Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 Telescopic: User's Group

[GRH8095]

Just A Suggestion ...

sigelei Telescoping ZMax V3 Flat-Top ... ElectronicStix (As of April 2013)
- Came with only 1 bottom battery cap

I like the idea of using a 18490/500 battery in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode

I don't want to, over tighten things and force any of the batteries to fit.

My FIX! ...

I use 32awg A1 Kanthal Wire, to make something, that's shape like a capital "G"
- This fits in the bottom battery cap, replacing the original spring.
- This is only for using a 18490/500 button/flat top battery, in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode.
- Very little force, if any.

* Something to keep in mind ...

If you look inside the tube, button/ screen end ...
You can see the contact the battery sits against ...
This contact is part of a circuit board, also on this circuit board is the oled screen & button.

If this contact gets pushed out of place, it will off center the circuit board ...
- Causing the oled screen & button to go off center.
- This will cause problems.

Just A Suggestion ...

***

ADDITIONAL INFO !!!

Not all 18490/500 batteries are the same length ...

Efest IMR 18500 1100mAh flat top battery = 1 31/32in length ... or ... 50.0063mm length
- I use 32awg A1 Kanthal Wire, to make something, that's shape like a capital "G"
- This fits in the bottom battery cap, replacing the original spring.
- This works with a Efest IMR 18500 1100mAh flat top battery, in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode.
- Very little force, if any.

AW IMR 18490 1100mAh button top battery = 1 30/32in length ... or ... 49.2125mm length
- I used a 16guage - 18guage copper wire, , to make something, that's shape like a capital "G"
- This fits in the bottom battery cap, replacing the original spring.
- This works with a AW IMR 18490 button top battery, in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode.
- Very little force, if any.

1/32in length differents, between the two ...

 

[yzer]

Just A Suggestion ...

Sigelei Telescoping ZMax V3 Flat-Top ... ElectronicStix (As of April 2013)
- Came with only 1 bottom battery cap

I like the idea of using a 18490/500 battery in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode

I don't want to, over tighten things and force any of the batteries to fit.

My FIX! ...

I use 32awg A1 Kanthal Wire, to make something, that's shape like a capital "G"
- This fits in the bottom battery cap, replacing the original spring.
- This is only for using a 18490/500 button/flat top battery, in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode.
- Very little force, if any.

* Something to keep in mind ...

If you look inside the tube, button/ screen end ...
You can see the contact the battery sits against ...
This contact is part of a circuit board, also on this circuit board is the oled screen & button.

If this contact gets pushed out of place, it will off center the circuit board ...
- Causing the oled screen & button to go off center.
- This will cause problems.

Just A Suggestion ...

That's a nice mod for a mod. It makes the Sigelei Zmax Telescopic only 2mm longer than Provari for a 18500 battery.

 

[jafmf95]

Just A Suggestion ...

Sigelei Telescoping ZMax V3 Flat-Top ... ElectronicStix (As of April 2013)
- Came with only 1 bottom battery cap

I like the idea of using a 18490/500 battery in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode

I don't want to, over tighten things and force any of the batteries to fit.

My FIX! ...

I use 32awg A1 Kanthal Wire, to make something, that's shape like a capital "G"
- This fits in the bottom battery cap, replacing the original spring.
- This is only for using a 18490/500 button/flat top battery, in the ZMax's 18350 mini mode.
- Very little force, if any.

* Something to keep in mind ...

If you look inside the tube, button/ screen end ...
You can see the contact the battery sits against ...
This contact is part of a circuit board, also on this circuit board is the oled screen & button.

If this contact gets pushed out of place, it will off center the circuit board ...
- Causing the oled screen & button to go off center.
- This will cause problems.

Just A Suggestion ...

This works great!! So what's the downside of getting rid of the space the spring was taking up? Heat dissipation? It would seem there is still a decent amount of airflow.

 

[GRH8095]

This works great!! So what's the downside of getting rid of the space the spring was taking up? Heat dissipation? It would seem there is still a decent amount of airflow.

***

No downside of any sort, I can see ... Venting is still good.

Just ...

Longer battery life with the 18490/500, in the ZMax's smallest mode.

 

[Matt M]

Just ordered one of these myself. I hope I'm one of the lucky ones. Seems like there's a few problems floating around. Hope I dont live to regret the purchase! My vendor only gives a 14 day warranty.

 

[yzer]

***

No downside of any sort, I can see ... Venting is still good.

Just ...

Longer battery life with the 18490/500, in the ZMax's smallest mode.

What is the actual length of the AW 18490/18500 and listed capacity? Button or flat top?

The Efest 18500 flat top I use is exactly 50mm in length and rated at 1100mAh. My experience with 1000 to 1100mAh batteries confirms the Efest 18500 capacity claim. A pair of calipers or a good eye with a ruler will answer part of this question.

 

[jafmf95]

What is the actual length of the AW 18490/18500 and listed capacity? Button or flat top?

The Efest 18500 flat top I use is exactly 50mm in length and rated at 1100mAh. My experience with 1000 to 1100mAh batteries confirms the Efest 18500 capacity claim. A pair of calipers or a good eye with a ruler will answer part of this question.

I'm using an EH 18500, 1100mah, flat top battery in this configuration. It's 48mm in length.

 

[GRH8095]

What is the actual length of the AW 18490/18500 and listed capacity? Button or flat top?

The Efest 18500 flat top I use is exactly 50mm in length and rated at 1100mAh. My experience with 1000 to 1100mAh batteries confirms the Efest 18500 capacity claim. A pair of calipers or a good eye with a ruler will answer part of this question.

***

Efest IMR 18500 1100mAh flat top battery = 1 31/32in length ... or ... 50.0063mm length

AW IMR 18490 1100 mAh button top battery = 1 30/32in length ... or ... 49.2125mm length

 

[ram007]

ok i was really pi$$3d of at my zmax flat top because the screen was tilting downward to the right and i could also see the white positive wire at an angle. anyways, i was browsing vapesquad and saw their review and read that their test unit broke which made them open it up so asked the mod and he replied which i am really thankful for anyway here are some pics of the innards of the zmax.









now the screen is fixed and my zmax's inferiority complex is fixed he now vapes upto 12volts. kidding!

 

[CheriePie]

I've had my Zmax a little over a week now and it has stopped firing with my Protank attached. The strange thing is, it still fires with a cartomizer attached, just not my Protank. Anyone have any ideas why?

Also, ram007 I was looking for the pictures you referred to in your post above but they didn't show up for me. Can you link me to the place you saw where they opened up their Zmax and fixed it? I might try this, or have my hubby do so since he's a lot more electrically inclined than me. If not, then it's going back to Varitube.

More info, with the Protank attached, and the LCD Display setting set to Resistance, the unit shows 9.9 ohm, basically meaning it doesn't recognize it since that's the value shown when nothing is attached at all. Current battery voltage is at 3.5 volts and I have an EFest 18500 1100 mah battery inside.


ETA2 - just placed a freshly charged battery on there and same thing. Still won't recognize my Protank.

 

[yzer]

I've had my Zmax a little over a week now and it has stopped firing with my Protank attached. The strange thing is, it still fires with a cartomizer attached, just not my Protank. Anyone have any ideas why?

Also, ram007 I was looking for the pictures you referred to in your post above but they didn't show up for me. Can you link me to the place you saw where they opened up their Zmax and fixed it? I might try this, or have my hubby do so since he's a lot more electrically inclined than me. If not, then it's going back to Varitube.

More info, with the Protank attached, and the LCD Display setting set to Resistance, the unit shows 9.9 ohm, basically meaning it doesn't recognize it since that's the value shown when nothing is attached at all. Current battery voltage is at 3.5 volts and I have an EFest 18500 1100 mah battery inside.

The first thing I'd try: cross checking resistance of the Protank on a DMM. Check to make sure the center contact on the Protank is making contact with the center post on the Sigelei. You may need to adjust the post on the Protank if it was overtightened. 3.5V on the battery should still be fine but I'd try a freshly charged battery. Next, I'd clean and lube all tube threads and clean out the drip well completely with Kleenex or paper towel. An over-tightened or under-tightened battery can mess up the Zmax display readings and functions.

 

[CheriePie]

The first thing I'd try: cross checking resistance of the Protank on a DMM. Check to make sure the center contact on the Protank is making contact with the center post on the Sigelei. You may need to adjust the post on the Protank if it was overtightened. 3.5V on the battery should still be fine but I'd try a freshly charged battery. Next, I'd clean and lube all tube threads and clean out the drip well completely with Kleenex or paper towel. An over-tightened or under-tightened battery can mess up the Zmax display readings and functions.

Thanks for your reply.

I checked the resistance on the Protank and the meter reports it as 2.2. When it was working on my Zmax, the Zmax always reported it as a 1.9. Hmmm... I know this unit was supposed to come with a 2.5 head, and possibly a 1.8 for the 2 included. I had assumed I had gotten one of each in my kit and that it was the LR which was pre-attached but maybe that's not the case and the Zmax had been reporting it as lower than it should've been all along?

I also tried the Protank on my manual SI Volt e-cig battery with an 808D to 501 adapter and it worked fine there. (Though I didn't take more than a few draws because I wasn't sure if it'd ruin that mini battery.)

I tried a new battery in the Zmax with the same results: it'll fire a cartomizer but not the Protank. I also cleaned all the connections and threads (and drip well) with isopropyl alcohol. I don't have any Noalox but the vendor (Varitube) did that for me before he shipped it so the threads are all nice and smooth right now anyway, and have been since I got it.

Right now it's got a fully-charged 18350 battery in there (I replaced the 18500 which was reading 3.5v) so there shouldn't really be any chance of over-tightening since this is the smallest battery.

Anything else you think I should try? Or should I just write to Varitube and ask for a replacement?

 

[CheriePie]

Check to make sure the center contact on the Protank is making contact with the center post on the Sigelei.

How can I check that?

 

[ram007]

Its Home - Vape Squad Cherie, I think what yzer meant was look at the bottom center of your pro tank and check if its making contact with the bottom center of your zmax, because if the center of your pro tank is depressed it might not be making contact with the zmax.

 

[CheriePie]

I'm fairly certain that the Protank is making contact with the Sigelei as I can feel some resistance when I'm screwing it on. I had hubby check it too and he the same, but is there a better way for me to check that?

I've heard the term "post pulling" thrown around out here, but I'm not sure exactly what that means, or if it's something I can/should do in this case. I had assumed that these posts are soldered in place and can't be pulled out, but what do I know? LOL


PS - yzer, looks like you replied at the same time as me. I'll look into post pulling and see what I can figure out. Thanks

 

[yzer]

ram007 is hearing me right. I suspect the center post of the Protank has been pushed in too far. It still makes contact with the SI Volt but not the Sigelei. Pulling the center connecter of the Protank out a little should fix this. A number of users including Pbusardo report the center pin on Sigelei Vmax being deeper than many other PVs. I've had to pull the center post on one carto for exactly this same reason.

 

[CheriePie]

PBusardo to the rescue:
A PBusardo Tutorial - How to Pull Your Post ;-)

Hubby's pulling out all his tools and we're gonna try it now, first on one of my cartos that stopped working with my mini e-cig battery, and if that goes well, then we'll attempt the operation on the much more expensive Protank. I'll report back.

 

[yzer]

A push pin (map pin) works great on cartos. Just pry up a little on two sides. 1 mm more length is plenty. Make sure the center contact is centered when done. You may need needle nosed pliers for the Protank, not sure.

 

[CheriePie]

Woohoo! It worked!!! I'm now happily vaping away on my Zmax/Protank again.

Thanks for recommending the post pulling. As I mentioned in my previous post, I'd heard the term out here before but wasn't sure whether or not it applied to this situation.

Let me ask though. I assume the pulling of the post only works on the cartos, tanks, and atty, right? Like the center posts on the batteries themselves are probably fixed in place, right?

 

[yzer]

I haven't read any reports of the center post (inside the Sigelei 510 connector) drifting out of position.

I have read reports of the center battery contact (inside the battery tube) drifting out of position. However, to do this you have to over-tighten the battery until the battery spring is completely compressed and keep cranking down some more after that.