Monitoring battery life on mechanical mod

[gokusnimbus]

How do you guys do it? I carry my provari around as a back up to my mech and check that way but its always a hassle unscrewing and screwing top/bottom caps. im also limited to checking 18650/18490 sized batteries. my fav size is 18350 but i have no way of checking w/o a multimeter. i could carry that too but thats a bit big. are there any portable options for a battery-life meter?

 

[Thrasher]

the idea is get used to realizing the battery is dying off, in a mech you should be able to tell. in mine i get to around 3.4-3.5 ish and see the vapor taper off drastically and know its time for a fresh one.. a Li battery is safe to discharge down to 2.5 volts (you shouldnt but you can) and i doubt you can keep vaping anything this low.

or you can get a meter like this
http://www.empiremods.com/product_p/voltdsp.htm

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

Get a large tank (or an old CE4) that is busted...build your own!!

$1.93 0.36" Display 3-Digit 3~30V Voltage Tester for 18650 Battery - red LED at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

It's also not good for longevity of "charging cycles" to drain a Li Ion down...best to carry "fresh charged" spares in a protective case

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/discharge_methods

 

[gokusnimbus]

the idea is get used to realizing the battery is dying off, in a mech you should be able to tell. in mine i get to around 3.4-3.5 ish and see the vapor taper off drastically and know its time for a fresh one.. a Li battery is safe to discharge down to 2.5 volts (you shouldnt but you can) and i doubt you can keep vaping anything this low.

or you can get a meter like this
Voltage Display Meter

i forgot about that! thank you

 

[BigBang]

Exactly why I love this forum. Same question arose @ 10:00ish tonight. Synconicity.

 

[Rule62]

It takes a little experience, but after you've been using mechanicals for a while, you will be able to tell when your battery drops off. Once a battery goes below 3.7 volts, they drop off rather quickly. I've gotten so that I'll pull my battery when I notice a reduction in vapor and flavor; and when I check it with my multi meter, it will be consistently around 3.6 or 3.65 volts.
It just takes a little practice.