In the previous part, we talked about 18650 batteries and how to differentiate between real batteries with a rating of over 30A and fake ratings. In this part four, let's talk about the real rating of batteries and whether batteries with fake ratings are really safe.
So what is the real norm?
The amperage rating is something we need to look at to decide if the battery we’re using is a good choice for our vaping style (compare it to other batteries to find out). But manufacturers often don’t let us find this information, some companies print it right on the packaging, some force us to go to their website to check, and some don’t print it anywhere.
If they don't say what the battery rating is, assume it's the amp rating. Many companies just print a number on the battery, hoping you'll think it's the amperage rating.
- There are two important things you must remember when trying to find out whether the battery's true rating is real or not…
+ Currently, there is no 18650 battery with a current rating above 30A. I also have not found a 26650 battery with a current rating above 30A.
+ No 18650 battery with a capacity of 3000mAh or more has a rating above 20A.
So if you see any 18650 battery with a rating of over 30A on the case, you know it is a meaningless surge rating. If you see a 3000mAh (or more) 18650 battery with a rating of over 20A, it is a surge rating.
Currently no 18650 battery has passed 40, these numbers are just virtual indexes
“Don't assume that the stores selling them know the real rating of the batteries they are selling.”
Most of them just use the rating that the company gives them, because they don't have time to test all the batteries they sell.
Check the battery company website, look for test results online, check discussion forums, you may find the actual rating of the battery somewhere in these sources. If not, assume they are 15-20A rated batteries until you find the correct result. Most of the overrated rated batteries I have tested are rated for 15-20A.
So are batteries with such "virtual" ratings safe to use?
Can batteries rated at 35A or higher handle high voltage? In theory, yes. Most high current ratings are just pulse ratings mistaken for current ratings. But this means that those batteries can only be used at that current for a short period of time. You might think that doesn’t matter much since we’re only vaping for a few seconds, but it’s just not always safe to use them.
Since most companies (other than the Big 4) overstate battery ratings or treat pulse ratings as amperage ratings, we don’t know if we can safely run these batteries continuously. And this can be a big problem if we have a regulated device that turns on automatically or a mech mod and its power button gets stuck or accidentally pressed while it’s in its case. Not knowing the true rating of a battery can lead to the battery releasing toxic and hot fumes inside your device, which is not a good thing.
If you don't care about this, you can still use batteries with "imaginary" numbers up to their rated voltage… if that rating is real.
“A lot of the batteries I tested didn't even reach their true voltage rating.”
Most of these batteries with a current rating of 15-20A can reach a pulse of 40A without any problem. What you need to remember is that before using these batteries, you must maintain the device carefully and check the resistance of the coil .
So what if we already have some batteries with “fake” ratings? In my opinion, it is best to replace them with Samsung, Sony, LG batteries as soon as possible. In my testing, most of the batteries with false ratings have a minimum rating of 15A, the rest are mostly 20A. Just keep this in mind when preparing coils for mech mods or choosing modes for regular devices and you will be fine.
How long do batteries with this magnification last?
Unfortunately, it depends. Some batteries can handle the pulses without any problems, while others can overheat before they reach that point. It also depends a lot on how you vape . Do you vape continuously with deep puffs? That will cause your battery to overheat faster than someone who only takes occasional puffs.
Let the temperature of the battery be your guide and try it with a rating below the given rating. If you have a 40A rated battery then try to pull no more than 30A with a wattage or coil resistance and see how hot the battery gets. If you can’t hold it in your hand for 30 seconds then it’s too hot. If not then go up to 35A. Keep going until you reach the wattage you want to vape or the battery is too hot.
But you also have to remember, if you vape continuously at a discharge rate higher than the battery's current, it will discharge hot gas even if your device has no problem.
Are there any real 30A batteries?
Up to this point, there have only been 4…
- LG HB2 1500mAh
- LG HB6 1500mAh
- Sony VTC 3 1500mAh
- Sony VTC 4 2100mAh
Sony VTC4 has a real 30A rating
Compare these 4 batteries with other batteries like LG HG2 which has 20A/3000mAh and you can see the difference between battery capacity and current rating. So if you want high capacity then there will be no high current rating and vice versa. Each type requires internal structure and chemistry in the battery. You can not have both in the same 18650 battery.
If you see a battery with both a high current rating and a high capacity, check the test results or the description before buying. Most likely one of the two numbers is exaggerated.
What will our future hold?
Will there be 35A, 40A rated 18650 batteries in the future? Or even 30A/3000mAh 18650 batteries? I hope so!
Although battery technology is constantly improving, we will still have to wait a long time. The market for high-capacity batteries is smaller than low-capacity batteries, high-capacity batteries for laptops, medical devices, etc. But I will continue to experiment and hope to soon find a new step forward in battery performance for vapers .
So vape safely and be careful with batteries rated higher than 30A.
Find yourself a good charger
Get yourself a multi-port charger for your e-cigarette battery. Chargers like the Nitecore I2, I4 or the Digi D2 or D4.
Choose reputable battery stores
Buying batteries from reputable stores is extremely important, because there are many fake batteries on the market, these batteries are of poor quality and extremely dangerous to use. You should make sure the place you buy from is a reputable store, specializing in selling genuine batteries.
Source: Vaping360
Author: Mooch
Translator: The Vape Club
