What is the best battery for my device? (kbox mini)

[yppan]

Hello all. I have recently purchased a kangertech topbox mini starter kit. I have a purple efest 2500mAh 18650 IMR (the one that says 35A on the sleeve) that is over a year old. This does not seem to work well with it. It is having some problems, and I think that by carefully selecting the right battery all the problems will go away.

These are the two batteries I have to choose from:

• Samsung 25R
• Sony VTC6

The Sony is slightly more expensive but I want it because it has a 3000mAh capacity.

I was wondering if anyone has either of these two batteries with this device and if it works well for you... Also I hear the vtc6 is only rated as a 15A battery is that true? The kanger kbox only goes up to 75W so will I need more amps than that?

 

[Mice Elf]

I use the Samsung 25R.

What problems are you having that you believe would be solved by a battery change?

 

[PaulBHC]

I used mostly the Samsung 30Q which is also 3000mah. Read mooch's reports in the Battery and Chargers subforum.

RTDvapor has them for a fair price and is well respected around here.

 

[yppan]

What problems are you having that you believe would be solved by a battery change?

This describes my issue pretty well. (quoted from reddit)

The battery icon will blink like the battery is dead even though its not. If I take the battery out and replace it, sometimes the mod will fire for a second then start blinking again.

I found a couple people with the same or similair problems, most were solved by simply putting in a brand new cell. I'm a bit surprised that the LGHE that came with it doesn't work though. Is it normal for batteries to come with these kits? From what I'm reading its not. Thinking the shop may have thrown it in there for me or something...

We set it up as soon as I bought it.

 

[Mice Elf]

This describes my issue pretty well. (quoted from reddit)

I wouldn't be able to definitively diagnose that as a battery issue, it could in fact be a bad board, but if it were up to me I would purchase a new name brand battery and check. If it still occurred with a new battery I'd likely ask the store to exchange it.

 

[yppan]

Yep, thats what I plan on doing. Gonna try a Samsung 25R first... if that doesn't work I am going to try an LGHG2

If it still does not work, I plan on asking for an exchange.

 

[PaulBHC]

Do you have a charger or use the usb? Could be your battery is really not charged.

 

[yppan]

Yeah I got some cheapo charger. but it says it charges as 4.2V so that should work right? I've tried using both. Is there any downsides to using the internal charging?

 

[Baditude]

Yeah I got some cheapo charger. but it says it charges as 4.2V so that should work right? I've tried using both. Is there any downsides to using the internal charging?

Cheaping out on a charger makes about as much sense as cheaping out on batteries. Both are vital to vaping.

There are proponents to both onboard charging and using external battery chargers. Many people like the convenience of just using an onboard USB charger, but they usually charge much slower than using a box charger. You are also putting some faith into the manufacturer of the mod to not cheap out on the built-in charger to cut down on production costs. Over time, the weak link is the USB connector.

Myself, I like being able to choose the specific charger I charge my batteries with. Box chargers generally provide options in the way the batteries are charged and have other potentially useful features, and in most cases charge batteries faster (and arguably safer). Statistically, most battery incidents occur while charging. I'd rather an incident occur in an external charger than in my mod.

Guide to Choosing a Li-ion Battery Charger

• Guide to help a novice in choosing a charger. Covers recommended brands; suggestions for the number of charging bays you'll need, discusses what independent charging bays are, LED and Liquid Crystal Display models, and "smart chargers".

 

[Cheallaigh]

the lg browns if you can get them work well... I've got 8 on rotation between 5 kanger(3 kbox minis and 2 dripboxes) mods and we charge them all via an xtar charger. generally the batteries are only good for roughly 300- 350 recharges.. they don't last forever.

 

[puffon]

If your charger has optional voltage settings, set it to 3.7v, not 4.2v

 

[Baditude]

I have a purple efest 2500mAh 18650 IMR (the one that says 35A on the sleeve) that is over a year old. This does not seem to work well with it.... I hear the vtc6 is only rated as a 15A battery is that true? The kanger kbox only goes up to 75W so will I need more amps than that?

I don't believe Mooch has tested that Efest battery, but the Purple Efest batteries are notoriously over-rated spec-wise and are re-wraps. Another independent battery tester found your battery to be over-rated:

This is a rebranded LG 18650HE2 cell. Careful: max continuous discharge rate for this cell is 20A *NOT* 35A as advertised by Efest. According to LGs spec sheet 35A is only permissible for short periods...

See second link below for Dampfakkus's report.

As a battery ages, the amp rating and mAh capacity declines, so that a 20A battery becomes only a 10A battery. Being that batteries are good up to about 300 charge cycles, your year old battery probably is starting to show its age.

Are You Using a Rewrap (Rebranded) Battery?

• Learn what a rewrap cell is. If you are using rebranded cell, does that mean it is inferior, poor quality, or even dangerous? Which batteries are suspected to be rebranded batteries.

Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised

• A cautionary blog that reveals that the purple Efest batteries may not have the specifications advertised. Also includes an important commentary on "continuous discharge ratings" vs "pulse discharge ratings" of battery specs.

Efest Purple 30A 2100mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...only a 20A battery

Efest 35A 2900mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...only a 15A+ battery

Efest 38A 2100mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...an ok 20A cell, no higher

Efest Purple 40A 2600mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...only a 20A battery

Efest 35A 2800mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...a 20A/2300mAh battery

Efest Purple 35A 3000mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...only a 20A battery, equal to HG2 though

Efest Purple 20A 3500mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...just another rewrapped 10A battery

​

A single 20A battery is good for about 60 watts output in a regulated mod. Sony conservatively rates the VTC6 as a 15A battery, but Mooch's bench tests show it performs safely up to 19A. Sony VTC6 15A 3000mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...a great battery, equaling HG2/30Q


Mooch's List of Battery Tests

 

[yppan]

Heres a little update on my situation; I got a green Samsung 25R battery. IT made the screen on my device come on. However, I have not been able to get any juice for quite some time to fully test it due to financial constraints. I hope to get some juice in there soon and run it without the passthrough connected and see how long it will last with the new battery installed. Before I was getting something like 4 hours. I know this should be able to last me till the end of the day.

 

[Cheallaigh]

it all depends on how you vape... if the juice is really good... it magically disapears fast! lol

 

[yppan]

I was referring to the battery and device and not the juice it self. I want to see how long the device will last. Before it was cutting out fast after a full charge, faster than it should've been.

 

[Cheallaigh]

so was i...

 

[Mooch]

If your charger has optional voltage settings, set it to 3.7v, not 4.2v

Charging vaping batteries to only 3.7V will give you just a fraction of their rated capacity versus charging at their 4.2V rated charging voltage.

 

[Cheallaigh]

Charging vaping batteries to only 3.7V will give you just a fraction of their rated capacity versus charging at their 4.2V rated charging voltage.

lmao you should tell good old eddy in that other thread... then again he'd tell you, you are wrong and it's dangerous hehehehehe...

 

[puffon]

Charging vaping batteries to only 3.7V will give you just a fraction of their rated capacity versus charging at their 4.2V rated charging voltage.

Yes, I should have said use the 3.7v setting, not the 3.8v setting.
The i2 should auto detect the 18650 as a 3.7v, but be can manually set to 3.8, which would overcharge past 4.2 and damage the battery.

 

[Mooch]

Yes, I should have said use the 3.7v setting, not the 3.8v setting.
The i2 should auto detect the 18650 as a 3.7v, but be can manually set to 3.8, which would overcharge past 4.2 and damage the battery.

You're saying that the voltages listed on that switch are the nominal voltages, not the charging voltages?

I'm confused because you said the two choices were 3.7V and 4.2V earlier. That 4.2V selection is definitely not a nominal voltage, it's a charging voltage.