The "WeekEnder"

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mikepetro

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Can you access the pcb in your spare and take a high res photo? If so we might be able to identify the components and get their specs and etc.

An easy test would be to let your battery get down to half or below and then turn the dna up to 20 watts, and if it works then its obviously not limiting at 5 amps.

Really the DNA doesn't need any current protection, its more for the batteries in a dead short situation or if the DNA goes haywire for some reason.

As promised:

Click photo for larger view.





A closer look at the ICs.

DSCN0450_zps47971350.jpg


DSCN0447_zpsa5eb295a.jpg
 

mikepetro

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OK, got a Taifun clone in today and set it up with a VNH coil. Still have the Sony 30a bats in the Mod. I cranked it up to 20w and the Mod handled it just fine. My conclusion is that the bat holder was not the bottleneck I saw earlier. The Panny 18650Bs just couldnt handle the higher wattage. They worked fine for 16w and below though.

These Sonys dont have a lot of capacity, so I think I will try some Panny 18650PDs the next time I crack the Mod open. Hoping they will be enough of a compromise to still realize long life and high wattage.
 

shortyjacobs

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These Sonys dont have a lot of capacity, so I think I will try some Panny 18650PDs the next time I crack the Mod open. Hoping they will be enough of a compromise to still realize long life and high wattage.

Definitely looking forward to hearing how that goes. I'm planning on using twin PDs in parallel on mine.


Sent from my phone, ecxuse teh speling mitsaeks.
 

mikepetro

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Definitely looking forward to hearing how that goes. I'm planning on using twin PDs in parallel on mine.

Installed two Panasonic 18650PD cells in the "Weekender" this morning. Been vaping all day, including periods of 20w, no problems detected. This build, including the bat holder, with these PD bats, can handle 20w no problem!


Panasonic 18650PD Specifications:
Battery type: 18650 High Drain
Capacity: 2900mAh
Max Discharge (constant current): 10A
Max Discharge Pulse Current (5-6 sec.): 18A
Full charge: 4.2V
Charging method: CV/CC
Minimum charging current: 0.6A (Note, this is higher than the Evolve branded charger puts out, I used a 1A charger)
Rapid Charging current: 1.35A​

So, 20w bottleneck solved.
The "Weekender" now weighs in at 5800mAh.
 

BJ43

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Installed two Panasonic 18650PD cells in the "Weekender" this morning. Been vaping all day, including periods of 20w, no problems detected. This build, including the bat holder, with these PD bats, can handle 20w no problem!


Panasonic 18650PD Specifications:
Battery type: 18650 High Drain
Capacity: 2900mAh
Max Discharge (constant current): 10A
Max Discharge Pulse Current (5-6 sec.): 18A
Full charge: 4.2V
Charging method: CV/CC
Minimum charging current: 0.6A (Note, this is higher than the Evolve branded charger puts out, I used a 1A charger)
Rapid Charging current: 1.35A​

So, 20w bottleneck solved.
The "Weekender" now weighs in at 5800mAh.

So what happens if you charge them at .5A?
Another question, the Evolv charger and the one you are using are designed to charge one battery (not balancing), could this cause problem in a parallel setup?
 
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mikepetro

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So what happens if you charge them at .5A?
Another question, the Evolv charger and the one you are using are designed to charge one battery (not balancing), could this cause problem in a parallel setup?

Not sure really, never noticed that spec on a battery before. I know of a lot of chargers, especially mufti-channel/cell chargers, that will drop below 500mA. I have been successfully using an Intellicharger i4, which drops to 375mA when all channels are used, on these PD cells for months now, and I am aware of no negative effect.

As for balancing, I read up about parallel bat holders in a lot of R/C, Flashlight, and other battery forums before doing the build. It seems that "balancing" is not as big a deal with 18650 cells like it is with Lipo packs. The biggest caveat is to use cells as closely matched (resistance wise) as possible, and at the same initial voltage level. The only real danger I could find was if two or more cells were put in parallel at different initial charge levels they would try to equalize. The theoretical danger being that the higher voltage cell might discharge faster than the lower voltage cell could handle it.

This battery holder is clearly designed for a single channel 3.7v charger as referenced in their documentation. In fact it wont even turn on until a charger has initialized it the first time.

I used two new cells of the same mfg/part#, fully charged both of them in my external charger first and checked their voltage levels, in a bat holder clearly designed for this very purpose. I feel good about it.
 

bapgood

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Balancing isn't needed in 1S parallel configurations because the cells basically become one and are charged and drained to the same exact level. Balance charging becomes important in series because a cell can become week and not charge as fast or as high as another cell, so if the charger was only looking at total voltage it could charge one cell way past 4.2v because of the week cell.

So in parallel even if you have a week cell the charger isn't going to overcharge or etc, you just basically lose half the capacity
 

Innocuous

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I was staring at the FT links and wondering the same thing. That would be... Very convenient for an OKR mod ;-)

Good post Bap.

I wonder if circuitry in the 3s1p (like the one I sacrificed in the photos I took a couple posts above) somehow does balancing. Its an 11.1v holder, and only allows for the tying in the charger to the power leads.
 

bapgood

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Good post Bap.

I wonder if circuitry in the 3s1p (like the one I sacrificed in the photos I took a couple posts above) somehow does balancing. Its an 11.1v holder, and only allows for the tying in the charger to the power leads.


That would be nice, but for the price of the holders I kind of doubt it. But you never know.
 
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