More battery problems

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Ignitious

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Dec 11, 2014
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So I just recently made a post about a short. I thought I fixed the problem with the firing pin, but as I put in another high drain battery it sapped it. Battery is completely dead, put it on charger and it says it's charged. I'm going to assume my coil is shorting, but how do I find this??? It's a k100 with a dual coil dripper. 18650 batteries, but only occurs with high drain. I tried putting the short protector on the battery that comes with the k100, but it didn't work so I assumed the chip was bad. What the crap is going on, I just blew $20 on batteries and this is getting ridiculous. How can I troubleshoot the short?
 

Susan~S

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If you are new to mech mods and rebuildables I highly recommend you spend some time with Baditude (one of our resident battery experts) and visit his blogs. You are now 100% in control of your own safety (and others around you). Make sure you purchase an ohm reader and a voltmeter or DMM so you can measure your builds, check for shorts and measure the remaining charge on your batteries.

Baditudes Blogs. The blogs regarding mods and rebuildables are listed below:


BATTERIES

9. Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?
* Another essential read to understand which batteries are safe to use in mechanical and regulated mods. Includes a frequently updated list of recommended safe-chemistry, high-drain batteries with their specifications.

17. Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised
* A cautionary blog that reveals that the purple Efest batteries may not have the specifications advertised. Also includes a commentary on "continuous discharge ratings" vs "pulse discharge ratings" of battery specs.

OHM'S LAW

14. Ohm's Law for Dummies (Vapers)
* My attempt at explaining Ohm's Law in layman terms and how it relates to vaping.

16. Explain it to the Dumb Noob: Ohm's Law Calculations
* As simple as it is to use, some people have a tough time grasping the concept. Warning: Includes graphic photos of mod explosions.

BATTERIES - WHERE TO BUY

Only buy batteries from a reputable supplier (not ebay or Amazon) as there are many counterfeit batteries being sold. Here are several reputable battery suppliers in the US.

* RTD Vapor
* Illumination Supply
* Lighthound
* Orbtronics
 

Ignitious

Full Member
Dec 11, 2014
14
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Thank you all for the quick responses. The only tool I have is a multimeter, I just bought an atomizer ohm reader to make sure my builds are solid, but would that tell me if it shorts? And these batteries were bought online and have 4 1/2 stars, so I'm thinking the high drain puts too much juice to a short and fries the batteries (my one earlier today melted) if I can test this short with a multimeter what setting and how do I need to go about it?

Actually, after doing some reading on that blog set you posted, I don't think my battery was high enough amperage.

Correct me if I'm wrong, because I need to know how to do it... But an Efest 2000 mAh IMR18650 has a voltage rating of 3.7v... So take 3.7 and divide it by my .2 ohm dual coil... 3.7/.2=18.5, putting me 8.5 amps over the batteries limit. Would this cause my symptoms???? And if so.... Why is it not doing it with the standard k100 battery?

So, if I went with a Samsung 30 amp high drain would it be too high on amps? Or does it matter how high you go?
 
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Steam Turbine

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Whoa!!!

Stop doing what your doing.

That battery can in no way in hell handle a 0.2 ohm coil.

What you are saying here tells me that you have no business wrapping anykind of coil and firing it on any kind of mechanicals. I don't want to be patronizing but read some more about batteries safety before proceeding. You are lucky that these batteries just died on you instead of venting with flames.

Learn about Ohms law asap and how it relates to batteries amp limits.

Read what Susan~S.sent you.
9780099565949.jpg
 

Ignitious

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Dec 11, 2014
14
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I agree--but also read further into my post, do I have the idea down? I understand the mistake made, but honestly I was just kind of handed a mech mod after my pen broke. I didn't know the safety risks. In the blogs I saw that you aren't recommended to go below .2 ohms like I said, I have no idea what it's at exactly (not firing it until I rebuild coils myself). Anyways, do I have the information correct on my previous post?

Specifically if I'm right about the 30 amp battery. I understand your concerns, I came to learn, and be taught, and I'm pretty sure I have it down but before I purchase anything I want to make sure I do. After reading last night, I did not know anything about the dangers, wish I did, I wouldve made an account long ago..
 
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Kaezziel

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I agree--but also read further into my post, do I have the idea down? I understand the mistake made, but honestly I was just kind of handed a mech mod after my pen broke. I didn't know the safety risks. In the blogs I saw that you aren't recommended to go below .2 ohms like I said, I have no idea what it's at exactly (not firing it until I rebuild coils myself). Anyways, do I have the information correct on my previous post?

Specifically if I'm right about the 30 amp battery. I understand your concerns, I came to learn, and be taught, and I'm pretty sure I have it down but before I purchase anything I want to make sure I do. After reading last night, I did not know anything about the dangers, wish I did, I wouldve made an account long ago..

No, you do not have the idea down. All of your math is completely wrong. You cannot figure a battery's amp limit by dividing it's nominal voltage by your coil resistance. Amp limits are determined by a "C" rating which is derived from the mAh limit of the battery...
If you really want to know if the battery is dead, use you multimeter, put it in DC Voltage mode and read the voltage of the battery... 4.2VDC is fully charged, 3.7VDC is nominal voltage, and you want to put it back on the charger at around 3.5-3.4VDC.

As for the coils... rip those out. NOW!
Do as was suggested earlier, and vape on a clearo or something else while you do your homework on the rebuildables. We're here to help you, so don't get too anxious...
You really need to start with a single coil. Get that down to an art before you go dual-parallel-nano-dragon-hyper-wicking-super-ultra-sub-ohm... Do a single coil at 1 ohm. Wick it, set up your airflow and get used to how that works... we'll add a second coil later in the game.
To measure for a short with a multimeter, you put it in resistance mode and (with the atomizer removed from the mod), put the negative (black) lead on the body of the atomizer with the positive (red) lead on the center part of the 510 connection pin. Start there, because that is measuring the entire atty.... now what do you get for the resistance reading?

*EDIT*
Sorry... just realized that you were saying that you were 8.5A over limit... that is kinda right. Yes, that battery is a 10A limit, but on a fresh battery you are pulling more than 18.5A... fresh battery puts out 4.2V, so your current draw would be 21A with a 0.2 ohm build... 0.2 ohm is a guess, because your multimeter will read 0.15 to 0.24 as 0.2 ohms... that'a a huge window, and that isn't even accounting for error...
 
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Kaezziel

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I'm not quite sure yet. When I get home I will come back and let you know.. But that's not how I did my math.. 10 amps came from the batteries data sheet. The 18.5 is the required amps to power my build. Correct or incorrect? I read a lot of information last night, so if I'm wrong explain how

Sorry... I just noticed that, myself... check the edit of my last post :)
The rest of what I said about the coils and checking for shorts still stands though...
 

Ignitious

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Dec 11, 2014
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Sorry... I just noticed that, myself... check the edit of my last post :)
The rest of what I said about the coils and checking for shorts still stands though...

Read your edit, so math is right thank god. Now I believe my final question.. Would a 30 amp cover it? Or be overkill? Looking at a Samsung 18650 hybrid. Forgot the exact number off the top of my head but the 2600 mAh one. It is high drain correct? Also I have atomizer ohm reader somewhere in USPS's hands, so I can get a more accurate reading. Anything else I should do/get? (never having friend build coils again, I didn't even think to check battery amperage)
 

Topwater Elvis

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A fully charged battery is 4.2volts, you always use 4.2v in calculating battery amp draw / drain.
4.2v / .2 = 21a & 88.2w
4.2v / .1 = 42a & 176.4w

The reason folks are saying stop what you're doing is out of concern for your and the people around you safety.
It is unwise / unsafe to start off using a mechanical & RBA's anywhere near the resistance ranges you are using.

Best to start off around .8 + using a good battery so you can vape while you read, ask questions, understand ohms law, obtain and know how to use the necessary testing equipment and most importantly learn basic battery safety.
IMO, When you get below .3 ish you need something that will accurately read 3 places to the right of the decimal ( .000 ) to measure resistance.
After you gain the experience & knowledge then start going lower into the sub ohm resistance range. Or you might consider buying an Aspire Atlantis (.5 head ) & a name brand 20a CDR and vape safely while you learn & experiment with RBA's.

There are no short cuts / fast & easy ways to use low sub ohm set ups safely.
 

Kaezziel

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As Elvis said, good measuring equipment is key... for a 510 reader, I LOVE this one:USA Made 510 Reader. It has been verified and will read a .01X build (NOTE: I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUILDING THAT LOW... EVER!)
To further note, I agree with everything that Elvis said...

As for batteries, I always recommend the Xtar 30A batteries... I have no experience with any other high drains (Except the actual VTCs which you can't get anymore.)
 

Ignitious

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Dec 11, 2014
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I agree with the safety. So let's say I stepped up to .3 that leaves me with 4.2/.3=14 amps max draw. So say I buy the 30 amp Samsung battery giving plenty of room to upgrade my coils. This seems more than safe to me since I believe I have the concept down (I know a little, I used to rebuild pro tank atomizers all the time completely different ball park, I know, but it gave me experience wrapping and playing with ohms.) I understand there are no shortcuts, but my experience with electrical is a lot more than popular belief. As long as I stay under 30 amps with max draw, everything SHOULD be okay, correct?


And thank you, yes, I just bought a 510 reader yesterday actually once I started having problems. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do safe and right.
 
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Kaezziel

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Theoretically, yes... everything SHOULD be fine... any time you get into sub-ohm vaping it is all about calculated risks. You mitigate the risks as best you can with good equipment and knowledge, but there will always be some level of risk involved. There are just too many variables for that to not be the case. Pay attention to your equipment. Buy batteries from a reputable vendor. Use accurate measuring equipment. Be aware of your coil position (not too close to the walls or blocks, but close enough to the air holes to get a good vape). Don't over-discharge your batteries. Always measure your builds before firing them up the first time... I usually measure 2-3 times to be absolutely sure! Most importantly, take your time and be patient... slow and steady is safe. Safe is good.
 

Ignitious

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Dec 11, 2014
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Whenever I get my wire and everything needed I will post a picture of my build. I feel like the air holes are too far up... But if I look in the holes I can see the top of the coils, so I suppose that will work, I definitely drilled them out. Anyways, thank you guys so much for teaching me, owe you all one! :) I'll be sure to post back with my build once it get it all here at the house.
 

Kaezziel

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Adjust the coils so that they line up with the air holes. Hold the top cap next to the build deck to see where the air holes relate to the posts... then position the coils, tighten the post screws, check resistance, wick the coils, re-check resistance, juice it up and put the cap on... re-check resistance (to make sure that the coils don't short to the top cap), now put it on the mod and vape away, confident that everything is as it should be.

But yeah, pics are always nice! You're more than welcome for any help that has been provided, and don't be afraid to ask more questions as you continue to progress. That's what makes this such a great community!
 

Topwater Elvis

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I agree with the safety. So let's say I stepped up to .3 that leaves me with 4.2/.3=14 amps max draw. So say I buy the 30 amp Samsung battery giving plenty of room to upgrade my coils. This seems more than safe to me since I believe I have the concept down (I know a little, I used to rebuild pro tank atomizers all the time completely different ball park, I know, but it gave me experience wrapping and playing with ohms.) I understand there are no shortcuts, but my experience with electrical is a lot more than popular belief. As long as I stay under 30 amps with max draw, everything SHOULD be okay, correct?


And thank you, yes, I just bought a 510 reader yesterday actually once I started having problems. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do safe and right.

The only 30 amp battery Samsung offers is a 4.35v ICR chemistry which is not suitable for vaping use.
Or someone is using false marketing claims to sell the Samsung INR 18650 2500mah 25R which is a 20a CDR battery.

Not to be rude but, you need to slow down and at least read / understand basic battery safety , choosing the wrong battery can be dangerous even at .5
 
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