The Kick

[gredie]

After one night and a half day I'm getting mixed feelings about the kick.
I got the kick working in one GGTS with fuse protection, not in the other one. I had to swap parts between my two GGTS's to find out it's the bottom spring. The bottom spring is clean and working perfect without kick.
With fuse protection installed the kick works as expected.

Add: I tried the bottom spring of my Stealth also with no success.

 

[Darth Octane]

After one night and a half day I'm getting mixed feelings about the kick.
I got the kick working in one GGTS with fuse protection, not in the other one. I had to swap parts between my two GGTS's to find out it's the bottom spring. The bottom spring is clean and working perfect without kick.
With fuse protection installed the kick works as expected.

Add: I tried the bottom spring of my Stealth also with no success.

Just a quick note on the Kick. I am prettty sure it has been said in this thread but in case it hasn't, the kick has protection circuitry built into it as well. So the bottom spring is not really needed. Awhile back Cappy posted a video about replacing the bottom post in the GGTS with a Copper plug he got at the hardware store. I am going to look into it again and probably swap my bottom posts out.

 

[rwechsler]

Please please please post a link to the thread about the copper plug! I dont know about the conductive properties of copper, but if it's anything like brass, then put me down for 3 of them. I also now have an extra fuse upgrade to play with. Gna see if I can mod it by installing a tiny brass (or even something more conductive and less prone to tarnishing) nail or screw into the plastic housing.

 

[Vaporologist]

Just a quick note on the Kick. I am prettty sure it has been said in this thread but in case it hasn't, the kick has protection circuitry built into it as well. So the bottom spring is not really needed. Awhile back Cappy posted a video about replacing the bottom post in the GGTS with a Copper plug he got at the hardware store. I am going to look into it again and probably swap my bottom posts out.

Great post! I actually removed my fuse kit after about an hour of receiving my Kick and I'm using the bottom post only without any springs. I don't see any reason for having the protection that springs offer when using the Kick and springs increase resistance. Coincidentally I get 4-6 hours with AW IMR18350 batts vaping about 5mls per day.

 

[Kim151]

That's impressive on that 18350 Vaporologist. I only do about 1 1/2-2 mls/day so I'm figuring it should last me almost all day.

 

[gredie]

Thanks for the hint, Darth!
I read about using the kick without spring and thought it's done to minimize the length.
I'll try it without spring.

 

[fright88]

Great post! I actually removed my fuse kit after about an hour of receiving my Kick and I'm using the bottom post only without any springs. I don't see any reason for having the protection that springs offer when using the Kick and springs increase resistance. Coincidentally I get 4-6 hours with AW IMR18350 batts vaping about 5mls per day.

Maybe I got a bad batch of batts. Or my kick is bad lol. I vape about 10 ml a day According to the numbers from Super T's drain testing an 18650 should last at least twice as long as an 18350. If you vape 5 ml a day and a batt lasts you 4 hours given a 16 hour day that is 1.25 ml a batt so a 650 should last 2.5 ml. At 10 ml a day I vape about .625 ml an hour so a 650 should last 4 hours.

 

[Vaporologist]

Maybe I got a bad batch of batts. Or my kick is bad lol. I vape about 10 ml a day According to the numbers from Super T's drain testing an 18650 should last at least twice as long as an 18350. If you vape 5 ml a day and a batt lasts you 4 hours given a 16 hour day that is 1.25 ml a batt so a 650 should last 2.5 ml. At 10 ml a day I vape about .625 ml an hour so a 650 should last 4 hours.

Yea, I was really surprised reading your earlier posts. And for the record, I'm actually getting longer runtimes from my 18350 batts than my AW IMR 18490 but my 18350s are relatively new and 18490s are about a year old and I ran them hard on my ProVari.

It is possible that your button is the culprit. Having black markings on your button post from arcing will affect performance big time. I had performance issues with my TS back in the day when I just got it because of the same reason (2011 button). I sanded off the nickel plating from the button post/pin with some super fine sand paper until brass was exposed, then polished the brass and the problem was permanently resolved and the TS actually hit better than ever after that. I really think you could benefit from doing the same if you're not getting the 2012 button. I would also advise replacing the original button spring with the new brass one.

I really hope you get it figured out. You should be getting a lot more than you are.

 

[Vaporologist]

Btw, here's how the button ended up looking:

 

[fright88]

Yea, I was really surprised reading your earlier posts. And for the record, I'm actually getting longer runtimes from my 18350 batts than my AW IMR 18490 but my 18350s are relatively new and 18490s are about a year old and I ran them hard on my ProVari.

It is possible that your button is the culprit. Having black markings on your button post from arcing will affect performance big time. I had performance issues with my TS back in the day when I just got it because of the same reason (2011 button). I sanded off the nickel plating from the button post/pin with some super fine sand paper until brass was exposed, then polished the brass and the problem was permanently resolved and the TS actually hit better than ever after that. I really think you could benefit from doing the same if you're not getting the 2012 button. I would also advise replacing the original button spring with the new brass one.

I really hope you get it figured out. You should be getting a lot more than you are.

I am using the brass springs in my button. No battery spring. The button has no more black marks but there are a couple scratches on it that didn't polish out. I have a 2012 button coming though so I will give that a try. I will also try sandpaper once I get my new button in. Also I am still on my 3rd cycle with my 4 new batts so hopefully it will improve a bit once they've been fully cycled. I am also going to try another kick tomorrow to rule out the kick itself somehow drainingthe battery.

 

[Darth Octane]

Please please please post a link to the thread about the copper plug! I dont know about the conductive properties of copper, but if it's anything like brass, then put me down for 3 of them. I also now have an extra fuse upgrade to play with. Gna see if I can mod it by installing a tiny brass (or even something more conductive and less prone to tarnishing) nail or screw into the plastic housing.

Was hard to do on my tablet but I found it.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/gg/128623-ggts-copper-upgrade.html

 

[VPDownunder]

You could always plug the post with a SS flathead screw then get the post/screw assembly gold plated

 

[rwechsler]

Now that's a good idea!

 

[VPDownunder]

My Kick arrived today, I prepped inside a top tube with my dremel and a fine sanding attachment, set it for max and dropped it in on top of an AW IMR 18650 2000mAh batt and fired it up, adjusted it down to 8.5 after nothing but burning juice (2.5 ohm coil normally vaped at 6.4v) god this thing hits well, I hadn't thought it'd do it for me at 10w let alone 8.5w being a strictly HV vaper. I have no idea what's going on I guess I have a freak unit lol.

 

[rwechsler]

NICE! Can't complain over the results! My voltage under load meter comes in tmrw, so I'll finally be able to test my Kick's accuracy.

 

[VPDownunder]

I was having problems with my 2011 button when using the kick even though it was clean, I had to press to one side and hold it down hard to get it to fire. After cleaning it and the post again to make sure it wasn't any better so I pulled the button out of my TMF ally GGTS which is the domed round button with a thick brass spring and a larger flat round base and it now works perfectly with only a light pressure needed, it suggests to me that the brass button makes a far better contact than the nickel plated small hex base.

 

[rwechsler]

Interesting that you isolated the problem to the button. I've had similar issues, but all of my troubleshooting pointed to my fuse upgrade as the problem. I tried 4 different fuses, none worked. As soon as I tried it in the TS without a fuse (just using the battery post) the issue went away. I wish I could use my TB button in my TS

 

[EsxPaul]

I was having problems with my 2011 button when using the kick even though it was clean, I had to press to one side and hold it down hard to get it to fire. After cleaning it and the post again to make sure it wasn't any better so I pulled the button out of my TMF ally GGTS which is the domed round button with a thick brass spring and a larger flat round base and it now works perfectly with only a light pressure needed, it suggests to me that the brass button makes a far better contact than the nickel plated small hex base.

That's very interesting to know.

 

[UncleDagger]

I had the same issue and ended up using some 1200grit wet sandpaper to take the chrome plating off the button where it contacts the battery post. I also replaced the spring with an .85c steel spring from the hardware store and now my GGTS is firing perfectly and the button works however I press it. I prefer to use mine with the spring in the bottom. I noticed when I was using it without a spring that the bottom of my battery was getting circular scratches in it. Also I think the bottom cap secures better with the resistance of the spring against it.

 

[RippleInStillWater]

I never use the fuses and I stopped using springs in the bottom when they kept collapsing on me and having the GG heat quickly, I've run nothing but a post for 6 months on the advice of other GG vets.....