Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 Telescopic: User's Group

[AndriaD]

The 25mm would look cool and hold a lot of juice at that width. One word of caution about IBtanked. They are glass tanks and glass can break in surprising ways. The Sigelei V3 and V5 are 23mm in diameter. If you have the Sigelei standing up on say a granite counter top and knock it over that 25mm glass tube is going to take all of the impact. I use an IBTanked 22mm wide tube. If I lay the V3 down flat on a level surface with the 22mm tank on top the tank won't touch ground. Rest assured, you will have a lot of opportunities to tip over a Sigelei especially if you use 18650 or 2x18350.

Approximate lengths for Sigelei V3 and V5 with various 18xxx batteries. Diameter is 23mm.

18350: 100 mm with short cap, 105mm with long cap.
18490: 111-114 mm with either cap, spring 1/2 compressed.
18500: 112-115 mm with either cap, spring 1/2 compressed.
18650: 127-130 mm with either cap, spring 1/2 compressed.
2x18350: 132-135 mm with long cap, spring 1/2 compressed.

Very cool; I just checked 130mm (13cm) on my ruler, and that's not huge at all, which shows how distorted your impression of size can be, when there's no reference, like someone's hand.

I'm aware of the problem with glass, and realized that having it wider would make it more of a "target" but I do hear good things about the sturdiness of the IBTanked glass (other than their newer 15mm size); I wouldn't put a cheapie glass tank that wide on it, for just that reason, but the IBTanked stuff is apparently top quality and pretty tough, so I'll risk it. Plus, I've got a sturdy mug here on the desk that I've been using to prop my vv3 in, since I use it on pass-thru mode when I'm at the computer, which means it won't stand on end, and with these T3S tanks, I don't dare lay it down, lest it drip juice thru the mouthpiece; the T3Ss are really bad to do that -- so I'll just prop the sigelei the same way, which should keep it safer than just standing on its own.

I did find the flat-top version at FT, for $40.42, which is a LOT!!! less than anywhere else I've seen; my husband's next check will be really good with a lot of OT on it, so I might go ahead and order the Sigelei from FT, while I continue to shop around for the best price on the nitecore i4 and some top quality high-mAh batteries. We should get our fed refund in May, so I can order the charger and batteries when we get it, and probably end up getting everything around the same time, considering the long delay from FT. Even if the unusual occurs and I get the PV sooner, no big deal, since I do have the 2 vv3's and that backup from Hong Kong on its way; I won't be "going without" or anything.

A battery question, since I know you guys use these kind of batteries. Is it true that any of the batteries that have "fire" anywhere in their name are less reliable/potentially dangerous? Because the highest mAh I can find for *quality* 18350s -- IMR or Efest -- is 800 or maybe 900 mAh; some of those that have "fire" in their names go up as high as 1200 mAh, but I don't know if I trust them. For the 18650s, not a huge deal; I've seen both IMR and Efest that go up to 2250 mAh, and that's amazing to me, with my current iTaste (800 mAh, which is why I leave it on pass-thru most of the time!). But I'd like to get the longest-lasting 350s I can, that won't be dangerous.

EDIT: do these things prefer flat-top or button-top batteries? (for any supported size)

Thx!
Andria

 

[yzer]

Look for IMR batteries for the best combination of low cost, safety and higher drain capability. AW and Efest are good brands. Avoid protected or non-protected ICR batteries.

In 18350 the Efest is available in V1 and V2 versions. V1 is flat top and V2 is button top. Either will work for the Sigelei. These batteries are rated as 800mAh but in my experience the capacity is more likely 700mAh, just like the AW 18350. The Efest 18350 is a 7 amp battery and the AW is a 10 amp battery. The AW offers higher drain but the Efest should work fine for most vapers.

Battery amp ratings will tell you how much current the battery can safely provide. Battery capacity will tell you how long you can go before recharging. It seems to me that an 18500 lasts twice as long as 18350 and 18650 lasts twice as long as 18500. jeremyR has said (if I recall) that 2x18350 lasts twice as long as 18650.

Panasonic, Sony and others make good batts too but others here know more about them than I do.

 

[mh37]

It's a match made in Sigelie heaven! Perfect match with the oddy... To get it flush with the 510; screw the base on tight first, then screw the coil assembly in till it snugs to the pin. You will never strip the threads on this.

Oh it looks like you have the smaller version, penny clone? My avatar shows it with full size oddy.

not a clone mate genuine oddy tank just not an oddy drip tip ,and yes it sits flush and looks sweet!

 

[AndriaD]

Ok, so for *any* size, either the flat or button top will work? Usually they cost about the same, but sometimes there's a small diff in price; it would be nice to know I could buy either kind, in any size.

Also -- I read the article about batteries in the ECF library (which is why I'll only buy quality batteries), and apparently there is some potential hazard in stacking batteries; does that hazard only apply to mechs, or is the potential hazard present for any type of device in which you might stack batteries?

I don't mean to seem paranoid, but the prospect of blowing my face off really does not appeal, nor any potential risk of burning down the house -- if I blew my face off, I'd probably be a mite too busy (or too unconscious!) to worry about fire!

Andria

 

[yzer]

Yes, you can use button top or flat top batteries in any Sigelei Zmax V3 or V5 in 18350, 18490, 18500, 18650 or 2x18650. We had some people here ask if the flat top V3 or V5 uses only flat top batteries. No, the shape of the top caps has no bearing on the type of battery used in the device.

jeremyR is the specialist in stacking 18350s here. Stacking is least risky when done with with matched and carefully rotated IMR batteries. You should have a multimeter and use it to monitor the batteries. People who are knowledgeable about stacking batteries seem to have good experiences with it.

I have tried stacking 18350s to see if it works. It does. Nothing blew up. I choose to use single batteries in the Sigelei for safety reasons plus the fact that I don't want to take the extra time to properly monitor stacked batteries.

 

[AndriaD]

Yes, you can use button top or flat top batteries in any Sigelei Zmax V3 or V5 in 18350, 18490, 18500, 18650 or 2x18650. We had some people here ask if the flat top V3 or V5 uses only flat top batteries. No, the shape of the top caps has no bearing on the type of battery used in the device.

jeremyR is the specialist in stacking 18350s here. Stacking is least risky when done with with matched and carefully rotated IMR batteries. You should have a multimeter and use it to monitor the batteries. People who are knowledgeable about stacking batteries seem to have good experiences with it.

I have tried stacking 18350s to see if it works. It does. Nothing blew up. I choose to use single batteries in the Sigelei for safety reasons plus the fact that I don't want to take the extra time to properly monitor stacked batteries.

Ok, so it sounds like I should probably not stack them until I actually have a real multimeter, and know a bit more about all this; I was just going to use the iTaste's built-in resistance checker for any of these kanger coils I might actually manage to rebuild, to make sure they're in the ballpark, plus I use the vw so it doesn't matter that much what the resistance is, but for something this potentially hazardous, it does sound like an *actual* multimeter would be a good idea, plus a great deal more understanding of the subject than I currently possess. It's true I'm a pretty quick study, but having never studied much beyond "plug it in and flip the switch" I know I'm danged ignorant of the ins-and-outs of electricity. It would be pretty stupid of me to quit smoking, and then kill myself with my e-cig.

Thx!
Andria

 

[yzer]

You have already picked up on a lot. The rest will come along. Understanding Ohm's law is the key to vaping nirvana. Sigelei Zmax uses Ohm's law to calculate wattage every time the unit is fired in the VW mode.

Ohm's Law Calculator

 

[AndriaD]

It's kinda funny; I was *very briefly* in the air force, back in '79, and had just begun studying electronics; they started with Ohm's Law, which I learned then, but now could not tell you if my life depended on it. Just too much LIFE since then, I guess, pushing stuff out that I didn't need, in favor all the stuff I did -- like marrying, mommying, computering, getting-sober'ing...

Funny how the stuff you didn't think you needed comes back around to bite you in the .......

Andria

 

[yzer]

The nice thing about VV is you don't have to worry about adjusting the output voltage of the device to the resistance of the atomizer. Just set to what wattage you like and leave it there. You can use a 1.8 ohms coil and swap out to a 3.0 ohms coil and the vapor won't change all that much, not like if you left the voltage you used for 1.8 ohms unchanged for 3.0 ohms.

 

[AndriaD]

Yeah I recently started doing that with my vv3; I've got coils and cartos in both 2.2 and 2.5 Ω and another carto that a friend gave me that I think is 1.8, and another couple of dripper attys that he gave me, which I'm just bout certain are low resistance, and I got tired of trying to figure out how to set the thing for a good vape and not a burnt taste. I figured out that my usual vape tastes best about 8.5w-9w, so I just leave it there and don't worry about whatever thingie I've got on top. This was why I was so dead-set on finding one of these replaceable battery mods that offered vw, it just simplifies everything.

Already found and wishlisted (Amazon) 2 batteries of each of the 3 types the sigelei supports (all either IMR or Efest), and a nitecore i4; the total as it stands right now, though it could change of course, Amazon being Amazon, is right around $56 (plus shipping) for those 6 batteries and the charger; the $40.42 from FT for the sigelei, and it should come in right around $100, which I think is pretty great for a decent mod like this. Later of course I can add more batteries and probably a 2nd charger, for just-in-case, but I think the 6 batts, the charger, and the mod itself, make a pretty good pkg.

Andria

 

[yzer]

You are off to a very good start, Andria. You have an excellent mod coming, a quality 4-bay charger and a selection of battery sizes. You probably won't need another charger unless for a backup. Once you decide on a favorite battery you will want a few more.

 

[AndriaD]

You are off to a very good start, Andria. You have an excellent mod coming, a quality 4-bay charger and a selection of battery sizes. You probably won't need another charger unless for a backup. Once you decide on a favorite battery you will want a few more.

I'm sure, and I know already that even rechargeable batteries are not immortal. So, I'll have the Sigelei, 2 iTaste vv3's, and in a week or two from Hong Kong, an eGo-C Twist 1300mAh which is almost certainly a knock-off, I looked at close-ups of many different Twist-type devices, and it really doesn't look exactly like any of them, but it's only $10, so worth keeping around and charged for *just-in-case* -- I finally managed to get thru to my husband that vaping has to be hands-down easier than ever running to the store for a pk of smokes or even one of those icky Njoys, and he's loving the smoke-free me who ISN'T climbing the walls (as I was the last 2 times I tried to quit, with the patch), so he's on board with all this. It really helps to have a supportive partner!!

Thx bunches!!!
Andria

 

[VapieDan]

Said goodbye to a friend this morning. My V3 gave up the ghost. Started feeling warm to the touch for a few days when firing. Today the menu system went into meltdown. Would not adjust. Finally started turning itself off. On to my backup V5. It did not last as long as I hoped since it was in rotation with other devices the last few months. I will more than likely replace it with another V5 rather than a V3. Goodbye friend!

 

[JeremyR]

Your board was shifted right. It's probably shorting out. You can open it up and add a retainer, see if its fine with the top cap loose.

Where's it getting hot?

 

[AndriaD]

Said goodbye to a friend this morning. My V3 gave up the ghost. Started feeling warm to the touch for a few days when firing. Today the menu system went into meltdown. Would not adjust. Finally started turning itself off. On to my backup V5. It did not last as long as I hoped since it was in rotation with other devices the last few months. I will more than likely replace it with another V5 rather than a V3. Goodbye friend!

How long did you have it?

Andria

 

[VapieDan]

How long did you have it?

Andria

About 6 months but it was in rotation with other mods. Come to think of it though it did take a couple of hard falls on a desk top so that could have been the cause as well.

 

[AndriaD]

Hmm ok, I'll definitely keep that in mind. My husband disarranged some stuff on my desk recently, causing an avalanche that sent my iTaste to the ceramic-tile floor; so far it seems ok, but who knows; I know some of the things on circuit boards are ceramic, and can definitely break. Broke my blow-dryer that way once, when the big honking plug hit the floor -- it had a tiny circuit board in it.

But I don't think my husband will be touching anything on my desk for a while, if ever again, after the screaming fit I threw when the iTaste hit the floor. Just glad it had a plastic tank on it instead of glass.

Andria

 

[baseballmom]

ugghhh I did NOT need another mod-have 2 mvp 2's, but after spending hours lurking here and watching videos and checking out the varitube site liking the 90 day warrantly too...I caved-used the 10% coupon, added in a igo w (deal of the day-couldn't resist)...don't get me wrong I love my mvp 2's(the one seems to be holding less charge though-I vape a lot, non stop more or less through the day) and was saving for a provari(but only vv, no ego threading-could use adapter, but..., and the price still just is much-yeah, yeah I know 1 year warranty, built in us, built like a tank)..why, oh why...this became a must have(was researching svd too-I like innokin products, but sounds like too many issues people having)-I wanted something with non-internal batteries, so here I am...my provari fund is depleted again, maybe someday..maybe by the time I have enough $, they'll have a version 3 the way I'm going....

with 2 mvp 2's, decided on the version 3 since well I just like it, and have passthrough/usb stuff on these already-the version 3 just fit my wants/needs-don't use that stuff on the mvp's so didn't think it was a huge selling point to go for the version 5

 

[MotherNatural]

I got this holster in vapemail today from FT. It fits my Zmax with a 18350 and a PT perfectly! And it's black…not camo. The flap closes securely with velcro and the loop on the back has velcro and a snap. Perfect for out and about and amazing quality for under $2. Score!!!
https://www.fasttech.com/p/1265000

 

[yzer]

ugghhh I did NOT need another mod-have 2 mvp 2's, but after spending hours lurking here and watching videos and checking out the varitube site liking the 90 day warrantly too...I caved-used the 10% coupon, added in a igo w (deal of the day-couldn't resist)...don't get me wrong I love my mvp 2's(the one seems to be holding less charge though-I vape a lot, non stop more or less through the day) and was saving for a provari(but only vv, no ego threading-could use adapter, but..., and the price still just is much-yeah, yeah I know 1 year warranty, built in us, built like a tank)..why, oh why...this became a must have(was researching svd too-I like innokin products, but sounds like too many issues people having)-I wanted something with non-internal batteries, so here I am...my provari fund is depleted again, maybe someday..maybe by the time I have enough $, they'll have a version 3 the way I'm going....

with 2 mvp 2's, decided on the version 3 since well I just like it, and have passthrough/usb stuff on these already-the version 3 just fit my wants/needs-don't use that stuff on the mvp's so didn't think it was a huge selling point to go for the version 5

Great post. Adding an adapter to the Provari 510 connector kind of ruins any advantage it has in smaller size.

Where did you find 10% off for Varitube?