Step-down... I'm confused

[KB_314]

Hey guys. I'll start with the back-story coz I feel like chatting, but if you haven't time and patience, just skip to para 2.
Last week I decided that I "needed" another mid/high wattage regulated mod - I mainly rely on a VS DNA40, a Reo, and a Provari - I like small box mods best, which aren't obtrusive at the office and are pocket friendly. I was torn between the ipv d2 and the sigelei 75. Someone, let's call him VapeMOB ninja 1, had the d2 but recommended I get the sig. I felt he was giving me good advice and I know that sigelei has a much better reputation for quality, but just to hear it again, i decided to send a whatsapp to a man with extraordinary patience and who's helped me a lot in all this, even building my first coil for my first rda and teaching me how to build my own... VapeMOB ninja 2, who was not in store that day. He just said "sig every time". So naturally, I went with the D2. And anticipated buyers remorse to follow. The DC charging isn't an issue for me because I use a wall charger only. The lack of step-down, after SD was explained to me, might be an issue with Kanthal, but I'm now aware and can probably live with it, plus the TC workaround just incase I need to go lower voltage. Fine for a second mod (and I know there's a big battery monster mod in my future). It's just so damn smaaaall! And form factor got my vote that day. Anyway, I understood the lack of step down to mean basically, that I could never set a lower wattage (and corresponding voltage) to lower than that of the battery i.e on a fully charged battery, lets call it 4.2V, on say 0.5ohm coil, at 25W (3.54V), I would actually be getting 35W, regardless of what the display was telling me. So the issues seemed straight forward. But like I said, the builds I'm using it for, I can work around that. If this is the right understanding...

This is what confuses me, considering my mod lacks step-down. I'm using a fully charged, 2 week old LG battery. With a Goblin mini and 0,52ohm build, at 34W - the mod is reading 4.2V. When I lower it to 29W, its reading 3.88V - I expect the vape to be pretty much the same as when I'm at 34W - but it isn't. I'd put my head on a block that at 29W it's noticeably cooler with less vapour production. Is this possible? I'm in power mode so haven't activated the TC work-around. Seems strange. Anyone else noticed this with the ipv d2? Am I misunderstanding something?

 

[Marzuq]

the wattage mode on the ipv d2 does not work. in my opinion its like having a mech mod with a constant output till your battery dies. basically a regulated mech. no matter what the wattage the vape remains the same.
I believe this unit was made specifically for TC as the TC functions works properly.

 

[stevie g]

I think you might be experiencing voltage drop. I'll explain it as I understand it.

I have a dimitri box in parallel so I should be getting even less v drop that the D2.

Both batteries fresh off the charger @4.17v fired from the mech voltage tested with a multimeter from the 510 comes to exactly 4.17v as you would expect.

Build a coil @0.3r and test again. Probes on the negative and positive posts of my dripper when fired reads 3.65v so massive drop under load.

That's pretty much it when you put load on the battery volts drop to way below the 4.2 that you expect.

In the future work with your assumed maximum voltage around 3.8 for high ohm loads and 3.6 for low ohm builds. That will give you an accurate idea of when step down would have kicked in when using steam engine to calculate wattage from ohms.

 

[stevie g]

Your experience of a difference in heat going from 35 to 29 supports my view.

 

[KB_314]

the wattage mode on the ipv d2 does not work. in my opinion its like having a mech mod with a constant output till your battery dies. basically a regulated mech. no matter what the wattage the vape remains the same.
I believe this unit was made specifically for TC as the TC functions works properly.

Interesting observation especially that you've given this device a lot of vape time. It does seem best suited to TC.
Right now, I think I'm getting a slightly better understanding after reading Sprints post. It seems (to me, in theory only) like a sort of regulated mech with constant output as you say, but for low ohm builds where you will find yourself at low voltages. At higher voltages (my mistake as I understand was in wrongly assuming a higher voltage output where I should have factored in voltage drop) it does, apparently, regulate power. I'm going to play around this weekend but have a feeling that I should rather use this as an opportunity to give TC another chance! - I haven't fully warmed up to it (no pun..).
Are you still enjoying your D2 @Marzuq ?

 

[Marzuq]

Interesting observation especially that you've given this device a lot of vape time. It does seem best suited to TC.
Right now, I think I'm getting a slightly better understanding after reading Sprints post. It seems (to me, in theory only) like a sort of regulated mech with constant output as you say, but for low ohm builds where you will find yourself at low voltages. At higher voltages (my mistake as I understand was in wrongly assuming a higher voltage output where I should have factored in voltage drop) it does, apparently, regulate power. I'm going to play around this weekend but have a feeling that I should rather use this as an opportunity to give TC another chance! - I haven't fully warmed up to it (no pun..).
Are you still enjoying your D2 @Marzuq ?

I've since sold my d2 and moved onto the sigelei 150tc. I mostly use the device in wattage mode but do enjoy tc from time to time with certain juices. Also did not like the 'regulated mech' as i do use a lower wattage in the morn and up it as the day moves along.

 

[chamberlane]

Argh just as I'm about to get the IPV D2 someone says it doesn't work for variable wattage. And that's all I'm after, not TC. @Marzuq, what you mean it doesn't work?

 

[Marzuq]

Argh just as I'm about to get the IPV D2 someone says it doesn't work for variable wattage. And that's all I'm after, not TC. @Marzuq, what you mean it doesn't work?

Exactly that. You can change the wattage to whatever you prefer but from my experience there is no change in the vape at all. It's a constant vape from fully charge to empty regardless of what wattage you set it to. What it actually fires at I'm not certain of. But in TC she works very well.

 

[Silver]

I think you might be experiencing voltage drop. I'll explain it as I understand it.

I have a dimitri box in parallel so I should be getting even less v drop that the D2.

Both batteries fresh off the charger @4.17v fired from the mech voltage tested with a multimeter from the 510 comes to exactly 4.17v as you would expect.

Build a coil @0.3r and test again. Probes on the negative and positive posts of my dripper when fired reads 3.65v so massive drop under load.

That's pretty much it when you put load on the battery volts drop to way below the 4.2 that you expect.

In the future work with your assumed maximum voltage around 3.8 for high ohm loads and 3.6 for low ohm builds. That will give you an accurate idea of when step down would have kicked in when using steam engine to calculate wattage from ohms.

@Sprint, slightly off topic, but for the record, the Volt drop on my Reo with a 0.9 ohm coil is about 0.25V. So if fresh batt is 4.20V, the voltage at the posts when firing is about 3.95V.

With a lower ohm coil, ( i have tested down to about 0.6), the volt drop under load increases to about 0.3. Once i got 0.4, but after cleaning the atty and checking again, it was back to about 0.3V

 

[stevie g]

@Silver it must be the superior metals used in the REO giving numbers like that. For the record my voltage drop was measured on a dimitri box with all contacts filed clean.

 

[stevie g]

I am having trouble believing that if the D2 is set to 75w in power mode the Vape is the same as 40w if this was the case i'm sure the forums would be blowing up with D2 bashing.

 

[Silver]

@Silver it must be the superior metals used in the REO giving numbers like that. For the record my voltage drop was measured on a dimitri box with all contacts filed clean.

The Reos are claimed to have a Vdrop under load of 0.2V at about 1 ohm
I think you are right, its the metals used in the firing mechanism
Copper beryllium if i remember correctly. Or is it gold plated
Anyhow, they changed the firing pin and the spring under the battery about a year ago and I think this improved it a lot. Maybe one of the Reonauts with experience of the older Reos before the new contacts can confirm.

 

[Marzuq]

I am having trouble believing that if the D2 is set to 75w in power mode the Vape is the same as 40w if this was the case i'm sure the forums would be blowing up with D2 bashing.

Having owned a d2 I speak of experience. Many other d2 owners experience the same. I Googled the issue and it came up alot as well. The reason for the lack of bashing is that even tho the step down does not work the mod is still pretty awesome

 

[stevie g]

I thought you were saying that the mod doesn't increase wattage at all my bad I misunderstood you.

But again when I owned an ipv mini 2 I side stepped this issue by building higher ohm coils.

 

[KB_314]

I thought you were saying that the mod doesn't increase wattage at all my bad I misunderstood you.

But again when I owned an ipv mini 2 I side stepped this issue by building higher ohm coils.

I think that's what was meant - no power regulation, up or down.
For me, in my very limited time so far (one week) I do feel a difference in power mode between say 25w and 35w depending on the coil. But from my readings, there's a pretty simple fix for those who might be affected by the lack of step-down, involving setting high temp, locking resistance and using kanthal builds in TC mode and basically substituting joules for watts. If interested, best to search on ECF because I don't remember the specific details - seems to be a successful fix.

 

[SAVapeGear]

the wattage mode on the ipv d2 does not work. in my opinion its like having a mech mod with a constant output till your battery dies. basically a regulated mech. no matter what the wattage the vape remains the same.
I believe this unit was made specifically for TC as the TC functions works properly.

Maybe yours was faulty.

I am using the crown tank on my IPV D2 and when changing wattage there is a clear difference.

From 40W to 75W.A clear difference.

Wattage mode works perfectly on mine.

 

[DougP]

There is tons of forums about this..it's when the volts required at a certain watts is less than the volts output of the battery the ipvd2 doesn't step down below that..
Drop your watts to a voltage below battery current voltage and see
They say like if you use a 0.5 ohm coil in power mode and try 20 watts it will not drop to there but stop decreasing to about 35 watts.
That is why there is lots of posts about how you have to use the kanthal in TC mode with max temp setting and then use joules mode to emulate watts mode.. The also say that the Chinese kinda messed it up a bit by comparing 1 watt to 1 joules on the ipvd2 so it kinda helps cause when you use the joules it will be same number as watts.. So 20 joules would be 20 watts


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[DougP]

https://m.reddit.com/r/electronic_c...o6/ipv_d2_power_issue_cant_return_to_101vape/

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[DougP]

https://m.reddit.com/r/electronic_cigarette/comments/3g98yl/ipv_d2_power_mode/

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[DougP]

https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/...74-ipv-d2-no-step-down-what-does-it-mean.html

And the list is endless



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[stevie g]

Dude we gathered that part we are just confused by marzuq's statements.

 

[Marzuq]

Dude we gathered that part we are just confused by marzuq's statements.

@DougP pretty much cleared up my. Statements. And also reiterated @SAVapeGear saying that 40w up has a clear difference. Most tank users set wattage below 40w.
Does that answer ur question @Sprint

 

[DougP]

Was just trying to clarify what marzuq was saying.. DUDE

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[stevie g]

@Marzuq this is still not a correct view point. Build the coil acording to the minimum wattage you want and work up from there.

For instance a 0.9r coil accounting for v drop will take you minimum watts to 16. And that's only 7 wraps of 28g around 3mm in dual coil configuration.

Anyway I'm done discussing this not my problem if some don't know how to work with what they have.

 

[stevie g]

Was just trying to clarify what marzuq was saying.. DUDE

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How kind of you. DUDE.

Still you didnt stop to think did you? It's something to work around not be stumped by.