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Problem with my battery dying quickly on an RDTA

Megaderp32

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Hey guys, I'm both new to this forum and new to RDTA vaping. I have an Aspire CF Mod with a Samsung ICR18650-26F rated at 2600 mAh, 3.6-4.2 volts. I believe (though I'm not completely sure) that the Aspire CF is a 40 watt mod. I just bought the Aspire Quad-Flex Survival Kit and set up the RDTA included in the package. This was the first RDA I've ever set up and it works fantastically, I have no problem with resistance (Pre-Built Clapton Kanthal on a dual-coil deck, 0.8-0.9 ohm each) but my battery seems to die inordinately quickly. I don't have an omnimeter or multimeter so I have to play my battery's charge by ear. I bought a brand new battery today to replace what I assumed was a dead cell and after it killing it and giving it a 4-hour charge, it lasted maybe 45 minutes tops. I then gave my older battery a 4-hour charge and it lasted maybe 20 minutes. I'm not sure what to do about this or what the source of the problem is. I may go to my local Vapor Gurus tomorrow to ask around there but I wanted to post here to get as much info as possible. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

TLDR; Samsung ICR18650-26F dying on a full charge in 30-45 minutes. Using an Aspire CF Mod with a Nautilus X RDTA.
 

AndriaD

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You should NOT be using an ICR battery to vape, and certainly not at that resistance; that's a fiery accident looking for a place to happen. Get some IMR batteries rated at least 20A CDR, to vape safely. They'll also last longer, since you won't be using every amp and then some.

Andria
 

Megaderp32

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Thank you, Andria. What exactly is the difference between the two if you don't mind? And if I can pick your brain, is a Universal Li-Ion charger usable for an IMR?
 

AndriaD

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For the last, yes; the very best choice for a charger like that is an Xtar; they have the best rep for safety and accuracy, and they're not anymore costly than any other kind -- you even get free shipping if you order them directly from xtardirect.com.

As for the difference... I'm afraid that I am no techie in the area of electrical things, though I do know that vape mods require a high-drain battery such as an IMR, in order to be safe -- they're more stable, "safer chemistry" than ICR -- continuous, not pulse, discharge, of at least 20A, and as the resistance is lowered and the wattage raised, then a higher continuous discharge amperage is necessary. Avoiding thermal runaway is the objective, so it's necessary not to overtax what the battery is capable of providing.

But, I am quite sure that quite a few guys around here can answer that question and any others very well -- I had to ask any number of questions of the battery gurus over at ECF, before I really felt safe using these powerful li-ion batteries.

Also, if you're going to build coils, particularly sub-ohm coils, then you really need an ohmeter. A regulated mod can serve, as long as you don't have to press the fire button to see the resistance, but a separate meter is usually a better choice.

Andria
 

Megaderp32

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I recently bought the Aspire Quad-Flex Survival Kit which came with the RDTA set-up. It includes a dual-coil post deck with these pre-built Clapton Kanthals rated at 0.8-0.9. Is this technically considered sub-ohm if it's a dual set up?
 

AndriaD

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I recently bought the Aspire Quad-Flex Survival Kit which came with the RDTA set-up. It includes a dual-coil post deck with these pre-built Clapton Kanthals rated at 0.8-0.9. Is this technically considered sub-ohm if it's a dual set up?

Yes, because if they're *each*.8-.9 ohms, then when used together, what you really have is .4-.45 ohms. :D

Andria
 

AndriaD

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I'm not an electrical techie at all, but I am kind of a computer nerd. The way I understand it, having 2 coils like that means twice as much "bandwidth", so half as much resistance.

Andria
 

Megaderp32

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Thank you for your help, Andria, I really appreciate it. I see you also switched to vaping to quit smoking and we share that in common, so my appreciation is doubled. If I can get one more bit of information from you, I'll be able to make a smarter decision when I go to Gurus tomorrow. What IMR would you recommend I get now that you know my set-up? My Aspire CF Mod is 40 watts and I have the RDTA as I mentioned.
 

inspects

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Hey guys, I'm both new to this forum and new to RDTA vaping. I have an Aspire CF Mod with a Samsung ICR18650-26F rated at 2600 mAh, 3.6-4.2 volts. I believe (though I'm not completely sure) that the Aspire CF is a 40 watt mod. I just bought the Aspire Quad-Flex Survival Kit and set up the RDTA included in the package. This was the first RDA I've ever set up and it works fantastically, I have no problem with resistance (Pre-Built Clapton Kanthal on a dual-coil deck, 0.8-0.9 ohm each) but my battery seems to die inordinately quickly. I don't have an omnimeter or multimeter so I have to play my battery's charge by ear. I bought a brand new battery today to replace what I assumed was a dead cell and after it killing it and giving it a 4-hour charge, it lasted maybe 45 minutes tops. I then gave my older battery a 4-hour charge and it lasted maybe 20 minutes. I'm not sure what to do about this or what the source of the problem is. I may go to my local Vapor Gurus tomorrow to ask around there but I wanted to post here to get as much info as possible. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

TLDR; Samsung ICR18650-26F dying on a full charge in 30-45 minutes. Using an Aspire CF Mod with a Nautilus X RDTA.
Welcome to VU.

Here is some information about batteries. https://batterybro.com/blogs/18650-.../18880255-battery-chemistry-finally-explained
 

AndriaD

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I'm looking at liionwholesale.com, which usually has the best prices and are high-quality, genuine batteries... they have the LG HB2, LG HB4, LG HB6 -- all are 30A, which you should probably be using with less than half an ohm resistance; all are 4.99 each, and I know that liionwholesale.com includes a free battery case with every order of a pair of batteries. illumn.com does also, and they also have good prices on quality batteries -- I buy only from those 2, to make sure I get genuine batteries at good prices; the free battery cases are nice too. :)

Samsung also make very good batteries, for decent prices, but I don't know for sure if they have any 30A batteries. I vape high resistance, so I stick with 20A batteries.

Andria
 

nightshard

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The problem with the 26F is not only is it an ICR it's a 5A ICR.
It is unsafe to be used at 40W so I suggest you take it out and never use it again, unless you want to vape at 15W or want to use it in a flashlight.
 
Last edited:

Angrygod50

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Whoever sold you a 26F for vaping should be hit in the face with a brick.
 

Megaderp32

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Thanks for all the replies and help everybody. I do agree with the brick-face-hitting, the same seller sold me a tank she recommended for my CF Mod after my Nautilus fell on the ground and shattered. My wattage was too high (which she didn't understand or realize) and it burned the coil in a matter of a few hits.

As for my battery, I'm all set now, thanks to the help and advice I got here. I especially appreciate Andria's help and the article and video posted with very valuable information about batteries. I'm still pretty green when it comes to RDTAs and didn't realize my battery was dangerous, though I thought it was a piece of garbage. I went to my local vape shop and picked up a 18650 3000mAh LGH2 and it's lasted for over 7 hours and my hits are twice as good. Again, thank you everybody!
 

BigNasty

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LG H series are damned good.
Next you need a that will not shit the bed on you.
 

spktkpkt

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Hey guys, I'm both new to this forum and new to RDTA vaping. I have an Aspire CF Mod with a Samsung ICR18650-26F rated at 2600 mAh, 3.6-4.2 volts. I believe (though I'm not completely sure) that the Aspire CF is a 40 watt mod.

Looks like your mod...
  • can handle a resistance down to 0.3 Ohm
  • can handle a maximum current of 20 Ampere
Assuming the mod had no volt drop and you use a fresh maximum loaded battery - 4.2 Volt, the mod could fire with 58.8 Watt - 4.2 Volt / 0.3 Ohm = 14 Ampere x 4.2 Volt = 58.8 Watt. If the mod may have issues and will fire even lower than 0.3 Ohm and with its maximum stated current, it could theoreticly fire with 84 Watt (4.2 Volt / 0.21 Ohm = 20 Ampere x 4.2 Volt = 84 Watt) or even higher if you build lower.

This lead me to the next point, the battery. Your used battery is a 5.2 Ampere !!! (2C) rated battery - you should not use a resistance lower than 0.8 Ohm. Even if the battery is not fully charged and has 3.7 volts (which seems to be the rated voltage), the mod may try to drain 12.3 Ampere out of it...i guess this is why it lasts you only for 45 minutes.

Hints:
- use a "Ohms Law Calculator" to calculate the needed current
- know your gear :)
 

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