New P18 owner - some concerns

[Arthur Hucksake]

Hi there,

Yesterday I got a shiny new P18 but I have some questions / issues, just wondered if anyone could help.

I first suspected that I had an issue with airflow and how tight the draw was. The vapour production and hit wasn't on par with my Megalodon using a IMR High drain battery.

I charged up a AW 2900mah for use in the P18, having a few issues where I had to switch the o-ring for a smaller one and then remove the washer so it would fire and not fire when placed upright on the desk.

Problem now is, to get good contact I do need the washer in but it fires when stood up.

But to me, the draw and hit just feels wimpier than using the IMR High drain. (I switched washers and stuff, now using the high drain)

I suspect it might be a contact issue, at the bottom of the AW 2900mah are three small studs. Have no idea what they are for, but it seems to get in the way of the battery surface making good contact with the 4 pronged pin.

Are you safe to sand these down?

Just cannot work out why a £3 battery is outperforming one which set me back £20. Just glad it wasn't related to airflow which was one my point of call.

These AW 2900mahs are overated. Say after 6 hrs use, the draw was even worse (as expected) but I never imagined it would be so drastically worse. The lowly 1400 mah IMRs would still be acceptable after 6 hrs use so something isn't right here.

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

Would it harm to have the battery negative side up? Because then the bottom studs will no longer be an issue.

 

[Maz]

Nope, makes no difference what way up the battery goes

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

Ello Maz lol

Shameful bit of copy pasting as you can see.

This smaller 1400 mah high drain is still pumping out better vapour than the 2900mah ever did, so it has to be a contact issue.

 

[RedAlert]

I just got my P18 yesterday as well. The draw is tight, do to the recessed atty connection, but I kind of like it that way. As for the batts, I'm using the 2600 mah AW, and I to had to put a smaller O ring in the body and remove the one washer that was preinstaled to keep it from firing when standing up, but it hits like a beast to me. I tried the AW IMR, and I can not tell a difference at all between the two. And the 2600 is still cranking after 11 hours, where as my IMRs feel flat after 6-7 hours. The three bumps are for when the batteries are stacked in the flashight world. I did notice the switch post only hits one of the bumps and not dead center, but it has not caused any issues for me. I believe the bumps are the cause of having to remove the washer to prevent firing

 

[forcedfuel50]

I guess the first thing i always suspect when there is a problem is the battery, followed by the atomiser or unit. If you are only getting a few hours of vape time on the 2900mah, something isn't right (as you already know).

-Are you able to check what voltage the battery is at when it comes off the charger (it should be approx. 4.2) and what the voltage is when it it starts falling off so soon? It may explain the weaker hit and short life.

- On the tight draw, clean out down in the well/post were the atomizer screws in. Use soap, hot water and a toothbrush. I send them out with Noalox down in there to keep the brass center post from corroding during shipping. It gets alll goey and can impede air flow. Second, make sure the atomizer center post hasn't been shoved way up in. The Precise uses a solid non-floating center pin and it is immovable, so if you tighten an atomizer too tight, it'll shove it up in there and that can limit airflow (it can also short out if it goes up in there too far)


-I would recommend running the AW 2600mah, it's a shorter battery then the 2900mah and you can run one thick Oring. If you run the AW IMR, run two thick Orings.

 

[forcedfuel50]

I forgot to mention, removing the washer(s) from the switch was the right thing to do as the washers are intended to be removed or added depending on your throw preference and which type of battery you are running as some batteries are longer and some shorter.

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

Thanks for a quick reply.

I guess what I meant with regards to the 2900mah, they are stupidly wimpy after 6 hrs where as a 1400mah High drain isn't.

Atomizers fit perfectly and draw perfect, it's just cartos that are having some bother. Atleast I thought they were till I realised the battery was acting up.

Charging the battery up again, maybe I hammered it heavy last night and didn't realise how much. Will see how it fares on a second charge.

 

[MagnusEunson]

I guess what I meant with regards to the 2900mah, they are stupidly wimpy after 6 hrs where as a 1400mah High drain isn't.

That's just too wimpy though.. if you have access to a multimeter make sure they come off the charger at 4.1/4.2v. And then when you notice them start to drop check the voltage too. In terms of figuring out the voltage off the mod due to bad connections you can do that as well but it appears you've inverted the battery to solve that suspect problem.

It's entirely possible you got a defective 2900mAh battery. I haven't had anything close to your experience w/ that short of a runtime w/ relation to my IMRs at half that capacity. -Magnus

 

[dspin]

Batts should be changed out when they drop to around 3.9 anyway. Performance drops then. I get around 12 hrs on a brand new AW 2900, after a couple months drops to 8, then 6. I do stress my batteries though, only LR 1.5 attys are ever used. With the IMR's 3 hrs max, before changing out. Then that drops to around 2 hrs after a couple months. Just sayin. Also don't alter batteries

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

12 hrs? I got nowhere near that off the first charge. Don't have a multimeter to hand though.

Second charge is going on now, have to see how it fares.

 

[forcedfuel50]

12 hrs? I got nowhere near that off the first charge. Don't have a multimeter to hand though.

Second charge is going on now, have to see how it fares.

Thats another point, you do want to charge/discharge batteries a few times before they accept max charge. Often, you can take a new battery put it on the charger and it'll "read" fully charged in short order, but use it a few times and it will take much longer to take on a full charge and last longer.

Also, i'd highly recommend a multimeter to voltage test them, otherwise one just ends up speculating what is going on with their batteries.

 

[Lisaf01]

Hi, I am concerned that you are having issues with your P18 and batteries, Arthur, I specifically recommend the 2900mAh NNP battery because it simply out-performs every other battery out there and the P18 arrives in the best/most usual configuration for this battery without fiddling with the o-rings or washers.
The dimples on the negative side of the battery are there so that better contact is made in some flashlights, and they shouldn't interfere with the contact within the P18 at all because contact is made in the middle of them, but as you've found, you can invert the battery if you wish.
I find that a little tiny bit of noalox on the top side of the spring where it meets the underside of the casing can help with performance but I'd say either your battery wasn't fully charged, or you were hitting it a lot more than you thought you were, or perhaps even you had a short in the atty/carto you were using - hard to say as there are so many variables, but you really should be noticing twice the life out of the NNP 2900mAh 18650 compared to an IMR (and I am referring to the AW IMR, not the unbranded ones).

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

Recharging the AW 2900mah now, been charge this morning since 11 and it's just done.

The way this battery fits, use one of the smaller o-rings. If I remove the washer from the switch, the button is at a proper stretch to touch the battery. It makes contact and fires but it's a reach. If I add one washer, it then fires when the P18 is placed upright on the desk. My only solution is to turn the battery positive end aiming downwards.

It's the three small studs at the bottom of the battery causing it. The prong on the switch doesn't correctly fit inbtween the dimples on this battery to touch the main surface so it's only the studs touching to fire.

When I got the P18 it had a thick inner o-ring and one washer. No way the battery would screw in there without some real force on the top cap, didn't want to push it.

Will the positive end facing downward effect the conductivity of the P18?

 

[Lisaf01]

Really doesn't make any difference if you prefer to use the battery the other way around. The only mods you need to be careful with battery orientation really are the electrical ones.
By the way, there should be a little bit of force required on the cap to get it down the last quarter turn or so. This means the battery is in there nice and solid with no movement. I have never altered the o-ring or washers in mine ('cept to test different batts) and I always use the 2900mAh battery but occasionally, one might want to use the slightly thinner o-ring as you say.

 

[forcedfuel50]

Recharging the AW 2900mah now, been charge this morning since 11 and it's just done.

The way this battery fits, use one of the smaller o-rings. If I remove the washer from the switch, the button is at a proper stretch to touch the battery. It makes contact and fires but it's a reach. If I add one washer, it then fires when the P18 is placed upright on the desk. My only solution is to turn the battery positive end aiming downwards.

It's the three small studs at the bottom of the battery causing it. The prong on the switch doesn't correctly fit inbtween the dimples on this battery to touch the main surface so it's only the studs touching to fire.

When I got the P18 it had a thick inner o-ring and one washer. No way the battery would screw in there without some real force on the top cap, didn't want to push it.

Will the positive end facing downward effect the conductivity of the P18?

As shipped, i set them up and test fire them with the AW2600mah, the AW 2900mah is a bit longer and sometimes necessitates removing the pre-installed .100 thick Oring and replacing it with the included .070 thick Oring, which you did.

On the switch throw, it sounds like with the washer removed, the throw is a bit too long for your liking and with it installed, it's a bit too short. I used to have some washers that were half the thickness of the ones that come with your kit, which would probably end up just perfect for you, but i don't have any of those. You may want to try your local hardware store, or if you are ambitious, you could file/ sand one down as they are soft brass.

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

I'm sure i've got a pack of washers of allsorts of sizes somewhere. Will need to hunt for it.

It's crazy, there's probably about a single 1mm in it that's causing the button to fire.

Well, the second battery charge time was a darn site longer than the first. My lungs need a rest for now. Got vaper's OCD, constantly dragging to see if the vapour production is right. lol

 

[Lisaf01]

Worth lowering your nic.

 

[Arthur Hucksake]

Worth lowering your nic.

Wisdom is often gathered after the fact. This being dizzyness, shakes. Doh!!!

 

[forcedfuel50]

Wisdom is often gathered after the fact. This being dizzyness, shakes. Doh!!!

I think i see a resemblance here: