New Here quick mech question

[Trashman0521]

Just thought I'd make a post to introduce myself. New to this forum but have been vaping probably 3 years or so now. Just getting into mechs and would like to ask what's considered safe in terms of battery drain? If I have a 30A battery should I be aiming to stay in the 20-25A range? How much of a buffer should I leave between the battery's suggested CDR and what amperage I'll have with my build?

 

[sonicbomb]

Firstly make sure your calculations and measurements are correct and you are positive what your true amp draw at peak charge is.
Make sure you can trust the CDR of the battery you are using, and that it is a genuine cell. There are plenty of batteries that have performance numbers on them that are works of fiction. What 30 amp battery are you using?

It's always a good idea not to push a battery too hard, for safety reasons and to prolong it's lifespan.
CDR=continuous discharge rate. So ideally this is the amp draw that the battery can sustain continuously all the way down to flat without overheating (Mooch sets this level at 100 degrees C).
As long as you are careful you can run a battery at CDR, though as stated the harder you push a battery the sooner it will wear out.
Bear in mind that the CDR of a battery will decrease with use and age.

Some useful reading material

List of Battery Tests | E-Cigarette Forum

Understanding Battery Capability/Capacity | E-Cigarette Forum

Battery Safety | E-Cigarette Forum

Ohms/Watts Law - Calculating safe amp usage | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[icepickmaker84]

I try to leave 3-5a for a buffer, I check my builds on a regulated mod before using on a mech.

 

[G and C]

I would never expect anyone else to follow my guidelines, but I won't use a mech unless I'm half or below the batteries limits. Which is rarely, rarely a problem for me since I pull like 2-3 amps on my MTL setup.

 

[BrotherBob]

Just getting into mechs

Welcome and glad you joined.
Might like to read:
mech_starter_guide - electronic_cigarette
(8) A Beginner's Guide to Your First Mechanical Mod | E-Cigarette Forum
Mech Mods
why do people choose a mech over regulated?
(15) Inexpensive Mechanical Mod/RDA Setup | E-Cigarette Forum
Mech mods exploding: history repeating, with no end in sight
Tobeco Volt Meter
Mech mods & RBAs: Basic to advanced user guide: Pts. one & two | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[Hawise]

There's no absolute rule for how far below the CDR you should stay. @G and C isn't the only one who sticks to 50%, but some do go a fair bit higher. They key points are to remember that your CDR will deteriorate with time, sometimes quite considerably, and to be sure your CDR is accurate.

On that point, are you familiar with Mooch's work? He's our resident battery guru. You can find his blog here, or if you're looking for battery recommendations, you can go straight here. He tests a wide variety of cells to confirm their performance and CDR. Since there are serious problems with both delusional ratings and counterfeit batteries, his work is very valuable. He also maintains a list of reliable suppliers (it's in the blue row of the recommended battery charts), and sticking to them can really reduce your risk of winding up with a counterfeit battery.

 

[Trashman0521]

Thanks for the info. Yes I'm familiar with mooch actually messaged the mooch FB page with this same question just to get an answer from someone. I have no 30A batteries at the moment but just threw that out there as an example. Got me the Kennedy vindicator 28mm kit and have been looking at mooch's list for 21700 batteries. Gonna read up on some of those links to see if there's anything else about mechs I didn't know. Tried to make sure I read up on them as much as I could before I decided to get one.

 

[sonicbomb]

Be safe, be informed. Any other questions feel free to ask them.

 

[dripster]

If I have a 30A battery should I be aiming to stay in the 20-25A range? How much of a buffer should I leave between the battery's suggested CDR and what amperage I'll have with my build?

There is no typical round cell that, when fully charged to 4.2 volts, can deliver 4.2 volts to the coil build in a single battery mech excepting only if the coil build in question has such a huge resistance that it would be impossible to get any vapor out of it. Due to the DC internal resistance of the battery, there will be voltage sag so the volts delivered to the coil build in a single battery mech will be 4.2 volts minus the voltage sag. So, by entering 4.2 volts into the Ohm's Law equation, there is already a buffer having been already factored in, conveniently, for those looking to switch from a regulated mod to a mech (single battery mech, that is).

This isn't to say you can't add an extra buffer for additional safety. You most certainly can. But the recommended starting point, i.e., always recommended by Mooch for those who ask "How much is safe?", is to stay at or below the true CDR, which, to be real accurate, is the CDR reported by Mooch in his battery test results, of the battery you select for vaping. Finally, I highly recommend that you watch Mooch's videos on his personal YouTube channel, where he goes by the name of Battery Mooch. There's several episodes going into further related specifics about battery safety including for mech users. For example, Ep02 of Minding Your mAhs videos covers this particular topic for mech users.