Pico Cell Help

[Digiray]

Hi all

So I have my eleaf Pico and I like it a lot, it's a great little machine, it's my 1st mod so don't really have much to compare it to, but it's great.

When I got it, I got 2 VTC5's with an external charger. Seemed the ideal cell for it as they are rated 30A cells and the Pico draws 25A.

I usually vape on the 0.3 coils at 30-32 W (so basically at the minimum the coil is rated for, witch is between 30-50W). But my VTC5's don't seem to last long. I get about 5-6 hours out of it and then have to swap the battery out. On the actual device, the battery level shows as full, but it starts saying Weak Battery, Device too hot, Atomizer low (only does this when the battery is starting to die) and eventually the battery icon changes to an empty battery.

My question is: is that normal? Or is there a better battery out there that someone could recommend for the Pico? If I used 0.5 coils at 20W, would it last longer?

Thanks in advance

 

[Mooch]

At those low power levels you can easily switch to the 3000mAh Sony VTC6, Samsung 30Q, or LG HG2. Vaping at a lower power level definitely increases your vaping time though as you're drawing less current from the battery.

The VTC5 is a 20A battery.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Just because a coil recommends a certain range of watts does not mean that you can't enjoy at a lower wattage. I too vape the ec .3 coil but no where near the watts you are. And it is still a great vape. My battery almost never gets too hot either unless I am chain vaping.

 

[Digiray]

At those low power levels you can easily switch to the 3000mAh Sony VTC6, Samsung 30Q, or LG HG2. Vaping at a lower power level definitely increases your vaping time though as you're drawing less current from the battery.

The VTC5 is a 20A battery.

Oh, I thought the VTC5 was a 30A... could that be the reason for my low battery life? I'm thinking of going towards a pair of Samsung 30Q's and leave the VTC5's as backups...

Just because a coil recommends a certain range of watts does not mean that you can't enjoy at a lower wattage. I too vape the ec .3 coil but no where near the watts you are. And it is still a great vape. My battery almost never gets too hot either unless I am chain vaping.

I'm quite a chain vaper, specially after 2 or 3 drinks... what W do you vape your .3 at? My juice is 70-30 PG-VG, so would say 15W be ok? Would battery last longer?

Thanks for your replys guys

 

[Izan]

Battery sourcing in the EU is a bit hit and miss.
I have used and recommend: NKON | eu.nkon.nl

Cheers
I

 

[DaveP]

What Mooch said.

You are getting voltage sag as the battery begins to move to low charge levels. That's why it displays mid range battery indicator levels, but starts to give you various messages as the voltage drops during a hit.

You either get high MAH or high amps from a battery. High MAH ratings increase vaping time. High amps allows higher wattage vaping, but MAH decreases as amp ratings climb. You get longer vaping time from a battery with higher MAH ratings and a CDR that meets the needs of your wattage and amp draw.

I vape LG HG2's in my iStick Pico at 10W to 12W on a 1.5 ohm or .5 ohm coil, depending on whether my 10 turn coil is Kanthal or SS316L. 8 hours is about all I get at that level before the battery dies. Once it starts to show half battery levels it's on the way to empty in a hurry.

 

[Joergl100]

@Izan: Yes, NKON is really great!

 

[Digiray]

So I gather my best bet would be to get the Samsung 30Q's and the new Eleaf ECR head and make my own coils at 0.75/1 ohm or stick with the 0.3's and just vape at lower W... I'll try at 15W and see how I get on for now, until I get the 30Q's...

 

[DaveP]

So I gather my best bet would be to get the Samsung 30Q's and the new Eleaf ECR head and make my own coils at 0.75/1 ohm or stick with the 0.3's and just vape at lower W... I'll try at 15W and see how I get on for now, until I get the 30Q's...

I'd say vape at the lowest wattage that's satisfying to get longer charge life. I carry a spare battery any time I leave the house because I've gotten caught out longer than I thought. Most of the time I don't need it, but it's good to have a spare. I also carry a 10ml needle tip bottle of juice, just in case.

I bought a couple of small hard shell zipper cases with a belt clip from a vendor. I keep one in the glove box loaded with a spare battery and the juice bottle just in case.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Oh, I thought the VTC5 was a 30A... could that be the reason for my low battery life? I'm thinking of going towards a pair of Samsung 30Q's and leave the VTC5's as backups...



I'm quite a chain vaper, specially after 2 or 3 drinks... what W do you vape your .3 at? My juice is 70-30 PG-VG, so would say 15W be ok? Would battery last longer?

Thanks for your replys guys

Yes 15 W is ok, depending on how your ejuice tastes at that level. I totally concur with DaveP in his posts with you. When starting a new coil, I prime with ejuice and put the watts down to 8-9 and take a couple of tokes then turn it up. Most often, I am somewhere around 10W. Then in a day or so, or when I feel I could get better flavor, I up the watts to around 12 or a little more. I find this also helps the coils to last a bit longer.

I too use the ECR's and love em. Change the cotton after a few days(only takes a min or two) and quickly dry burn the gunk(if any) off and I am good for another week or so.

I also recommend getting a 2nd mod to keep in rotation. If you are able to do that, it will be beneficial to your daily routines by not stressing one device out. If the one you are using is getting a little hot, just switch to the other. This affords you a little variety in the daily ejuices also. I find that variety is truly whats keeps me interested and I don't tire so quickly of just one ejuice.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.