What Voltage is my eGo Running at?

[Salt&PePPer]

Howdy y'all, salutations and blah blah blah...

When I got my eGo-T 900mAh setup the other week I was thumbing through the manual and noted that joyetech states that the eGo runs at 3.3Volts. Also a few other sources quote the same voltage.

However just about everywhere else and everyone else states the batteries are running at 3.7Volts which I much rather prefer.

So does anybody know which it is; 3.3Volts or 3.7Volts?

Gracias por todo.

 

[Nunnster]

I think if its an ego from joyce tech it runs at 3.3v. The reason you have read that 3.7 thing is because its a "3.7 device" meaning its in name only (unless things have changed in the 6 months I haven't been keeping up with vaping) On a side note, I believe that Riva's and several other ego clones are "true" 3.7v devices meaning they do run at 3.7v.

 

[Salt&PePPer]

So essential the battery inside is a True 3.7Volt unit but the system runs it at 3.3Volts instead?

 

[spider362]

This is correct. The constant 3.3 volts gives a more consistent vaping experience over the life of the charge since the cut-off voltage is 3.2 volts.
With a 3.7 volt system your vape will start off hot an strong but will become weaker and weaker as the voltage decreases over the life of the charge.

 

[Rocketman]

The 3.2 or 3.3 volt reference is what most folks see with a cheap meter.
The output of the eGo is somewhat regulated via Pulse Width Modulation to about a true 3.6 volts.
The Riva- straight device will put out more with a full charge, a little less as the charge goes down.

 

[spider362]

Rocketman, does this mean the eGo battery will still give an output voltage of around 3.6 volts even when the battery voltage drops below that value?

Nice graph, by the way. Never seen it on a scope before.

 

[Rocketman]

As the cell voltage goes down, the duty cycle goes up.
When the loaded cell voltage is about 4.0 volts (first puff on a full charge) the duty cycle will be about 80%.
As the cell voltage goes down, the duty cycle goes up.
When loaded cell voltage is about 3.6 volts the duty cycle will be over 90% and the output starts to fall a little down to about 3.5 volts.
As the cell voltage approaches the 3.3 volt cut out, duty cycle has maxed out and the output will be 3.3 volts just before cutoff.

Over most of the charge the regulation is pretty effective with about a tenth of a volt change until the last little bit of cell charge. Once a Lithium-ion cell goes below about 3.5 volts, it's downhill quickly.

You will notice vapor falloff just before eGo cutoff.

At no time will the eGo (except the boosted ones) put out MORE than the loaded internal cell voltage.

 

[spider362]

Thanks Rocketman.

Nice description and that explains the vapor falloff I notice towards the end of the battery charge life.

Since it appears you have a scope, have you ever though about posting a short video showing what you described?
Or, have you already?

 

[Rocketman]

My views seldom line up with what others think
I posted a discharge series with the eGo @ 2 ohms, and at 1.6 ohms, but it used up too much of my ECF pic storage space, and generated a lot of discussion (put another smiley here)

Videos? YUP, that would add cred.

Here's a couple that I left up. Both with a 1.6 ohm load.
The pulses on the last one are spread out to see the 95% duty cycle.
This is just before cut off. As the duty cycle goes up the cheap meter reading is more accurate. At low duty cycles it reads average volts which tends to mislead folks.

 

[spider362]

Nice pics. Each one is worth a thousand words...

If you do a video, post to YouTube and lock out comments. Let each viewer come to their own conclusion.

 

[Rocketman]

Those 3 are probably enough info to form opinions. More would just be boring.

Notice the 100min in the pic title of the last one?
That's how long a 900mah eGo lasts me @ 1.6 ohms

(just past 4 years vaping, a few days shy of 3 years, 7 months totally tobacco free.
Bought the scope and a good meter with money saved vaping )

 

[Salt&PePPer]

As the cell voltage goes down, the duty cycle goes up.
When the loaded cell voltage is about 4.0 volts (first puff on a full charge) the duty cycle will be about 80%.
As the cell voltage goes down, the duty cycle goes up.
When loaded cell voltage is about 3.6 volts the duty cycle will be over 90% and the output starts to fall a little down to about 3.5 volts.
As the cell voltage approaches the 3.3 volt cut out, duty cycle has maxed out and the output will be 3.3 volts just before cutoff.

Over most of the charge the regulation is pretty effective with about a tenth of a volt change until the last little bit of cell charge. Once a Lithium-ion cell goes below about 3.5 volts, it's downhill quickly.

You will notice vapor falloff just before eGo cutoff.

At no time will the eGo (except the boosted ones) put out MORE than the loaded internal cell voltage.

Rocketman, where can I read more about what you are talking about? Any specific website or perhaps a focused Google search "string" would help.

Everyone thanks for your inputs.

 

[Rocketman]

I'll look for some old posts, maybe tomorrow.
There were some discussions a year or so ago.

 

[zoiDman]

Not to put a Big Black Fly in the Frosting… But what is an eGo these days?

I mean, I remember when the eGo First came out. Back then, you could only get One eGo. And that was made by Janty. But shortly after, Joye seemed to be selling eGo’s.

Now I see things that are sold as an “eGo” and I have no Clue who makes them or what it has inside? Seems the Knock-Offs are Knock-Offs of a Knock-Off.

So when someone starts talking about the Technical aspects of an “eGo”, it might not Exactly apply to All eGo’s.

Because I don’t think All eGo’s are the same anymore.

 

[Rocketman]

Many say there are variations in construction quality, some say they are all Chinese crap, but the circuitry is pretty much the same inside. Most I have seen (not that many) even have Joye labeled cells inside them. Even the Rivas I have opened.
The same PWM chip and pass the current to the atty connector through a Mosfet switch. They all die if frequently overloaded. They cut off if the current is too high, but that cut off seems to be close to the death limit.
Newer models even have a circuit pretty much like the loose protected Li-ion cells that will prevent overcharging. The older ones depended only on the charger for cutoff.
Not really a Black Fly, who knows what a true eGo is these days.
No matter who makes them, 85 to 98 duty cycle applied to a Li-ion cell produces the same output.
They just don't like LR, or shorts, no matter who makes them. They either work for you or they don't.

 

[zoiDman]

Yeah, there was a time when the Difference between a Riva and an eGo was that one was Regulated and One Wasn't. Can't remember which was which.

But now there are some Many OEM's that have something that they can and eGo, or an "EGo Style Battery", that I can't tell what a person has anymore.

Same with a CE3.

Used to be that there was only a CE2 or a CE3. Both were made by MiT and sold by Royal Smkers. Now every web site that sells e-Cigs has a CE3.

 

[Rocketman]

You're right about the plethora of carto types out there now. I haven't kept up on them so I have no idea which one is what.
But I do think it's generally accepted that a PWM eGo (genuine or clone), or the Riva straight through types have a limited live span with 1.5 ohm cartos or with someone that vapes like a freight train
(or cycle the button to avoid cutoff and get a really long vape)

I've done 1.5 and 1.6 ohm on them, but I accept the risk of one dying on me.
If you don't get ripped off price wise, not a bad little device.

 

[spider362]

All this talk about clones and knock-offs got me wondering...

The Ford was the first commercially built automobile, so is every other brand just a clone or knock-off?
Since Ford was the original, is it the "best" automobile available? (Yeah, yeah, I know there are some of you who will say 'yes'.)

Just thinking out loud (via writing).

 

[Rocketman]

Why NOT to buy Chinese crapola e-cigs:

If you vape low resistance, long and hard, it will die
If you vape with a shorted atty or carto, it will die,
If you drop it on the sidewalk a few times, it will die,
If you short cycle the button to avoid the time out, it will die,
If you put it in your pocket and don't turn it off, it will die (and kill your carto),
If you put it in your pocket and fold it in half, it will die,
If you fiddle with the center pin in the PV, it will die,
In general, if you abuse a name brand, or a clone, it will die.

But don't worry, you can always log in here and claim;
Wut, I dinint do nothin, the crapola thing just died on me

 

[DaveP]

eGo's are basically good batteries. I've only had a couple that failed early out of 6 or 8 I've owned. One blew the MOSFET board and the light came on but no vape. The other just got to the point where it wouldn't hold a charge. Rivas seem to be a little less in terms of charge life, but they aren't regulated.

Rocketman, I've always wondered why some PWM ecigs just flash an inline DVM display and others show true voltage. Twist and Provari work with the cheapo DVM inline modules we buy with connectors installed for ecigs. eGo PWM doesn't. I'm guessing that there's an electrolytic capacitor across the output of the ones that work with the ecig DVM modules.