flashlight addiction as well as having used mechanical mods for four years now in e-cigs.

I hope this helps.

 

[quiter]

Oh and one more thing for anyone who wants crazy high drain batteries that are just sick to use these are the most bad assed batteries on the market.

2 PC Samsung INR 18650 20 R Rechargeable Battery 20A Discharge 3 6V High Drain | eBay

These are NOT for amateurs and should be taken very seriously. They are not protected and are super high drain at 20amp discharge. I don't use them in e-cigs but I also don't do the whole sub ohm thing. I buy them for a flashlight mod that runs at four thousand five hundred lumens and 400kcd throw. (BTU shocker mods for people in the know)

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

Looking for a couple of 18650's for my mech mod, Sentinel M16 clone, and now am lost with all the different options out there. I understand volts, mah, C ratings and all that, and flat top and button top, but what is best for me? What do you use? (I know AW and Efest and Panasonic are popular...)

Also, what charger? There is so much Chinese made crap out there I really can't sort through it all, with all these ternigy and ultrafire batts that people say are flat out dangerous. Plz guide me to quality batteries for a Mech Mod!

First things first..a little education before decision

Start here
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html

Most people go to Welcome to RTD Vapor for batteries

 

[Ipster]

probably someone's beat me to the linl already...
http://http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html

 

[polpol]

I'd recommend imr only. You should notice a huge difference between vaping 4.2v and 3.6v anyways.

Sent from my SC-03E using Tapatalk 4

 

[Baditude]

Below is a list of high quality, name brand IMR 18650 batteries most recommended for all 18650 mods.. Any of them will do the job and be safer than any other battery you can find.

No second-tier name-brand batteries with "fire" in their name. No generic batteries. NEVER any un-protected NCR / Li Ion batteries period regardless of name brand (not applicable for mod use).

ECF battery guru rolygate recommends AW IMR as the safest and best quality battery you can use (reference http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html).

New hybrid batteries have gained acceptance as being safe and having more capacity than IMRs. Previously recommended protected Li Ion batteries have fallen in favor to the safer chemistry IMRs for both mechanical and regulated mods, for safety.

Mah ratings are kind of dubious anymore. Amp rating seems to be gaining ground as one of the best ways to judge a battery's quality, performance, and praticality.

AW IMR
18650 2000mah 10Amp (Continuous Discharge Rate)
18650 1600mah 24A

Samsung hybrid (LiNiCoMnP)
INR18650-20R 2000mah 22A

MNKE IMR
IMR18650 1500mah 20A

Panasonic ​or Orbtronic hybrid
CGR18650CH (IMR/Li Ion hybrid) 2250mAh 10A
NCR18650PD (high drain-high capacity) 2900mAh 10A

Sony IMR
us18650v3 IMR 2250mAh 10A

EFEST IMR
18650 2000mah 10A​

More specific information and battery reference links can be found in this Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected?.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

Oh and one more thing for anyone who wants crazy high drain batteries that are just sick to use these are the most bad assed batteries on the market.

2 PC Samsung INR 18650 20 R Rechargeable Battery 20A Discharge 3 6V High Drain | eBay

These are NOT for amateurs and should be taken very seriously. They are not protected and are super high drain at 20amp discharge. I don't use them in e-cigs but I also don't do the whole sub ohm thing. I buy them for a flashlight mod that runs at four thousand five hundred lumens and 400kcd throw. (BTU shocker mods for people in the know)

Whoa. That's one powerful cell. What kind of chemistry is INR?

I see where their nominal charge is 3.6 rather than 3.7 like our AW IMR. What is their full charge and what's the risk of overcharging using a charger that is designed to quit at 4.2v?

Edit: I see it now in Baditude's post. Hybrid.

 

[Jim Diamond]

As far as brands, I would trust:

AW
Efest
Panasonic
Samsung
Sony
XTAR (yes, they have some of their own brand of batteries. They tend to be expensive, but I just picked up some 18350's at a good deal on FT)

 

[bluecat]

I have been wondering about those Xtar batteries. Xtardirect (licensed USA dealer taken from their website) lists them as IMR batteries too. They list the 18650IMR as 2900. Which is very similar to the Panny 650 PD.

This battery stuff no matter how much I read and research still gets confusing.

 

[BernieVideo]

OK, read http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html and I am still pretty confused.

I bought a used Provari mini last night from "a guy". It came with a really cheap no brand charger, and 2 Efest IMR 18350 3.7 V 800 Mah batteries.

I fully charged them both. I installed 1 in the mini and used the check battery function on the mini. One read 4 volts, switched to the other, it read 3.7. I used the 3.7 and it did not last long at all.

So, couple of Qs...

Is this a AW IMR battery or just an IMR?
What should a fully charged battery of this type be at when I take it off the charger? 4V?
I assume the one that is at 3.7 is dying and should be replaced?
Do I need a different charger for AW IMRs than IMRs?

Stores open in 10 min

 

[bluecat]

Efest is a brand and AW is a different Brand.

A fully charged 3.7V battery should read 4.2 volts. It will lose voltage as the sits and when it is used.

3.7V is the nominal voltage or normal operating voltage. Batteries have a top safe voltage and a low safe voltage. They have safe amperage limits for when they are working.

Not sure of what charger you have. Pila is/was considered top of the line. XtarVP1 is considered very good by many. I use a nitecoreV2 which some say is good others say not so good. I will be purchasing a VP1 just not sure when. I made a budget and intend to stick with it.

I read that link I think 10 times. I still read it every now and then. I also read the candlelight forums and any other place that has battery info on it. Even though they use the batteries in a different way than we do, the safety aspect still transverses.

With all that said.... these batteries are complicated and not so complicated. Having a great understanding of them is priceless. Also one has to factor in their risk tolerance.

Most Li-ion chargers charge ICR and LMR. They are both Li Ion batteries using a different chemical make up for the internal energy.

 

[Baditude]

OK, read http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html and I am still pretty confused.

I bought a used Provari mini last night from "a guy". It came with a really cheap no brand charger, and 2 Efest IMR 18350 3.7 V 800 Mah batteries.

I fully charged them both. I installed 1 in the mini and used the check battery function on the mini. One read 4 volts, switched to the other, it read 3.7. I used the 3.7 and it did not last long at all.

So, couple of Qs...

Is this a AW IMR battery or just an IMR?
What should a fully charged battery of this type be at when I take it off the charger? 4V?
I assume the one that is at 3.7 is dying and should be replaced?
Do I need a different charger for AW IMRs than IMRs?

If you go to the Provape website, it will plainly state in the description:


"ONLY use the recommended AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari variable voltage ecig!"

"We recommend only using AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari Mini"

"We recommend only using AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari Mini
You must use batteries that have a positive button on the top. Flat top batteries will not work. Using magnets on top of your batteries will void the warranty."

"We recommend only using AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari Mini"

"You must use batteries that have a positive button on the top. Flat top batteries will not work. Avoid using magnets on your batteries!" - ProVari Mini Variable Voltage Ecig: Best Variable Voltage E Cig Available!


Provape tells you five times on the same page what battery they recommend for your Mini Provari.

Buy the best charger that you can reasonably afford. Pila, Xtar, and Nitecore are considered reliable high quality manufacturers. Use one of those three brands. I have used a Pila in the past. I use the Nitecore i4 and I bought the i2 for my daughter. RTD Vapor is an excellent vendor to purchase batteries and chargers from and highly recommended.

 

[BernieVideo]

If you go to the Provape website, it will plainly state in the description:

"ONLY use the recommended AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari variable voltage ecig!"

"We recommend only using AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari Mini"

"We recommend only using AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari Mini
You must use batteries that have a positive button on the top. Flat top batteries will not work. Using magnets on top of your batteries will void the warranty."

"We recommend only using AW IMR high drain batteries in your ProVari Mini

"You must use batteries that have a positive button on the top. Flat top batteries will not work. Avoid using magnets on your batteries!" - ProVari Mini Variable Voltage Ecig: Best Variable Voltage E Cig Available!

Provape tells you five times on the same page what battery they recommend for your Mini Provari.

Buy the best charger that you can reasonably afford. Pila, Xtar, and Nitecore are considered reliable high quality manufacturers. Use one of those three brands. I use the Nitecore i4 and I bought the i2 for my daughter. RTD Vapor is an excellent vendor to purchase batteries and chargers from and highly recommended.

Please correct me if I misunderstand.

AW is a brand name. A high quality brand name.
It is not a type of battery.

Will a Panasonic or Sony IMR be a bad choice?




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[Coastal Cowboy]

Please correct me if I misunderstand.

AW is a brand name. A high quality brand name.
It is not a type of battery.

Will a Panasonic or Sony IMR be a bad choice?




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Join the CASAA.
Protect your Vaping Rights!

No, but ProVape has said (and will tell you too, if you ask) that they haven't tested them and therefore, can't recommend them.

I'm all for using what the manufacturer recommends when it comes to batteries in their devices. I wouldn't use a battery pack for a Dell laptop for a HP or vice versa, even if they did fit and seemed to power the device. Nor would I use a battery for a Samsung Galaxy S* on an iPhone, again even if they did fit and seemed to power the device.

The fact that you have a good manufacturer recommending good batteries for use in their device is as helpful to you as it is to them. Those other batteries might work just fine in your device. But if they're not what the manufacturer recommends, all of the risk of usage is your cross to bear.

 

[Baditude]

Please correct me if I misunderstand.

AW is a brand name. A high quality brand name.
It is not a type of battery.

Will a Panasonic or Sony IMR be a bad choice?

AW is a name brand battery. Panasonic and Sony are also brand name batteries.

IMR is a "class" of battery which has a chemistry known as "high drain" and also "safer chemistry". It is a Li-Mn chemistry (Li-Manganese). This class of battery is what rolygate recommends as the preferred class of batteries to be used in place of previously recommended protected Li Ion batteries because they are inherently safer than Li-Ion chemistry. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html

"Hybrid" is a relatively new class of batteries, which may use any combination of chemistries, most of them of the safer chemistry variety and with higher capacity than strict IMR batteries. They are gaining favor as being as safe as IMRs, and are recommended over protected Li Ion batteries, too. Not all of the hybrids are high drain, though. The Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh hybrid is not high drain and not recommended for regulated PVs.

Regulated PVs (which change voltage output) require "high drain" batteries, which IMR batteries are.

Any correct size IMR battery with a button top will "work" in a Provari. Provape explicitly recommends the button top AW IMR batteries. Seems pretty clear to me what battery you should buy and use.

I've not seen Panasonic or Sony batteries available in the 18350 size that the Mini Provai requires. The above list is for 18650 size batteries if you recheck. The OP was inquiring about that size of batteries, so that is the size I recommended in my list.

AW batteries are the most recommended name-brand batteries by most PV manufacturers because they have shown over time to be the most consistant in quality and are easily available.