The VAMO battery thread

[NickSteel]

Ok, I am about to order a Vamo v2, this is my first apv. I read all 28 pages of this thread, but just to double check, the following are correct?

batteries:
AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | Efest IMR 18650 2000mAh LiMN Recharageable Battery

Charger:
AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | XTAR WP2 II Charger

Battery case. Anything else im missing here?
Thanks.

Have ordered a Chinese Vamo V2 that comes with 18350 batteries. After reading this thread, I have decided to follow advice and also buy 18650 batteries and charger. Can others post recommend battery/charger combinations? I, of course, want the most bang for the buck, but have to have dependability and safety. Having some choices would enhance my shopping.

 

[Gunner83]

Have ordered a Chinese Vamo V2 that comes with 18350 batteries. After reading this thread, I have decided to follow advice and also buy 18650 batteries and charger. Can others post recommend battery/charger combinations? I, of course, want the most bang for the buck, but have to have dependability and safety. Having some choices would enhance my shopping.

I'm currently using an XTAR WP2. It's a "smart charger", and will not overcharge your batteries. I like it.

You can find them at various vendors for about $20, give or take a few bucks.

 

[NickSteel]

I'm currently using an XTAR WP2. It's a "smart charger", and will not overcharge your batteries. I like it.

You can find them at various vendors for about $20, give or take a few bucks.

Just ordered a XTAR WP2. Now researching batteries. Thinking about: IMR Hybrid 2250mAh Panasonic CGR18650CH 18650, although they're a bit pricy.

 

[xbassman]

Just ordered a XTAR WP2. Now researching batteries. Thinking about: IMR Hybrid 2250mAh Panasonic CGR18650CH 18650, although they're a bit pricy.

That's a good charger and the Panny would be my choice for an 18650 a well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NickSteel]

That's a good charger and the Panny would be my choice for an 18650 a well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ordered: Orbtronic - Panasonic CGR18650CH With Top Button, 2250mAh IMR High Drain 18650 Battery Cell-Made in Japan

Thanks for all the advice. Was important, as I have ordered 2 Vamo V2's and want to set them up right.

 

[praetor91313]

I'm presently using generic 18650s which came with my lavatube but since I'll be trying out a genesis DID clone soon, I decided to order an Efest IMR18650 Chemically Safe Li-ion 3.7V 2200mAh just to be sure it won't explode in my face, hehehehe...

 

[NickSteel]

I'm presently using generic 18650s which came with my lavatube but since I'll be trying out a genesis DID clone soon, I decided to order an Efest IMR18650 Chemically Safe Li-ion 3.7V 2200mAh just to be sure it won't explode in my face, hehehehe...

I read so many warnings about stacking 18350's and so many recommendations for the Panasonic batteries that I erred on the side of caution. They cost a few dollars more, but...............

 

[midnight_stray]

Panasonic cgr 18650ch and trust fire tr 001 are the combo I'm using. I do have 2 18350 AW IMR for stealth mode. No complaints so far. The pannys seem to last forever

 

[klondikes]

I purchased the Vamo from VaporBreak. I bought the combo with 2 of their 18320 batteries and the charger for $42.11 including shipping. Having read how cheap the charger is I went ahead and got a NiteCore IntelliCharger i2 Charger from LightJunction.com for $15.95, $20.95 with shipping. Best price I could find.

I also got 2 of the Efest IMR 18650 2000mAh LiMN Rechargeable Batteries. I plan to use these most of the time in my Vamo. The 18350's that come with the Vamo are certainly cheap batteries at 900mAh.

Question - is the stacking warning of the 18350 batteries because of the different voltages that might be present in the batteries? If so, can I monitor voltage of each battery with a volt meter to know when they are out of balance with each other and unsafe to use?

My hobby is flying electric radio controlled airplanes and I have lots of experience with Lithium Polymer batteries which are even more unstable than Lithium Ion. The LiPo batteries used for RC are high discharge batteries stacked in series to increase the voltage. My latest battery is 4 batteries of 3.7V each put together in series for a total of 14.8V nominal. It is a 3300mAh battery rated for 40C or 132 amps continuous current and a 80C or 260 amp burst. I do not use all of that available power. My plane pulls about 55 amps at full throttle at just short of 800 watts. These batteries require special charging, the cells must be kept balanced, and they can not be fully discharged without permanent damage. Lack of care will lead to explosion and/or fire as the Lithium Polymer gives off fuel as it burns.

What I am asking is what the caution is in stacking the 18350 batteries and can someone used to monitoring batteries use them stacked safely?

klondikes

 

[Mudflap]

What I am asking is what the caution is in stacking the 18350 batteries and can someone used to monitoring batteries use them stacked safely?

klondikes

The abundance of caution is due mainly to some instances of folks having their PV blow up in their face when stacking CR123 batteries in unregulated tube mods.

You're definitely experienced enough with lithium batteries and chargers to safely stack 18350's if you choose to do so.

 

[buffaloguy]

Ok I have an issue. I have been using efest 18350's. I have two sets of button tops for stacking in the vamo. I also have two of the flat tops for short mode. I do also have one Panasonic Cgr18650 2200mah. Now I rotate these and all come off the charger properly charged.....

However Im finding that all of these batteries do not last nearly as long as they should. With my vmax I could go a day and a half on two stacked 18350's. Now the same setup in the vamo doesnt last but maybe 9 hours before Im running for a new set of 18350's. Comparatively the 18650 only runs for maybe 8 hours, and a single 18350 lasts maybe 4-5 hours.

I run in RMS at usually around 6-7watts. Vovi novas, splitfires, carto tanks, all around 2.8-3.4 ohms. The batteries are from a trusted vendor one set of 18350's and the 18650 I have are brand new. Regardless of battery age they all have very short (imo) lifetimes.

After reading different people's battery life statements (even some self admitted chain vapers which i dont think I am) thos does NOT sound normal to me. Yesterday alone I went thru a set of 18350's, half the charge of the 18650, and one single 18350....

Thoughts or ideas? Should I contact the vamo vendor??

 

[xpen]

Hi, not really ideas, just thinking out loudly...

first off, vaping time out of the same battery may and will vary among different individuals! vaping habits are too subjective to be easily compared (also, many people brag about endless vaping time I've never even dreamed of, even though using same PV and batteries )

the vmax and the vamo should share very similar electronics, if not downright the same, so it should make no practical difference in PWM efficiency (which BTW doesn't really apply when using two stacked 18350s in a step-down config).

let me say something doesn't sound right with your reported vaping time... for me a single Efest 18350 lasts may be 1 hour, tops, while an Efest (or AW) 18650 2000 mAh is good for 6 to 8 hours; 2 stacked Efest 18350 last me approx as much as an 18650, maybe a little more. Note: I always use RBA around 3 ohm resistance.

That said, a few questions:

- are you using the very same batteries for the vamo and the zmax?

- if not, are those batteries brand new? (in which case they'd need a few dis/charge cycles for reaching full efficiency)

- Efest 18350's have been reported as less lasting than AW of the same size; I have no first-hand experience with that Panasonic 18650, so dunno.

If the above doesn't apply, I would suspect something may be wrong with the cap spring of your vamo. Some spring types have been reported as acting like resistors, thus heating up and in the end sucking up battery life.

If you have the opportunity, try to temporary swap the cap spring with another one, f.i. from an old flashlight, and see if it makes a difference.

Other than that, I'm fresh out of ideas, sorry...

Ok I have an issue. I have been using efest 18350's. I have two sets of button tops for stacking in the vamo. I also have two of the flat tops for short mode. I do also have one Panasonic Cgr18650 2200mah. Now I rotate these and all come off the charger properly charged.....

However Im finding that all of these batteries do not last nearly as long as they should. With my vmax I could go a day and a half on two stacked 18350's. Now the same setup in the vamo doesnt last but maybe 9 hours before Im running for a new set of 18350's. Comparatively the 18650 only runs for maybe 8 hours, and a single 18350 lasts maybe 4-5 hours.

I run in RMS at usually around 6-7watts. Vovi novas, splitfires, carto tanks, all around 2.8-3.4 ohms. The batteries are from a trusted vendor one set of 18350's and the 18650 I have are brand new. Regardless of battery age they all have very short (imo) lifetimes.

After reading different people's battery life statements (even some self admitted chain vapers which i dont think I am) thos does NOT sound normal to me. Yesterday alone I went thru a set of 18350's, half the charge of the 18650, and one single 18350....

Thoughts or ideas? Should I contact the vamo vendor??

 

[buffaloguy]

I agree, and I know vaping time varies greatly. What leads me to believe something is amiss is that the same set of paired batteries in my vmax (knowing the internals are nearly the same as a vamo and shares that same PWM profile as others have tested) can last hours longer. Now the numbers I gave above arent akin to sheer vaping, just rather knowing my style, how I vape, and my experience with similar gear (aka vmax) its the amount of time before Im swapping out a battery(s).

Yes, I am using the same 18350's in both units. They are paired, charged as a pair... etc. etc. They meter properly off my charger as well. The flat top efests were a pair. Ive since split those to singles for use in the vamo, and they will remain singles now that Ive done that. I have a older set of efest 18350's botton top, and one set that is new. The panny 18650 is new, got it from smoktek with my stainless vamo.

The spring is the new copper spring. I purposely waited for that issue to be resolved before I bought a vamo.

The popularity of the efest batteries came along about the time the vmax first came to market and I was one of the earlier adopters of both a vmax and efests. Now, in the vmax threads youll see a lot of discussion on efest vs aw. Tests were done by a few people, charted, etc. etc. and they run neck on neck. Actually the efest can perform better than aw under higher wattages if im not mistaken. Please pardon me if Im mistaken but Im sure I remember that being the gist of it. The aw had a slightly longer life, but not notably.

Basically, for my vaping style Im noting a signifigantly different battery life between the two units. so that is why Im wondering if it is indeed a problem of some kind?

Would the difference be in RMS mode drawing more power than AVG? The vmax has always run in AVG. Hence why the vmax "runs hotter" and likely the reason we see RMS on units now. Seems to me AVG would draw more power but I could be wrong??

I love the vamo. Its nice, and does everything you could want on an apv at a fantastic price.

Hi, not really ideas, just thinking out loudly...

first off, vaping time out of the same battery may and will vary among different individuals! vaping habits are too subjective to be easily compared (also, many people brag about endless vaping time I've never even dreamed of, even though using same PV and batteries )

the vmax and the vamo should share very similar electronics, if not downright the same, so it should make no practical difference in PWM efficiency (which BTW doesn't really apply when using two stacked 18350s in a step-down config).

let me say something doesn't sound right with your reported vaping time... for me a single Efest 18350 lasts may be 1 hour, tops, while an Efest (or AW) 18650 2000 mAh is good for 6 to 8 hours; 2 stacked Efest 18350 last me approx as much as an 18650, maybe a little more. Note: I always use RBA around 3 ohm resistance.

That said, a few questions:

- are you using the very same batteries for the vamo and the zmax?

- if not, are those batteries brand new? (in which case they'd need a few dis/charge cycles for reaching full efficiency)

- Efest 18350's have been reported as less lasting than AW of the same size; I have no first-hand experience with that Panasonic 18650, so dunno.

If the above doesn't apply, I would suspect something may be wrong with the cap spring of your vamo. Some spring types have been reported as acting like resistors, thus heating up and in the end sucking up battery life.

If you have the opportunity, try to temporary swap the cap spring with another one, f.i. from an old flashlight, and see if it makes a difference.

Other than that, I'm fresh out of ideas, sorry...

 

[SikPuk]

ok 30 pages wow can someone just recomend some batterys and vendors

 

[NickSteel]

ok 30 pages wow can someone just recomend some batterys and vendors

Orbtronic - Panasonic CGR18650CH With Top Button, 2250mAh IMR High Drain 18650 Battery Cell-Made in Japan

 

[Jim K.]

Got my vamo in the mail today, and I plan on going to KVS tomorrow to pick up some batteries since I'm inpatient and his shop is only a 10 min drive away. He only carries the Efest IMR 18650 2000 mah and the AW 1600 mah. My question is will the 400 mah make much difference in performance. They are about the same price. The Efest is actually $1 cheaper. I'm just curious which will perform better.

EDIT: both are button tops.

 

[xbassman]

Vapor Kings still has the Panasonic CDR18650CH batteries for a good retail.....
From what I've read on this forum, Panasonic is stopping battery production.

IMR HYBRID 18650 3.7v 2250mAh battery

For 18350's, I don't think you can beat the AW IMR 18350.
Vapor Kings and many other vendors them.
Here's where I look first for e-cig bats:

RTD Vapor AW Batteries

 

[edking66]

Got my vamo in the mail today, and I plan on going to KVS tomorrow to pick up some batteries since I'm inpatient and his shop is only a 10 min drive away. He only carries the Efest IMR 18650 2000 mah and the AW 1600 mah. My question is will the 400 mah make much difference in performance. They are about the same price. The Efest is actually $1 cheaper. I'm just curious which will perform better.

EDIT: both are button tops.

About the only difference will be a few more hours vape time on the 2000mah, I use Efest IMR 2250's, and they last a full 24 hours without fully discharging.

 

[Strontium]

I don't know if you guys have tried this

NCR18650PD High Drain Panasonic 18650 Li-ion Battery from USA

 

[LucidAce]

I don't know if you guys have tried this

NCR18650PD High Drain Panasonic 18650 Li-ion Battery from USA

That's interesting...I'd like to find more info about the stated discharge capabilities of it. This looks to be a test of the same battery by my favorite battery guy: Test of Orbtronic 18650 2900mAh (Black) He typically lists the discharge ratings but no luck this time. I'm going to have to investigate a little more.

EDIT: Perhaps this is the same battery, but the length listed isn't the same; otherwise looks to be the same: http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/EnerPower+ 18650 2900mAh 3C (Blue) UK.html
EDIT: Ok, the EnerPower has a PCB and the Orbtronic appears to not have one; that would account for the difference in length