Official ProVari 3 Thread - P3

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copperpot

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I will not be clogging the check-out lanes tomorrow. This is difficult for me but I am going to wait for more color choices. I have a preference for bronze [the color not the friend of Robino1, though I am certain that he is a gentleman, scholar and an overall fine human being]. As I write this, I realize that I may weaken and go for the black.

Stay strong in your resolve!
I'll wait with you for the release of a bronze P3.
(either that, or we both buy a black one whilst we wait)
 

jimho

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Ok folks, need a little guidance. Picked up a P3 last weekend, and it performs as expected with one serious concern...it eats batteries! Boost mode is OFF. Fully charged VTC5 only gets me 6-7 hours of vape time @ 20w. I can put the same fully charged battery in a DNA30 or SX350 device, using the same atty & coil, and run 15-16 hours. Is there something wrong, or is this normal?

20w is the maximum a P3 can operate so you're working that battery pretty hard in a Provari. Maybe try a different brand like an AW and see if you get different results.

My bets would be that there's nothing wrong with the P3, but there's something wrong with your other devices. I'd put money on the fact that you're getting 20W from the P3, but under load the DNA30 or SX350 might not be reaching 20W.


Don't know but I don't vape at 20 watts either. My vtc4 lasts from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00-midnight before needing recharged.

This makes for a great discussion - think a bit deeper -

20W is what's measured across the atty or the OUTPUT of the P3- that's not the same amount of power that's being drawn from the battery which is also dependent on the amount of boost (not just the boost feature but the voltage boost from battery voltage to whatever voltage you need to get to 20W output) ... Boosting voltage consumes energy. The more voltage boost, the more current you're going to draw and expend to raise the voltage.. meaning any regulated mod will be less efficient the more it boosts.


Start with ohm's law - P=V2/R or V= √ (PxR)

So 20W across 1 ohm would need √20= 4.47V (let's call it 4.5V)
and 20W across 1.8 ohms would need √36=6V

Now assume your battery is at a healthy 3.7V- boost is only .8V with 1 ohm and it's 2.3V at 1.8 ohms

And the more you drain your battery ( when your battery drops from 3.8v to 3.6v or 3.5V)., the more voltage boost you need to maintain any given power level and the less efficient the circuit is.

Look up specs on any buck-boost circuit and you'll find a chart that shows how efficiency drops as you reach the top of the boost curve.


This hit me earlier today- I rebuilt my coil to 1.1 ohm from 1.8 at around 11AM and I've been on the same battery now for over 6 hours with 33% left. While I've been vaping less today, it hasn't been that much less.

Net: boosting voltage comes at a cost and the higher the output voltage, the less efficient the circuit becomes.
This explains why the boost feature seems to hit the battery hard and it explains to me why my 1.8 builds have been less efficient than I had hoped.


@KY_Rob -
What's your atty look like? I tested 18490's (1100mAh) in the P3 against the VaporShark (DNA30) which has an 1100mAh LiPo in it with a 1.8 build- no discernable difference- both lasted about 1/2 an hour of chain vaping.- I don't know what normal is and I wasn't happy about it but I accepted it on the P3 because I had pretty much the same result on the DNA30. The only rationalization I have is above.


In working through this, I also realized the highest atty you can run at 20W is 1.8 ohms- not a bad thing just another variable you need to keep in mind when you build.
 

AstroTurf

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Happy to be... Not Smoking!!!
Stay strong in your resolve!
I'll wait with you for the release of a bronze P3.
(either that, or we both buy a black one whilst we wait)

I think a Black P3 is in my future...

Would prefer Ti, but alas, I'll wait on that one.

Jim
 

jimho

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Sorry for the late response, it's been pretty hectic the last few days, and I'm behind on my forum reading...Getting ready for the big party coming up. BTW: You all are invited. :)

Those specs should be just fine, but does the cell have a protection circuit installed? If not, the issue is it is an unprotected cell using the lithium chemistry that is not as safe as the high drain lithium chemistry. According to Panasonic it should have a protection circuit on it.

:banana:

For some reason the dancing banana always makes me smile


I love a party- especially with dancing bananas :)

I always trust your advice but need to double check this - especially because I know you guys are busy-

My understanding from Orbtronic as we were talking about back here
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cial-provari-3-thread-p3-86.html#post14559825 and as discussed at length here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/batteries-chargers/469979-panasonic-ncr18650pf.html is that the Orbtronic PD18650 is the same cell (NCR18650PF), rewrapped with a button top- and of course we don't need no stinkin button top any more ....

That's not the standard HighDrian chemistry, it's Hybrid IMR .....and the PF is just an updated version of the NCR18650PDsooo... if we need the protection circuit on the PF's we need them on the rewrapped orbitronics as well....

I know it's confusing with Panasonic because they also have an NCR18650B which is HighDrain but not Hybrid IMR.


I know there's a version from Orbtronics with a protection board welded on the bottom but are we sure it's necessary given we're putting it in a P3 or is it more of a belt and suspenders solution that would be more relevant for a mech device?
 

DPLongo22

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I'm weak getting the satin tomorrow.

You've been more than patient (get the black!).

I kinda like having the button top. I can tell by feel which way the battery goes. No button top? I will have to put glasses on to see which way it goes. (I assume and we all know what that means :rolleyes: ) ;)

Mmm hmmm. :(
 

rbrylawski

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Bump for an answer to this please ... it's one of the reasons I'm on the fence.

Updates on my iPhone I can do ... updates on my Provari :(


Sent via iPhone

No, we can't do updates ourselves (maybe in the P4?) but I'll need to check with my local vape shop where I bought my P3 to see if they will be doing them. If they won't be doing them, this is one thing that may not be so great as I'd then need to send my P3 across the country to Seattle for an update. And then I'd have to be without my P3, which would make me sad. Yes, sad indeed. Fortunately, if the only thing version 36 does is make my P3 remember different light settings in the programmable settings mode, it's not really that important to me as I don't use different tops, so I don't have different settings and even if I did, I wouldn't likely change the light output level even if I did.

Still, one wants their beloved to have the most up to date programming, right?
 

DPLongo22

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No, we can't do updates ourselves (maybe in the P4?) but I'll need to check with my local vape shop where I bought my P3 to see if they will be doing them. If they won't be doing them, this is one thing that may not be so great as I'd then need to send my P3 across the country to Seattle for an update. And then I'd have to be without my P3, which would make me sad. Yes, sad indeed. Fortunately, if the only thing version 36 does is make my P3 remember different light settings in the programmable settings mode, it's not really that important to me as I don't use different tops, so I don't have different settings and even if I did, I wouldn't likely change the light output level even if I did.

Still, one wants their beloved to have the most up to date programming, right?

So three years of vaping in which I've managed to NEVER ONCE set foot inside a single vape shop, but if I end up springing for a P3 that streak must be broken?

(sigh)

Decisions, decisions...
 

Robino1

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So three years of vaping in which I've managed to NEVER ONCE set foot inside a single vape shop, but if I end up springing for a P3 that streak must be broken?

(sigh)

Decisions, decisions...

Nope! Just send it in for an update. Think of it as sending your beloved to a spa for a few days. ProVape has amazing turn around time. ;)
 

jimho

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So three years of vaping in which I've managed to NEVER ONCE set foot inside a single vape shop, but if I end up springing for a P3 that streak must be broken?

(sigh)

Decisions, decisions...

No... you can still send back to Provape..... but there are good vape shops out there...and I know there are two within a few miles of where you live.
 
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