Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 Telescopic: User's Group

[Recon Number 54]

Thanks for the directions.
It's not a bad mod in any way.
Like I said the watts stay where at set,then you can change to voltage and increase or decrease.

Try it and see,go to #7 and then choose power,then increase or decrease to 4.0watts by using power up or power down-#3 or #4,go back to #7 and choose voltage and increase or decrease voltage #3 or #4 and choose 3.7.If you go back to power it will still be at 4.0 watts.Mine does.
QED

Just because my car radio goes back to the previously set AM station when I switch back from FM, and back to the previous set FM station when I switch back from AM, that doesn't mean that I am listening to both AM and FM channels at the same time.

Your demonstrandum is demonstrating the units internal memory retention of previous settings, not its ability to ignore the laws of physics. No mod on earth is capable of (for example) sending 3.7 volts at 4.0 watts to (as an example) a 1.5 ohm head.

If a PV, any PV is sending 3.7 volts at 4.0 watts, then the atomizer would have to have 3.4225 ohms of resistance. Adjust any value in that setup, and at least ONE of the other values must change. Set two values and the 3rd is non-negotiable.

It's like the old poster I saw on the wall of a NASA contractors workfloor.

Yes General/Senator/Customer, we CAN make miraculous things.

We can make it Fast. We can make it Cheap. We can make it Good.

Pick any two. You CAN'T have all three no matter how much you want it, or how loud you yell.

 

[fairmana]

@ roberted5:
If, for example, you set your wattage to 6 watts while in "wattage" mode, it will be remembered in memory. However, when you switch to "voltage" mode, that 6 watt setting has no effect and is not used. You must then increase or decrease your voltage manually, which changes the amount of current flow through your atomizer (an increase in voltage equals an increase in atomizer current and vice versa). Adjusting your voltage is therefore changing your wattage, but since you are not in "wattage" mode, you won't know what wattage you are at, because you've chosen to be in "voltage" mode instead, which is fine. However, you can still do the math to figure it out your wattage.

Let's assume you are using a 2 ohm coil:

A 4 volt setting = 2 amps of current = 8 watts
A 4.5 volt setting = 2.25 amps of current = 10.125 watts
A 5 volt setting = 2.5 amps of current = 12.5 watts

So you see, the wattage cannot stay the same as you make adjustments in "voltage" mode, and that 6 watt setting that you made in "wattage" mode is remembered only so that when you switch back to "wattage" mode, it will be the same value as you set it there before.

I personally recommend that you switch over to wattage mode permanently (in RMS) and adjust your wattage instead of voltage. Why? Because regardless of what resistance atomizer you are using, the mod will adjust the voltage for you, and provide a similar vape experience regardless of what resistance coil you put on your mod. The mod will measure the resistance of the coil, and then change the voltage value automatically so that the wattage remains the same. The wattage value is the amount of energy transferred to the coil as heat, and so different resistance values of coil will result in the same wattage and therefore a similar vape. Using the wattage setting has the added benefit of ensuring you don't burn out your coil by placing a low resistance coil on your mod with a previously high voltage setting, causing too much current to flow and burn out your coil. You may need to make slight adjustments to your wattage up or down between different coils, but you should be very close to where you usually like it. I personally think using wattage is easier and takes less thought on my part so I can just vape away to my hearts content without a second thought about what voltage I'm at.

Hopefully, this helps you understand the difference between both VV and VW modes a little better.

 

[vapero]

this is the way I see it, hopefully it will help out someone

if you use voltage you are sending that voltage to the coil, regardless of the coil

the wattage is the result of a certain voltage shot trough a certain resistance (coil)

so if you choose wattage the mod is doing the math for you based on your coil it calculates the volts needed to achieve that wattage

you can't use both, there is no such thing , it is the exact same operation you are just choosing to set by yourself a different variable to achieve it

 

[roberted5]

@ roberted5:
If, for example, you set your wattage to 6 watts while in "wattage" mode, it will be remembered in memory. However, when you switch to "voltage" mode, that 6 watt setting has no effect and is not used. You must then increase or decrease your voltage manually, which changes the amount of current flow through your atomizer (an increase in voltage equals an increase in atomizer current and vice versa). Adjusting your voltage is therefore changing your wattage, but since you are not in "wattage" mode, you won't know what wattage you are at, because you've chosen to be in "voltage" mode instead, which is fine. However, you can still do the math to figure it out your wattage.

Let's assume you are using a 2 ohm coil:

A 4 volt setting = 2 amps of current = 8 watts
A 4.5 volt setting = 2.25 amps of current = 10.125 watts
A 5 volt setting = 2.5 amps of current = 12.5 watts

So you see, the wattage cannot stay the same as you make adjustments in "voltage" mode, and that 6 watt setting that you made in "wattage" mode is remembered only so that when you switch back to "wattage" mode, it will be the same value as you set it there before.

I personally recommend that you switch over to wattage mode permanently (in RMS) and adjust your wattage instead of voltage. Why? Because regardless of what resistance atomizer you are using, the mod will adjust the voltage for you, and provide a similar vape experience regardless of what resistance coil you put on your mod. The mod will measure the resistance of the coil, and then change the voltage value automatically so that the wattage remains the same. The wattage value is the amount of energy transferred to the coil as heat, and so different resistance values of coil will result in the same wattage and therefore a similar vape. Using the wattage setting has the added benefit of ensuring you don't burn out your coil by placing a low resistance coil on your mod with a previously high voltage setting, causing too much current to flow and burn out your coil. You may need to make slight adjustments to your wattage up or down between different coils, but you should be very close to where you usually like it. I personally think using wattage is easier and takes less thought on my part so I can just vape away to my hearts content without a second thought about what voltage I'm at.

Hopefully, this helps you understand the difference between both VV and VW modes a little better.

Thank you,
Thank you,Yes that does help.
All I'm saying is what and how my Zxax displays or behaves when I use it and how I tune my vapor.If I pick 4.0 watts it'll read 4.0 watts after I replace battery,if I go back to power it still reads 4.0.No one knows what true RMS is,we are assuming chip is working and putting out values in your chart.Assuming ???

"I use 3.3-3.7volts on a 1.7-2.0 ohm cart and I get a very good vapor"

I have no idea what RMS/Mean is in watts/volts in Zmax for if pushed it sets the one we chose,not both,to a unit of 3.0??,we are assuming it does what chart says and adjusting the one we chose,not both,but w/o a true RMS read-out again we are assuming.
Like I said before I'll try using watts to adjust power up or down and see how I like it later,but using volts seems to work fine for me.
Zmax RMS button does not give a RMS reading it just chooses power or volts for brain to work out,we don't really know if it does what chart says.

 

[fairmana]

I'm not sure I understand what your saying, but it seems like you might have doubts about whether the mod is actually adjusting to the wattage you've set. What gives you the impression it isn't? I doubt that the wattage levels will be "exactly" what is chosen in the menu, but they should be close enough to provide you with a good reference value. The settings within different devices are probably going to vary slightly, but the idea is that they provide you with a reference within the same device so you can make intelligent adjustments. If your wattage setting seems too low based on your preferred vape, increase the wattage setting. If too high, adjust it down. Isn't that what you do when you are in "voltage" mode? If it's not enough, you increase the voltage and vice versa. If you like 3.7 volts, then you keep it there. If you measure that voltage with a meter, is it going to be exactly 3.7 volts? Probably not. It would likely be slightly off, but who cares? I'm not going to throw my Segelei in the trash because it says it's at 8 watts but measuring it with test equipment shows it's actually 7.75 watts. Is it a good vape? If so, great! Vape on!

 

[DaveP]

Thank you,
Thank you,Yes that does help.
All I'm saying is what and how my Zxax displays or behaves when I use it and how I tune my vapor.If I pick 4.0 watts it'll read 4.0 watts after I replace battery,if I go back to power it still reads 4.0.No one knows what true RMS is,we are assuming chip is working and putting out values in your chart.Assuming ???

"I use 3.3-3.7volts on a 1.7-2.0 ohm cart and I get a very good vapor"

I have no idea what RMS/Mean is in watts/volts in Zmax for if pushed it sets the one we chose,not both,to a unit of 3.0??,we are assuming it does what chart says and adjusting the one we chose,not both,but w/o a true RMS read-out again we are assuming.
Like I said before I'll try using watts to adjust power up or down and see how I like it later,but using volts seems to work fine for me.
Zmax RMS button does not give a RMS reading it just chooses power or volts for brain to work out,we don't really know if it does what chart says.

If you change modes from RMS to Voltage and vice versa, the value for watts or voltage is automatically set to minimum because you just invoked a new algorithm (little piece of software stored in the chip's rom) and it hasn't been told what level you wish to be at. Most of us leave it at RMS because it seems to more closely match what we see on the display with the vape we expect from that voltage or wattage.

The beauty of the power setting is in its ability to recalculate the voltage needed to ensure a good vape at the same wattage you set even if you change the atomizer resistance without telling it. The logic will adjust the voltage on practically any atomizer to get you back into, say the 6 watt range, even if you screw on a 2 ohm atty and then a 3 ohm atty.

The vape will be the same because it will sense the resistance change and with no input from you it will adjust the power output to the coil for 6 watts or whatever you had it set on. It does this by varying the voltage to achieve the desired wattage output, but it can do this ONLY when it's in power mode.

If you set wattage and switch to voltage, you are then out of the auto mode and will have to adjust the voltage to suit whatever atty is on the Zmax and it will act just like any other VV mod.

 

[vapero]

using the zmax as an Ohm reader what's the lowest it can read?

 

[DaveP]

using the zmax as an Ohm reader what's the lowest it can read?

I don't know the answer to that one. I do know that if the atty is less than 1.2 ohms, it will shut down when it fires and display a low ohm reading. Since it applies power to the atty when it checks resistance, it will probably error out below 1.2 ohms.

 

[roberted5]

Part of the problem was I was using a 1.7ohm cart and an older 2.0 ohm cart.
If I went to Watts,I either get gurgles or a burnt taste.By using volts,I could go up or down by 0.1 unit.Watts goes up or down in 0.5 units.But in old Ego 510 650 both carts worked fantasic.

I put on a new 3.0ohm cart,Zmax read it as 2.9ohm,set RMS to watts,power up to 5.0 then 6.0watts no more gurgles no more burnt taste.Finally a good vapor in VW mode.
What I liked about voltage mode I didn't get a gurgle or burnt taste using 1.7 or the older 2.0ohm cart.It could be the Zmax can adjust volts by units of 0.1.

Since Zmax doesn't give true RMS reading,your just assuming it's working but all your really doing is making coil in cart hotter or cooler by pushing buttons and you don't know what the chip is really doing.I think everyone knows my feelings about assuming.

Does Zmax work in VW mode,now that I put in new cart 3.0ohms,very well I can finally tune using watts,but using 1.7-2.0 ohm cart they only worked to my liking in VV mode.
So Zmax does work in both VV and VW mode and I can get a good vapor in VW now using a 3.0ohm cart.I think using a 3.0ohm just like watts,and that is a guess.

 

[roberted5]

Part of the problem was I was using a 1.7ohm cart and an older 2.0 ohm cart.
If I went to Watts,I either get gurgles or a burnt taste.By using volts,I could go up or down by 0.1 unit.Watts goes up or down in 0.5 units.But in old Ego 510 650 both carts worked fantasic.

I put on a new 3.0ohm cart,Zmax read it as 2.9ohm,set RMS to watts,power up to 5.0 then 6.0watts no more gurgles no more burnt taste.Finally a good vapor in VW mode.
What I liked about voltage mode I didn't get a gurgle or burnt taste using 1.7 or the older 2.0ohm cart.It could be the Zmax can adjust volts by units of 0.1.

Since Zmax doesn't give true RMS reading,I'm just assuming it's working but all I'm doing is making coil in cart hotter or cooler by pushing buttons and I don't know what the chip is really doing.I don't like to assume

Does Zmax work in VW mode,now that I put in new cart 3.0ohms,very well I can finally tune using watts,but using 1.7-2.0 ohm cart they only worked to my liking in VV mode.
So Zmax does work in both VV and VW mode and I can get a good vapor in VW now using a 3.0ohm cart.I think using a 3.0ohm just like watts,and that is a guess.

Zmax VV/VW I give a thumbs up it does work in both modes,produces nice warm to your taste vapor.

 

[DaveP]

Part of the problem was I was using a 1.7ohm cart and an older 2.0 ohm cart.
If I went to Watts,I either get gurgles or a burnt taste.By using volts,I could go up or down by 0.1 unit.Watts goes up or down in 0.5 units.But in old Ego 510 650 both carts worked fantasic.

I put on a new 3.0ohm cart,Zmax read it as 2.9ohm,set RMS to watts,power up to 5.0 then 6.0watts no more gurgles no more burnt taste.Finally a good vapor in VW mode.
What I liked about voltage mode I didn't get a gurgle or burnt taste using 1.7 or the older 2.0ohm cart.It could be the Zmax can adjust volts by units of 0.1.

Since Zmax doesn't give true RMS reading,your just assuming it's working but all your really doing is making coil in cart hotter or cooler by pushing buttons and you don't know what the chip is really doing.I think everyone knows my feelings about assuming.

Does Zmax work in VW mode,now that I put in new cart 3.0ohms,very well I can finally tune using watts,but using 1.7-2.0 ohm cart they only worked to my liking in VV mode.
So Zmax does work in both VV and VW mode and I can get a good vapor in VW now using a 3.0ohm cart.I think using a 3.0ohm just like watts,and that is a guess.

Gurgling is an overloaded coil. What I've found with Kanger tanks is the the problem is condensation in the air tube that drips down into the coil. I've blown out coils, filled the tank when it's low and gurgling, and still had the problem. What fixes my gurgling problem is cleaning out the drops of condensation in the air tube. After you blow out the coil and refill the tank, you get more water from the air tube into the coil after you reassemble the tank.

I first noticed this to be the problem while using my Kanger Evod. It has a clear mouthpiece that's built in. You can see the condensation drops through the clear mouthpiece. I twist the corner of a paper towel and use it to rod out the mouthpiece and the air tube and the gurgles disappear. Gurgling usually is accompanied by low vapor. That's because the coil is overloaded with a watery mix from the condensation flooding the coil and thinning out the juice.

 

[DaveP]

I'm still having the blank display and being locked out of the menu on my Sigelei V3. It's not a showstopper, but even when I have the display set up to show the battery voltage, it will sometimes go dark during vaping and I'm locked out of the menu. 5 clicks won't get me into the menu anymore. It still vapes fine. It just doesn't respond to the menu entry sequence and stops displaying anything while vaping. This also happens with a fully charged battery, not all the time but at least twice or three times a week or more.

Pulling the battery and reinstalling it restores normal operation. Anyone ever see this happening?

 

[Katya]

Part of the problem was I was using a 1.7ohm cart and an older 2.0 ohm cart.
If I went to Watts,I either get gurgles or a burnt taste.By using volts,I could go up or down by 0.1 unit.Watts goes up or down in 0.5 units.But in old Ego 510 650 both carts worked fantasic.

Robert, a 0.5 watt adjustment changes the output by about 0.1 volt (and vice versa--a 0.1 volt adjustment changes power by about 0.5 watt). The relative output power is just about the same no matter what mode you use. Most people assume that the 0.5 W increment change is larger because the number is larger [0.5 > 0.1], but you're comparing watts to volts. Run some numbers on the calculator if do not believe me.

http://www.onlineconversion.com/ohms_law.htm

If you're vaping at, say, 6W of power, using the same device and the same topper, you will get the same performance, vapor production and flavor no matter which mode (volts or watts) you're in.

What 'carts' are you using? Do you mean cartomizers? Dripping atties with carts? Clearomizers?

 

[Katya]

Gurgling is an overloaded coil. What I've found with Kanger tanks is the the problem is condensation in the air tube that drips down into the coil. I've blown out coils, filled the tank when it's low and gurgling, and still had the problem. What fixes my gurgling problem is cleaning out the drops of condensation in the air tube. After you blow out the coil and refill the tank, you get more water from the air tube into the coil after you reassemble the tank.

I first noticed this to be the problem while using my Kanger Evod. It has a clear mouthpiece that's built in. You can see the condensation drops through the clear mouthpiece. I twist the corner of a paper towel and use it to rod out the mouthpiece and the air tube and the gurgles disappear. Gurgling usually is accompanied by low vapor. That's because the coil is overloaded with a watery mix from the condensation flooding the coil and thinning out the juice.

Dave, have you tried simply taking an occasional 'primer puff' (a slow drag without activating your battery)? It works for me and all of my bottom coil clearomizers. The resulting increase in air pressure in the tank, especially when the juice level is low or when the tank is freshly filled, forces the juice onto the coil and removes air bubbles that often form in the tank and may impede/block the flow of juice to the coil.

The condensation doesn't bother me much--I don't get a lot of it, maybe because I do frequent primer puffs? I only clean my tanks and mouthpieces when I change flavors or coils.

 

[DaveP]

Dave, have you tried simply taking an occasional 'primer puff' (a slow drag without activating your battery)? It works for me and all of my bottom coil clearomizers. The resulting increase in air pressure in the tank, especially when the juice level is low or when the tank is freshly filled, forces the juice onto the coil and removes air bubbles that often form in the tank and may impede/block the flow of juice to the coil.

The condensation doesn't bother me much--I don't get a lot of it, maybe because I do frequent primer puffs? I only clean my tanks and mouthpieces when I change flavors or coils.

I'm not sure that a primer puff increases the air in the tank since you are pulling a partial vacuum when you do a primer puff. I do know that periodically cleaning the air tube with a rolled up paper towel ends the gurgling problem. If I don't do that once a day, I will eventually get gurgling. It's now part of my tank refill check list. It makes sense that the condensation is diluting the juice in the coil and that makes for a weak vape.

Try a clear drip tip and see if you aren't amazed by how much water collects in just the mouthpiece. Mine looks like it's crystallized with tiny ice crystals, but it's just water droplets produced by the vapor. The tube is similarly coated and dripping does occur. Change the head and the gurgling continues. Clean the air tube and it stops.

I live in the South and humidity is a fact of life. Every hit you make forces more humid air into the coil and up the air tube. The California environment is inherently dryer than Georgia, so your experience may vary from mine. It's not unusual in Georgia for the outside humidity to be 70 to 90 some odd percent. 50% to 60% inside the house is only achievable with the addition of a humidifier.

 

[roberted5]

I'm not sure that a primer puff increases the air in the tank since you are pulling a partial vacuum when you do a primer puff. I do know that periodically cleaning the air tube with a rolled up paper towel ends the gurgling problem. If I don't do that once a day, I will eventually get gurgling. It's now part of my tank refill check list. It makes sense that the condensation is diluting the juice in the coil and that makes for a weak vape.

Try a clear drip tip and see if you aren't amazed by how much water collects in just the mouthpiece. Mine looks like it's crystallized with tiny ice crystals, but it's just water droplets produced by the vapor. The tube is similarly coated and dripping does occur. Change the head and the gurgling continues. Clean the air tube and it stops.

I live in the South and humidity is a fact of life. Every hit you make forces more humid air into the coil and up the air tube. The California environment is inherently dryer than Georgia, so your experience may vary from mine. It's not unusual in Georgia for the outside humidity to be 70 to 90 some odd percent. 50% to 60% inside the house is only achievable with the addition of a humidifier.

Also part of my problem,is that Zmax threads fit so well and the + button inside female 510 connection is deeper than my old Ego 510's.I have a habit of over-tighting carts so it can mess up that groove or make it go up inside cart.
I may need a 510 extension so I can makes sure those two little holes right above threads on carts can get plenty of air.The Zmax is just threaded very well and tank will not fall or come out,but every cart is different,so I may need an extension for I do like the tanks I use.

I need to find a 510 extension so those 4 slots expose those two little holes right above threads on carts so I don't suck in my ear-drums or get a gurgle.
On my next order from my favorite vendor,M & P's,I'll order an extension.

Now that I have VW figured out,I want to make sure I use VV right.
I go to RMS/Mean with in voltage mode and choose Mean,then I increase voltage to my liking.
Does that sound right?

 

[DaveP]

Also part of my problem,is that Zmax threads fit so well and the + button inside female 510 connection is deeper than my old Ego 510's.I have a habit of over-tighting carts so it can mess up that groove or make it go up inside cart.
I may need a 510 extension so I can makes sure those two little holes right above threads on carts can get plenty of air.The Zmax is just threaded very well and tank will not fall or come out,but every cart is different,so I may need an extension for I do like the tanks I use.

I need to find a 510 extension so those 4 slots expose those two little holes right above threads on carts so I don't suck in my ear-drums or get a gurgle.
On my next order from my favorite vendor,M & P's,I'll order an extension.

Now that I have VW figured out,I want to make sure I use VV right.
I go to RMS/Mean with in voltage mode and choose Mean,then I increase voltage to my liking.
Does that sound right?

You don't want to overtighten the threads when you install a cart. Just enough to make a connection without lots of pressure.

RMS mode produces the best vape, imo. Why use voltage mode at all? Set it in power mode and leave it. Adjust watts to taste.

 

[roberted5]

I just want to make sure if I do use VV mode,I'm doing it right.It is a VV or VW APV,isn't that correct?

 

[DaveP]

I just want to make sure if I do use VV mode,I'm doing it right.It is a VV or VW APV,isn't that correct?

It is, but we all bought it for the power mode that lets us set the wattage and forget it as we change atomizer coil resistance.

 

[Thayamax]

Now that I have VW figured out,I want to make sure I use VV right.
I go to RMS/Mean with in voltage mode and choose Mean,then I increase voltage to my liking.
Does that sound right?

You don't have to change to Mean when you switch to voltage mode. If you feel you must use voltage mode for whatever reason, leave it on RMS. All you have to do is go to Menu #7 and switch to voltage...done.

After you put your ZMax or any other mod in RMS there is NO reason to visit that menu option ever again.