New to mech mod

[Matrix387k]

sup guys im getting a m16 sentinel and cant wait for it to come in. thing is i have no idea which battery to get.. ive been reading around and a lot of people suggest aw imr 18650s. the efest and panasonic seem to be the same? what do you guys think. and what mah works better for a mech mod?

 

[bacc.vap]

The mah rating is basically a capacity rating, so the higher the rating the longer it will go before needing to be recharged. Get the highest rating you can with the appropriate batteries your looking for. The AW IMR 18650's and the Panasonic CGR18650CH's are what I use and both work very well, the Panasonics do have a higher mah rating so last a bit longer, but I get almost a full day out of either batteries.

 

[Matrix387k]

I heard the higher mAh in a mech mod isnt as good as the lower mAh tho. something abt it firing up slower. im looking for MNKE IMR 18650 but i cant find anyone with it in stock. anyone know where i can get some MNKE IMR 18650?

 

[mr_miles]

MNKE 18650's are my personal favorite for mech mods. They like to put out tons of power, and they last a long time, too.

Here's a link to some so you can read a smidge about them.

MNKE IMR18650 3.7v Li-MN Rechargable Battery - Avid Vaper

*edit* haha, I totally missed your last post until after I posted that. I feel silly.

 

[Racehorse]

If using a mechanical mod, don't forget to buy a multimeter.

and a good charger. Even the best batts will not last if using a crummy charger.

 

[delebit]

You may also want to consider that if you ever want to get into more extreme sub-ohm vaping you buy an appropriate battery for that. I can't really recommend one because I'm generally around 0.8 ohm which is safe enough for me, but perhaps if that's something you'd want to be able to do, someone else has a recommendation. I also definitely agree with Racehorse on the multimeter and charger.

 

[Ryedan]

What resistance coils are you planning to run? Above 1 ohm and you can use any IMR li-ion battery out there. I would not use a ICR li-ion in any device because if they short they can burn. Below about 1 ohm you need to make sure the battery can handle the amp draw with a bit of wiggle room for partial shorts while setting up new coils.

MAh numbers refer to how long the battery will last between charges. Maximum amp discharge numbers refer to how much power the battery can produce in a short amount of time without heating up and becoming dangerous. Typically, the higher the mAh, the lower the amps a battery will be able to produce.

 

[Baditude]

I've compiled an up to date battery resource guide: Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected?

When you feel you are ready to explore RBA/RDAs, read this guide first: Advice & Tips for Vapors Looking into their First RBA

 

[retrox]

You can't go wrong with either MNKE's or AW's. The Panasonic CGR18650CH is a good flat top, and I've had good results with the NCR18650PD as well. If you get the AW's, get the 1600mAh variety. They hold voltage better under load than the 2000 mAh.

Having a good charger is just as important as having a good battery. I recommend either a Pila or Xtar charger. The Nitecore Intellicharger is a good economical choice. You will want to periodically check your batts fresh off the charger to make sure they're not overcharging, so a digital multimeter is a must if you want to ensure maximum battery life. You can also check resistance if you're building your own atomizers.

If you've got the scratch for a premium kit, kill two birds with one stone and pick up an Xtar VP1. It's a precise charger and it shows you the charge on your battery as it's working.

edit: Protip: ALWAYS read through every single link Baditude shows you. Read it all. He'll know if you didn't, and bad things might happen to you.

 

[Matrix387k]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I've been doing research and ya i think im gnna pick up some mkne batteries. i already own a multimeter since im not new to rba. definitely new to mechs but the only concern was batteries for me. i did pick up a cheap charger from china but it has great reviews, who knows if it dosnt work i can always charge it with my evic when im asleep no? haha thanks again i will go through baditude's guides when i get the chance!

 

[retrox]

I would never recommend a cheap charger for any reason at all, but if you have no other choice at least get one of these:

https://rtdvapor.com/online-store/accessories/battery-cases/chargebag-detail

You may find them cheaper elsewhere. At best, a poor charger might shorten the lifespan of your batteries. Use your DMM to make sure it's not charging over 4.25v. If it is, shelf it and get something else. At worst... well, it might cause something to happen that will make you glad you dropped a few extra bucks on a charging bag.

Be safe and I hope you enjoy your new mech!

 

[hrag100]

Nicenice.. keep the work up

 

[Matrix387k]

You can't go wrong with either MNKE's or AW's. The Panasonic CGR18650CH is a good flat top, and I've had good results with the NCR18650PD as well. If you get the AW's, get the 1600mAh variety. They hold voltage better under load than the 2000 mAh.

Having a good charger is just as important as having a good battery. I recommend either a Pila or Xtar charger. The Nitecore Intellicharger is a good economical choice. You will want to periodically check your batts fresh off the charger to make sure they're not overcharging, so a digital multimeter is a must if you want to ensure maximum battery life. You can also check resistance if you're building your own atomizers.

If you've got the scratch for a premium kit, kill two birds with one stone and pick up an Xtar VP1. It's a precise charger and it shows you the charge on your battery as it's working.

edit: Protip: ALWAYS read through every single link Baditude shows you. Read it all. He'll know if you didn't, and bad things might happen to you.

ive been looking for the aw 1600 mah batteries but they seem to be harder to find now a days or at least for a decent price. everyone is selling the 2000 mah. haha I'll definitely check the charge, anything under 4.25V and i should be golden yes?

 

[jamespcrew]

I'm sure the links Baditude posted have the information in them, but be sure not to drain the batteries too much either. An APV will stop working and say your battery is dead. With a mech mod, you will have to know when it gets too low to operate safely because there is no circuitry that is going to turn the mod off or tell you when it's "dead".

AW IMR18650s have the highest amp draw (that I've seen) and if you want to build sub-ohm coils, you will NEED to get a battery that can handle the amp draw that the coil needs. I only have one good battery (an eFest IMR18650) and it works for what I need it to do at the moment. As some people said, poor quality chargers may reduce the life of your battery. The only charger I have available right now is the brandless charger that came with my K100 kit and I'm almost positive the life of my battery has gotten shorter with just 6-7 charge cycles.

 

[Baditude]

ive been looking for the aw 1600 mah batteries but they seem to be harder to find now a days or at least for a decent price. everyone is selling the 2000 mah.

AW IMR18650 1600mAh LiMN rechargeable lithium battery

AW IMR 18650 1600mah battery

AW IMR 18650 3.7V 1600mAh Li-Mn Rechargeable Battery - Gulf Coast Vapor

AW IMR 18650 3.7v 1600mAh

 

[retrox]

Yeah, we're having some issues here in the States with getting batteries from China lately. Hong Kong Post is cracking down on airmail. The drought will surely pass, but for now mech users are scrambling to get high-amp batteries from wherever they can. Just hang in there, get what you can, and things will be back to normal soon. The 2000mAh AW's will work fine, you can always upgrade later if you want.

Air-mail ban on lithium batteries sparks complaints | South China Morning Post

I like my batteries to come off the charger at 4.19v to ensure maximum lifespan, but you can only achieve that with a higher-end precision charger like the Pila or Xtar VP1. 4.25v is the extreme upper limit of what I would consider acceptable for a full charge. Your batteries will be fine as long as they never exceed that, but you're not likely to get as many charge cycles out of them as you should.

 

[retrox]

AW IMR18650s have the highest amp draw (that I've seen) and if you want to build sub-ohm coils, you will NEED to get a battery that can handle the amp draw that the coil needs.

Sony and Efest both have a 30 amp battery available (AW's are rated at 20 amps continuous). Well, they're on the market at least. As far as availability, good luck.

 

[jamespcrew]

Yeah, I believe my Efest IMR18650 is rated at 10 amps and, according to calculators, the lowest resistance coil I can safely operate is ~1.3ohms.

 

[Matrix387k]

I just saw a pair of efest 1500mah going for about 15 bucks. good deal? or should i splurge and go for a mnke or aw for 15 bucks each. hmmm. those 1600 batteries are intriguing too !

so what do you guys think between the 3: pair of efest 1500mah, mnke, or the aw 1600mah from Gulf Coast Vapor above ^.

edit: i didnt see the amp rating for the efest 1500mah in baditude's guide was wondering if any1 knew the amp rating for that? I might not be going under .5 ohms but better safe than sorry.

 

[retrox]

A lot of people swear by and use the Efest (that 18650 is 10A), but I'm not one of them. That's not to say they're not good batteries, I'd just rather spend a little extra on AW's or MNKE's because there's plenty of headroom for spikes while dealing with micro-shorts on ss mesh wick setups and the like. I will be trying out the new Efest 30A batts (when I can find some), but there is very little data on them out there at the moment.

Bear in mind that AW doesn't make batteries. AW's are actually just rebranded Panasonics. AW only tests them and identifies cells that are of the highest quality manufacture. And when one is holding such a high-capacity, high-discharge lithium battery so close to one's face, I believe it is in one's best interest to not fudge on quality.