The Great Debate... VV vs VW!

[cbfairbanks]

So, I am the proud new owner of a Vamo and so far I am loving it!!! Such a huge difference over my KGO Rivas and eGo pass throughs... and I really liked those!!! This is my first experience with both variable voltage and variable wattage, and I am having a great time playing around with both to see how it changes my vaping experience regarding taste, throat hit, battery life, and overall feel. Fun times!!!

I have seen a few threads on the boards regarding the differences between VV and VW, and recently a thread popped up here about "Making the Switch" back to VV after trying VW. I have to admit that at first I drank the VW kool aid and hardly even tried the VV mode, but this thread got me thinking and wondering, so I tried it out for a bit. I know that the math and science crew will say that it doesn't matter since Ohm's law determines then end power output, but it does seem like I have a little more control in VV mode. I know taste is subjective, and to an extent so is everything else. That being said, I am still wavering as to which I prefer. To help me decide, I figured... why not put it to a vote!

Post your VV/VW preference, your reasons for your choice, your set up, and anything else you think would be useful in furthering the discussion. Do you think the flavor "family" of the juice (ie- fruity, sweet, tobacco, etc.) has anything to do with your preference? How about LR versus SR attys and their effect on choice? Let's end the debate before it really even gets started!!!



I am running Smoktech LR DCT Cartos (1.5 ohm resistance) in home made syringe tanks. My juice is typically 50/50 with a nic level between 14mg and 16mg and is mainly from Mt Baker Vapors.

 

[dam718]

By the numbers, with everything else being equal, firing a 1.5 Ohm cartomizer in VV mode gives the following results from 3.7V - 4.2V:

3.7 = 9.13W
3.8 = 9.63W (+.5W)
3.9 = 10.14W (+.51W)
4.0 = 10.67W (+.53W)
4.1 = 11.21W (+.54W)
4.2 = 11.76W (+.55W)

So you actually get a little bit less control in VV mode than you do in VW mode. Probably not enough to make a noticeable difference, although looking at the small trend here I would suspect that the difference will get bigger as you increase the numbers, and smaller as you decrease the numbers.

The big thing about VW, for me, is that the device accounts for fluctuations in resistance and adjusts voltage automatically. This SHOULD make it easier for folks that find a particular power setting they like, and they can put any delivery device on top and it will give similar results.

I know I find that regardless of if I am using VV or VW I always adjust a bit for flavor any time I change out delivery devices... The only thing VW does is eliminate my need to check the resistance of the atomizer.

 

[dwolf111]

I just got my Vamo and have played with both and so far I like the watt mode the best.

 

[durgidog]

I also use the VW setting on my Vamo because it compensates for changes in resistance, but I really don't care either way - adjusting the voltage using VV every once in a while really isn't a big deal to me.

I prefer VW in devices like the kick and mods with potentiometers that require small screwdrivers because they are a pain to adjust and would just be a hassle using VV.

 

[garyd]

I also like the VW in the vamo, just a no brainer whatever ohms you are using device will regulate the volts to the atty/carto so you don't fry them before their time, if that makes sense.

 

[bigbells]

I have no idea whether it's a peculiarity of my particular Vamo, but if I change batteries while in VV mode, the setting reverts to 3.0V, while if I change batteries in VW mode, my previous wattage setting is retained. No biggie, but it's a contributing factor to my preference for VW.

 

[SirSteve]

I have no idea whether it's a peculiarity of my particular Vamo, but if I change batteries while in VV mode, the setting reverts to 3.0V, while if I change batteries in VW mode, my previous wattage setting is retained. No biggie, but it's a contributing factor to my preference for VW.

Odd little quirk, isn't it? Mine does the same thing.

 

[DaveP]

Odd little quirk, isn't it? Mine does the same thing.

You'd think that the Vamo could remember both settings at battery change time. I suspect that will change with ROM revisions.

 

[junkman]

I have no idea whether it's a peculiarity of my particular Vamo, but if I change batteries while in VV mode, the setting reverts to 3.0V, while if I change batteries in VW mode, my previous wattage setting is retained. No biggie, but it's a contributing factor to my preference for VW.

I understood this to be a safety feature. If the Volts were to remain at say 5 and you put in a new battery and a new atomizer, you could blow the atomizer. Whereas with the VW mode it is safe to retain the wattage setting.

 

[junkman]

never mind - dam718 already calculated the better control with VW vs. VV at lower resistances.

 

[DaveP]

I understood this to be a safety feature. If the Volts were to remain at say 5 and you put in a new battery and a new atomizer, you could blow the atomizer. Whereas with the VW mode it is safe to retain the wattage setting.

Current limiting could avoid that. E1 / E2 / E3 is a common code among Provari users who go too low in resistance or too high in voltage/current or internal temperature. I see ROM revisions adding those features to all APV mods.

 

[bigbells]

I understood this to be a safety feature. If the Volts were to remain at say 5 and you put in a new battery and a new atomizer, you could blow the atomizer. Whereas with the VW mode it is safe to retain the wattage setting.

That makes much sense, and I can buy that as a logical reason. Since finding out that VW actually gives finer available tuning in the more usable ranges than does VV, I'm even more inclined to stick with VW. As pointed out in the useful chart posted by Dam718, 0.5W increments give finer adjustment than 0.1V increments.

 

[junkman]

That makes much sense, and I can buy that as a logical reason. Since finding out that VW actually gives finer available tuning in the more usable ranges than does VV, I'm even more inclined to stick with VW. As pointed out in the useful chart posted by Dam718, 0.5W increments give finer adjustment than 0.1V increments.

Yeah, if you have both available on a device there really isn't much (or any) reason to use VV. It would be interesting to hear the reasons why of the 4 who selected VV as their preferred control method. I suspect only prior familiarity with VV and no desire to try VW or mis-understanding as to relative adjustability of VV vs. VW.

 

[rockb4]

i votes for VV, but had never used VW. After seeing the results I'm trying it out. I think I will start using VW from now on.

 

[nahoku]

Yeah, if you have both available on a device there really isn't much (or any) reason to use VV. It would be interesting to hear the reasons why of the 4 who selected VV as their preferred control method. I suspect only prior familiarity with VV and no desire to try VW or mis-understanding as to relative adjustability of VV vs. VW.

I have no misunderstanding about VV vs VW. Just because someone likes VV better doesn't mean it has to make sense to you. I voted for VV because I use a dripper wrapped to 1.5 ohms and also 1.5 ohm dual-coil carts on the same Vamo. Setting my Vamo to VW makes no sense with what I attach to it... especially when switching to the dual-coils. Beyond that, and not much to do with VV vs VW, some juices actually taste better at different voltages, whether higher or lower, than those on the chart. The way some people think around here it's like once they set their Vamo to their VW setting it's like they never need to adjust it for anything they put on top of it. That aint gonna happen! VW is not the end all... so yes, there is a reason to have VV and VW on the same device.

To each his own!

 

[peraspera]

Neither of my VAMOs have been out of VW mode aside from when I first got them and checked to see whether or not the VV mode worked as expected. I use the VW Kick and Curve on a couple of mechanicals—don't miss VV at all. However, I do sorely miss VW on my Twists.

 

[junkman]

I have no misunderstanding about VV vs VW. Just because someone likes VV better doesn't mean it has to make sense to you. I voted for VV because I use a dripper wrapped to 1.5 ohms and also 1.5 ohm dual-coil carts on the same Vamo. Setting my Vamo to VW makes no sense with what I attach to it... especially when switching to the dual-coils. Beyond that, and not much to do with VV vs VW, some juices actually taste better at different voltages, whether higher or lower, than those on the chart. The way some people think around here it's like once they set their Vamo to their VW setting it's like they never need to adjust it for anything they put on top of it. That aint gonna happen! VW is not the end all... so yes, there is a reason to have VV and VW on the same device.

To each his own!

OK, I have never used a dual coil cart so I may not understand it. Does that mean you can just set the voltage the same for the dual coil and the dripper? Is there some reason that VV is better for dual coil instead of VW?

 

[bigbells]

I have no misunderstanding about VV vs VW. Just because someone likes VV better doesn't mean it has to make sense to you. I voted for VV because I use a dripper wrapped to 1.5 ohms and also 1.5 ohm dual-coil carts on the same Vamo. Setting my Vamo to VW makes no sense with what I attach to it... especially when switching to the dual-coils. Beyond that, and not much to do with VV vs VW, some juices actually taste better at different voltages, whether higher or lower, than those on the chart. The way some people think around here it's like once they set their Vamo to their VW setting it's like they never need to adjust it for anything they put on top of it. That aint gonna happen! VW is not the end all... so yes, there is a reason to have VV and VW on the same device.

To each his own!

OK, but you DO have a misunderstanding of VW vs VV if you think that there is some inherent difference which makes VV preferable in your particular circumstances. There is nothing you can do with VV that you cannot do with VW, and vice versa. However, the Vamo is able to retain settings for VW, but not for VV.

 

[junkman]

OK, but you DO have a misunderstanding of VW vs VV if you think that there is some inherent difference which makes VV preferable in your particular circumstances. There is nothing you can do with VV that you cannot do with VW, and vice versa. However, the Vamo is able to retain settings for VW, but not for VV.

I don't know, since I am not using dual coil, but maybe the point has to do with how dual coils interact with wattage settings? To be honest I hadn't thought about dual coils.

I would be interested in an explanation from nahoku as I assume he knows what he is talking about as he is using a dual coil set up.

 

[nahoku]

OK, but you DO have a misunderstanding of VW vs VV if you think that there is some inherent difference which makes VV preferable in your particular circumstances. There is nothing you can do with VV that you cannot do with VW, and vice versa. However, the Vamo is able to retain settings for VW, but not for VV.

I'm not the one that misunderstands anything. You, my friend, are the one off track!

A 1.5 ohm dual-coil cart actually has two 3 ohm coils connected in parallel inside of it. Their effective resistance, or the resistance the Vamo sees, is 1.5 ohms. Hence, if you connect a Vamo set for 8 watts (VW) to the 1.5 ohm dual-coil cart, the Vamo will attempt to adjust to 3.46v.

Herein lies the problem. The voltage being supplied by the Vamo is actually too low because it's getting "fooled" into thinking it's looking at a single 1.5 ohm coil. Because there are actually two coils (two current paths) inside the dual-coil cart, each coil actually only dissipates 1/2 the total power. This means that each coil is only heating up to approx 4 watts.

Overall dissipated power remains the same for the Vamo, but because each coil is only heating to 1/2, what do you think is happening to how the juice vaporizes? I can tell you... it's going to be a weak(er) vape.

Anyways, hopefully you can understand why I use my Vamo in VV mode, and not the "apparently preferred" VW mode. You know, every user has his own reasons.

Peace!