Provari mini problem

[Kasanova]

Its not the batteries or the spring. Its the way they engineered the board. The board is so safe that its cuts power on the battery at 3.6-3.8 volts. No matter what you do, change springs, new battery cap, cleaning it daily, remove battery and re-insert it, etc. it will still cut the power at 3.6-3.8 volts. If you buy a true battery meter, you will see what I am talking about. I have dealt with it for 2 years now.

 

[oplholik]

I know that mine cuts off at 3.59v. But now when this is happening, I've had a battery in there that still checks at 3.8 or a little higher.

 

[WillyZee]

None of mine cut out at 3.6-3.8

3.3-3.5 is where mine start flashing


Sent via iPhone

 

[oplholik]

I pulled out the spring a bit more today, and so far it has not cut out on me, I'm thinking that this is a temp fix tho. If that board is loose a little, the extra pressure on it isn't gonna be good for it.

 

[ENAUD]

None of mine cut out at 3.6-3.8

3.3-3.5 is where mine start flashing


Sent via iPhone

Hey Willie, is that tested with the ProVari, under load, or separately without a load? The only reason I ask is out is curiosity, I just had a V2 start flashing, and when I checked the battery without a load, it was at 3.67V. The battery is not new, is an AW, and has been used in rotation with eight other 18500 size for maybe a year, I really don't know how long. When I popped it back into the ProVari it measured voltage at 3.5/3.6 flashing back and forth, and the light stopped flashing. Now after about a dozen hits, it has settled to 3.5V and no light flashing. I guess I'll be giving this one a really good cleaning tomorrow...

 

[Ca Ike]

New batteries do have a bit of a break in period where they can have a large voltage drop under load the first few charges. My AWs took about 3 recharges to settle in and my 25rs took 7 when new. It varies from cell to cell but I always wait at least 10 charge cycles before condemning a batt or device. It's an old habit from my r/c hobby

 

[WillyZee]

whether under load or not ... I've never had one start flashing above 3.5

 

[Zen~]

I just had a V2 start flashing, and when I checked the battery without a load, it was at 3.67V. The battery is not new, is an AW, and has been used in rotation with eight other 18500 size for maybe a year, I really don't know how long.

IMR battery Chemistry has a shelf life, and you're pretty much at it... Change to fresh batteries and the problem should go away, the symptom you're experiencing is what happens when the batteries internal impedance rises... And that rise is coming from age. The higher the internal impedance, the less run time you're going to get on a ProVari... this is good, your battery monitoring is telling you something!

Also, somebody in this thread mentioned using Noalox... Noalox is meant for use on ALUMINUM, and ONLY aluminum, not stainless steel (no matter what Pbusardo says). On a stainless device use sanchem no-ox-ID A special... somebody ELSE mentioned this, and I agree... it's the best thing out there for insuring a good ground path through threads. ProVape does have sanchem NO-OX on the site.

 

[Zen~]

whether under load or not ... I've never had one start flashing above 3.5

I have had them do this with:
1) Crappy Batteries (E-fest and EH Pro and other low-grade IMR cells... sorry to anybody using these, they are not great batteries)
2) Crappy Battery (Older than 6-8 months)
3) Crappy Battery (A quality battery that has been punished with extreme loads in mechanical devices)

So yeah, if you have any of the iterations of crappy batteries I mentioned, plus probably some others I forgot... The battery will "flash out" (this means go blinky blinky) prematurely. The ProVari KNOWS the condition of the battery and will not be fooled but something as meaningless as the unloaded voltage. The ProVari ONLY cares how much current can be delivered safely, and charge voltage isn't an indicator of that.

 

[zapped]

Anyone have a good tip to get those springs in there solidly?

Last time I changed one I used the back end of a butter knife to press it into the recess and it seemed to do the trick...... after some trial and error.

 

[stevegmu]

I turn them like I'm screwing them in, rather the pressing them down...

 

[Zen~]

Anyone have a good tip to get those springs in there solidly?

Last time I changed one I used the back end of a butter knife to press it into the recess and it seemed to do the trick...... after some trial and error.

The receptacle for the spring is actually finely threaded, if you turn the spring it will go in a little easier. When in doubt, use the tip of a nail-file to depress the spring wire into the recess.

 

[ENAUD]

IMR battery Chemistry has a shelf life, and you're pretty much at it... Change to fresh batteries and the problem should go away, the symptom you're experiencing is what happens when the batteries internal impedance rises... And that rise is coming from age. The higher the internal impedance, the less run time you're going to get on a ProVari... this is good, your battery monitoring is telling you something!

Also, somebody in this thread mentioned using Noalox... Noalox is meant for use on ALUMINUM, and ONLY aluminum, not stainless steel (no matter what Pbusardo says). On a stainless device use sanchem no-ox-ID A special... somebody ELSE mentioned this, and I agree... it's the best thing out there for insuring a good ground path through threads. ProVape does have sanchem NO-OX on the site.

When I have a questionable cell I mark them with a sharpie, at some point I run them down on a smart charger at 1amp load and check them every couple of minutes to see how much they can deliver before dropping below 3.5-3.6V under load. If I'm being lazy I just run them through a discharge / charge cycle and look at the Mah numbers, Some of which is never able to be used by a ProVari, as my chargers run them down to 3.0V.

Those cap screws sometimes the spring screws right into the cap, others I coerce into the seat with a mini flat blade screwdriver, working the wire into the recess while holding the spring with hemostats.

 

[MonsterKenny]

I have had them do this with:
1) Crappy Batteries (E-fest and EH Pro and other low-grade IMR cells... sorry to anybody using these, they are not great batteries)
2) Crappy Battery (Older than 6-8 months)
3) Crappy Battery (A quality battery that has been punished with extreme loads in mechanical devices)

So yeah, if you have any of the iterations of crappy batteries I mentioned, plus probably some others I forgot... The battery will "flash out" (this means go blinky blinky) prematurely. The ProVari KNOWS the condition of the battery and will not be fooled but something as meaningless as the unloaded voltage. The ProVari ONLY cares how much current can be delivered safely, and charge voltage isn't an indicator of that.

Exactly what Zen said.. Hey btw bud.

As for the spring, i found the easiest way is to use the end of a marker or pen. Push and twist. Goes right in.

Ken

 

[AngiBe]

Maybe a dumb suggestion or already tried, but I also clean the contacts on the batteries themselves. They can collect juice junk on them as well.

 

[Zen~]

Maybe a dumb suggestion or already tried, but I also clean the contacts on the batteries themselves. They can collect juice junk on them as well.

They sure can! And when they do, it raises hell with the low battery indicator.

 

[magman007]

board wobble was a problem I had for a while, I am sure its not provape approved, but I just wedged a piece of cardboard in there to hold it in place. Worked well for a few months until the cardboard dislodged. I was noticing very "empty" hits like I was only getting 3v for part of it while the board jiggled. I have beat the crap out of my provari, never cleaned the bottom spring or internal contact, and only occasionally the 510 contact would get cleaned, and it always performed like a champ.

Its going back today, unless zen wants to try and shove a dna200 in the ol tube. I realize the packaging of a provari tube probably does not lend to DNA adaption.