SX350 Slim question plus my personal build.

[Overmountain]

Hey all,
Just joined officially but have gathered a lot of info from this forum during my salvation from cancer sticks to the vape nation. The wife and I both have been smoke free since early 2014 now.

Here is the question: She is 50/50 between the Sigelei 100w SX-330 box and the newer SX350 slim. She likes the dual battery arrangement of the 100w more for battery life than raw power output. Anyone have thoughts (other than the obvious price difference) on one vs the other?

She likes my personal build (no plans to make these for sale at the moment...) She wants either dual batts or more figure to the design so doesn't fancy me building one for her.

Here is mine. Started life as a normal Hammond 1590a. I milled it down to 25mm depth (externally) overall. Stock height and width obviously. I then squared all the sides to get rid of the Hammond's inherent gangsta lean. I milled the window hole (which in hindsight is bigger than it needed to be) and recessed the area for the button. 510 connector is mounted in the bottom and pinhole for the led. It can be used while charging so this keeps the cord out of the way...
The 510 is a sprung version. All 14awg wire with the 510 center pin soldered directly on. Thermally potted with silver ceramic compound and a Sony VTC5 inside. May go with magnets and a tray soon to add battery swapping ability. Njst enough room inside to fab something up.
Here it is naked.

And with my SQuape-R in the hand for scale...

I intentionally left some grinding marks and scuffs, along with a spin under the wire brush. Then some aluminum black from Birchwood Casey which was steel wooled off. Left a nice steampunky feel to it.

Thanks. Looking to pick one or the other up for her very soon. I suggested she also look at the Pioneer ipv mini. Any thoughts on that machine or how it compares to the other two? We like hefty and well built mods. We were used to carrying our all copper mechs (still do sometimes...) so weight isn't really a factor.

Cheers!

-Eric

 

[UncleRJ]

Wecome to the Underground!

I have the Sigelei 100 watt mod and I love it if that helps.

And congrats on your own creation! It looks really great!

 

[Dissonance]

The IPV Mini is a very good mod with nice build and feel to it. Congratulations to both of you on breaking free from the road of death and getting back on the rails of life. May your journey continue with abundant joy and temperance. Welcome to the Underground, glad you found us.

 

[CloudPusher]

Yeah. That thing is sweet! I have none of those devices so i have nothing to add. I too like small form factor and a hefty well built feel. Thinking of going with the SX mini. Still not sure yet. I also like the Smaug 150w. I read it has a SX1500 chip in it. Others say it is a SX350. Hmmmmm. Will wait another month to decide. Then i'll have plenty saved up for whatever i want. So many choices, lol.

 

[CloudPusher]

The IPV Mini is a very good mod with nice build and feel to it. Congratulations to both of you on breaking free from the road of death and getting back on the rails of life. May your journey continue with abundant joy and temperance. Welcome to the Underground, glad you found us.

I really like the quote in your sig bro. That is exactly where i am right now. Sorry, off subject

 

[Overmountain]

Thank you both...

I discovered another one she likes, mostly for size I think... The Smoktech SXpro M50. We were aware of the BT50 after making a comment in a local shop about 'what's next, an app for your mod?' Then getting a demo... The M50 seems to be even more compact than the others mentioned, cheaper, and about the same ballpark feature wise. Anyone have one? Or the BT50 for that matter. That's just too cool...



-Eric

 

[CloudPusher]

I would personally give the SXpro more time to see how the reviews go after some use. I already heard some problems with them like the button falling off, lol. They may fix that issue though. The button sounds to be a bit sub par.

 

[Overmountain]

Yeah. That thing is sweet! I have none of those devices so i have nothing to add. I too like small form factor and a hefty well built feel. Thinking of going with the SX mini. Still not sure yet. I also like the Smaug 150w. I read it has a SX1500 chip in it. Others say it is a SX350. Hmmmmm. Will wait another month to decide. Then i'll have plenty saved up for whatever i want. So many choices, lol.

I've discovered after climbing from an iTaste VTR to a DNA30 to this SX350 that I hardly ever vape much past 26-30 watts. I've not needed that much oomph personally, but the wife likes to go hot and low. This is a wrap I just did for her the other day.

I twisted two g-plat 26's together then wrapped on some 1/8" all-thread. We've discovered we like the slight spacing the thread rod gives to the coils. Each one is about 5.5 wraps... Off a mech with paralleled efest purples.

Her Orchid is running a .26 which works nicely with the two smaller coils so tightly packed.

I tend to run around in the .3-.6 range. If you do go with an SX350 machine, they actually prefer sub-ohm vaping. They're literature even says as much. And it says it will work from .2 up, but in truth it will fire anything. It just displays .2 on the screen when you have a .15 on there or whatever. It just treats it like a .2

My old VTR got a ton of use though, and was de-ringed and milled slightly when I got the SQuape-R. 15 watts just wasn't doing it justice though. And it didn't like firing it consistently. The center pin isn't sprung and if you're active with it the pin loses contact. Constant readjustment.
I had originally intended on putting the SX350 chip and a sprung 510 on the VTR. I had seen a pic of the chipset in a VTR. But I think it's a photoshop. There just isn't enough room in a VTR without major moving around of internals. And if you're going to kill the battery door and location then what's the point?


-Eric

 

[Dissonance]

Keep an eye out for the future I think there's a lot that can be done with the VTR. I love the design of it even with the ring limitation, although you can always remove it. Perhaps Innokin will design a 40-50 watt VTR with a back magnetic door and ohm variance .2 - 4.0. Maybe a little smaller and lighter as well, although I never had an issue with the weight personally.

 

[CloudPusher]

Wow. I've never vaped that low but my friend does all the time. His daily vape is a dual coil build, 22guage wraps with a drilled out plume and chuff cap on a Tank Crossing box mod that reads out at .11ohms. I tried it last time i hung out with him and his girlfriend. Damn that’s a warm vape. A lil more than i care for. I'm just fine at .3ohms. That's my normal vape on my copper 4nine clone with the Quasar. I have my Orchid rigged up with dual coils wrapped on a 2.5mm rod that comes out at .5ohm. Plenty of flavour and clouds for my work setup on my other 4nine. I also have a Mini Hana V3 clone that i use with a Veritas and love it. Now i just want more power so i can use this darn 22guage kanthal my friend gave me for Xmas, lol.

Now i really want the SX mini, LOL.

 

[Overmountain]

Keep an eye out for the future I think there's a lot that can be done with the VTR. I love the design of it even with the ring limitation, although you can always remove it. Perhaps Innokin will design a 40-50 watt VTR with a back magnetic door and ohm variance .2 - 4.0. Maybe a little smaller and lighter as well, although I never had an issue with the weight personally.

I agree. I like the VTR design. Like the Kato and such, the compact nature of these sidecar attys is nice. It just needs to keep up with the current crop of stuff. I kind of like the weight. It is mostly because the thing is a solid block of metal. When I first opened it up to check out the insides and see if an SX350 would fit I was surprised to see how little it was hollowed out. Just the bare minimum for the electronics and hardware. Solid though...

Here is mine, well used, ringless and wearing the SQuape.

Just removing the ring wouldn't fit the 22mm SQuape so I had to slightly mill the top plate to a matching radius to fit it all.

-Eric

 

[Dissonance]

It's a beauty alright. I like the Camo the best out of the two. I love the vintage look to it as well. One day we'll look back at all the devices we started out with and see how rapidly the industry is progressing. Some of these mods I believe will never get old, at least the good ones like the VTR.

 

[Robert B]

@Overmountain, beautiful job on the hammond box mod. I'm envious of people who have access to milling machines and the skills to use them. Also envious of people who can weld.
I had a friend in California who worked for Swift building Indy, and Formula Atlantic cars. He was our go-to guy when we needed anything welded aluminum or stainless on a racing sailboat I used to race on. He would freak out when I would use one of his 40 dollar snap-on screw drivers to open a can of varnish..lol

 

[Dr3d]

@Overmountain, I'm right impressed by your build. And, funny you have a VTR 'cause the VTR I bought my GF is the impetus for this suggestion. I understand that your wife may want the battery staying power of a dual 18650, but I wonder whether or not the bulk and mass of the device will wear on her. My experience with the GF's VTR, which was purchased 'cause she liked it and wanted the battery life she's observed me enjoying, is that she soon determined it to be too bulky and heavy to use as a primary mod. Gave her a kicked Nemesis for Christmas and she now swears it hits better than anything else I've provided. The VTR sits on her desk at home. Now, I dunno what she's doing with that phallic mod when I'm not around, but I know she likes it better and claims it 1) hits better (at <10 watts) and 2) is easier to conceal at work.

 

[Overmountain]

@Overmountain, beautiful job on the hammond box mod. I'm envious of people who have access to milling machines and the skills to use them. Also envious of people who can weld.
I had a friend in California who worked for Swift building Indy, and Formula Atlantic cars. He was our go-to guy when we needed anything welded aluminum or stainless on a racing sailboat I used to race on. He would freak out when I would use one of his 40 dollar snap-on screw drivers to open a can of varnish..lol

Thank you for the compliments...
I am just lucky to have grown up around it. I have an uncle who is a master welder and was always eager to teach me anything I wanted to know. And to have a grandfather and many family friends who are handy and also willing and eager to teach. I have a mini milling machine at home that I got last year. I have access to a really nice Bridgeport series 1, and had always done all my milling on it. It is a 20 minute drive to the farm to use it though, so the wife finally let me get one of the small Seig units. I figured I would use it some here at the house to save the trip. I've been impressed by what it can do, and frankly have nearly cut out dedicated trips to go use the Bridgey. I have a lathe here at the home shop, as well as most of my knife making apparatus. My departed grandfather could make or fix anything he laid his hands on, and learning to do the same has served me well and even afforded me the opportunity to start a side business doing just that. Overmountain Knife and Tool if you ever feel like looking it up or hearing more of the story...
I urge anyone to go to their local adult education centers and check out classes on welding and machining, etc. Even with family members in the industries supported by those skills, I still learned an awful lot by going and taking some basic welding and machining courses. A sememster on using a lathe was almost invaluable when it came time to fire up my own lathe for the first time.

@Overmountain, I'm right impressed by your build. And, funny you have a VTR 'cause the VTR I bought my GF is the impetus for this suggestion. I understand that your wife may want the battery staying power of a dual 18650, but I wonder whether or not the bulk and mass of the device will wear on her. My experience with the GF's VTR, which was purchased 'cause she liked it and wanted the battery life she's observed me enjoying, is that she soon determined it to be too bulky and heavy to use as a primary mod. Gave her a kicked Nemesis for Christmas and she now swears it hits better than anything else I've provided. The VTR sits on her desk at home. Now, I dunno what she's doing with that phallic mod when I'm not around, but I know she likes it better and claims it 1) hits better (at <10 watts) and 2) is easier to conceal at work.

I've warned her of the same thing. She uses a solid copper mech now (forget which one) so she swears the weight isn't an issue, and I'm inclined to agree. The dimensions of a dual batt though... I totally agree. It is why I have been pushing the single battery mods. I believe she is starting to come around. I milled and installed magnets in a 1590B for a friend recently. She was commenting on how big it was. I reminded her that this was the size for most dual 18650 mods...

I experimented with high discharge RC batteries; specifically using the smaller LiPo packs in parallel to get a decent capacity rating at a smaller size. If someone really took the time, they could make a killer chipped/regulated mod with those that was absulolutely tiny. Not to mention how small a mech could get. LiPo batteries also benefit from high charging rates. Have a mod that completely recharges in 15-30 minutes? Yes please... Not to mention the safer chemistry. The popularity of the mini and micro helicopter and quad copter RC stuff is really pushing the LiPo battery pack makers. I'm anxious to see where and how that spills over here... and see what comes out of it.


-Eric

 

[Dissonance]

I much prefer LiPo batteries over the Nickel Hydrides especially when you factor in the huge capacity and discharge rate. Not to mention there are few limitations surrounding the scope of their size where you can easily fit them into small devices. One of the key advantages to LiPo is that they are very light and not limited by form, you can shape them into anything. I'm not sure entirely of the their life cycle since there is speculation from both the high and low end,but I believe that you can get over four hundred cycles with proper care and maintenance. The advent of technology has dramatically increased the amount of energy housed in a single cell which will allow for higher productivity,provided of course that you can find a way to measure the internal resistance, which in my opinion is extremely difficult to do when working with different temperature. It would certainly require much time and effort but with the right knowledge, tools and chargers you can fashion your own miniature mod. Some will dare to take this brave journey.

 

[Overmountain]

@Dissonance, I've seen a couple of regulated systems using LiPo packs and they were impressive to say the least. LiPo packs on the order of 25C and 50C are quite common in the RC world. And can be charged at equally impressive rates. There is some recharging cycle life concern, and even some 'memory' concern but overall I'm surprised the industry didn't look into that much sooner than they did. The use of 'unprotected' Li-ion cells in the flashlight world is a no no... Almost anyone that would consider running a flashlight without any form of protection even knowing the load being carried would be ridden out of town on a rail. At the very least some sort of monitoring circuit is in place on a cell even in 'direct drive' applications. And we're talking about LED's run in direct drive that are 10 watts at max. I can imgine the collective gasp of a coil being fired at 25 watts on an unprotected cell in a mech mod. Of course one can freely argue the brief application of load in a mech mod versus the extended load of an LED flashlight...

Still, both industires need to be a little more in lock step in my opinion. One has driven the other. 18650 batteries were only known well in flashlight circles and in battery packs of some devices a few years ago. Now they are available at almost any vape shop in town. Something that is nice for a guy with 15 lights powered by 18650's. And the advent of these 35 watt capable cells is a direct result of the vape industry. Something welcomed by those of us that custom build both. Take a look at most mech's and you'll see that they are simply an incandescent flashlight without a glass bulb and shielding gas around the filament... The circuits used to drive builds like my SX350, or buck/boost chips, are nothing new in the flashlight world. Having the adjustability of these new chips at a fingertip though is something rather uniquely new with vaping.

The two devices are so similar that I even considered driving a small xp-g2 led in a small reflector on the bottom of my box. The first scratch design I came up with (and may still do provided I can drag myself in front of the mill...) copied the layout of the VTR, ran an SX350 chipset and had a small optic wearing xp-g2 led on the posterior with a stand alone switch. I figured if I'm carrying one, might as well have the other too... The battery is the bulky part of either after all.

Sorry, I can geek out over this stuff all day. I don't really know why it took me so long to dump smoking in the first place. If I'd have known the gear was this extensive in the mod world I probably would have. Sadly until about a year ago we only had one vape shop anywhere near me. And they mostly sold ego's and Blu type units. And wasn't ran by the most desirable of people.

Cheers.

-Eric

 

[rdsok]

The downside to LiPo's are the increased volatility in part due to the higher amperage output they provide. I use LiPo's in all of my RC aircraft and it doesn't take much damage ( or abuse from how they are used ) to have one combust. A friend lost his unattached garage due to a LiPo fire and they were not even aware of it being damaged. I do believe their safety has improved since I started using them but I still take care with them and store them in a fireproof location.... I don't consider the bags you can get for them as secure either, they are just how I transport them.

( fix typo... from RV to RC )

 

[Overmountain]

@rdsok, Yep, that and the lower number of charges one can expect out of them... Of course it is just the same as any other lithium based batteries. As an alkali metal, the lithium can react with just about everything to some degree. In my dah job we have to handle the stuff from time to time and it can react with just the moisture in the air. The sad part is careless use by a few has made it look worse than it probably truly is. It sounds like you take precautions, and I know I do, but the general population would be a crap shoot.

I'm hoping the type of layout in the LiPo's more than the chemistry makes its way over. I am sure that in time a chemistry that will permit a flat or moldable layout will emerge and hopefully also carry with it a longer life. I imagine one day screwing my RDA into a device that only adds a fraction to its overall size and allows me to vape all day on one charge...



-Eric

 

[CloudPusher]

Speaking of LiPo. DogMods has a box mod with a 9000mah LiPo battery in it. I saw them on facebook selling the mod yesterday. It uses an SX350 chip.

 

[Oggy]

@Overmountain If your wife likes mechs but is looking for a better battery life you could also build here a dual 18650 hammond box. The 1550p or 1590g boxes can hold dual 18650's with a mosfet setup easily. There are a couple of threads here about the wireing and with pics. You can also get them from Ebay If you didnt want to DIY another box.

Love the looks of your mod!!!

 

[Overmountain]

Sorry guys, new phone and had to redo tapatalk all over again... I had seen a couple of mods using LiPo's here and there. I still have to question what the life cycle is going to be like. Most good LiPo's only recharge a couple hundred times. Which might seem like a lot, but is it really? And I have done a couple of mechs on mosfets before. She likes the straight up form factor of the mech she has, and if going to a box wants to go full up regulated. She doesn't even like the little bit of length a small mosfet addition makes to the tubular mechs. She's hard to please...