Uma

The Pawn Shop is where you'll find my sweet Ovation (a nice one it was, very deep beautiful sound wihout having to hit the strings hard). It was one of the earliest Ovations out, fit my fingers to a Tee. Loved that thing. It sounded awesome with the ClawHammer? style, where the melody and base runs are played at the same time as the rhythm. Lot of great sounds, loved that style on that guitar. My brother had the 12 string Takememi(sp) for rhythm mostly, but he could make it do things I never could. My hubby played the Gibson and the Mandolin, a friend the banjo, etc... They were all pawned at different dire times, .. except the Martin, which was given to a friend on his way to Nashville to cut an album. Best gift we ever gave. Anyway, the point of my ramblings, is check out those Pawn Shops!! Try them out, see if the frets and neck are great... nothing worse than a bowed neck or stretched fret. Besides, maybe one of ours in one of your pawn shops in your area and could use a really good home.

Well, you're too late Bubba. The cavalry is here. Buckle up. Copy/Pasting Griz's reply, so I don't mess it up. (don't worry, he straightens me out the most). Hi Uma! I wonder what resistance he's running at? I've noticed myself that the vape tails off much later with lower resistance setups, and I've driven a 14500 or two down to 2.5 volts that way. I always try to keep my coils around the 1.2 - 1.3 ohm mark at a minimum now and I notice the battery dropping below 3.6 volts very quickly. It depends very much on your setup and what kind of atomiser you are using (mesh, silica, hybrid...) as to how the atomiser performs over a large range of voltages. It's also about personal sensitivity to the quality and volume of vapour diminishing. Trust me, on a normal mechanical mod, the voltage is decreasing, but a combination of setup and sensitivity is making him not notice the voltage dropping. Some things about protected batteries... The little circuit board that sits on top of the battery does three things: 1. It prevents you from over charging the battery. Even if the charger is faulty, the protection board will stop the battery from being charged to over 4.2 volts. 2. It prevents you from over discharging the battery. Once the battery goes down to 2.5 volts, the protection board will not allow the battery to discharge further. 3. It protects against you trying to draw more current from the battery than it is designed for. A hard short in your mod would draw a huge amount of current, except that can't happen on a protected battery as the protection board will shut down as soon as the current exceeds the set level. Using a second fuse in this case is completely redundant. The protection board is already providing that function. Then IMR batteries. 1. They are not protected. 2. Over charging an IMR battery will cause the battery to lose capacity and shorten it's life. Unlike a standard Li-ion, it won't explode or catch fire if you over charge it. 3. Over discharging an IMR below 2.5 volts will reduce the battery's capacity. Discharging an IMR to under 1.5 volts will turn it into a short circuit. Most chargers will refuse to charge a battery that's been damaged this way as the battery tries to draw too much current from the charger. 4. Even if you short circuit an IMR battery, the only thing it will do is get very hot. This will also destroy the battery. As far as I am aware, there has never been an event where a good quality IMR battery has failed in an explosive way. I've never used a one time or resettable fuse with my IMRs and have no plans to start doing so either! Both devices, and especially the resettable fuse introduce resistance into the circuit. With a Vamo or Kick, the regulation circuits will keep the output voltage constant until the battery drops down to 3.3 volts, so there should be no difference between a fully charged or nearly empty battery. Both devices also protect against the risk of a short circuit in the atomiser. You are quite safe to keep your batteries that have gone down to 3.2 volts, even if they have gone down to 2.5 volts. Just make sure that you put them on the charger straight away. When you over discharge a Li-ion (IMR or standard) battery, you run the risk of dissolving the anode (positive terminal) as there are no more lithium ions avalable to deliver current. This can cause tiny whiskers of metal to start growing from the anode to the cathode and this shorts out the battery. This process only really starts happening at around 1.5 volts, so as long as your battery has not been discharged under 2.0 volts, there's probably some life left in it. Here's a link to an interesting paper from NASA of all people that goes into this in more detail. http://www.techbriefs.com/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=/Briefs/Feb99/NPO19897.html I hope this helps! Give me a shout if there's more you need to know. All the best, Mike

Congrats to you and welcome to VaporTalk!!

Congrats to both you and your wife and welcome to VaporTalk!!

Nice case and contents BC! Kitsune, I had no idea there were eGo charging cases now. I'm so behind the times lol.

Those are the knees bees, Rixter. Be sure to follow the directions given or they'll pop on you. (soak it good).

Only in that it is easier for new mechanical mod users to clean. Other than that, they both compete for top honors. The Nemy has a big silver plate for a connection... it doesn't require much expertise in cleaning. It has an adjustable connection that you fit onto your atty just perfect, and then put it on the mod and then adjust the battery end of the mod for it to fit flush. Very ingenious. The Poldiac is easy to clean and put back together once learned. (earth magnets can be frustrating for some newbies). The Poldiac has adjustable connection for the atty to sit flush, by taking a tool and twisting the screw around til it fits. The Battery end also adjusts to fit the battery tighter. . They're both incredible mods.

haha, don't feel bad guys, RDA's are a p.i.a. for me to wrap too, for greatest production. I can get half/arse just right though! ::pat self on back::: I ran across a nice picture tutorial on an RDA. I think it's for the bottom fed ones, but it should still work just great for the regular.

I had that album! Played it on the guitar. Loved their songs and harmonies. I think my first 45 was "I want to hold your hand" by the Beatles. Everybody had that single. Oh, and "Downtown" by Petulia Clark. I can still hear both of them plain as day in my head lol.

There have been so many songs that have defined me in one way or another, over the years. But the one song that still grabs me every time I hear it, is CCR's "Run Through the Jungle". It's been like a mainstay in my life since the Vietnam war era when my school buddies were fighting and some dying. If we're not fighting one thing, we're fighting another. Our lives have been touched, enhanced, strengthened by all these fights, whether it be fighting for our country or fighting for our lives against disease, this song sums up the fight in all of us for every reason we've ever encountered. Somehow, this song always leaves me in a state of gratitude for all those who fought for my right to gripe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhyszpvObvw

The Nemesis is what you want. https://www.atmomixani.gr/index.php/el/menu-shop-el/vmcategory-manufacturer-atmomixani/nemesis.html The VW edition is the one my heart is set on at this moment in time. ... Oh, and the Eric Tera edition (purple!!!). The Nemesis is almost perfection according to all the users. They swear that the Nemesis took everything that was a quirk or a question mark on all the other mighty fine mods out there, tossed them in the trash, and came up with perfect. (which means, it's as close to perfect as a modder can get). It is SUPER easy to clean, has excellent contact, and so on and so on. Built like a tank, built for life. Restocks every week-ish. The Poldiac is glorious!!! Built like a tank, built for life, totally solid. You might not like cleaning the silver switch and contacts all the time though, so be sure to pick up a brass contact set as well. BishopHeals has a cleaning tutorial for the Poldiac that I highly recommend watching. (you'll have to tolerate or laugh with him over his fuggittaboutitt expressions, but he does an excellent job of explaining and showing what to do). I plan on picking up the Aname edition next year, to add to my collection. I love these mods!!! . Restocks every week-ish.

oops, make that "peace of mind" lol. You probably did note it earlier, but I must have missed it. I'll need to take some time and reread. (always a good idea). Good that they recommend a Protected Battery!! Because it doesn't have circuits or fuses, you'll need to bring your own fuse or circuit.... You brought a Protected Battery plus a fuse. You are having problems with over-draining. This issue, the main concern of your opening post, is still remaining. Like I mentioned, it might be a smart move to remove that extra fuse. Your Mod does not close completely, which means the current is broken. Like anything electronic, we need to keep the circuits/currents clean, to prevent surges and mishaps, There are several other ways to achieve a Protected Battery. Buy a premade one, like you did. Which is the best for beginners to do. OR: 1. Buy a Kick, which controls the wattage of your Mod with Battery. This Kick works only with the IMR high drain, Safe Chemistry batteries, discussed several times throughout the thread. You are protected in 2 ways now. One: Your battery is a Safe Chemistry, plus it can handle the Amps. Two. The Kick has it's own fuse/circuit breaker that will shut down the mod when the battery level is too low for the Amperage draw. With this combo, the Kick and the AW-IMR battery, your vape will be consistent until the last few puffs and then it won't work anymore until you change your battery. This, I believe, is the safest way to go. 2. An AW-IMR with either a shortstop fuse or a Resettable fuse. The fuse will pop when it is overly amped. Just because your meter reads 3.0 when it's not in use, does in no way mean that it is 3.0 when IN use. Please keep this in mind. We never want to drain our batteries below the recommended limit. The voltage drops while we are vaping is never the same! It changes with our setups... the resistance of our atomizers, the clean factor of our threads, the unity in current. Having a partially open mod is changing your conductivity and results. Perhaps this is why it is overly discharging? I don't know. You need to do what you need to do. But, you also need to assess what is going on with what you are doing and needing to do. It might be counter-productive. I saw your threads at ECF, asking the same questions. I haven't returned to see all the replies yet, but to date since my last read, not one has addressed your main concern... WHY is your Battery over draining without changing your vapor. Why is the battery draining so low?? I will try to round up some battery/mod savvy people to help explain to you what is happening when: 1. Your mod does not have thoroughly closed current... you can not tighten your endcap all the way. 2. Two or more fuses in the same mod 3. Battery safety draining levels. 4. I forgot. They'll just have to jot it down as they read the thread lol. edited to replace circuit here and there with the word current.

Oh, now you're rockin! I love all the Mountain Dews I've tried so far. Good flavor!! I'm out too, thanks for the reminder to pick some more up. Nice!

The Protected battery does not have the amps needed for the pull. Correct.

You never did mention what Mod you have. The 2 fuses won't cancel each other, that was a wrong expression I used. What does happen, is the weakest fuse will pop, which breaks the circuit. It still acts like you only had the one fuse. You have a fuse inside your protected battery and a fuse added outside the battery, and they are now considered an inline circuit, if I learned this correctly. I am no engineer or battery expert, and this would need to be confirmed by someone who is. The weakest fuse will pop first. Extra fuses aren't needed, but if you need it for your own piece of mind, then you need it.

For me, it's because I live in Calif where everything you say, think or do can and will be held against you a court of nannyizm.

To be honest, I toss mine if they go below 3.2... I might be paranoid, I don't remember.

Right on! My suggestions at this point in time for the affordable RBA's: (genesis style). AGA-T-+ (make sure it has the plus mark). RSST (clone of the AC9) RichMan. (big fancy remodel of the AGA-T-+ with more room, bigger screws and nuts, styling and soon a 3mm wick hole!!) (after you know your stuff, and want a better engineered product, the sky is the limit, new modders & awesome products every week) For the RDA: (usually silica, but can be SS meshed with some models). Igo-I Chimbus Other's will chime in, too, for confirmations and/or balance. So, hang in there

That looks much nicer with the collar! Very nice!!

Here's a few video's of the Swan (there are more of course, but these should help you pinpoint)

I'm no expert either. I will share what little I have learned though, if it's okay. (even if it's not ok lol). The Panasonics and eFests are good batteries, yes. I have a few eFests. I still prefer the AW-IMR's from RTDvapes. I've heard good things about the Panasonics, but have never tried them. I wouldn't know an Orbotronic from an OrtoSonic, , I have much to learn. I prefer the AW-IMR so far, combined with a ReSettable Fuse. Why? Because the IMR high drain, high amp batteries have Safe Chemistry. When used with a REsettAble Fuse, they become even safer. The IMR is high drain, can handle high amps and volts, and doesn't explode (usually) when it fails. But, of course, it can get hot enough to melt and catch things around it on fire. There is a video or two on youtube that shows the various batteries being put their fail tests. The Protected batteries are not high drain and are not safe Chemistry, but instead are a different ballgame. The Protected batteries have a Safety Fuse built right in, which is why they are longer. They fail differently, because it is not a Safe Chemistry battery. Either one should be good, as long as it is not a clone. A lot of batteries (either type, imr or protected) are ReWrapped clones, made to look like the real thing. Very sad. But, as long as you trust your vendor, you should be good to go. Trustfire was one of the first to be cloned and reWapped. But they all are subject to it now. Draining & charging the battery. All I know, is, Rechargeable batteries should be metered before and after they go on/off the charger. The Charger's that recommended are the Smart chargers, like iCore InTelli Charger and others. Never leave them on the charger when you're not there to watch for any possible mishaps. There are even protective foil envelopes to set them in while charging, or some people charge them in a surrounding of fire bricks, just to be on the safest side of safe. Charging should always be done in a safe manner. (doh lol). And a fresh off the charger battery should NOT be used. They need to sit for at least an hour before using, preferably more. The battery should never be overcharged or drained too far. If the battery charges over 4.2volts, something is wrong and the chemistry of the battery is harmed. If it is overly Drained, the chemistry of the battery has changed and is no longer safe. Either one. Usually the Over-Drained is say 3.1. (you have to read YOUR batteries specs). Most of our batteries lose oomph at 3.8 and then gradually deplete until 3.3volts. 3.3 is when they definitely go on the charger. Many like to change out the battery at 3.8 and put them on the charger at 3.8-ish. 3.0 volts is SCAREY business!! I would consider it a Tosser. 4.3 volts is a tosser. Anything above or below the recommended volts is a tosser. Using a Fuse with a Protected battery that already has a fuse? It's counter-productive. One fuse is built in with exacting sensitivities. The other fuse is a general fuse. Which raises some questions. 1. The Protected battery is long... adding a Fuse uses even more space... Which mod are you using that has so much room? Usually the mods are designed to fit one style of battery, which the Vendor will recommend using, because, well, the mod was designed around that battery. 2. If you don't trust the safety fuse that is built into your Protected battery, why haven't you switched over to a Safer Chemistry battery from a respected Safe Chemistry Battery vendor? I'm not arguing, I'm trying to understand your line of "expertise". Do you have links to resources that encourage you to use a 3.0 drained battery? Doubling up your fuses? I can find a lot of threads that counter what you are promoting here. But maybe I just don't quite understand what you are promoting.

Good topic! I like being able to vape where smokers see that it's a 'real' thing, not a fake wispy idea. I like raising the curiosity, and saving lives. That's what it's all about, is saving lives. The times I've hidden it from parents with kids, are the times I needed to flaunt it the most, because, Murphy's Law, one of the parents lights up. Never fails. I detest hiding it anymore. Too many lives can be saved, need to be saved. When in non-smoking areas, of course, I don't vape, or at the least I'll take a small stealth vape and blow it down the inside of my blouse where it dissipates immediately. I only do that when I'm stuck for long lengths of time. The last thing I want to do is light up a smoke in order to catch up on my nicotine missed during the down time. I used to woof down 2 cigs in a 10 minute work break, to get me though the next 2 hours, I had it bad. I don't want to go back. So, if I absolutely need to use my non-smoking tool, I most certainly will and do, but very indiscreetly. Yeh, every smoker needs to "know" these vaping tools are boss. Every non-smoker needs to know that their loved ones who still smoke can switch over to something safer until they do. I've been questioned by very excited people, wanting to know everything about it, for their loved ones. I've met kids who were wild about the idea of their parents switching over so painlessly. But when the parents are approached by the kids, the kids are dismissed. It's presently much to no avail. I warn the kids, that it will take several months for them to come around to trying to quit again and to don't take it personally. The parents are fed up with the stop smoking propaganda, sick of epic fails of the past. But, occasionally, months or years later, they do indeed research it, try it, and voila! Now they're preaching to the other parents lol. The kids might be interested in a feel or a taste when that evil moment strikes them, but they compare the flavor to the real honest to goodness flavor of the orange or the apple, get their curiosity out of the way and go on about their lives without smoking. That's a huge bonus for the next generation... to be able to "see what the fuss is all about" and then move along without the painful addiction of the days of old. I would give anything to start my life over without the cigarette attraction at such a young age. Had there been vaping instead of cigarettes, I wouldn't be so dang addicted today. Try it out, move along. Sweet.

You're welcome. Glad your day is calming and that things are back in order.

Right on about the Riva exchange!! I figured you'd have no problem with it as it is a common quirk with those. Vape on.

The eGo by Joye (not the clone eGo's), has a warranty of 6 months, because they are so well engineered. They often go over their time span, lasting a good year. The Riva's are a good clone of eGo Joye, but lack the sophistication to guarantee a warranted time. They last anywhere from a week to a year. It's a roulette wheel, but most of them do last at least 6 months. There are clone brands out there called eGo that are not made by Joye, and are nothing like the original or the Riva. The Vamo is pretty nice for an introductory VV/VW mod. It is big, but you can have fun wrapping with Jwraps, to lessen the size shock and increase the fun. I don't like them, but that's a personal preference. Most of the users have become great fans of them for this reason or that. Expect a few good months of trouble free usage out of them, but read the various Vamo threads and watch the various vamo videos to learn what problems to expect, and how to fix them. The Vision Spinner and eGo Twist are good small VV pv's that most of us old timers like to use, cart around and have in our backup piles. They're pretty nice all the way around. Can't go too much wrong with either one. The Spinner is best for older eyes, because the dial readout is larger. The main thing is to get the one that catches YOUR fancy, enjoy it, and browse for other ones while you're relaxed and not pressed. Get a feel for what you might like in your replacement, research it while you're relaxed, and plan from there. There are tons of them out there on the market today. The iTasteVV v3 might be a good one for you. It's light, but still has VV and VW both. It's also a passthrough type pv, meaning you can vape it while it's charging in the wall socket. The menu is easy to use too. (I like the itaste much more than the vamo, personally, but that's just my own personal preference and I haven't had it long enough to learn it's weaknesses and quirks or lifespan).