help me pick a mod

[drizzt]

I have been using an istick 50 watt that just crapped out on me yesterday so I need to replace it. I due have a rda but almost always use my arctic tank with a .2 coil, vaping at 50 watts. I think If I am buying another mod I should step up to something bigger . I may start using my rda more often. I have been looking at a snow wolf 200 watt the ipv ti and the sigelei 150 tc all may be overkill for me but it may prevent me from having to buy another mod if I max out power. are any of these a better choice than the others or should I consider something else entirely? I don't really want to break the bank but the price of these three are not a deterrent

[Tug]

I don't have a SnowWolf but I do have an IPV3 Li & Sigelei 150 and both are great devices.I have an Arctic tank too (My favorite tank ATM) .I have heard of some little issues with the Snow wolf but I haven't heard any issues with the Sigelei 150 or IPV3 Li.Check out GearBest.com they have great prices and they will take care of you.

[drizzt]

so sigelei or ipv whats your choice? I am looking at the sigelei tc model if that makes any difference. not sure I will use the temp control but it will be nice to have in case I decide to i guess 

[Tug]

I love them both,but if you ever decide to use the TC then go with the IPV3 Li.Its great for wattage mode,plenty of power and battery life all day depending on how much you vape.The Sigelei 150tc is another great mod.You can't go wrong with either one.I think the ipv3 Li looks better personally

Edited September 24, 2015 by Tug

[Earthling789]

I'll second the look and feel of the IPV3-Li, and if you don't need/want 165W (dual 18650's), the IPV-D2 is small, compact (single 18650), and still does 75W and TC.  Another good choice (although I don't have either) is the Cloupor mini-plus (50W TC) or Cloupor mini-GT (80W TC).  I've had great luck with my Cloupor minis, and don't hesitate to recommend the brand

I've been off and on about buying a higher Wattage mod myself, but even when using my Arctic Tank @ 0.2 Ohms, I'm rarely running more than 45W, and can't remember going above 65W... so for me, anything that provides up to 70W is just fine.  My daily tanks are rarely pushed above 20W (most are 12-15W).

[drizzt]

I'll second the look and feel of the IPV3-Li, and if you don't need/want 165W (dual 18650's), the IPV-D2 is small, compact (single 18650), and still does 75W and TC.  Another good choice (although I don't have either) is the Cloupor mini-plus (50W TC) or Cloupor mini-GT (80W TC).  I've had great luck with my Cloupor minis, and don't hesitate to recommend the brand

I've been off and on about buying a higher Wattage mod myself, but even when using my Arctic Tank @ 0.2 Ohms, I'm rarely running more than 45W, and can't remember going above 65W... so for me, anything that provides up to 70W is just fine.  My daily tanks are rarely pushed above 20W (most are 12-15W).

I think the ipv is probably the way I will go. While I don't post very much, I do follow the forum enough to know both you and tug are two people whos vaping opinion I respect and pretty much take for being the best advice someone could ask for. If you both say ipv that is good enough for me.

now to pick batterys.  what is your opinion on those. I do know to keep the pair married and label etc but what is your pick for best battery for this mod.

on another note do you recommend a certain battery charger

Edited September 24, 2015 by drizzt

[Squid]

I'll leave the battery recommendations to the others, I lke some not so popular cells. But, I have to say the LUC V4 charger is the way to go. I have not tried the new 6 bay charger from efest though. I do Also like my nitecore um20 for use in the work truck, as it's USB.

[Tug]

You have to be cautious of knock off batteries these days.I highly recommend the Samsung 25r's or VTC4's if you can get them from a trusted dealer.

[jasonculp]

I think the ipv is probably the way I will go. While I don't post very much, I do follow the forum enough to know both you and tug are two people whos vaping opinion I respect and pretty much take for being the best advice someone could ask for. If you both say ipv that is good enough for me.

now to pick batterys.  what is your opinion on those. I do know to keep the pair married and label etc but what is your pick for best battery for this mod.

on another note do you recommend a certain battery charger

I third the ipv3Li or the ipvD2.  I am not sold on the new Sigelei/Snowwolf chip.  I have the 50 watt version, and it is not as refined as the YiHi chips (as in the ipv's)

If you are using it at 110 watts or lower, Samsung 25R or LG HE2/HE4 are the most economical, but the LG HG2 will last longer.

If yo are at 150 - 170 watts the Sony VTC 4 or LG HD2 would be the safest choices, but will not last nearly as long.

Over 170 LG HB6 or Sony VTC 3.

Here is a couple good sources for batteries, I have always got good batteries, and service:

Illumn

or

Liion Wholesale

I agree with squid on the charger, the LUCV4 is a great charger, the Xtar VC4 is also good, or the VPC4.  The nitecore is also a solid charger, but it is a bit slow.

 

[Earthling789]

Trust Jason's battery info... he's on the money!

I do use and recommend the Nitecore i4 chargers... I have two, and yes they are slightly slower than the LucV4, but they are reliable...

[jasonculp]

 

I do use and recommend the Nitecore i4 chargers... I have two, and yes they are slightly slower than the LucV4, but they are reliable...

The Nitecore is a great charger.  I only have the one.  I am just mad at it.  It charges great, and it has worked perfectly.  I am just too impatient.  The 4 slot charge rate is only .375 A, but this probably is much better on your batteries.

[Earthling789]

The Nitecore is a great charger.  I only have the one.  I am just mad at it.  It charges great, and it has worked perfectly.  I am just too impatient.  The 4 slot charge rate is only .375 A, but this probably is much better on your batteries.

Better on the batteries?  Maybe?  But since the circuitry charges in stages (tapering off the Amps as the charge level increases), I think the slowness is just due to the fact the 4-bay rate IS only 0.375A (top rate).  I tend to use my 4-bay chargers in 2-bay mode to take advantage of the 1-4-slot combo to maximize .700A charge rate... this way I can charge 4 batteries (in two chargers) rather rapidly, but can still do 8 at a time... it just takes forever

I totally get the impatience, Jason!  And, the watched pot never boils, so to speak   Sometimes it seems they'll never charge... then you blink, and they're done...

[jasonculp]

Better on the batteries?  Maybe? .....

I am only basing that on the fact that some people say that battery life seems to decrease if charged at a rate higher than 1A.  I honestly have not seen any data to support the claims.

....I tend to use my 4-bay chargers in 2-bay mode to take advantage of the 1-4-slot combo to maximize .700A charge rate... this way I can charge 4 batteries (in two chargers) rather rapidly, but can still do 8 at a time... it just takes forever

I totally get the impatience, Jason!  And, the watched pot never boils, so to speak   Sometimes it seems they'll never charge... then you blink, and they're done...

You are exactly right!  I started charging 2 new HG2's and 30Q's last night.  My modem died so I was working.  I put them on the charger after supper, and when I wanted to go to bed, they were still flashing on the second bar.  It seemed like 30 minutes later...they were done...

I am waiting for a Amazon rewards card to come in, and I am thinking about getting an Opus BT-C3400.  It is an analyzing charger, but won't hook to a computer .  I am really interested in seeing how cell life affects mAh capacity.  I am also thinking about picking up another i4 (with rewards too).  This would charge nearly half of my batteries at one time, and would keep me going over a week  I guess I am weird, but I would rather carry 6 batteries than I had one charger.  Of course I could use usb charging in necessary.

[Earthling789]

I am only basing that on the fact that some people say that battery life seems to decrease if charged at a rate higher than 1A.  I honestly have not seen any data to support the claims.

I agree, Jason!  I would love to have some hard-data to back up the claims that charging higher than 1A damages these batteries.  I'm sure it was true of the older chemistry or possibly Ni-Cad / Ni-MH batteries, possibly even Li-Po packs, but I don't buy it with these 18650's we're using

I've looked at the Opus... if you get one, let me know how it does.  And, for < $15, you can't go wrong picking up another i4... they're work-horses!

Nope, you're not weird... I'd rather carry 4-6 charged batteries than pack a charger any day of the week.  On a recent weekend trip (where I'd probably use 2 batteries, max), I still packed 6 spares, just to be sure... and carried 2 IPV's, 1 Cloupor (all 3 with fresh batteries loaded), 4 tanks, spare coils, and my coil-kit to re-build or repair my Russian if necessary.  I still only used 2 batteries, one mod, and one tank, but it's piece of mind knowing I'm covered... been without before, and had way too many close-calls to not leave the house without "enough" stuff

[jasonculp]

Nope, you're not weird... I'd rather carry 4-6 charged batteries than pack a charger any day of the week.  On a recent weekend trip (where I'd probably use 2 batteries, max), I still packed 6 spares, just to be sure... and carried 2 IPV's, 1 Cloupor (all 3 with fresh batteries loaded), 4 tanks, spare coils, and my coil-kit to re-build or repair my Russian if necessary.  I still only used 2 batteries, one mod, and one tank, but it's piece of mind knowing I'm covered... been without before, and had way too many close-calls to not leave the house without "enough" stuff

My day kit is very simular.  I carry my ipvD2, with the SauceCode and a 5 pack of coils, the iStick 40TC, with the SubTank mini and a 5 pack of coils, 4 18650, and charger cables for each mod, and of course 30 ml of juice.  This is my day trip pack.  I have not assembled my over night one yet.  I am thinking of getting a small aluminum case (like Comp showed us in another thread) and cutting foam to fit 8 - 10 batteries, and mods, tanks ect.  My boss says after the first of the year he wants me taking less overnight trips (just 2 nights a week) instead of 3 - 4 so probably like Tuesday/Thursday or something like that.  That will make it much better on the amount of stuff I have to carry, but will make my miles per week much higher.

[Earthling789]

I am thinking of getting a small aluminum case (like Comp showed us in another thread) and cutting foam to fit 8 - 10 batteries, and mods, tanks ect. 

If I were on the road for a week, I'd probably pack more in my vape-kit than my luggage, lol... yet, I'd probably only use one mod, one tank, and maybe 30ml of juice

My SO recently went on a week-long nursing conference, and I packed her a kit in one of those aluminum cases... Her iTaste CLK, two eGo-T, chargers, a Cloupor mini (with 4 batteries and eGo adapter), three KPT3-minis (with 5 pack of coils), Nautilus (with spare coil), her K1 (with 2 spare coils), and 90ml of assorted juice flavors.  There was still plenty of room in that case for more... they are huge on the inside.  She mostly used her CLK and the eGo's (for portability), but she was grateful to have the spare coils as she needed one on the second day when her K1 locked-up on her!

Glad to hear you'll be home more, but that will mean a lot of miles on the days you're gone... still though, you can pack a little lighter, and be home sooner

[jasonculp]

 

Glad to hear you'll be home more, but that will mean a lot of miles on the days you're gone... still though, you can pack a little lighter, and be home sooner

I am actually getting ready to get back on the road. (my wife is ready too...)  I have been stuck in this computer heck for months.  I reinforced my position with my boss today.  We go live on November 2. I am going back on the road in February, whether they are ready or not.  He is compensating me for my loss of sales, but not nearly at the rate it would be if I was out there.  I have lost a few medium size accounts because I am having to take care of them via email/telephone.  Oilfield slump is actually working out good for me as things have slowed down considerably during the time I have been in the store.

I am excited as tomorrow I have a 450+ mile circuit with 3 meetings.  It is going to feel good to be back out there.  My poor impala feels neglected.  I am putting less than 600 miles a week on her.  When I was on the road it was closer to 1400...

[drizzt]

I third the ipv3Li or the ipvD2.  I am not sold on the new Sigelei/Snowwolf chip.  I have the 50 watt version, and it is not as refined as the YiHi chips (as in the ipv's)

If you are using it at 110 watts or lower, Samsung 25R or LG HE2/HE4 are the most economical, but the LG HG2 will last longer.

If yo are at 150 - 170 watts the Sony VTC 4 or LG HD2 would be the safest choices, but will not last nearly as long.

Over 170 LG HB6 or Sony VTC 3.

Here is a couple good sources for batteries, I have always got good batteries, and service:

Illumn

or

Liion Wholesale

I agree with squid on the charger, the LUCV4 is a great charger, the Xtar VC4 is also good, or the VPC4.  The nitecore is also a solid charger, but it is a bit slow.

 

thanks for the in depth info. I am going to get the  25 r batteries as I wont go over 110 watts at this point  probably not even close to that. If I ever get to the point where I want higher wattage I will get another set of another from your list.  Thank youn

[jasonculp]

thanks for the in depth info. I am going to get the  25 r batteries as I wont go over 110 watts at this point  probably not even close to that. If I ever get to the point where I want higher wattage I will get another set of another from your list.  Thank youn

You are welcome.

As you go higher and higher with wattages, the batteries will not be the only thing that becomes expensive.  I have a TFV4 and at higher wattage it goes through massive amounts of juice.  Dripping on the Velocity at 100+ watts I can go through 20 ml in a short while.  The cost of juice can be much higher than mods and batteries once you get to that point.

[drizzt]

On a separate note how much more are you guys willing to pay for a particular color of a mod. For example the place I like to shop online has the best price on the ipv but they only have Black I think I want silver. If I buy elsewhere I'll pay more so again how much more is the particular color you want worth

[jasonculp]

On a separate note how much more are you guys willing to pay for a particular color of a mod. For example the place I like to shop online has the best price on the ipv but they only have Black I think I want silver. If I buy elsewhere I'll pay more so again how much more is the particular color you want worth

I normally am not too worried about the color, most of my mods are black.  If I want to change the look of it I just add a wrap, and they cost around $13 - $15.  I also keep a roll of fake black carbon fiber, and wrap them myself.  So me personally, I wouldn't spend over 10% or so premium to get the color I want.

On the other hand, you will carry this thing with you everywhere, it will hopefully last a long time.  If the color means enough to you to shop around, I would get the color I want.  A mod isn't the biggest investment in the world, but it is an investment.  When I bought my wife's car it was an emergency.  Here car had a transmission issue.  The dealer was willing to give me the full value on trade in, plus, a fair deal on the new one.  The only problem was it wasn't the color I wanted and it wasn't all wheel drive.  I did it anyway out of fear.  I have been paying on that thing for a couple of years and I get mad every time I write a check for the payment.  I wish now I would have bit the bullet and driven 100 miles to Amarillo or Midland/Odessa so I could have gotten the one I wanted.

[Earthling789]

When I buy a mod, they are usually black or silver... whichever is cheaper... or if they are the same price, I'll get the one I'm in the mood for.  They are investments, but they cost the same to make, so they should never be different prices just because of the color (unless one is cheaper or on-sale due to overstock)!  I bought one of my older mods in blue, only because it was $3 cheaper than the other colors, and one of my IPV's is gold... because it was $10 cheaper than black/silver (I guess nobody liked the gold ones?).

You can always wrap them or buy a silicone skin (for many of them)... If color is that important, shop around for the best price, but remember that most all of these mods will fade, chip, or scratch the finish/paint... eventually, so what is pretty today, will begin to look "used" tomorrow.  One of my black IPV's looks grey instead of black, and with all the scratches and fading, it looks like it has been laying in a ditch for a few months, lol... but it still works like new, and that is all that matters to me!

[drizzt]

I third the ipv3Li or the ipvD2.  I am not sold on the new Sigelei/Snowwolf chip.  I have the 50 watt version, and it is not as refined as the YiHi chips (as in the ipv's)

If you are using it at 110 watts or lower, Samsung 25R or LG HE2/HE4 are the most economical, but the LG HG2 will last longer.

If yo are at 150 - 170 watts the Sony VTC 4 or LG HD2 would be the safest choices, but will not last nearly as long.

Over 170 LG HB6 or Sony VTC 3.

Here is a couple good sources for batteries, I have always got good batteries, and service:

Illumn

or

Liion Wholesale

I agree with squid on the charger, the LUCV4 is a great charger, the Xtar VC4 is also good, or the VPC4.  The nitecore is also a solid charger, but it is a bit slow.

 

just out of curiosity what makes the vtc 3 a better choice over vtc 4 or vtc5? I am not sure I understand the batteries that well so I rely on others such as you with much more knowledge.

[jasonculp]

just out of curiosity what makes the vtc 3 a better choice over vtc 4 or vtc5? I am not sure I understand the batteries that well so I rely on others such as you with much more knowledge.

They are just different batteries with vastly different specifications.  The VTC batteries were never intended to be single cells.  They were designed to be used in packs.  There is quite a few different specification sheets on the internet, and they contain contradictory information.  Independent testing (and using the best versions of the manufacturers spec. sheets) most have settled on the the following specifications:

VTC3 - Sony's specs say 30A continuous discharge and 1500 mah.  Most tests prove that the VTC3 can handle 30A continuous, but at a cost, shorter cell life.  It reaches 89 degrees C.  It works great for vaping though because it is not a continuous discharge, and it handles it better than most.

VTC4 - Sony's specs say 30A* continuous discharge and 2100 mah. There are quite a few spec sheet that show this as a 30A cell, but  there are also Sony spec sheets that say it is a 20A battery, and to get 30A you must use active cooling and protection above 30A.  We do know from testing that the VTC4 is probably one of the most versatile cells out there.  It will work in our application up to 30A with no problem.  In continuous discharge it got close to 100C which will seriously degrade the battery.  We don't use in this manner, so it works fine up to 30A.

VTC5 - Sony's specs say 20A continuous discharge and 2600 mah. This is a true 20A battery, no more.  In fact at 20A it gets hotter than a 25R.

I personally will not be buying any more Sony batteries (never say never..lol).  Too many questions.  I have the HB6's if I want to go over 30A.  They are cheap.  I can get them for less than $5.00 each and feel confident I am safe.  At 30A continuous it only reached 76 degrees C.  You will need quite a few, because at only 1500 mah, they don't last long.  I am waiting on some HD2's to replace my aging VTC4's when they go.  They will fill the 25A range.  I really don't vape in this range. For my daily use, I will run the 25R's, HG2's, and 30Q's, I also have some HE2's and HE4's.

[drizzt]

They are just different batteries with vastly different specifications.  The VTC batteries were never intended to be single cells.  They were designed to be used in packs.  There is quite a few different specification sheets on the internet, and they contain contradictory information.  Independent testing (and using the best versions of the manufacturers spec. sheets) most have settled on the the following specifications:

VTC3 - Sony's specs say 30A continuous discharge and 1500 mah.  Most tests prove that the VTC3 can handle 30A continuous, but at a cost, shorter cell life.  It reaches 89 degrees C.  It works great for vaping though because it is not a continuous discharge, and it handles it better than most.

VTC4 - Sony's specs say 30A* continuous discharge and 2100 mah. There are quite a few spec sheet that show this as a 30A cell, but  there are also Sony spec sheets that say it is a 20A battery, and to get 30A you must use active cooling and protection above 30A.  We do know from testing that the VTC4 is probably one of the most versatile cells out there.  It will work in our application up to 30A with no problem.  In continuous discharge it got close to 100C which will seriously degrade the battery.  We don't use in this manner, so it works fine up to 30A.

VTC5 - Sony's specs say 20A continuous discharge and 2600 mah. This is a true 20A battery, no more.  In fact at 20A it gets hotter than a 25R.

I personally will not be buying any more Sony batteries (never say never..lol).  Too many questions.  I have the HB6's if I want to go over 30A.  They are cheap.  I can get them for less than $5.00 each and feel confident I am safe.  At 30A continuous it only reached 76 degrees C.  You will need quite a few, because at only 1500 mah, they don't last long.  I am waiting on some HD2's to replace my aging VTC4's when they go.  They will fill the 25A range.  I really don't vape in this range. For my daily use, I will run the 25R's, HG2's, and 30Q's, I also have some HE2's and HE4's.

i don't vape all that much compared to most I do it as a hobby not to quit smoking (I don't smoke) so realistically I could probably go with a higher amp lower mah battery and charge daily if needed if it is a safer better option. What are your thoughts. I don't mind paying a little more for the best battery for my application. My other thought is buying both a set of 25 r and a second set of VTC3 or hb6