Triade DNA200 vs. Finder DNA133

[TarekElsakka]

What do you guys think? I know they're different chipsets but they're both available here and similarly priced.

The only thing putting me off of the Triade is that it uses 3 batteries while the others use only 2, which sounds more economical especiall since I only have a Nitecore i2 but m Efest Luc v4 should be arriving late December so that's not a major issue.
IF I do get the Triade, would I be able to charge it using USB since it is a dna chip or would I need to find a 4 bay charger fast? And are there any major differences between both chips if I vape at lower wattages? 50-80W.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

They both use the exact same chipset/board. The DNA200 chip is 200 watts when using 3 cells. It is 133 watts when using 2 cells. I have a couple of different mods that I can switch configurations in (Lost Vape Duo, Hotcig DX200).

That all being said, both mods can now be bought with the DNA250. The Triade is obviously 250 watts. The Finder is 167 watts. I have a thread on here for the Triade 250. I have a Finder 167 on the way to me atm.
Lost Vape Triade DNA250
ThinkVape Finder 167 DNA250 mod

Cheers,
Steve

 

[TarekElsakka]

@Wingsfan0310 Thank you so much for your reply. Oh wow, I had no idea that I can use the DNA200 chip with only 2 batteries! That means I can do that with the Triade, correct? I am asking because I only have 2 LG batteries on me at the moment and my Efest LUC V4 will be delivered by the 24th of December, and I honestly don't want to pick up another LG and try to marry them in the time being - I'd much rather use 2 batteries if that will work.

And if so, how do I go about configuring that on the escribe software? I've been reading some tutorials on the software but nothing is crystal clear. I only vape on wattage mode so the TC configuration is not going to be an issue for me.

The two cells I have at the moment are LG 3000mAh which I am using in my IPV6X. They are married and only two months old, if not less. I'll be selling my IPV and keeping the cells.

What do you think I should do? Should I go for the Finder 133W directly or opt for the Triade with two cells until the others arrive? And by the way, is USB charging on DNA mods safe? If there's an ability to use 2 cells only in the Triade then I will use my Nitecore i2, but if not then I'll have to buy an extra battery and charge them using USB in the time being.

I apologize for the long post but I'm fairly new to all of this and I'm trying to learn and get the best chipset possible for its 'accurate' hits and high efficiency rate.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

@Wingsfan0310 Thank you so much for your reply. Oh wow, I had no idea that I can use the DNA200 chip with only 2 batteries! That means I can do that with the Triade, correct? I am asking because I only have 2 LG batteries on me at the moment and my Efest LUC V4 will be delivered by the 24th of December, and I honestly don't want to pick up another LG and try to marry them in the time being - I'd much rather use 2 batteries if that will work.

And if so, how do I go about configuring that on the escribe software? I've been reading some tutorials on the software but nothing is crystal clear. I only vape on wattage mode so the TC configuration is not going to be an issue for me.

The two cells I have at the moment are LG 3000mAh which I am using in my IPV6X. They are married and only two months old, if not less. I'll be selling my IPV and keeping the cells.

What do you think I should do? Should I go for the Finder 133W directly or opt for the Triade with two cells until the others arrive? And by the way, is USB charging on DNA mods safe? If there's an ability to use 2 cells only in the Triade then I will use my Nitecore i2, but if not then I'll have to buy an extra battery and charge them using USB in the time being.

I apologize for the long post but I'm fairly new to all of this and I'm trying to learn and get the best chipset possible for its 'accurate' hits and high efficiency rate.

I'm sorry to inform you that the Triade can't be run with 2 cells because the battery sled is wired in series (The Dna250/200 is run with either 2 or 3 cells in series). With only 2 cells it would be an open circuit. Think of it like the old Maglite that held 3 D cell batteries in a row (series). If you only put in 2, it wouldn't work (open circuit).

My Duo comes with a 2 x 18650 battery compartment and a 3s Lipo, you have to take out the dual 18650 battery compartment to be able to install the 3s Lipo. The Hotcig comes with 2 different battery compartments.

In Escribe, you have to change the number of cells when switching between the configurations and should also adjust the watt hours (you have to switch the number of cells, you should adjust the watt hours for the battery meter to be accurate).

In closing, you can't just run the Triade with two 18650's because it would be an open circuit.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[TarekElsakka]

Ah! Thanks again. That's disappointing to know but it's not the end of the world. The Triade I am talking about has a few scratches but I came across a ThinkVape Finder 133 which is only two weeks old and in a perfect condition.

The reason I am buying a used mod is because there are no new DNA ones around here, and when one comes, it's usually way too overpriced.

The Finder seems like a better option for me since it is the same chip but can be run at 133W with dual 18650 batteries, A LOT more convenient. What do you think? Should I go for the Finder or stick to the Triade? I have watched some video reviews and it seems like the Finder is a good mod, and rather similar to the Therion 133 (which unfortunately I cannot find).

And if I get the Finder and run it with 2 LG 3000mAh batteries, what configuration should I set? As in the amount of watt hours?

 

[Wingsfan0310]

The Finder would be the better choice if you want to use 2 cells. It will be lighter and easier to pocket. In Escribe, using 2 x LG HG2's you would set the watt hours to 22.2WH . There is a watt hour calculator in Escribe also.

I have both dual and triple 18650 DNA mods. I tend to take the dual 18650 mods out and use the triple 18650 mods at home because the dual mods are lighter and easier to pocket. I don't think you will be disappointed either way. The main advantages to triple mods are runtime (3 cells instead of 2) and added top end power. The dual cells are lighter and smaller. I tend to use my dual 18650 DNA mods more.

I hope that helps.

Cheers,
Steve

PS If you have any questions about Escribe after getting either mod, feel free to ask either here or via PM. I'm always happy to help.

 

[TarekElsakka]

Awesome to know. Thank you so much for all your help, you have no idea how much I appreciate this. I will be getting the Finder in a couple of hours and firing it up in no time. I'm really excited because I've always heard great things about DNA mods.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

You're welcome my friend! Enjoy your new mod!

Cheers,
Steve

 

[TarekElsakka]

Thanks! I got it.

This is what I have done so far. I also set Profile 1 to be wattage mode only with temperature off because I don't use TC.

I am guessing that's about it for now. I am thinking of trying the Battery Analyzer feature in order to "marry the batteries", if that's what they call it, and test if everything is ok. I read that it will fully deplete the batteries and of course will take quite some time to do so. Does it charge it back using USB or do I have to insert the batteries into an external charger afterwards?

 

[Wingsfan0310]

If you are going to run the battery analyzer you should have the proper resistor. Most people run the battery analyzer to generate a discharge curve and get the watt hours . You can download a LG HG2 discharge curve here
Kurven für Akku | DNA200 German Crew

Cheers,
Steve

 

[TarekElsakka]

Ahhh okay. So basically I don't even need to do that since I already set the watt hours to 22.2 as you suggested?

 

[Wingsfan0310]

Ahhh okay. So basically I don't even need to do that since I already set the watt hours to 22.2 as you suggested?

Correct, to calculate the watt hours you multiply the mah (3000) x the nominal voltage (7.4v for two 18650's in series) and divide it by 1000. So you would have 3000 * 7. 4 / 1000 = 22.2WH.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[TarekElsakka]

There seems to be an issue with my batteries or my mod wherein the battery level sometimes drops all of a sudden, like from 70% to 55% in no time. That doesn't happen every time, but it's random. I tried using my Nitecore i2 and USB to fully charge but it still happens often. The readings on Escribe are all pretty normal and I am using the settings mentioned above.

Does anyone know why this could be happening? Is USB charging unsafe, perhaps? I'm getting new Sony batteries by the end of the month but I am stuck with my current LG ones (which are supposedly good) in the time being, and they were pretty normal on my IPV6 mod.

Should I try the USB Battery Recovery (or w.e it's called) option on Escribe?

And does TC save battery life? I honestly don't know a thing about TC but I've always heard great things. I'm using Alien Claptons in my Aromamizer Supreme RDTA and 26-gauge Kanthal in my Serpent 25, would those be compatible with TC?

 

[Wingsfan0310]

There seems to be an issue with my batteries or my mod wherein the battery level sometimes drops all of a sudden, like from 70% to 55% in no time. That doesn't happen every time, but it's random. I tried using my Nitecore i2 and USB to fully charge but it still happens often. The readings on Escribe are all pretty normal and I am using the settings mentioned above.

Does anyone know why this could be happening? Is USB charging unsafe, perhaps? I'm getting new Sony batteries by the end of the month but I am stuck with my current LG ones (which are supposedly good) in the time being, and they were pretty normal on my IPV6 mod.

Should I try the USB Battery Recovery (or w.e it's called) option on Escribe?

And does TC save battery life? I honestly don't know a thing about TC but I've always heard great things. I'm using Alien Claptons in my Aromamizer Supreme RDTA and 26-gauge Kanthal in my Serpent 25, would those be compatible with TC?

There is a few possible reasons that could be happening.
1. Your batteries could be at the end of their usefulness.
2. You might not have put in the correct watt hours.
3. You might not have the correct battery discharge curve installed.

The mod while at rest will look at the voltage of your batteries and compare it to the discharge curve. If the meter doesn't match up to what the discharge says, the mod will adjust the battery bar.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[TarekElsakka]

I have had those batteries for only 3 months so I don't think they're at the end of their usefulness, especially since I've always used the Nitecore i2 to charge them. I have also set the watt hours to 2.22 and double checked that using the application so that's not the problem. How do I go about installing the correct battery discharge curve? I don't think I've done that.

EDIT: I just realized that I should upload the CSV discharge profile using Escribe. You posted one above and I found one here: HG2 2,8V 28,72 Wh - 60N20.csv and they both seem to have different values, and I believe the one you linked to is for a Wismec running 3 rather than 2 batteries. Which one should I use? They are both for LG HG2 supposedly.

 

[OhTheAgony]

Check your firmware version too. I had a lot of problems with the latest firmware version on my DNA200 and went back to an older version to get a proper functioning battery meter and fully charged batteries. This might be more of an issue with LIPO powered mods though, not sure.

Marrying the batteries means nothing more then using them together for as long as you have them. This should be done when they're new, not with batteries you've already used separately. If you do or have used them separately you should not pair them up/marry them for safety reasons but get a new pair instead.

 

[TarekElsakka]

No, I've always used them together ever since I bought them, and I am pretty sure because they're the only batteries I have on me. haha

I just realized that the battery capacity was set to 22.2 Wh 3-cell and I am only using two batteries, could that be the issue? I have set it to 2-cell instead.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

I have had those batteries for only 3 months so I don't think they're at the end of their usefulness, especially since I've always used the Nitecore i2 to charge them. I have also set the watt hours to 2.22 and double checked that using the application so that's not the problem. How do I go about installing the correct battery discharge curve? I don't think I've done that.

EDIT: I just realized that I should upload the CSV discharge profile using Escribe. You posted one above and I found one here: HG2 2,8V 28,72 Wh - 60N20.csv and they both seem to have different values, and I believe the one you linked to is for a Wismec running 3 rather than 2 batteries. Which one should I use? They are both for LG HG2 supposedly.

I use the one I posted. Even though it's labeled for use with the Wismec, it's voltages are for a single cell (if you click on it you will see for yourself). That is because the DNA chip checks each battery's voltage separately.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[TarekElsakka]

That's great! I uploaded it and have been using it for a while now. I also changed the setting from 3-cell to 2-cell as I mentioned above in case that makes a difference.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

That's great! I uploaded it and have been using it for a while now. I also changed the setting from 3-cell to 2-cell as I mentioned above in case that makes a difference.

It definitely should make a difference having the finder on 2 cells instead of 3. You should have been getting a low voltage warning if you had 3 cells selected.

PS Don't forget to click on Upload Settings to Device at the top of Escibe after making changes to save them to your mod.

Cheers,
Steve