multimeter and prodigy, how do i test?

[Flitzanu]

i'm going to find/buy a Multimeter today, and from what i understand i can't really test the Prodigy "under load" without a bit of work (found in another thread) but what should i be seeing as results, and how exactly do i test it?

i'm a newb with this stuff.

i did realize...(and please do not consider this a slam or insult or even a big concern...) that i'm not sure my PV is performing as it was when i first got it. a friend got his finally, and i tried his last night (901 same as mine) to try his custom flavor, and it was VERY strong. i then remembered how strong mine was when i first got it, so i swapped to a new atty and tried, but it doesn't quite feel the same.

again, it works just fine, no issues at all, but i do remember how it was brand new, and i'm beginning to wonder if it may not be running at the voltage it was when it was new.

i'm ignorant with all things electric, so i don't really know what or how to troubleshoot.

i guess the question is, can the batteries stop performing at peak capacity? could there be a bad/loose connection somewhere that is lowering voltage more than it should be? would the tightness of the atty affect the voltage, be it too tight or too loose? is there anything else i could be missing that maybe i should look into?

i'm trying to think of anything else...

would the amount of juice in the atty affect this? he was using carts, and i've been dripping. mine does gurgle a bit, but i'm not sucking up any juice. i also thought maybe mine didn't feel the same as day 1 because i was getting used to it, but after trying his i realized that wasn't quite the case.

again, disclaimer, this is not a complaint, i just want to figure out what is going on with mine or if something is going wrong

since everyone else is smarter than me on these things...let's hear it.

 

[CaSHMeRe]

i did realize...(and please do not consider this a slam or insult or even a big concern...) that i'm not sure my PV is performing as it was when i first got it. a friend got his finally, and i tried his last night (901 same as mine) to try his custom flavor, and it was VERY strong. i then remembered how strong mine was when i first got it, so i swapped to a new atty and tried, but it doesn't quite feel the same.
A: Welcome to Brand New Batteries LOL

i guess the question is, can the batteries stop performing at peak capacity?
A: Absolutely .... I get roughly 1 EXCELLENT Month before I start to notice a decrease in performance. I then add another set of batteries to the mix ... Rotate between the 3 sets. The brand new set gets used as my morning set that takes me through the after ... The other 2 older sets get used at night. All together ... I still have my first two set in rotation ... I get a good 2-4 hours of use out of them depending on how hard I am vaping, thus I keep those for home use so I can quickly use and recharge if need be

could there be a bad/loose connection somewhere that is lowering voltage more than it should be?
A: Nope ... Loose connection would 1) Either cause a short and the unit wouldn't work B) Simply not work for the fact the solder joints came unsoldered

would the tightness of the atty affect the voltage, be it too tight or too loose?
A: Tightness of an atty, no ... If the atty is now running at 4 or 5 ohms from lots and lots of use ... Then yes, the atty could be draining the batteries faster due to the amount of resistance. Highly unlikely though. I have also noticed ... After the 3-4 week mark, if you are still on the same atty, performance decreases quite a bit ... If it gets quite bad, I switch it out for a new one!

is there anything else i could be missing that maybe i should look into?
A: Not really ...

would the amount of juice in the atty affect this? he was using carts, and i've been dripping. mine does gurgle a bit, but i'm not sucking up any juice. i also thought maybe mine didn't feel the same as day 1 because i was getting used to it, but after trying his i realized that wasn't quite the case.
A: *Getting Used to it* is definitely a good point, and you do infact get used to it. I don't believe carts vs. juice is really an issue. Overfilling and putting more strain on the batteries to perform could be, but that's about it.

again, disclaimer, this is not a complaint, i just want to figure out what is going on with mine or if something is going wrong

since everyone else is smarter than me on these things...let's hear it.

See Red Flitz

 

[Flitzanu]

jeez dude, it's saturday, go sleep or something! and one last question, i was reading through the "troubleshooting" thread to see if i missed anything, and i've never really looked that close at the switch and adapter since mine works fine "out of the box."

i think you may have "answered" this already, but the little o-ring (delrin) on the underside of the adapter cap, mine is there but loose, i'm not sure if by loose you mean it wiggles? it's there and intact, but doesn't look like it is snug around that post.

but...again, i think you answered this by saying the whole device would actually short out if that was causing a problem, right?

after i get the multimeter i'll check on my batteries. i know i don't vape A LOT but i haven't even drained a set of batteries yet. i don't vape during the day though, basically just from 7pm til midnight and that's light use, but i can easily go all week without them draining. i'm wondering if i was lucky enough to get a set that isn't keeping at 3v or something?

i just want to make sure this baby is running top notch when i show it off ya know!

 

[CaSHMeRe]

haha, I gotcha flitz ...

You were an early Prodigy owner, so the adapter delrin being loose wouldn't surprise me. Are you able to freely spin the delrin underneath or is it snug between both pieces of brass? A multimeter is fun ... DW has me testing batts after a charge and after a discharge just to make sure everything is up to par! Once you get it, if you have any specific questions, just let me know!!!!

 

[tescela]

jeez dude, it's saturday, go sleep or something!

This was exactly what I was thinking...

 

[gjrhine]

DW has me testing batts after a charge and after a discharge just to make sure everything is up to par! Once you get it, if you have any specific questions, just let me know!!!!

This is what I want to do. I got this multimeter yesterday (Home Depot, $20) and the instructions read like rocket science to me. I need to know where to plug the red wire and where to set the dial for each test (if there is more than one test).

 

[Palmetto]

This is what I want to do. I got this multimeter yesterday (Home Depot, $20) and the instructions read like rocket science to me. I need to know where to plug the red wire and where to set the dial for each test (if there is more than one test).

Well, I can help you with the battery testing:

Plug the black probe into the connector marked "COM"
Plug the red probe into the connector marked "V"

Turn the dial to the upper left quadrant with the black "V" and set it at 20 on the dial.

Turn on the meter and touch the red probe to the positive end of the battery (the nub), and the black thread to the negative end of the battery.

Let the meter settle down for a few secs, and there's your reading.

This is fairly good tutorial with pics for testing batteries with a multimeter:

Multimeter Tutorial - Voltage

Mine has awful instructions also -- but at least the symbols are universal.

 

[gjrhine]

Thanks. On to the tutorial. Is the reading telling you anything about battery life or just strength?

 

[Flitzanu]

haha, I gotcha flitz ...

You were an early Prodigy owner, so the adapter delrin being loose wouldn't surprise me. Are you able to freely spin the delrin underneath or is it snug between both pieces of brass? A multimeter is fun ... DW has me testing batts after a charge and after a discharge just to make sure everything is up to par! Once you get it, if you have any specific questions, just let me know!!!!

i'll get the gf's camera later this afternoon and take some pics, my cellphone isn't good detail. i guess it COULD spin, like, it's staying in place, but it has a lot of slack in it. the only thing i could compare it to, if you know about body jewelry, it reminds me of an O-ring rubber band, and it looks like it is stretched or a bit too big for the post, like it isnt wrapped snug around it? i can move it easily with my fingernail from one side to the other.

but...i don't have any problems with it losing power or cutting out or anything, so i guess it isn't causing a problem. if it needs to be replaced or you think it should, just let me know, well, after i send some pics of it

i also may have figured out my other issue. i think i'm just an idiot. i've gotten lazy, and have been holding my PV vertically, and a thought hit me...i angled it higher held it horizontally...and the flavor/hit/strength seems to be there. i'm using a mint flavor so it's strong anyway, but i'm going to try with a different flavor to make sure i'm right.

you know, simple things...always seem to work! maybe there is something to say about how the device is held. i wasn't really consciously thinking that i was holding it that way or that it would be a problem.

and...i swear, i have a vid cam in my possession now so i may try to cut a vid review today.

 

[lorgain]

I've been thinking about rigging up a battery discharge unit. My theory is that these recharge batteries are too often put into the charger before they are truly dead, but just too weak to get a good hit. I think, like any other rechargeable, they are scarring, so after about a month of use, you really only have about 25% of a battery after charging.

So far, it's just been too easy to get new parts, but I started thinking about this when supplies were getting short and it was realistic to believe that we as vapers might have to re-invent the wheel to continue vaping.

 

[TommyGunBC]

Lithium batteries have no memory like the nicad and nimh so recharging them before they are completley discharged isn't a problem

 

[drum of ny]

I am curious if someone can tell me what readings they get with their prodigy and a multimeter. I would like to know what the voltage is with freshly charged batteries and batteries that are at roughly half charge. This is to say if you normally get two hours off one charge, how many volts are you at with one hour left. I would also be curious how this compares to 3.7v cr123a. I would think there would be at least one person with a multimeter and some 3.7v cr123a rechargeables.

 

[gjrhine]

I still do not have my PD but look at the tutorial link in this thread. It tells you how to get a feel for how much charge is left using the multimeter.

 

[F4u5t]

I think i have the same issue with my Prodigy 901 adapter also. it seems like it was losing power just wasn't vapping as well as when i first got the Prodigy . My regular 510 would produce a better hit at times .Now Saturday i got my 901 PT and 510 adapters for both units popped the Prodigy 510 adapter on (didn't have to fiddle with it like the 901 to get proper connection ) took a hit and it blew me away seriously blew me away .The vapor produced on this 510 compared to my 901 is extremely different .Now to the PT the unit did not work out of the package tried on several computers and my Kingston to no avail changed the PT to a 510 config same thing .I then took it apart to find the main red wire is disconnected from solder joint . I do not have soldering skills but have many friends that can fix it will this be OK ?I have emailed on this issue


i am in vapping heaven at the moment with the Prodigy 510 set up love it

 

[Sar]

... This is fairly good tutorial with pics for testing batteries with a multimeter:

Multimeter Tutorial - Voltage ...

Great link, thank you for posting it!

 

[motorcity57]

PT & PRODIGY have arrived, charging batts now. have tried pass-thru works great.
i have pass-thru question, the pass-thru unit is able to spin on the cable, this seems like trouble waiting to happen. i am quite sure if i have the pass-thru spining on the cable eventually i will end up twisting the wires loose from connection. i am tempted to silicone or super-glue where the cable enters the pass-thru housing. any thoughts? i am not going to do any modifications like that until i have recieved some feed-back.

 

[CaSHMeRe]

Hey Motocity ...

Yes, the PT does spin freely. I believe tweeked had an issue that may have stemmed from all the twisting. There is quite a bit of slack within the PT to allow for a good amount of spinning but, yes, solder joints can always come undone if taken to the extreme.

A dot of hot glue or the like should have zero ill effects at the base of where the cable enters the grommet.

Happy to see everything arrived safe and sound motorcity