The Gripper and Battery Safety?

[Sub Zero]

So, I have a Vamo which I have nothing to worry about really when it comes to safety due to it being protected by the chip.

But, I don't always want to carry around such a big PV so I looked into the gripper.

Seems nice and small for going to clubs or a few hours out, but my question is (never using a protected battery and worried about discharge or an explosion.) What should I be going to prevent this?

If I use the gripper all day and drain the battery to the point where I cant vape anymore is this dangerous?

How do I know when to stop vaping if I cant tell how much battery I have left?

What are the real dangers if for example the gripper fires in my pocket for an extended period of time?

Edit: I also had my vamo fire on my pocket once and I didn't know until I felt a burning in my pocket what could have happened?

I have had a burning taste in my Protank after this can this be fixed?

 

[Sub Zero]

Anyone have some info for me please!

 

[Bunnykiller]

with mech mods you need to pay attention to when the taste/vapor density begins to go thin, once that starts, its time to put in another battery.
The Vamo should shut off when the button is held down for more than 10 seconds ( quits firing) but repeated firings will warm it up.

Is there a lock out ring/screw that makes the Gripper not fire accidentally? If it has one use it... If not, consider a mod that has one.
Batteries for mechs should be IMR, second choice ICR Protected.

Replace the coil assy in the Protank, wash out tank well, replace juice...

 

[Justinicus]

No lithium ion battery is truly safe. Not IMRs, not protected ICRs. They're extremely powerful (compared to other battery types) and inherently unstable. The power and danger go hand-in-hand.

That doesn't mean you're LIKELY to be injured by one. Just that you're a lot more likely than with any other battery type. The way I understand it, all the danger ultimately comes down to temperature. If a li-ion battery gets too hot, it starts a sort of chain reaction, and worst case ends up "venting with flame." To prevent this, you have to be a little careful. Don't over-drive your batteries. Protection circuits help a lot with this, but they can fail. And have failed. Best not to rely on them. Just like with guns -- whether or not they have a safety, you keep your finger away from the trigger. Never put your device away in a condition where it can fire. Turn it off, lock it out, remove the atomizer if you have to.

Don't use a sealed mod. This can turn a "vent with flame" incident into a small pipe bomb. Drill a hole in it if you have to; better to have a rocket than a bomb ;-).

Finally, pay attention. There are always warning signs. It can happen even if everything's locked out and the atty's been removed. I've seen the wreckage of a mod that was locked out and was using a protected batt. If it happens, you'll smell electronics and/or plastics burning. It will get really hot. If that happens, get it outside if you can. Pull out the battery if you can. Put it in the most flame-proof thing you can (steel kitchen sink, concrete washbasin, bathtub, empty sidewalk, gutter, etc.). As long as no one's touching it, it's not in a pressure container that can produce shrapnel, and it's not sitting on anything flammable, you can enjoy the pyrotechnics. It's a battery, not a hand grenade!

Draining the battery within its specifications (low draw rate, an amp or so) isn't dangerous. But if you take it too low, you'll wreck the battery -- reduce its lifespan. For best results, you don't want to take them below 3V. Below 2.7 and you're really pushing it, and not getting much more out of it. Below 2.5ish, and you're doing real damage to the battery. Again, not damage to you or the mod, just the battery. Just means you'll have to replace it sooner.

Draining it beyond its specs, like 2+ amps sustained for an ICR, or 20+ amps for an IMR will overheat it. Overheating it can (not will, but can) lead to thermal runaway -- that chain reaction I mentioned before. That 20+ amp rating for IMR is why they're safer. They can dump a lot more charge a lot faster without damage. If you had a cheap ICR battery in that pocket-burn incident, you may have been coming close to popping your battery.

 

[Myrany]

I have a gripper. I also can never tell when the vapor goes thin on it so I just make a habit to pull the battery every couple of hours and take a multimeter to it. Takes less than 5 mintues to check.

You do not want to subohm on a mech gripper the 18350 batterys will not take it. I try to stay in the 1.5 ohm+ range.

It does not have a safety lock on the button. Mine never goes in a pocket so it is not an issue for me and the button has a pretty stiff tension to it. I've never had a problem though I can see how some people would.

 

[Berylanna]

So, I have a Vamo which I have nothing to worry about really when it comes to safety due to it being protected by the chip.

But, I don't always want to carry around such a big PV so I looked into the gripper.

Seems nice and small for going to clubs or a few hours out, but my question is (never using a protected battery and worried about discharge or an explosion.) What should I be going to prevent this?

If I use the gripper all day and drain the battery to the point where I cant vape anymore is this dangerous?

How do I know when to stop vaping if I cant tell how much battery I have left?

What are the real dangers if for example the gripper fires in my pocket for an extended period of time?

There are more than one kind of "gripper"

As I would expect, the VV (variable voltage) model has all the typical protection circuitry, I think, judging both from my experiences and the review below. Anything labeled "mech" does not, so the APV forums might be a good place to ask once you have your 10 posts + wait an hour.

I believe (you may find out more on the APV forums, look for liquid-feed even though the gripper doesn't have it, since bottom-feeders are popular mech models) that if you use a mech, the safest you can get is: do NOT stack batteries, use only single-battery configurations, use high-quality IMR batteries (see the flashlight forums), make durned sure the thing is vented, and I don't know how to avoid a too-long button push other than to find a hard case for it and keep it there. In theory, with venting, and IIRC, the worst case fpr IMR is almost-always the battery vents hot-enough to give you 2nd-degree burns, maybe even a small 3rd-degree burn, but NOT an explosion. Without venting all bets are off.

Protected batteries are safer if the protection does not fail and if you can use them (which most mechs cannot IIRC)

Gripper VV review with details:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...eviews/320363-vv-gripper-smoktech-review.html

 

[Sub Zero]

Ok great to know it will not kill me due to pressure as long as there is a vent!

So everything came today gripper (non VV) and battery with a carto. Threw it together, nothing maybe because I am using a flat top battery I was possibly thinking maybe there is no connection due to it being a flat top? Suggestions?

 

[CreepyLady]

Is it this gripper? Gripper

 

[Sub Zero]

Is it this gripper? Gripper

Yes, also I think I have made a boo boo. (Efest 18350 IMR 800 mAh Li-Mn eCig Battery for Electronic Cigarette Mods | Best Quality eCig Mod Batteries from Aqua Vapor eCig) That is the battery I have ordered I think it is unprotected? Correct? Which I SHOULD NOT use with the gripper?

 

[CreepyLady]

It is IMR and does not require a protection circuit. You are OK to use that. They arent going to be the best performing batteries in the history of the world or anything, but they are safe.

Try putting it in negative first. Madvapes has info on that down below in the gripper info. If that doesnt work then no clue.

 

[Sub Zero]

It is IMR and does not require a protection circuit. You are OK to use that. They arent going to be the best performing batteries in the history of the world or anything, but they are safe.

Try putting it in negative first. Madvapes has info on that down below in the gripper info. If that doesnt work then no clue.

Now I am confused lol. I thought that since it is a mod, you need a protected battery or because the type of cell is IMR you don't need protection? So its like a...light unprotected battery?

Also if you can answer, I have a vamo and I am supposed to only use unprotected battery due to the vamos configuration will this battery work fine with it then since it is unprotected?

I have also tried that trick they said and nothing.

 

[CreepyLady]

It is a safe battery for both, IMR is rechargeable LiMn (commonly referred to as Lithium Manganese or LiMn) batteries. They are safer chemically than Li-Ion batteries and do not need a protection circuit.

If your battery is properly charged to 4.2 and you get nothing then it sounds like it may be DOA. Contact the vendor and ask for a replacement. The only other thing I know of is if you screw in your cartomizer to tightly it can make that one not work. It can move the 510 connector thingy and it will not fire. You have to really "just" screw them in to be barely finger tight.

 

[Stosh]

Using the IMR batteries is the way to go, safe chemistry. Not sure about flat tops, but reversing it may help.

Regarding vents and a battery venting, the danger comes from being enclosed in a solid METAL tube, the result is like a fragmentation grenade or pipe bomb. A plastic case that likely might not survive being dropped on a carpeted surface will not build up the same pressures before creating all the vents it needs.

I have a VV gripper, and the case will come apart with ease. I've done it on purpose to replace the 510 connector and switch.

 

[Baditude]

I use AW 18350 IMR button-top batteries in my Gripper with no problem, positive end in first. Pretty sure the Gripper needs button top batteries.

IMR batteries should be used in both mechanical and regulated mods, for different reasons. For mechanical mods, IMR are "safer chemistry" than protected batteries. If protected ICR batteries' protective circuit fails (and they do), they vent with hot gas and flames. IMR's are less likely to vent, but when they do it is only hot gas, but no flames.

Regulated mods need IMR batteries because they are also "high drain" batteries. Regulated mods use pulse circuitry (pulse width modulation) to create higher voltage, and need a battery which has higher amp limits. ICR batteries have low amp limits and will not allow a regulated mod to perform optimally. Technical: Why High Drain Batteries?

In this day of modern battery technology, there is no reason to use protected ICR batteries. They are outdated 'old technology'. IMR's are safer and perform better in most applications than ICR batteries.

Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?

 

[Sub Zero]

Alright great so IMR's are the best battery's for safety due to there construction during my read. Now to figure out this dam gripper hmm I didn't over tighten may have to call them.

 

[KJRxxx]

I have this same device. I use AW IMR batteries in it. Work fine with positive end up.
As with any mechanical mod, since you cannot read live voltage, you need to familiarize yourself with the atomizer/device performance with a full battery as opposed to a partially drained battery. When you notice that the atomizer is not hitting as hard as when the battery was fully charged, it's likely a good time to get it out and recharge it.

 

[Sub Zero]

I have this same device. I use AW IMR batteries in it. Work fine with positive end up.
As with any mechanical mod, since you cannot read live voltage, you need to familiarize yourself with the atomizer/device performance with a full battery as opposed to a partially drained battery. When you notice that the atomizer is not hitting as hard as when the battery was fully charged, it's likely a good time to get it out and recharge it.

What would happen par say...I didn't know when was the right time and I kept vaping what could possibly happen.

 

[KJRxxx]

Bad things!

Battery venting, thermal runaway, fire, vapeapalypse.....

But seriously, pay attention to how quickly and had it hits on a full battery. When you can noticeably detect reduction in the performance of the atomizer, recharge the battery. It would also be very helpful for you if you check the voltage of the battery with a fluke meter or similar so you can see where it's at before you recharge to help give you a good reference.

 

[Stosh]

What would happen par say...I didn't know when was the right time and I kept vaping what could possibly happen.

Not likely you would vape it down to an extreme discharge. I use single battery mods with 1.8Ω - 2.5Ω toppers frequently, when the battery gets down to ~3.5 volts you will notice the heat of the vapor, quantity of vapor, flavor all dropping off. You'll look at the PV going "what's wrong with this blasted thing" and you'll remember to change the battery. You would need to vape it down well below 3.0 volts to damage the battery, and trying to get it down low is almost impossible to vape with any satisfaction...

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

I have one and when it felt weak I checked the battery and it was 3.6. Also the button feels very positive. It has a bit of a long throw and a good firm action.and With its placement I feel secure carrying it in a pocket.