Hello all. This is my first post to the forum. I've been vaping for several months now with the common commercial e-cigs, primarily V2. Although I haven't been entirely unhappy with the experience, it seems those using mods and custom setups are getting so much more from the experience. After reading many posts here and reviews of different products, I decided the right choice for me currently would be the Sigelei Zmax v3 flat top. I didn't want to spend a ton of money, but still wanted something that had a decent reputation in the community. I ordered it this weekend along with the Kanger Pro Tank II. My mouth will water for a few days while I wait for it to show up!
As much as I've read, though, I'm still having a bit of trouble understanding the relationship between voltage and wattage. What I do get, is that some of these settings will be subjective as to the user's personal preferences, but I'm at a loss as to where to begin since this is a point of confusion to me.
Thanks for this forum, nice to meet you all, and thanks for your input!
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Greg
Welcome to ECF, Flipper.
(from another post of mine in another thread)....
Here is quite a bit of valuable information on variable wattage. This is an old(ish) post written by one of our most highly respected ECFers, which speaks about the Darwin (the first device that brought us VW). Perhaps this information may be helpful to those that are newer to vaping VW.
"To be very clear, I am Not an Electrical Engineer (EE) and make absolutely no claims to having any engineering credentials or qualifications. So, while I know there are several EEs who have been monitoring the threads and posting about this device (and they have definite positions about what is possible according to Ohms Law), I am not qualified to engage in those discussions. While I do have an elementary appreciation for some of the underlying principles of Ohms Law, it would at least appear that this device does (as it HAS TO) completely apply ALL aspects of Ohms Law. So, while I cannot address the how (as this device incorporates proprietary designs, programming and engineering - to which I am not privy), it is very clear that the device does do certain things differently from any other e-cig/mod/device.
Volts are variable but the devices microprocessor does the controlling (voltage changes) automatically. The device constantly monitors the Ohms of the atty and constantly makes changes to the volts (even during a hit) in order to maintain constant watts (heat level). As the EEs have already posted, Amps are also part of the overall Ohms law equation. When we activate the device, we can see that the Amps level is also changing. While it seems to me that if Ohms are at a certain level and the device changes the volts to maintain a constant heat level, in compliance with Ohms Law - the amps have to change accordingly (as needed). But, the power management (microprocessor programming and functions) are part of the manufacturers proprietary design and, as I said, I do not have that information.
Those of us who have been vaping for a while know there are MANY variables contributing to the overall vape experience. Various batts have different voltages and max amps output levels, attys have different Ohms ratings (which can vary up to +/- .3 ohms), the various wiring and connections in each device, and even the components within the attys themselves can create variances between two of the same size/model attys. Airflow and juices are also variables. But, ultimately, as many know, heat (watts) is the primary factor in creating vapor. Variable volt devices, which allow us to set a fixed voltage at various set levels, was obviously the first step in trying to control the various heat levels. However, even though some devices can set various fixed voltage points (and some more accurately than others), the issue of ohms changing makes maintaining consistent heat level more difficult.
If we look at the only other digitally controlled (PCB) device, like ProVari, ProVari sets voltage points very accurately in .1 volt increments and digitally holds that voltage point stable. The engineers present, if I understand their points, atty ohms may vary during activation but the variations are very small. However, Ohms also appear to fluctuate in an attys resistance over the life of the atty. I have been using the Joye 302 (and other 801 series) attys primarily for a long time now so I have much less experience with the various 510s, 306s and 901s anymore. But, I have often put a brand new 3.1 ohms 302 atty on devices at 5-ish volts and seen the ohms reading drop to the 2.6 range in periods between 4 hours and 4 days. So, when this happens I start noticing my vape getting hotter and hotter and eventually getting a burnt taste. This happens because as the ohms start dropping, and the volts remain the same, the heat level (watts) increases.
ProVari has many wonderful features which include (but are not limited to) a built in ohms meter and digitally controlled voltage settings. As the first device to offer these features, I was immediately enamored with that device. However, when we compare those features (and how they function) to Darwin there are some very significant differences. Taking the example of my 302 atty, I notice it getting progressively hotter over time. So, on ProVari, if I want to know and alter the details/settings I activate the various meters and recalculate the volt setting for a different heat level. One could argue that we can just lower the volts settings but lets walk thru the process steps to compare to Darwin.
On ProVari:
- Active the Ohms meter = 13 button presses and wait 2 seconds to see the Ohms
- To reduce the volts = 7 more button presses to get to Power Down mode, then wait 2 seconds and then press/hold or press once for each .1 volt change
- Try vaping at new setting and if not right, repeat the last step to further lower or press 5 times to activate Voltage Up mode.
Now, please do not misunderstand my intentions, I truly like the ProVari. But, the simple facts are facts and ALL of this information is ALWAYS displayed on the Darwin screen just look and its all there. If you want to change the heat level, turn the thumb wheel to a new setting and vape (takes about 2 seconds to adjust in either direction).
Now, the more important point at least to me is that Darwins microprocessor will maintain that set watts (heat) level regardless of changes in the atomizer ohms. So, as the 302 atty ohms drop over time (be that 4 hours or four days), Darwin is constantly reading the Ohms and making constant changes (automatically) to make sure we enjoy 100% consistent heat level of our vapor. If we watch the Darwin screen, we can see the volt settings change and the amps change correspondingly (as needed according to Ohms Law I presume). Additionally, if we change to a completely different atty/carto style (with different ohms rating), Darwin reads the Ohms and makes the adjustments to keep the vapor at the set watts (heat level). As others have posted, once we know the heat level (watts settings) for any given juice we can use that setting regardless of the atty/carto. There may still be slight variations but we are automatically right in the immediate range and adjustments take only a second or two.
Another factor: using a fixed voltage setting (ProVari or any other device), if we chain vape, power hit or multi-hit (which I often do) the atomizer continues to heat up progressively. Perhaps these changes are not huge fluctuations but they are enough to feel the heat level of the vapor increase and the flavor of the vapor also changes. It can sometimes even start to get that burnt taste (I notice this most if I triple or multi-hit in succession). Darwin is constantly monitoring and adjusting for watts (heat output) so the hits stay consistent until it is time to feed the atty (start getting dry atty taste).
The final outcome of this comparison, at least for me, is that on set voltage (any other VV device) I get heat and taste fluctuations in multi-hit mode and even more over time as the atty ohms change. Using Darwin we enjoy 100% consistent vapor heat and taste hit after hit after hit throughout the life of an atty. We do not have to constantly go thru a series of menu/button presses to read anything or change anything (no screw drivers or external meters either) all the readings are right on the display and the Darwin microprocessor does all the work and adjustments for us we just vape smooth and consistent vapor and flavor throughout each hit and from first hit to last.
The first analogy that comes to mind is the manual heating systems in some cars compared to the fully automatic climate control systems in other cars. In the manual style, there is a slider or knob to set an approximate temperature and a separate knob or slider to set the fan level. The car will continue to pump those settings no matter happens to the temperature inside the car. If you want to change it, you have to manually adjust the temp and/or fan settings. Alternatively, the fully automatic climate control system you set for a specific temperature; the system monitors the temperature in the car and automatically adjusts the heat levels and fan levels accordingly to maintain that set temperature level."
(The full post can be seen here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...est-pre-production-prototype.html#post2451681)
