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Return of the SONY VTC-5 ?

GrayVaper

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Very possible, I think those guys slack alot updating thier website. I had to stay on top of them to get hardware for my MCV Cherry Bomber. I don't even know if there really are any fresh VTC-5s out there.
 

somethingpunny

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If there are/were, they're probably already gone.


Stay Awesome \m/
 

Mike H.

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Highly unlikely they still make the VTC5's..If anything id like to see a new VTC6 hit the market... 3000mah with 25 to 30 amps would be nice.
 

Robert B

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Sony makes many types of lithium ion batteries. I have seen no evidence they are continuing 18650's, especially in light of fact they said they were no longer producing them two years ago. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

Here's a snippet from the Wall Street Journal dated april 16 2014
"For the quarter ended in December, Sony posted an operating loss of Y23.8 billion for its devices segment due to an impairment charge for its battery business. In announcing the result in February, Hirai said that Sony would focus on lithium-ion polymer batteries used in smartphones and tablets while scaling down other commoditized types of batteries."

Looks to me like they are hemorrhaging large amounts of capitol in that business
 

Sparks

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Sony makes many types of lithium ion batteries. I have seen no evidence they are continuing 18650's, especially in light of fact they said they were no longer producing them two years ago. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

Here's a snippet from the Wall Street Journal dated april 16 2014
"For the quarter ended in December, Sony posted an operating loss of Y23.8 billion for its devices segment due to an impairment charge for its battery business. In announcing the result in February, Hirai said that Sony would focus on lithium-ion polymer batteries used in smartphones and tablets while scaling down other commoditized types of batteries."

Looks to me like they are hemorrhaging large amounts of capitol in that business
:)
 
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martinelias

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Sony gave up on vtc5 because they were crap. Never heard anything about giving up 18650s altogether.
Even when vtc5 was released vtc4 was a superior battery for vaping.
 

Sparks

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Thanks Mykline, thought I'd report that these newest release of the LG HG2 3000maH are for real also and they to fit into an authentic flask put like the LG H2's you have to remove the sticker to get them in, so 6000maH in battery power, wow, that should last awhile at 30 amp to boot, still need to do some testing on the new LG's though but sure seem to be very good
This vendor Ginger Vaper is for real, no BS there..!
 

rolltidevaper

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I think you should check out GrimmGreen's VLOG from this past week. He read a letter from SONY and based on what this letter said I would be very hesitant to buy any SONY 18650 batteries. There are just too many good batteries out there to take such a risk. I won't reiterate the letter, but you can find it on Green's youtube VLOG. Btw, I am not pushing Grimm, just happened to catch his VLOG and the letter is pretty revealing.
 

Sparks

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I think you should check out GrimmGreen's VLOG from this past week. He read a letter from SONY and based on what this letter said I would be very hesitant to buy any SONY 18650 batteries. There are just too many good batteries out there to take such a risk. I won't reiterate the letter, but you can find it on Green's youtube VLOG. Btw, I am not pushing Grimm, just happened to catch his VLOG and the letter is pretty revealing.
Will do, I respect Grimm so will take a look, I don't know if it's something knew from Sony or something that I've seen before but thanks for the info.
I am a fan of the Sony bats but with that said these new LG HG2's are something else also, with 3000maH but I can assure you there's plenty of testing to be done on my end before leaping to conclusions, thanks for the info I'll go take a look as I have him bookmarked
 

Mike H.

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Im not sure i know of a seller of these batteries who would flat out say they are fakes..I would imagine sony would announce in some way, shape or fashion that they are back up and running again...I have 2 vtc5's that i believe to be authentic but they dont last as long as the samsungs i have so it doesnt matter really.

9 out of 10 people will get cheap knock off fakes of sony vtc 5's...IF, you get a real one its been sitting for a very long time.

If anything confirm this through sony..Not a dealer trying to make a dollar knowing the batteries are fake or even not..Some wholesalers lie to vendors as well.
 

rolltidevaper

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You know it just occurred to me why I got so hyped up over finding authentic VCT5's again, as I've gotten plenty of smack talk not from this thread and all my own fault I suppose, but was thinking about why I got so happy over this and it dawned on me why.
I've vaped for a long time and back when you really did need to know what you were doing and know your ohms, amps, and batteries, and mechanical mods were it, it wasn't like it is now where you can buy a box mod that will keep you protected for the most part and least of all back then you couldn't just buy a sub ohm atty off the shelf like you can today and that's back where Sony shinned they were dependable and rock solid batteries.
If you ever have a thermal runaway you won't forget it and I've had plenty, like lay a mechanical down on your table not realizing that the switch is stuck firing because I WAS to lazy to clean it every day or so and there you go, you look and your mod is venting like hell if not shooting fire and so hot you can't even throw it out the window.
Sony's were and are a good safe battery in my opinion and yes times have changed and I am still old school, with a mass amount of box mods and mass number of old mechanical mods, just love vaping I guess..
Sorry for getting so excited as really sony batteries really don't matter anymore now that I think about it.
Hey, no reason to explain. I think we all like to find what works and stay with it. I'm certainly like that. For me it's been Kayfun's. They just work with my style of vaping. I'm used to the airflow, love the flavor and I know pretty much exactly how to build them. So, it's all good!!!!
 

Sparks

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Hey, no reason to explain. I think we all like to find what works and stay with it. I'm certainly like that. For me it's been Kayfun's. They just work with my style of vaping. I'm used to the airflow, love the flavor and I know pretty much exactly how to build them. So, it's all good!!!!
:)
 
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I have 4 Sony VTC4 and 4 Samsung R25 and personally I prefer the R25. I'm using a Hells Gate mod.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

Durka

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Illumination supply is supposed to be a top seller as far as trust worthy from all the reviews I've read on it and they have vtc5 for sale
 

Mike H.

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Hmmm.lets see...sony hasnt made them for more than 2 yrs...So if these are new sony vtc5's then they must be real and havent been sitting for 2 yrs at who knows what voltage...so maybe its a good one...maybe its an authentic...unlikely.

With Samsungs and VTC 4's the VTC5 is of no interest...I have 2 of them already (maybe authentic/maybe not) and the samsungs out last them..So i dont know what all the hype is about...Is anyone even sure the vtc5 is a true 30 amps?..some places say its a 20 amp...or maybe the fakes were...who knows.

Im waiting for a confirmation from my trusted source that the batteries are indeed authentic and perform as they should and a true 30 amps...Even if they are authentic they've been sitting for years...so maybe you get a good one maybe you dont.

If sony is selling off old stock then great...Chances are though a new batch of "improved" clones have hit the market and all this rumor crap is on purpose to sell them to dealers which SONY would never do and never did..According to sony they only sold the batteries to OEM manufacturers to use the cells in specific devices, not to vape shops or wholesale battery shops.

So best of luck on the VTC5's
 

rolltidevaper

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With the MXJO's and LG HE4's I just can't see taking the chance. The Sony's were good batteries, but good grief, they weren't the end all of batteries. I have 2 VCT-4's Granted they are over a year old, but I haven't used them that much. Now that I have the IPV4 they are in the rotation. I get much better life out of the LG's.
 

Mike H.

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MXJO is a re wrap brand as well...These are the list of batteries that are original manufacturers and not re wrapped...I may be missing some but these are common.

Sony
Panasonic
LG
Samsung
Sanyo

99 million other batteries are re wraps from one of the listed battery brands above and are marked up...Ill only buy original cells..I have one Efest purple 2500 35amp which is an LG HE2 that came with a cloupor hana 30w clone i purchased...its in rotation on my devices and its working just fine...But the samsungs out perform it.
 

rolltidevaper

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I just picked up 4 HE 4's with two battery cases on ebay for less than $20 shipped. I'll take that deal all day long
 

Mike H.

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I just picked up 4 HE 4's with two battery cases on ebay for less than $20 shipped. I'll take that deal all day long
The HE4's are the same specs as the HE2's...From what i understand the HE4's are capable of taking more heat..Other than that its the same battery..You can buy HE2's for $5.36 each (tested and proven authentics) from liionwholesale.com and get a free battery case when in stock.
 

rolltidevaper

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The HE 4's are 2500mah, I thought the 2's were 2000 or 2100?
 

Mike H.

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The HE 4's are 2500mah, I thought the 2's were 2000 or 2100?
No..the LG HE2's are 2500mah and a continuos 20 amp with a 35 amp burst...The HE4's are the same specs.

The sony VTC4's are 2100 i think but are a true 30 amp continuos.

The Samsung 25R's are also 2500 and 20 amp continuos but have a max burst of 100 amps...its only for like a half second if that but it beats 35 amps if a misshap occurs..
 

Sparks

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Hmmm.lets see...sony hasnt made them for more than 2 yrs...So if these are new sony vtc5's then they must be real and havent been sitting for 2 yrs at who knows what voltage...so maybe its a good one...maybe its an authentic...unlikely.

With Samsungs and VTC 4's the VTC5 is of no interest...I have 2 of them already (maybe authentic/maybe not) and the samsungs out last them..So i dont know what all the hype is about...Is anyone even sure the vtc5 is a true 30 amps?..some places say its a 20 amp...or maybe the fakes were...who knows.

Im waiting for a confirmation from my trusted source that the batteries are indeed authentic and perform as they should and a true 30 amps...Even if they are authentic they've been sitting for years...so maybe you get a good one maybe you dont.

If sony is selling off old stock then great...Chances are though a new batch of "improved" clones have hit the market and all this rumor crap is on purpose to sell them to dealers which SONY would never do and never did..According to sony they only sold the batteries to OEM manufacturers to use the cells in specific devices, not to vape shops or wholesale battery shops.

So best of luck on the VTC5's
:)
 
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Mike H.

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I have bought 8 pairs of these new 5's along with the new LG HG2 3000maH 20amps and they are all 100% legit, I've compared them to the 5's I already own, even skinned one down to read the factory print under the wrapper and well what else is there to say except I've been using these for better than 7 years and I do know a fake over legit.
Is Vapor DNA a trusted vendor? , Or Ed at Sun Vapers, and the best price of all of them is Ginger Vapers,
I can say at least two of those vendors have been in this business for a very long time but are just ripping people with their prices.
And it's not old stock and their not clones I've gotten quit a few of them and I've been buying these since before they became scarce after the Japan earthquake.
They are back and in production and if you won't believe VaperDNA or Sun Vaper at least, then I guess it will never matter and by the way they arrive at 3.5v which is absolutely spot on, always.. I'm not new at this..
http://www.vapordna.com/Sony-VTC5-18650-30A-2600-mAh-IMR-Battery-p/ac0025.htm This is a burn for sure..!!
http://www.sun-vapers.com/buy/sony-us18650vtc5-2500mah/ This is also a burn and Ed should know better..!
And the next vendor is awesome and his price is the best of them all and I wrote the review for him for his batteries, just compare the prices, I've told this vendor that he's actually under pricing his product but his style is to gain customers not rip off customers,
https://gingervaper.com/product/sony-vtc5-us18650vtc5-30a-li-ion-high-drain-battery/
And the newly released LG HG2's are 20 amp awesome batteries and Ginger Vapers price beats all of the above,
https://gingervaper.com/product/lg-hg2-inr18650hg2-30a-inr-high-drain-battery/
View attachment 22831

So sony has confirmed they are back in business and are now selling to vape shops?..You cant say they arent "old stock" because if they are in fact "authentic" batteries they ARE old stock...What part of sony not having made these in longer than 2 yrs is hard to understand?

If its found sony is back up and running and has started producing these batteries again and some OEM manufacturer is screwing sony by selling them to vape shops then ill maybe change my mind and say you arent being screwed yourself by your favorite sony vtc5 vendor.
 

Mike H.

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By the way its not hard to print on a blank can under the wrapping...If yours are real they are old stock.

Or at least ask your source for some evidence they are newly manufactured cells by SONY and show it here..Better yet have them come on here and tell us they are new vtc5's and show proof.
 
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Sparks

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By the way its not hard to print on a blank can under the wrapping...If yours are real they are old stock.

Or at least ask your source for some evidence they are newly manufactured cells by SONY and show it here..Better yet have them come on here and tell us they are new vtc5's and show proof.
:)
 
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Mike H.

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I would be all for Sony making a comeback and us vapers be able to get hold of authentics again but ,with all the fakes out and the power of the ol mighty dollar, EVERYONE is going to say theirs are real.

Unless i see real documented proof of sony making them again, i wouldnt buy them...Even from my own chosen source of batteries.
 

NemesisVaper

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For any vaper getting into using 18650 batteries for the first time, choosing the right cell is a nightmare.

There are so many rewraps with specs that just don't match up to any known cell.

The misinformation from these rewrappers is also not only disappointing but potentially dangerous. For example, it's commonly believed that a HE2 has a pulse rating of 35A and that's where efest get the rating from for their 2100 mAh "35A" battery. In actual fact LG do not rate the HE2 or the HE4 for pulse discharge. Pulse isn't even mentioned in the official data sheets. Not saying they can't be pulsed but this nonsensical 35A... God knows where it came from. Almost certainly something efest pulled out their arse. I say nonsensical because a pulse rating is a defined Amperage for a fixed TIME PERIOD. Saying "35A" pulse would be like stating a speed as "30 miles" instead of "30 miles per hour". Without stating how long the pulse time is the rating is just nonsense.

I'd never consider buying a Sony high drain 18650 for the reasons stated above by others. Simply an unnecessary risk when there's a plentiful supply of LG He2/ He4, HB6 (30A 1500mAh), Hd2 (25A 2000 mAh) all available cheaply. Can't say anything about 25r's as I've not tried them yet. I've got four on the way though.
 

Durka

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Well I bought some from illumination supply and either they are the perfect fake as far as looks and performance or they are real I tried to post a picture and it said photo was to big
 

Lefty

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For any vaper getting into using 18650 batteries for the first time, choosing the right cell is a nightmare.

There are so many rewraps with specs that just don't match up to any known cell.

The misinformation from these rewrappers is also not only disappointing but potentially dangerous. For example, it's commonly believed that a HE2 has a pulse rating of 35A and that's where efest get the rating from for their 2100 mAh "35A" battery. In actual fact LG do not rate the HE2 or the HE4 for pulse discharge. Pulse isn't even mentioned in the official data sheets. Not saying they can't be pulsed but this nonsensical 35A... God knows where it came from. Almost certainly something efest pulled out their arse. I say nonsensical because a pulse rating is a defined Amperage for a fixed TIME PERIOD. Saying "35A" pulse would be like stating a speed as "30 miles" instead of "30 miles per hour". Without stating how long the pulse time is the rating is just nonsense.

I'd never consider buying a Sony high drain 18650 for the reasons stated above by others. Simply an unnecessary risk when there's a plentiful supply of LG He2/ He4, HB6 (30A 1500mAh), Hd2 (25A 2000 mAh) all available cheaply. Can't say anything about 25r's as I've not tried them yet. I've got four on the way though.
LG is partially responsible for the amperage ratings assigned to the HE2. While initially rating the cell at 20 amps continuous they chart discharge current up to 35 amps. This more than anything else, I believe, led to the association of 35 amps with this cell. This of course doesn't excuse using anything other than continuous discharge ratings.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By-7aw3qPc-oa09ENnNFMUtxTFU/preview?pli=1
 

NemesisVaper

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Cool, must have not noticed the 35A test when I read the data sheets.

I'm definitely favoring the HE4s at the moment. The HB6 is great but at such a low capacity, voltage drops much more rapidly.

The only real differences I could see between HE2 and HE4 were that for the capacity tests the HE2 is discharged to 2.0V to get around 2500mAh where as the HE4 only needs to be taken to 2.5v to reach the same measured capacity.

The other thing that stuck out for me is cycle life difference. The he2 is rated for 200 cycles @ 15A where as in the HE4 sheet it's rated for 200 cycles @ 20A. I'd imagine thusthis would translate into longer life? Of course, the fact that not many vapers will discharge to either 2v or 2.5v means that we should see dramatically more cycles than LG predict.

Fill your boots with LG batteries IMO, avoiding efest if you can on principle,in the hope they get the message and stop printing crap on their labels. God only knows what battery the new "38A" efest is.....
 

rolltidevaper

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Just purchased 4 HE4s with cases for $20 on eBay. I already own 4 of these and they are hands down my favorite batteries! I really don't understand why there is so much "hub bub" about the Sony's especially when there is MUCH contradicting information out there. There are other and even better options.
 

zaroba

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Just because a vendor claims to have legitimate batteries does not mean they are legitimate. Even if they are a 100% honest vendor, it doesn't mean that whoever sold them the batteries was being honest, or where that supplier got the batteries from.

Unless a vape shop gets them directly from sony, somebody could have lied somewhere in the delivery chain and they could be fake.
 

rolltidevaper

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So sony has confirmed they are back in business and are now selling to vape shops?..You cant say they arent "old stock" because if they are in fact "authentic" batteries they ARE old stock...What part of sony not having made these in longer than 2 yrs is hard to understand?

If its found sony is back up and running and has started producing these batteries again and some OEM manufacturer is screwing sony by selling them to vape shops then ill maybe change my mind and say you arent being screwed yourself by your favorite sony vtc5 vendor.
Where did you find Sony saying they're back and selling to vape shops? I've seen a letter from Sony that completely contradicts that.
 

NemesisVaper

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I think That was a rhetorical question. He was asking the person whose post he was referring to if he really thought for one second Sony were supplying a cell they've previously confirmed as retired for a good while, to emphasise the unlikelihood of those cells being new stock.
 

rolltidevaper

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I think That was a rhetorical question. He was asking the person whose post he was referring to if he really thought for one second Sony were supplying a cell they've previously confirmed as retired for a good while, to emphasise the unlikelihood of those cells being new stock.
OK, I misunderstood. Thanks for clarifying.
 

NemesisVaper

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No worries, I also had to read the post twice. A reliable source of Sony cells would make a lot of people happy.
 

martinelias

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if youre using regulated device chances are you dont need 30 amp cells anyway. Sony batts are for unrelugated super sub ohm vaping if youre not doing that you dont need sonys youre good with 20 amp cells. Thats why some of these guys saying they prefer cells over sony obviously 2100 or 1600 mah wont last as long as 2500 or 3000 mah i got a couple of he2 i used to use for things like rdna40 and i could probly get away with using em on hexohm but i dont see myself rockin a mech with those. Vtc4 for the win.
 

NemesisVaper

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If there's little price difference, then Sonny high drains were in my pinion a decent universal option. Good capacity, great discharge curves, cheap and (excluding married pairs) a battery like that can be used interchangeably in both a single 18650 regulated mod and a mech.

For a dna 40 I'd personally be rocking Samsung 30q's. Can't beat 3000mAh, though the he2 will serve you well.

I'm liking the HD2 in my 0.19-0.2 builds, but I gotbinto vaping when Sony batteries were becoming like rocking horse crap.

In a pinch I'd use my HE4s in my Nemesis, and I have. When tour cheap Trustfire charger goes pop needs.must. However if I want to go lower I'll pull out my Parallel Abs box with a pair of them and consider myself "safe" up to 30A or so.

Battery choice is quite personal and there are quite a few feasible combinations I guess. If it works for you and it's safe then that's sweet
 
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