Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 Telescopic: User's Group

[yzer]

Hey everyone i know i havent been on in many many moons but im here now

So i Just got the Sigeleli Zmax V3 Telescope from Authentic Sigelei Zmax V3 Flat Top Telescope- Body, Batteries, Case, & Charger! for 74.99 (kit) on sale and i also got the iclear30 and two replacement wicks...using code varitube10 got me a total of $81 for all of it... and i ordered friday (they ship from FL,And im in AZ) and it got here monday... (today) it came with two battery caps, case, ce4, and a 18350 and a 18650 battery ... im using the 18650 it came with and it seems to do very well with my evod... im letting the iclear30 set overnight so the wicks get nice and saturated... i have some efest 18650's on the way i imagine those will be better than the sigelei battery's it came with....

do you think it will make a difference at all?View attachment 304492

I'm not sure what battery Varitube is including with their kits.

This battery at the sigelei website appears to be an unprotected ICR battery. If it is, I would not recommend using it in the sigelei Zmax.
SIGELEI RECHARGABLE BATTERY_Accessories_SIGELEI Electronic Cigarette -

Efest IMR or AW IMR batteries would be a safer and better performing choice.

 

[frank.gotch]

my screen has shifted slightly closer to the top. I've narrowed it down to 2 possible reasons. I recently picked up a second Efest IMR 2000Mah, but this one is a nipple top as opposed to the flat top I originally had. I try to be very careful with tightening but I wonder if the nipple top makes it more prone to movement with a slight overtightening? Second possible reason is I dropped it HARD a few days ago on a concrete floor, I was actually shocked my PT3 tank didn't shatter. Either way, still works great, just reporting in.

 

[White_rabbitt]

I'm not sure what battery Varitube is including with their kits.

This battery at the Sigelei website appears to be an unprotected ICR battery. If it is, I would not recommend using it in the Sigelei Zmax.
SIGELEI RECHARGABLE BATTERY_Accessories_SIGELEI Electronic Cigarette -

Efest IMR or AW IMR batteries would be a safer and better performing choice.

Those are the batteries that came w/ my V3 kit from varitube.

 

[yzer]

my screen has shifted slightly closer to the top. I've narrowed it down to 2 possible reasons. I recently picked up a second Efest IMR 2000Mah, but this one is a nipple top as opposed to the flat top I originally had. I try to be very careful with tightening but I wonder if the nipple top makes it more prone to movement with a slight overtightening? Second possible reason is I dropped it HARD a few days ago on a concrete floor, I was actually shocked my PT3 tank didn't shatter. Either way, still works great, just reporting in.

You might want to measure the new button top battery with plastic calipers to check it's actual length and compare that to the flat top measurement. I suspect the difference between two would be about 1mm and not enough to produce overtightening of the battery tube. A hard drop sounds like a more likely cause for screen shifting to me. Glad it's still working for you.

 

[Gato del Jugo]

I'm not sure what battery Varitube is including with their kits.

This battery at the Sigelei website appears to be an unprotected ICR battery. If it is, I would not recommend using it in the Sigelei Zmax.
SIGELEI RECHARGABLE BATTERY_Accessories_SIGELEI Electronic Cigarette -

Efest IMR or AW IMR batteries would be a safer and better performing choice.

Those Siegeli batteries are the ones that came in my kit, too..

I've been using them in my V3 for a month & a half now with no issues, aside from them not lasting as long as they 1st did


Yes, there are better & safer ones out there.. but since I'm so cheap, I'll continue to monitor & use them -- for now

I'll probably properly dispose of them prematurely at some point...

 

[Gato del Jugo]

my screen has shifted slightly closer to the top.

Welcome to the club!

What took you so long?


A while back mine got knocked to the floor.. don't remember if that was before or after my screen-shift, but it wasn't exactly that same day

There haven't been any issues because of it (knock on wood)..


Do you have the clear button? If so, watch for any shift in the black interior button contact, at this point.. that's the order mine happened, anyway.. I'm not sure if the two are related

And no, neither my screen nor the interior contact has shifted anymore since (again, knock on wood)...

 

[Gato del Jugo]

Button top or flat top doesn't make any difference. I use flat tops all of the time because they cost a buck or so less per battery. They fit fine in all sizes for the Sigelei. 18490 or 18500 is my favorite size. A single 18350 just doesn't have enough capacity for me most of the time although I'm using them today because I'm on the go and want the Sigelei V3 at it's smallest size. The next most often used size for me is 18650, which I use only while at home. I have stacked Efest 18350 flat tops and they worked perfectly.

I second the 490/500.. it's a good compromise between battery length & vape-time...

I use all 3 sizes (only because I have them, LOL), but prefer the 650.. I've got big hands & big pockets, so the length doesn't phase me at all... I'd rather have that extra vape-time (even though charging takes twice as long)...

 

[p.opus]

Hey, guys... MVP user here. I wanted a mod that had usable replaceable batteries. I reviewed and killed an e-LVT. Did some research and the zmax v3 seemed to be the best bang for your buck.

Picked it up along with an IMR 18650 and trustfire charger for $67.30

My MVP 2's are still my go to vapes. I love their battery life and ease of use. But I wanted a backup that uses "traditional batteries" and just couldn't bring my self to buy a ProVari strictly for backup use. I'm also primarily a VW vaper and the idea of VV only device does not apply for me.

I'm wondering guys, how do you like the durability of the zMax v3? I'm not expecting ProVari class durability, but would like to know if you have any known issues to be on guard for.

 

[yzer]

I've used my first Sigelei Zmax every day for ten months now. This is an early version V3. No issues at all.

My second V3 is the new version. I've had it three months and use it part-time. No issues. We have a couple of people checking-in occasionally who have passed the one year mark.

Best suggestions for a long and happy relationship with your Sigelei...

1. Use Noalox sparingly on the tube threads. Clean threads with alcohol dampened cloth and re-apply Noalox as needed. I do this every few months.
2. Clean and dry the 510/eGo connector and drip well daily with Kleenex or paper towel.
3. Avoid dropping the Sigelei or letting a child throw them around.
4. Adjust the battery tube correctly. Sigelei Zmax Battery Tube Adjustment
5. Basic settings for VW operation

 

[olefolks]

"Avoid dropping the Sigelei or letting a child throw them around". Now yzer, why would you bring this up. LOL!!

 

[olefolks]

I have 2 Sigelei zmax v3s. One is almost 3 months and the other is almost 2 months old. I have not had any problems with either and I use both on a daily basis. If you do have a problem, all the info necessary to repair it is in this thread. Just saying. And, thanks to JeremyR, Fairmana and of course Yzer.

 

[timastyle]

I was hoping some of you guys can help me with some issues I'm having with my Zmax. I was going to start a new thread, but figured I would get more help here. I've gone through some of the pages in here, but not all (130 is a bit much), so any help would be greatly appreciated.

A little backstyory:
I have been using a PT2 tank since I got the telescoping V5 and constantly got burnt taste, so I would have to bring it down to 7-8w to avoid this using the standard Kanger head coils (2.4 and even 1.5 ohm coils). I then got into building my own coils and have been using 28 gauge kanthal wire to build them. My current coil is a 1.5 ohm coil with 28 gauge and cotton wick on my PT2 and I also have a IGO-L that's at 1.3.

Here are my problems:

1. Sometimes the fire button doesn't work. It looks like the black button under the fire button is not completely aligned. Is there a way to fix this?
2. When I try to get up to the higher wattage (11W+), the mod and the tank get really hot. Last night when using the IGO-L (the PT2 as well) at 12W the top cap got so hot I had to wait a little while before touching it to take off. What can be causing this?
3. As the battery gets drained, it automatically lowers the wattage output on me. Isn't the purpose of the VW to keep it consistent until the battery is fully drained?
4. If I'm trying to get to higher wattages (i.e. 11W+), what resistance would you recommend? I bought what I was told was a 30 gauge Kanthal to build some 2.0-2.4 ohm coils to try out, but with 9-10 wraps, it reads out to 3.4 ohms. That and the fact that the wire seems considerably smaller than the 28 I have, makes me think that it's a 32 gauge.

Thanks for your time!

 

[yzer]

timastyle, welcome to the group. I don't vape over 8 watts so wait for some of our higher wattage Sigelei Zmax vapers to chip in. I can contribute a few ideas, though.

First, is your Sigelei still under a vendor's warranty? When did you first notice black button misalignment? Has the unit been dropped or has the battery tube been overtightened? The black button misalignment does not necessarily mean there is a problem.

The Sigelei Zmax requires 2x18350 batteries for reliable high wattage operation. The batteries must be quality high-drain IMRs or better. I'm not sure what operating limits apply to the use of 2x18350.

 

[timastyle]

Thanks Yzer! A lot of information in this thread from what I've read.

I don't necessarily want/need to go to higher wattage, but being a relative newbie, I am trying out different wattages to see what I like best and the juice I'm using. For example, I noticed at lower watts, the Caramel Apple I use seems to be caramel only, but when I get up to 9.5w-10.5w, I get a caramel taste with an apple aftertaste which I think I like a little more. 10.5w has also been a bit of a sweet spot for my Strawberry Dub Step I got from a local B&M which has strawberry with hints of apple.

I bought the Zmax on 1/9 from vaporworld.biz and from what I gathered on their site, there was a 30 day warranty. I sent them an email on the 5th of this month and never heard back from them (great customer service right?). The misfire issues have been going on now for a couple of weeks, but it wasn't until a week ago where I noticed the black button was misaligned where I was pointed to this thread seeing as it seems to be a common occurence. It's been knocked over a couple times and dropped maybe once (it feel on my acrylic drip tip that broke the fall).

As far as overtightening, I tighten the the tube until there is not wobble (assuming a 18650 battery is in it). At first, I wouldn't tighten it as much and the bottom half of the tube would wobble, so I started tightening it up enough where that wouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure if this is considered overtightening.

I don't really want to double stack 2-18350s, so I probably won't go for higher wattage, more than what a single 18650 can handle, but even then it seems inconsistent to me. I have a 18650 in it now with 99 counts on the puff counter with the battery level indicator showing still at full. If I try to go any higher than 10.5W, it adjusts it down to 10.6w for example when I try to go to 12w and 10.1w when I try 11.5w or 11w. It's pretty strange to me.

Another thing I noticed is that even with the mod off and in my pocket at work, it gets pretty warm. Enough where I feel it on my leg through my jean pocket and when I pull it out and hold it. Not sure what is going on there either.

***Edit to say I'm using Efest IMR 10A 18350 and 18650 batteries with the ZMAX

 

[fairmana]

Welcome to the thread Timastyle.

To see if your internal board is shifting, you can try this:
Remove your e-juice tank and your battery and hold the fire button on the side without pressing it so it can't rattle. Now shake the device and see if you hear any movement inside. Can you see that the black button underneath is in a new position depending on how you shake the device? If you can confirm that it is moving, then it's very likely that the circuit card has broken loose and can now shift from the battery tension below. If you can confirm this, you'll have to decide on whether to return it or attempt to fix it yourself. I might consider returning it since you mention that you "may" have other problems with your device. Hopefully you'll get it figured out soon.

I don't have a V5, so I'm sorry that I can't offer you better advice. I haven't read about anyone complaining about the top cap getting too hot to touch. That sounds like something you definitely want to avoid. I don't vape anywhere near 12 watts on my V3. Maybe a bad electrical connection at the 510 connector providing too much resistance/heat? Clean that up real well and try again. Aside from that all I can think of is to make sure you don't have it in Battery Charger mode. I believe it's the last menu option (menu 9?). You're probably aware of it, but just thought I'd throw it out there. A reduction in the wattage as you vape also seems very strange, but again, I don't have a V5 and there might be something in the menu I'm not aware of. Is there an RMS and MEAN setting? Make sure it's in RMS.

If it's getting hot in your pocket, chances are the fire button is getting pushed. You might want to turn the device off before you put it in your pocket to keep that from happening. If it still happens, then you know something is definitely wrong.

As far as the 30-guage Kanthal, try to reduce that to 5 or 6 wraps and see where your ohms are at. It's hard to say because it will also vary depending on how wide your coil is. Kanthal A1 30-gauge wire is roughly 0.72 ohms per inch. You probably just have to experiment with your Kanthal gauge and # of wraps to get the resistance you're looking for and discover what's best for you. There are a lot of tutorials out there, as I'm sure you already know.

If you want to be sure about whether you have 30 gauge Kanthal, you'll probably have to measure the thickness with a micrometer (if you have one or know someone who does). 30 gauge Kanthal average wire diameter is 0.01 in. (0.254 mm). You can buy a decent micrometer pretty cheap at Harbor Freight from $10 to $20. I don't know if it's worth buying one just to check your wire. Best thing might be to just borrow one from someone you know.

 

[JeremyR]

Welcome to the group! A lot of questions there timastyle. I'll chime in later tonight when I have time. Stock kangers won't take a lot of wattage. 28g is a lot of wire mass that heats up cussing the atty to heat up. You would need a looser draw to get more air in to cool it down. With a single battery 2.4 or higher is optimal. ..

The button is misaligned from the factory in my experience. Ttyl

 

[yzer]

If you go back to Post #1257 there is a link to pBusardo's review of the Sigelei Zmax V1. The oscilloscope tests begin at 20:00 into the video. These tests are valid for all Sigelei Zmaxs V1 through V5. He had no problem getting solid performance up to 10W at 1.5 ohms with a single AW 18650. In other review Phil notices that the AW outperform Efest at the higher power levels. He also says that the Zmax will deliver the 15 watts with 2x18350.

Follow the link a few posts back at Post #1289 regarding tube length adjustment for different battery sizes.

After use the Sigelei will return to ambient temperature. It should not generate heat when turned off or when it's powered up and not firing. Use Menu Item #1 to disable the firing function for pocket carry. That's why this function has been placed at the first Menu Item position.

 

[TractorWill]

I was on the fence with the zmax but this thread made the decision must easier. I went with the V5. I'll keep you guys updated with my experience. Thanks for all the great info!!

 

[fairmana]

Timastyle,
Check out this page that talks a bit more in depth about Kanthal wire. I found it to be helpful. It can help you zone in on the ohms you're looking for and what wire to use.

 

[JeremyR]

Yeah 10w @ 1.5 with a fully charged battery. That doesn't last long at all , as voltage drops It starts dropping wattage due to limitations. (Like most all Apv's)
I'm running 1.6 ohm with stacked batteries and a single 18650 doesn't even compare