Question about tricking provari battery for longer use.

[jozbaldwin]

Sometime ago I realised that once my provari led started flashing to indicate an empty battery I could (in emergency cases) just unscrew the battery cap and reinsert it, the led stopped flashing this way and I would get a good 3 or 4 more hours of use, my question is, could this be bad for the battery or the provari itself?

 

[A17kawboy]

What do your battery voltage levels show when the light starts blinking and then after the 3 or 4 hours additional use?

 

[jozbaldwin]

What do your battery voltage levels show when the light starts blinking and then after the 3 or 4 hours additional use?

about 3.2volts

 

[A17kawboy]

about 3.2volts

Before AND after the "tricking"?

 

[jozbaldwin]

Before AND after the "tricking"?

thats after, havent checked it before the tricking, when it starts to slowly blink, will do a full test of before and after today

 

[martinc]

3-4hrs more?

Something aint right,you shouldnt be able to trick the software.

 

[jozbaldwin]

ok, i did a full test today, when the led started blinking the battery voltage was between 3.3 and 3.4 volts, after the led rapidly flashed I took out and reinserted the battery, the voltage shown there was 3.5 volts and is gradually decreasing, its now at 3.2 volts and it has been about 4 hours since i did the trick.

 

[A17kawboy]

ok, i did a full test today, when the led started blinking the battery voltage was between 3.3 and 3.4 volts, after the led rapidly flashed I took out and reinserted the battery, the voltage shown there was 3.5 volts and is gradually decreasing, its now at 3.2 volts and it has been about 4 hours since i did the trick.

Hmmm. From what I understand that's not a dangerously low voltage so...cool! I wouldn't do it all the time but, like you said In Emergency Cases, it's great to know that it can be done. Gonna have to try it on mine and compare results. Thanks.
If you don't mind-what batteries are you using?

 

[jozbaldwin]

Hmmm. From what I understand that's not a dangerously low voltage so...cool! I wouldn't do it all the time but, like you said In Emergency Cases, it's great to know that it can be done. Gonna have to try it on mine and compare results. Thanks.
If you don't mind-what batteries are you using?

i'm using the 18650 batteries

 

[WNCmotard]

There is nothing wrong with that voltage for a LiPo battery, you can even go lower than that safely, the Provari just won't let you.

 

[A17kawboy]

i'm using the 18650 batteries

I assume they're IMR's? AW brand?

 

[Slurp812]

I think some resistance build up on the contacts may be what is going on here. I've done the un-screw/re-screw also. I don't think it happened when my ProVari was new.

 

[Liquinator]

There is nothing wrong with that voltage for a LiPo battery, you can even go lower than that safely, the Provari just won't let you.

I doubt anyone uses Lithium Polymer batteries in their APVs and if they do, good luck using it near your face

 

[jozbaldwin]

I assume they're IMR's? AW brand?

yes they are

 

[WNCmotard]

I doubt anyone uses Lithium Polymer batteries in their APVs and if they do, good luck using it near your face

I stand corrected then.

 

[Spazmelda]

I've used this trick before too. I just got some new Panasonic 18650s, but before that all my AW IMRs were getting old. I'd unscrew and reinsert the battery as you described, and get another couple of hous. Not 4, but maybe 2 hours. The pre and post voltages were pretty much as you described also.

 

[spraintz]

I think some resistance build up on the contacts may be what is going on here. I've done the un-screw/re-screw also. I don't think it happened when my ProVari was new.

Yep, I agree with this.

When new I would hardly drain a battery down to battery warning but when it did I couldn't do the un-screw/re-screw and have it stop blinking. After a couple weeks I was hitting the battery warning much sooner than expected and I had read another thread about the un-screw/re-screw thing and would get the same results as you. Cleaned the contacts up and the battery warning blinking works as normal.

I suggest a good cleaning of the contacts every couple of weeks, it only takes a minute and yer Provari will thank you for it. I use a Deoxit Gold contact cleaning "pen" and a q-tip, works wonders.

 

[Mr.Mann]

I was skeptical at first, but after reading, I am thinking of trying. I literally just replaced my battery before reading this, so I will try later. I always take the battery out immediately when the flash starts -- that flashing drives me bonkers!

 

[Scottua25]

I was doin the same thing. I graduated to a provari from an 18350 mod using an ego booster so naturally I went for the provari mini. All my batteries were at least 4-5 months old and weren't holding their charge very well. On my brand new mini I would routinely do this exact same exercise. It does work. I have since gotten a couple 18490's and the extension cap and now I don't even get the warning flashes. I vape till it won't vape any more and that's it. Tried the same trick with the brand new batteries and no go. That led me to believe it was a function of the age of the 18350's I was using.

 

[DEVO357]

Did this yesterday with a 18350 only lasted 5 mins and started blinking again.