Voltage/Resistance Question for the ......ed (me)

[ncandler96]

So, this forum rocks. I mean really. I asked a few days ago about suggestions for a starter PV for someone who only had a basic idea of what they like in regular cigarettes, and not only did I get super helpful answers, I got way more than I even asked for. Some super awesome generous person is actually sending me their old kit they started with. Yay! Honestly, the more I look at this one kit, the more I think I probably would've chosen it for myself.

So, happy accolades aside, I still need to order one more kit for me or my husband as apparently having 2 batteries for 2 people can lead to marital strife.

SO, I was looking to order a second Ego C model (what wonderful generous person is sharing - should cut down on the learning curve), but apparently they come in different battery voltages. They go from 1000 mAh all the way down to like 650. Since ......ed person (me) can't understand what really cool people (y'all) are talking about in all of these posts about how awesome your high/low voltage/resistance model is, can someone break it down for me simply please? Heck, I may even have this all wrong and backwards... I swear I'm trying! I think resistance cuts down voltage if I remember right. Not sure what any of that has to do with vaping though.

If I understand right, higher voltage = more vapor but less flavor (and more battery life?). Lower voltage is more flavor but less vapor? Or is that resistance? Are there any other things I need to consider? One of the main things I am looking for is a longer battery life as I'm notorious for leaving things off of chargers (cell phone is dead right now and god knows where - can't call it to find it!).

Thanks again, and thank you all for being so awesome!

 

[fiftythree33]

mAh is how much power the battery contains so the higher the number the longer the battery will last. Also means the battery is larger in physical size.

regarding voltage/resistance, you want low resistance cartos/attis with low voltage batteries (3.7v being low voltage) The lower the ohm resistance the more vapor production. If you increase voltage you also need to increase resistance or you will burn up cartos faster.

Hope that helps.

 

[DCB305]

but apparently they come in different battery voltages. They go from 1000 mAh all the way down to like 650.

These are (mah) milli amp hours basically this will tell you +/- how long a battery will last on a full charge basically for every 100mah you get 1hour +/-. The 1100 is larger than 650, but only in length. More battery life will usually go hand in hand with a larger device.

If I understand right, higher voltage = more vapor but less flavor (and more battery life?). Lower voltage is more flavor but less vapor? Or is that resistance? Are there any other things I need to consider? One of the main things I am looking for is a longer battery life as I'm notorious for leaving things off of chargers (cell phone is dead right now and god knows where - can't call it to find it!).

When you hear/ read people talking about LR (low resistance) and SR (standard resistance) they are usually referring to the attomizer, cartomizer, clearomizer etc. on a constant voltage device like the ego (3.4volt) the lower resistance would be of benefit if you would like more throat hit & vapor. Since you can't change the voltage on the device you change the resistance of the attachment to fine tune your vape. I would try different resistance attachments (attomizer, cartomizer, clearomizer, etc) to find what is right for you.

If you like the form factor of the ego type batt's I would recommend looking into a KGO or E-power as they are 3.7 volts. The e-power has the added benefit of having replaceable batteries and switches if either were to fail as opposed to a ego/kgo/riva that basically would require replacing the whole unit, so it is more cost effective.

Beyond that you would be looking into a VV device mod (APV = advanced personal vaporizer) which are usually larger and have other benefits.

I HTH, welcome and good luck.

 

[RickMc]

You're on the right track. PV's vaporize juice by creating heat, using electricity. The heat potentially created is measured in watts. Watts = (volts x volts)/resistance. So a 3.7 volt PV using a 2.0 ohm cartomizer will generate about 6.8 watts. That same cartomizer attached to a 5 volt device will generate about 12.5 watts. What vapes best for you will depend on your taste, the kind of juice, etc.

Because I have limited experience, I can't speak to 12.5 watts. I can tell you that some juices I prefer vaping at about 5 watts, others I prefer at about 7 watts. The flavor, throat hit, and vapor produced differ at different wattages.

Others more experienced can add more, I'm sure. But all other things being equal, the same watts should produce the same vaping experience, regardless if you get it with higher voltage and higher resistance, or lower voltage and lower resistance.

Someone is sure to link to an Ohm's Law Calculator soon. That will help you calculate wattage at any Volt/Ohm combination.

 

[ncandler96]

Ok, thanks! Let me sit and work on that one for a bit - I'm quite sure I'll be back with more questions... just let me see if I get a grip on this one first by plugging in some of the numbers on the website.

I told a lady I met today about this forum and how awesome it's been to me so far. You guys are so patient and helpful! I'd be lost without it!

 

[sailorman]

Here's the easy explanation of all that stuff.
First off, if all else is equal, a 1000 mah battery will last twice the time between charges as a 500mah battery. So, the capacity of the battery is measured in milliamp hours or mAh.

The batteries you'll be dealing with have a fixed voltage. It will be 3.4V for an eGo, or 3.7V for the kGo and most others of that type. So, you'll be vaping with a 3.4 volt or a 3.7 volt e-cig.

Next is ohms. That is a measure of the resistance of the atomizer or cartomizer. From 1.5 to 2.5 ohms is considered low resistance (LR). 3 ohms to 3.5 ohms is called standard resistance (SR). 4 ohms and above are high resistance and you wouldn't be using them unless you had a battery that put out 5 volts or more.

This is how they relate. If your battery is X Voltage, the lower the resistance, the warmer the coil gets and the hotter the temperature the juice vapes at. Now, you may wonder how hot you want it. How low a resistance should you use?

That is measured in Watts, just like your lightbulbs. The more watts, the hotter the coil and the warmer the vapor.
Most people prefer to vape at somewhere between 6 and 10 watts. How do you figure that? Glad you asked.

There is a very simple formula: Volts X Volts (from the battery) divided by Ohms (from your cartomizer)

So, let's say your eGo puts out 3.4 Volts and you have a 2 ohm cartomizer.

3.4 volts x 3.4 volts / 2 ohms = 5.78 Watts. Hmmm.. That's kind of on the low side.

Lets try it with a 3.7V kGo battery:

3.7 x 3.7 / 2ohms = 6.85 watts. That's better. Some people are happy with that, but it's still a little bit anemic.

So, what do we do? We can't increase the volts, so we decrease the ohms. Let's try it with a 1.5ohm cartomizer this time on the eGo

3.4V x 3.4V / 1.5ohms = 7.7 Watts. Now we're getting somewhere.

Try that same 1.5ohm cartomizer on a 3.7V kGo battery.

3.7 x 3.7 / 1.5 = 9.12 Watts!!! Yeah, now we're cooking.

So, as you see, when you increase the voltage and decrease the ohms, you increase the Watts and get a warmer vapor.
If you're stuck at one voltage, the only thing you can do to get more watts is decrease the ohms, so you use a lower resistance cartomizer.

 

[Dana A]

I am listening to all this wondering how I ever understood it when explained to me in the beginning but some how I did. Ncandler don't ever worry about asking a question on here about anything. There are no stupid questions unless it's like what end of the e cig you light with your lighter or something. LOL It's all really confusing for all of us at first. We all learn by asking questions... No worries friend

 

[elfstone]

I just want to add my pet peeve: sailorman's calculations don't work for dual-coil cartomizers. You'll certainly see these dual-coils labeled as "low resistance" on sites because their total resistance is in the "low" range, usually: 1.5 - 2.5 Ohm.

However, they are built with two high resistance coils linked in parallel. If the two coils have the same resistance, then they are each twice the Ohms listed on the carto (1.5 Ohm DCC = 2 3Ohm coils, 1.7 Ohm DCC = 2 3.4Ohm coils, etc).

Think of it as attaching two high resistance cartomizers at the same time. It will draw the same power as a single coil with the same total resistance, but each coil will heat up less than the single coil, so for "power" calculation purposes, you have to use that.

 

[Thompson]

Can't it be calculated by:

W = V*V/R/2 ?

Thought I had seen that around on here.

 

[sailorman]

Yep, just double the ohms in the formula or cut the watts in half for dual coil cartos. I forgot to get into that.

 

[Iusedtoanalog]

Hi Ncandler. Think of the mAh as the size of the container..... The general rule of thumb is 100mAh ~ 1hour for an average vaper. Now, your eGo kit is most likely not going to be a joye branded product so we will forward estimate until we know otherwise you will have around 3.7v to vape with at 1000mAh. Using this calculator.. http://www.the12volt.com/ohm/ohmslawcalculators.asp we will get VxV/r 3.7x3.7/2=6.8 ...the general good place to start to figure out what you do or do not like about the amount of flavor/vapor/ feeling of your chosen liquid. Since we have one voltage output but many resistances of cartos available as well as many different blends of liquid the variables would be those two . Liquid and carto. PG liquid tends to carry flavors well but to have a certain harshness to it as well, with less visible output of vapor(for me). VG tends to be a little sweeter, less harsh and more visible vapor(for me).

Keep in mind the resistance of the cartos is the amount of work you are demanding from the battery. Lower ohm loads will draw them down faster than higher ohm loads. Typically I would stay in the 2 ohm area for maximizing use time and vapor output. As a side not the dual coil 1.5 ohm cartos tend to work better with higher voltage than a typical ego produces, I think this is due to the two 3 ohm coils taking a little while extra to heat up at the lower initial voltage.... less inrush current+voltage = more time to come up to temp... but thats just my two pennies. The single coil 1.7ohm carto seems to be the sweet spot for most ego sized batteries for tobacco flavors(for me). Good Luck. Happy Vaping.

 

[Iusedtoanalog]

nail>head elfstone.....i took way too long to type that...lol...