The VAMO battery thread

[The Goo]

I'm about to purchase a Vamo V3 and have been looking in here for battery info and went back about 20 pages and figured I'd just ask. I know this has been asked before.

So this Vamo comes with 2x18350s. However I want to get a 18650 as well.

NCR, CGR etc. I know its the chemistry but I see people mention IMR but I don't see them [on fasttech]. Also, button top or no? Protected or not?

Could someone suggest a reliable/safe battery to use?

 

[LeoRex]

I got 2 Efest MIR 18650 2250 mah flat top batteries with mine... I got mine from MVS.

The 18650 flat fits like a glove with no rattle.

They recommend the IMR for the Vamo V3 actually.. I am no battery expert, .... I think the main thing about IMR is that even if it DID fail or starts venting, it's not flammable or explosive. Don't quote me on that though.

 

[peraspera]

I'm about to purchase a Vamo V3 and have been looking in here for battery info and went back about 20 pages and figured I'd just ask. I know this has been asked before.

So this Vamo comes with 2x18350s. However I want to get a 18650 as well.

NCR, CGR etc. I know its the chemistry but I see people mention IMR but I don't see them [on fasttech]. Also, button top or no? Protected or not?

Could someone suggest a reliable/safe battery to use?

I've not seen 18350 IMRs on FastTech. I use Efest IMR 18350 flat tops from Vapor Beast. Only buy Efests from a known reliable supplier as it seems selling counterfeits and factory rejects is somewhat common. When stacked, the nipple top 18350s won't allow the battery cap on one of my VAMOs to screw on all the way. If you don't plan on stacking you can use AW IMR 18350s. Some people think they are better than Efests but they don't make flat tops.

The Panasonic CGR18650CH 18650s I've gotten at Fast Tech have worked great for me.

The VAMO has built-in battery protection and it's boost circuit doesn't always play nicely with protected batteries. Also, the IMRs and hybrid Panasonics have safer chemistry than the type of batteries that are protected.

 

[SeniorBoy]

Thanks for the help in this thread. I would be very grateful if you could please confirm that I have ordered the correct and high quality batteries and charger for my soon to arrive Vamo 3 I appolagize in advance for asking but I'm getting punchy trying to figure this out:

18350 from:

AW IMR 18350 LiMN Rechargeable Lithium Battery - Avid Vaper

18650 from:

AW IMR 18650 LiMN Rechargeable Lithium Battery - Avid Vaper

XTAR VP1 Battery Charger from:

XTAR VP1 Battery Charger - Avid Vaper

BU charger from Amazon - Nitecore IntelliCharger i4 Charger see:

Amazon.com: Nitecore IntelliCharger i4 Charger - 2nd Generation - for charging 18650, 16340(RCR123), 14500, etc.: Sports & Outdoors

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Everything in my quote inside this post works 100% with my Vamo 3 Guaranteed! NOTE: I have not received the BU charger from Amazon yet.

Others speak very highly of RTD Vapor AW Batteries and I can see why although I have no first hand experience.
HTH

 

[Mowgli]

Others speak very highly of RTD Vapor AW Batteries and I can see why although I have no first hand experience.
HTH

Good batteries and good folks to work with

 

[xbassman]

I've not seen 18350 IMRs on FastTech. I use Efest IMR 18350 flat tops from Vapor Beast. Only buy Efests from a known reliable supplier as it seems selling counterfeits and factory rejects is somewhat common. When stacked, the nipple top 18350s won't allow the battery cap on one of my VAMOs to screw on all the way. If you don't plan on stacking you can use AW IMR 18350s. Some people think they are better than Efests but they don't make flat tops.

The Panasonic CGR18650CH 18650s I've gotten at Fast Tech have worked great for me.

The VAMO has built-in battery protection and it's boost circuit doesn't always play nicely with protected batteries. Also, the IMRs and hybrid Panasonics have safer chemistry than the type of batteries that are protected.

Hey paraspera, Yeah I am one of the ones that contend that the AW 18350's are superior to the Efest.
That said....

I have 2 Vamo's. One I got last year when the V2 was new and it has a center post in the battery cap (for the original skinny spring) that makes is harder to fit 2 nipple-top batteries. They fit, but the cap doesn't screw on quite all the way. My other Vamo is a newer V2 that came with the gold spring and nipple-tops fit fine paired up. (no center post)

IMO, if you want to run short mode get the AW 18350's. Stacked, you may not notice the difference I do.

 

[xbassman]

Since were talking chargers I would be grateful for some guidance. For my Vamo 3 I have AW IMR 18650, AW IMR 18350, and Efest IMR 18650 bats which I charge with my XTAR VPI. My questions:

If time to charge is NOT a concern will I get a better charge using 0.25 A charging current? When I say better charge I'm assuming that means better saturation and battery life but I'm not sure? Is their any evidence that in this case the bat lasts longer in my Vamo 3?

If I select 1.00 A charging current for my bats then the time to charge is faster. That much I understand. However, what if any are the tradeoffs when compared to a 0.25 A charging current?

As you can see, I'm not a bat geek and when I look at graphs I glaze over so any plain English non geek help would be great.

If you charge your 18650's @ 1A and 18350's @ .5A you'll be golden.
The .25 setting is really only necessary for 10440 bats in the e-cig market.

For those of you that want to charge your 18650's fast a 1A charger like the Xtar VP-1 will get it done.
On the cheap, I have an Xtar WP2-II that charges @ 1A or .5A. It cost about $20 with a 12 DC adapter.
When I got my 2250 mAh Panasonic CGR18650CH batteries I timed it from 3.64V to full charge @ 2 Hr 45 Min.
The only issue with the WP2-II is that if you want to charge 2 18350's at the same time, you need to purchase 2 extra spacers with the unit. It requires 2 spacers to charge them and only comes with 2.

 

[SeniorBoy]

@xbassman Thank you so much for your response. That's some golden advice! BTW, I've read some posts about bats getting warm in the charger. All I can say, subject to the bat geek experts, is with my bats and my XTAR VPI charger I cant detect any "heat" when I touch the bats. The same can be said for the charger itself. Inside the bats I'm sure the temp must go up ? but I guess that's to be expected. Of course, the charger costs more than the Vamo but that's OK in my book.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

Found: Reasonably priced Panny 18650B's on eBay.

Free shipping in CONUS.

2X Panasonic 18650 3 6V 3400mAh Rechargeable Li ion Battery NCR18650B 3100 | eBay

Earlier in the thread, there was discussion regarding a ban on international shipment of Lithium Ion cells. There was a ban from June 2012 through December 2012, but it was only via US Postal Service. Domestic shipments were not affected, and the ban did not affect FedEx, UPS or DHL Global who continued accepting properly packaged cells for shipment.

USPS resumed shipping of certain Li-Ion batteries in January of this year.

Original ban: International sellers: USPS announcement regarding international shipments of items with lithium-ion batteries

Rescinding: SELLERS: USPS ONCE AGAIN ALLOWING INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS OF ITEMS WITH LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

I can't recommend that eBay dealer any more strongly. I ordered on the 6th, the batteries arrived via USPS today.

Each individually wrapped and placed in foam filled cardboard box with more insulating foam across the top. Now, if only that slow boat from China would get here with my Vamo...

 

[djbeckett]

Both my efest 2250's flat tops (fully charged, nitecore) wouldn't turn on my V3 this morning. I have some efest and trustfire 800 button tops, awaiting charge. I tried one of those, SYSTEM ON!!! I looked at the pin end of the v3, it was at best flush with the rubber o-ring (spacer) that is attached there. I took some needle nose pliers, gently pulled the pin and BAM!! The flat tops now work. I don't know if the printed circuit board moved, the soldered pin sprung up a little, I don't know.

That o-ring spacer was never centered at the pin, has anyone removed and re-glued? That's definately my issue, button tops hit the pin, the flat tops didn't.

 

[SilverZero]

Both my efest 2250's flat tops (fully charged, nitecore) wouldn't turn on my V3 this morning. I have some efest and trustfire 800 button tops, awaiting charge. I tried one of those, SYSTEM ON!!! I looked at the pin end of the v3, it was at best flush with the rubber o-ring (spacer) that is attached there. I took some needle nose pliers, gently pulled the pin and BAM!! The flat tops now work. I don't know if the printed circuit board moved, the soldered pin sprung up a little, I don't know.

That o-ring spacer was never centered at the pin, has anyone removed and re-glued? That's definately my issue, button tops hit the pin, the flat tops didn't.

The red spacing washer that's glued around that pin isn't straight on mine either, but I haven't had any problem with those same flat top batteries (at least not yet). I haven't tried to remove and center it, it feels like the material it's made of could rip if I were to try.

 

[SilverZero]

Ignore, double post.

 

[djbeckett]

Thanks for trying to help silverzero.

I'm getting intermittent firing. I was looking at the unit with my T-3 attached and noticed the tank isn't parallel with the V3 body. The V3 has fallen a couple of times, mostly just tipped over while sitting upright on a table (no severe drops). I removed the tank and beauty ring and firmly pressed against the shoulder of the tank-end using my solid desk (not pressing against the tank connection post, the portion that is pressed into the tube). That seemed to work, no more mis-fires, 30 minutes. The button top batteries have that extra length versus flat tops, where they meet the washer. I did it all my myself............

 

[chryles]

http://leosedf.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/vamo-simulation-real-world-battery-test.html

Interesting reading. Sorry if this has been posted here before.

 

[Koman]

http://leosedf.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/vamo-simulation-real-world-battery-test.html

Interesting reading. Sorry if this has been posted here before.

Thanks for the link, good stuff!

 

[Chuck2]

Found: Reasonably priced Panny 18650B's on eBay.

Free shipping in CONUS.

2X Panasonic 18650 3 6V 3400mAh Rechargeable Li ion Battery NCR18650B 3100 | eBay

Earlier in the thread, there was discussion regarding a ban on international shipment of Lithium Ion cells. There was a ban from June 2012 through December 2012, but it was only via US Postal Service. Domestic shipments were not affected, and the ban did not affect FedEx, UPS or DHL Global who continued accepting properly packaged cells for shipment.

USPS resumed shipping of certain Li-Ion batteries in January of this year.

Original ban: International sellers: USPS announcement regarding international shipments of items with lithium-ion batteries

Rescinding: SELLERS: USPS ONCE AGAIN ALLOWING INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS OF ITEMS WITH LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

Will these fit in a Vamo V2 or newer? This dealer seems to have a great price on these batteries. I use a V3 btw.

 

[Dreaded Vapour]

I happen to have a Sanyo UR18650W2 1500mah laying around and wondered if it would be safe to use in my Vamo as a backup battery, I am having a very hard time finding any info about it on here besides a graph showing that it is up to par (or even slightly better than) the other 18650 IMR battery's recomended for the Vamo. It was originally used to power a high output laser that has since been dropped and broken by an over excited 8 year old.

 

[Tritium]

8 year olds and high power lasers?

 

[Dreaded Vapour]

He was being a dork and snatched it off the table teasingly & when I barked at him to not touch it, it startled him and he dropped it... After that a very strict hands off portable electronics policy was implemented...