VAMO Discharging Batteries Quickly

[IndubitablyMe]

I have a SS VAMO v2 that I've been using for about 4 months and absolutely love, but have been having issues with recently -- mainly concerning battery life. All of the batteries seem to be lasting an absurdly short amount of time. My 18650s seem to go strong for about 4-5 hours, and my 18350s go dead within an hour or two. I thought maybe they were all just going bad from usage, so I got a new 18650 the other day -- 2000 mAh. Charged it fully before usage, and it only lasted about 5 hours like the other ones.

Is it possible that there's something going on in the VAMO that's making the batteries run out quickly? The only heads I use are an IGO-W RDA and a Magoo (Ithaka clone). They seem to both run the batteries out equally. Is this a sign of impending doom? Has anyone else experienced this??

 

[Glenn_K]

Greetings; Yes, i'm getting a very similar thing with my Vamo. An 18650 (2200 mAh) will last me pretty much through one whole day and into the next, whereas the only 18350 I have (700 or 800 mAh, I can't remember) barely lasts for an hour or two of normal use. I'm about to order more batteries, won't be many (or any) 350s in the order! I wonder if this is a Vamo specific problem?

Regards
Glenn

 

[Trayce]

I have a V3 and use EFEST IMR 18650 2000mah batts (from RTD) and they also only last 5hrs or so of near-chain vaping. However I take them out when they get down to 3.5v, so when I say 'they only last 5 hours' I mean before they hit 3.5v and I take them out.... are yours reaching 3.2v in 5 hrs?

IAC time is a bad way to judge if the batt/mod is behaving normally as it depends on your style of vaping in combo with the power consumption of each draw. If you chain vape a low-ohm head (1.6-2.0 or so) @ 3w-4w then the batts will last longer than someone chain vaping a 2.4-2.6 head @ 7.5w. Or if the latter person isn't chain vaping but uses high nic and only takes occasional hits, those batts might last over a day... and all else being equal with the first example, his or her batts would last even longer in that case.

When I use my IGO-L dripper with a micro-coil at 2.6ohms and chain vape @ 7.5-9w (the NET needs more power to really have the flavor come through) my 18650 drops from a full charge to 3.4-3.5v in about 5hrs.

Also, a 2000mah batt is the least powerful 18650 batt, but the one most recommended... there are hybrid 18650 batts with a much higher mah (by Panasonic, I think) that are also now deemed ok to use, and they should last a lot longer, though they are also a lot more expensive.

PS And of course a 18350 is only 700mah, so it will last an even shorter time (unless stacked). And again, depends on how much power you are drawing with each pull. The higher the watts, the faster the drain.

 

[Trayce]

One other consideration... the V2 has an RMS mode and a Mean mode.... are you in RMS mode? I have a V3 which did away with this option b/c everyone used RMS mode, but the Vamo 2s were shipped in mean mode and had to be changed, as most perferred RMS mode. Since my Vamo doesn't have this option I don't know how you get to it to check on the V2, but on SOME V5 models this option is back, and to get to in on those you hold the - button (top left) for 10 seconds until you see the option to switch between the 2 modes.

Have no idea if this would affect batt life but thought I'd mention it.

 

[beckdg]

i'm running said panasonic (2900mah - ncr18650pd) batteries in my brand new vamo v3. (see banner below for time reference on my equipment)

honestly, i'm not seeing the capacity difference if i believe what i'm reading on the forum. seems many folks get a whole day and upwards of a lot more out of a single 2000+/- mah IMR battery.

if i'm vaping 36mg/ml, i'm getting a day out of the 2900's. 24mg or 18mg and i'm chain vaping. then i'm going through nearly 2 entire batts per day. down to cut off on one and 3.4V on another yesterday.

for clarity... watts are watts. that's the bottom line when it comes to power consumption. watts are a direct measure of electrical power. changing coil resistance isn't going to change power consumption if you're wattage is set or you calculate for wattage. now, if the vamo itself is getting hot (not just absorbing heat from the coil), then you're bleeding off current somewhere and thus consuming more energy than you're using. inefficiency...

anyway. i'm going purely on speculation at this point about the batteries. i haven't picked up a battery bay to connect them to anything to test their actual capacity and they may just still be breaking in at this point. however, i think something may be amiss in their capacity rating.

BTW, i got mine 2 for $22 shipped on ebay. so price wasn't that bad, really.

 

[Trayce]

i'm running said panasonic (2900mah - ncr18650pd) batteries in my brand new vamo v3. (see banner below for time reference on my equipment)

honestly, i'm not seeing the capacity difference if i believe what i'm reading on the forum. seems many folks get a whole day and upwards of a lot more out of a single 2000+/- mah IMR battery.

But they might be using lower-ohm heads, less power, and not chain vaping. I was also surprised when I got the Vamo and started using 18650s as I read the same things you did and expected these batts to last a day or two even. Instead they lasted 5 hrs or so. But everyone's style of vaping is different... and many people who vape at work use high nic so they don't have to take hits as often, and again, that stretches out the time a batt will last.

Bottom line, there are too many factors to say just how long a batt will last. The answer is, "it depends."

if i'm vaping 36mg/ml, i'm getting a day out of the 2900's. 24mg or 18mg and i'm chain vaping. then i'm going through nearly 2 entire batts per day. down to cut off on one and 3.4V on another yesterday.

That sounds right to me...

for clarity... watts are watts. that's the bottom line when it comes to power consumption. watts are a direct measure of electrical power. changing coil resistance isn't going to change power consumption if you're wattage is set or you calculate for wattage.

No, but the point is, there is a gamut of factors when comparing your own experience to ppl on the forum who claim to get a whole day or two from their batts. For example, some ppl use a low-ohm head (e.g. 1.5-2.0), AND like high PG (thin juice), and so hit their sweet spot with less power/watts. And that's where their Vamo is set. Then you have people who use higher ohm heads (2.4-2.6), AND 100% VG, who will need more power to bring out the flavor and hit that sweet spot... and that's where their Vamo is set. Even if both these fictitious people have the same exact vaping style, the latter person will go through batts faster than the former due to using higher ohm heads AND thicker juice.

now, if the vamo itself is getting hot (not just absorbing heat from the coil), then you're bleeding off current somewhere and thus consuming more energy than you're using. inefficiency...

And this has been a factor with some Vamos that have had a loose ground wire. Some people noticed the top of the Vamo became extremely hot when chain vaping and took their Vamos apart and tightened the screw that holds the neg ground wire. This was discussed and illustrated on another forum. I linked to it a few weeks back in another discussion but can't find the link now, sorry. But if your Vamo top is not getting overly hot, then that's not the problem.

anyway. i'm going purely on speculation at this point about the batteries. i haven't picked up a battery bay to connect them to anything to test their actual capacity and they may just still be breaking in at this point. however, i think something may be amiss in their capacity rating.

BTW, i got mine 2 for $22 shipped on ebay. so price wasn't that bad, really.

I assume you mean you got the batts on eBay. It is generally recommended to avoid eBay for batts as there are so many fakes being sold as genuine. Apparently unscrupulous vendors buy seconds or very cheap batts then put name brand seals on them to look like the real thing. The person selling them on eBay might not even know they aren't genuine. Can't say of course what happened in your case. You might very well have gotten lucky and bought the real thing. In any case many veterans here recommend RTD Vapor for batts as they apparently guarantee their batts are genuine. Just a thought.

 

[beckdg]

But they might be using lower-ohm heads, less power, and not chain vaping. I was also surprised when I got the Vamo and started using 18650s as I read the same things you did and expected these batts to last a day or two even. Instead they lasted 5 hrs or so. But everyone's style of vaping is different... and many people who vape at work use high nic so they don't have to take hits as often, and again, that stretches out the time a batt will last.

Bottom line, there are too many factors to say just how long a batt will last. The answer is, "it depends."

roger that. that was understood.

That sounds right to me...

good to hear. though, maybe just a little disappointing.

No, but the point is, there is a gamut of factors when comparing your own experience to ppl on the forum who claim to get a whole day or two from their batts. For example, some ppl use a low-ohm head (e.g. 1.5-2.0), AND like high PG (thin juice), and so hit their sweet spot with less power/watts. And that's where their Vamo is set. Then you have people who use higher ohm heads (2.4-2.6), AND 100% VG, who will need more power to bring out the flavor and hit that sweet spot... and that's where their Vamo is set. Even if both these fictitious people have the same exact vaping style, the latter person will go through batts faster than the former due to using higher ohm heads AND thicker juice.

i understand that. however, watts are still watts and ohms won't change the watt hours consumed by resistance alone if you're calculating or setting your unit by wattage. length of each draw or how many draws to satisfaction would certainly be a factor, though.

And this has been a factor with some Vamos that have had a loose ground wire. Some people noticed the top of the Vamo became extremely hot when chain vaping and took their Vamos apart and tightened the screw that holds the neg ground wire. This was discussed and illustrated on another forum. I linked to it a few weeks back in another discussion but can't find the link now, sorry. But if your Vamo top is not getting overly hot, then that's not the problem.

exactly.

I assume you mean you got the batts on eBay. It is generally recommended to avoid eBay for batts as there are so many fakes being sold as genuine. Apparently unscrupulous vendors buy seconds or very cheap batts then put name brand seals on them to look like the real thing. The person selling them on eBay might not even know they aren't genuine. Can't say of course what happened in your case. You might very well have gotten lucky and bought the real thing. In any case many veterans here recommend RTD Vapor for batts as they apparently guarantee their batts are genuine. Just a thought.

i understood this risk due to (IIRC) one of baditudes posts. he's certainly a tremendous resource in and of himself to newcomers. either way, i weighed and took the risk and it looks to me as if i got the real deal. i'm not unhappy with my purchase and the batteries are performing well.

here they are... 2 Panasonic NCR18650PF High Drain 10A Hybrid IMR Li on 18650 Battery Free Case | eBay

notice 100% feedback... and the cells appear to be real. they don't heat up when charged or vaped at 15 watts, either.

i'm confident in my purchase.

also... my VAMO V3 does have both mean and rms options.

 

[Trayce]

i understand that. however, watts are still watts and ohms won't change the watt hours consumed by resistance alone if you're calculating or setting your unit by wattage.

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, or I misunderstand how the Vamo works, but my understanding is that (for example) let's say I find my sweet spot with a 1.8ohm head @ 5w. Then I put a 2.6ohm head on the Vamo... it will automatically adjust my watts up to give me the same power-to-ohms ratio. So all else being equal, I will drain my batts faster using higher ohm heads. In context of what we were saying earlier, people who vape with low-ohm heads will get more time out of their batts then those who vape with a higher ohm heads (qualifier coming) all else being equal... (meaning juice / vaping style). So I'm not sure what you mean by "watt hours" as if these are light bulbs that are always using the same amount of power. ?

also... my VAMO V3 does have both mean and rms options.

Really? It's the first V3 I have personally heard of that does. How do you access the RMS/Mean mode option on it?

 

[K_Tech]

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, or I misunderstand how the Vamo works, but my understanding is that (for example) let's say I find my sweet spot with a 1.8ohm head @ 5w. Then I put a 2.6ohm head on the Vamo... it will automatically adjust my watts up to give me the same power-to-ohms ratio.

Well, it actually reads the resistance and adjusts voltage to give the same power (wattage). 1.8 ohms at 5 watts is 3 volts and 1.67 amps (which is the important number)

That same 5 watts with a 2.6 ohm coil requires 3.61 volts and 1.39 amps (again, amps being the more important number).

So all else being equal, I will drain my batts faster using higher ohm heads. In context of what we were saying earlier, people who vape with low-ohm heads will get more time out of their batts then those who vape with a higher ohm heads (qualifier coming) all else being equal... (meaning juice / vaping style). So I'm not sure what you mean by "watt hours" as if these are light bulbs that are always using the same amount of power. ?

Wattage being equal, you'll actually get LONGER battery life by vaping higher resistance heads.

Batteries are, of course, rated in mAh. In a perfect world, vaping your 1.8 ohm head at 5 watts on a 2000 mAh rated battery, you'd get a total of 1.198 hours of vape time. A 2.6 ohm head, in that same perfect world, you'd get 1.439 hours of vape time.

The amp-hour rating is a gauge of how long a battery lasts at a specific discharge rate. Higher amp draw drains the battery faster. And not to get too technical, higher discharge rates actually lessen the capacity from stated - you MIGHT be able to get the full 2000 mAh capacity at a low discharge rate, but kick that up a few amps, and the capacity drops.

Really? It's the first V3 I have personally heard of that does. How do you access the RMS/Mean mode option on it?

Apparently SOME of the V3's allow you to switch, but not all. It's done with a certain button press, but I'm not sure how it's done or accessed.

 

[Rickajho]

The one thing missing from this whole discussion is what charger is being used and has the OP ever checked the voltage of the batteries coming off the charger.

 

[MarkyD]

OP said he got 4-5 hours out of 18650's, that sounds about right. As a heavy chain-vaper here, I go through 2 of those in a day, so I keep 4 of them in rotation (2 AW IMR and 2 Panasonic). As to the 18350 lasting only about an hour, the ones I have are only 700mah, so I dont use them, but that puts them at 1/4 the capacity of the panasonics... again, sounds about right. The people that say they get a whole day out of 1 battery just arent hitting it as much as some of us

 

[MarkyD]

ma/h does mean milliamp-hours or milliamps per hour, so if you have a 2000mah battery and you draw a constant 1A (1000ma) from it, under ideal conditions, it lasts 2000/1000 = 2 hours. Also, if you have an 18350 thats rated at 700mah, and your PV is drawing an amp or more from it, it runs out faster, tends to be taxing on the battery long-term and will lose its capacity to hold a charge quickly. Most of the 18350 were found to have discharge rates of only 1-2C, meaning you can only at best draw twice as much as the rated capacity without degrading the battery. AW and Panasonic 18650 have discharge rates as good or better than 5-10C, so if its a 2000mah battery you can draw as much as 10-20A from these safely. You can see why high discharge rate 18650 are so much better in PV's, where high-current demands for short periods is the nature of the device.

 

[Rickajho]

Really? It's the first V3 I have personally heard of that does. How do you access the RMS/Mean mode option on it?

On a V2 you push and hold the right settings button for an exhausting 14 seconds to change modes. Someone reported on ECF that on a V3 you push the left button instead, but it wouldn't make much sense to do that change in the design. No matter which of the two buttons you try - 14 seconds and no less.

 

[Scotsman6783]

Here is another variable to all this. I can put the same battery and atty on my Tesla and the battery will last a lot longer than it does in my Vamo V3. Im am using Efest 18650s, charged using a 2 channel Nitecore charger.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[Trayce]

On a V2 you push and hold the right settings button for an exhausting 14 seconds to change modes. Someone reported on ECF that on a V3 you push the left button instead, but it wouldn't make much sense to do that change in the design. No matter which of the two buttons you try - 14 seconds and no less.

Def no MEAN mode on my V3 then. After an 'exhausting' 28 seconds between the two buttons, I got nuthin'.

 

[Trayce]

Here is another variable to all this. I can put the same battery and atty on my Tesla and the battery will last a lot longer than it does in my Vamo V3. Im am using Efest 18650s, charged using a 2 channel Nitecore charger.

All else being equal (device/resistances/vaping style) it looks like the Tesla is more efficient. If there was a huge difference I'd wonder if the Vamo is faulty.

 

[Scotsman6783]

All else being equal (device/resistances/vaping style) it looks like the Tesla is more efficient. If there was a huge difference I'd wonder if the Vamo is faulty.

I was actually beginning to wonder this myself. I even vape them both on the same wattage.
I may have to pick up another V3 and run with it for a few days to see how it holds up against my first one.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[Trayce]

I was actually beginning to wonder this myself. I even vape them both on the same wattage. I may have to pick up another V3 and run with it for a few days to see how it holds up against my first one.

If you do this please report back to let us all know how that went.

 

[Scotsman6783]

If you do this please report back to let us all know how that went.

Absolutely. May take me a tick, it being the holidays and all.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[ilych]

i have 2900 mAh 18650s and they seem to drain absurdly fast.
When i got these i thought i would be getting better battery life than the 1300 mAh vision spinner I used to have...