VV w/voltage display that reads LOADED volts

[billherbst]

I have a nice little flock of VVs---13 VV boxes, or rather 12, now that one of of my beloved madvapes VV boxes finally bit the dust (it began firing by itself and wouldn't stop---so into the trash after eight months). But I still have six other madvapes boxes, plus a Buzz Pro on the way that will bring the total back to 13.

Only one of my VV boxes has a built-in LED voltage display: a Splash by Shan of VapeCore. But it reads only unloaded voltage, based on wherever you set the regulator pot.

I have two Madvapes voltage indicators, the kind in the white or black delrin cases with 510 connectors on either end, one male and one female. I love those and use them a lot, because they operate as passthroughs. Screw the voltage indicator onto the power source PV, screw your atty/carto/tank onto the voltage indicator, fire it up, and Voilà! The display shows the voltage under load. And THAT's what I want to know: Voltage under load.

Who cares what voltage you set your VV to if you don't know what the voltage drop is with the resistance load of a particular atty/carto? Sometimes the drop is minimal. If I set one of my Madvapes VV boxes to 4.2V and slap on a 1.7 ohm Resurrector, the loaded voltage is 4.11V. Pretty good. By contrast, my Little Sister (from Ken's Box Mod) is a sweet mini-VV, but if you set it at 6 volts unloaded, then screw on a 1.5 ohm dual coil, the loaded voltage goes way down, to about 3.6V. Those tiny 10440 batteries that power the Little Sister just can't hack it. (That's why Ken recommends high-drain 10440s, of course, but even they are quite limited.)

Do any of the current generation of available VVs that have built-in voltage displays actually read Loaded Voltage?

 

[Dr. Russell Fell]

Doesn't the Provari do this?

 

[Maximillian]

From the tests I've seen, yes, the provari does do this more or less. Not so much that it reads the voltage under load, as that the voltage you set it to is what it will operate at under load. As I understand it, at least.

As for the box mods w/display, doesn't the display light up when you fire it with a carto/atty attached? If so, I gotta guess that would show the voltage under load, as it seems a voltage meter would be cheaper than a boost/buck circuit w/ a didgital display. Although, I know next to nothing of electronics, so that's just conjecture.



Maximillian the Moderately Mischievious

 

[tonyorion]

I checked the Madvapes site for such a voltage indicator box and could not find it. Do you have a link?

Thanks,

 

[Nomoreash]

I checked the Madvapes site for such a voltage indicator box and could not find it. Do you have a link?

Thanks,

Assembled Volt Indicator

billherbst:

The only production mod I can think of that does it its the Provari. There are several modders that build them with meters that test under load you want to go with another box. Check out the suppliers section, I know JamesW at Krimson Kustoms does it.

Modder/Accessories Supplier Forum

 

[billherbst]

Thanks to all, and especially nomorreash.

My Splash VV's voltage display is wired early in the circuit just past the regulator and reads only the unloaded voltage setting. It does not show voltage under load. I wonder if the new Madvapes VV box with a built-in voltage indicator might show loaded voltage, since it "appears" that it may be wired between the firing switch and the 510 connector.

My question was really more a curiosity than a raging need. For some time, I've kept my eye on James' offerings at Krimson Kustoms, and they seem to get better and better. I especially like the "show-through" LED voltage indicator that he puts inside the red and green boxes. On the other hand, those translucent red and green 3AA plastic boxes are notoriously brittle and break much more easily than opaque black or white 3AA boxes.

The only reason I rely so much on Madvapes' Assembled Volt Indicator is that the Fairchild LDO regulator Madvapes uses in their VV boxes has an adjusting pot that is not "linear" at all---turn it up a quarter turn from the lowest setting, and the voltage moves from 3.3V to about 4, but then turn it a single millimeter further, and the voltage suddenly jumps to 5. It's aggravating, and the only thing I don't like about that particular step-down regulator. Anyway, I need the voltage display to very delicately "fine-tune" the pot with a jeweler's screwdriver to hit the sweet spots between 4V and 5V, which vary, depending on carto resistance and the particular juice loaded.

My VVs from Ken's Box Mods (I have a linear Little Sister, two linear Big Brothers, and a varicool Big Daddy) all use a flat wheel mounted on the case to finger-adjust the pot. The "range" of adjustment is more linear, so I can guesstimate where the voltage is with scratch markings around the 1/4" adjusting wheel.

As I wrote, I have a Buzz Pro on the way---might even arrive today---and I'm looking forward to the thumb adjustment dial with the yellow, green, and red markings. I like the design of the Buzz Pro and I-Pro, because their wheels appear to have a longer throw, and they allow varying the voltage while you're taking a drag. As folks are fond of pointing out on the Buzz threads, all that really matters is how the juice performs and tastes. The data numbers are finally just techie frou-frou (although I appreciate that the ProVari and Darwin measure and display atty/carto resistance).

If the Buzz Pro really does make this on-the-fly "by taste" method of adjusting power easy and reliable, I probably won't care as much about getting yet another VV with a built-in voltage or wattage display, although---like many of us here---I'm an easy mark for new toys, especially when they're not too expensive. (Otherwise, I'd just pop for a ProVari. LOL.)

 

[Scottinboca]

It you want top of the line power control and monitoring you have to go with the Darwin.

 

[bprinehart]

The diamanté shows loaded voltage to the best of my knowledge. Grimm did a good review of it on YouTube

 

[billherbst]

Scott,

Yes, I'm well-informed about the ProVari. I feel about it the same way I feel about a Porsche. Amazing machine; I just don't have a desire to own one.

bprine,

Nice to learn about the Diamante. I saw Grimm's review of it, which was funny (ha-ha). He kept referring to its size---how long/tall it was. You could tell that Grimm really didn't like that form factor, but he was trying very hard not to sound negative.

I guess it's a little like porridge. Papa Bear's is a little too hot, Mama Bear's is a little too cold, and I haven't found Baby Bear's "just right" porridge yet.

The blem Buzz Pro I ordered last week arrived in the mail today, so I've got some new porridge to taste... Luckily, I like porridge (meaning all my PV mods) a lot, so it's just a question of getting one that's perfect for me.

 

[Nomoreash]

I think you'll like the BP, nothing simpler out there and once you get use to the markings it's pretty easy know where you're at even without a meter. I put my meter on it ever so often just to see how close I am and it's usually one a tenth or to off from what I thought.

 

[donesmokin]

I have two Little Man mods from: Home - Krimson Kustoms

With a 1.5 ohm DC carto screwed on, 4.5 volts. Take it off, 4.7 volts for a .2 volt drop under load. No problem adjusting the voltage. I love these things!

 

[bprinehart]

I kept going back and forth between a Buzz Pro, IPro, and the VVPV. In the end I decided to do the VVPV because it's most likely going to be a decent shirt pocket mod, has VV, and it's a dripper/feeder which I've slowly been growing to love. Plus, I never got a bday present last month due to Xmas (kiddies come first). So I'm a happy boy. Looking forward to receiving it any day now. I think whichever you go with you'll be happy. Seems like VV is the way to go for finding your sweet spot. Vape on!

 

[SeamonsterZ24]

There is nothing wrong with fixed volt devices, but VV mods are just to nice to dial into a specific atty/carto with a specific juice at a specific voltage. Just got the Big Daddy Meter Mod from Ken's Box Mods, which has two 18650's in it. So nice to have a super long lasting VV device and the meter shows the loaded voltage. It's surprisingly small for what he has packed inside it.