LOW V HIGH OHMS IN REGULATED DEVICES

With the increasing popularity of ever more powerful regulated devices - be they
based on a simple voltage regulator like the T/10 and Raptor chips, or more com
plex Evolve DNA and Yihi SX series boards - we routinely see 'mech logic' being
applied to their deployment. Everyone 'knows' that super sub ohm is the route to
huge clouds, so the first step for most people new to VV/VW devices is to build
as low as possible and then crank up the watts. However, doing so is often huge
ly counter productive when 8.5v is increasingly the upper limit offered by such
mods.
Let us remind ourselves of the all important Ohm's and Watt's laws: Ohm's law st
ates that the voltage (V) of a circuit equals the current in amps (I) multiplied
by the resistance (R), or in scientific notation: V=I*R. However, we already kn
ow the voltage of our cell (let's assume we have a fully charged 4.2v battery) a
nd the resistance of the build - BECAUSE WE'VE CHECKED IT WITH AN OHM METER, HAV
EN'T WE KIDS? - (we'll say it's a 0.42ohm coil to make the illustration simpler)
. To find the amperage, we simply swap the equation around to read: I=V/R (amps
equals voltage divided by resistance) so, 4.2 divided by 0.42 equals 10 - our bu
ild therefore needs ten amps to function safely, and the 30a VTC will handle tha
t without breaking into a sweat. We also may wish to consider Watt's law, which
states that P (power in watts) = VI, or V/R. so, let's say you have the same 4.2v
potential difference, and a 0.42ohm coil, your power would be 4.2v (4.2*4.2=17.62)
divided by 0.42ohms, which equals 42w. We also know that our drain is 10a, so 4
.2v multiplied by 10a also equals 42w.
Ohm's law - V = IR
Watt's law - P = V/R or VI
P= power in watts
V= potential difference in volts
I= current in amps
R= resistance in ohms
For example; in a regulated 200w device at 0.2 ohms, your mod will be pushing a
little over six volts. Now if that's the maximum that your mod can deliver, then
sure - you're fine. However, as previously stated, many high output regulated m
ods are now capable of kicking up to 8.5v; meaning that you've just hit the rev
limiter in fourth gear, and forgotten to change up. You're totally wasting the p
otential of the device simply because you think low sub ohms is the route to get
ting what you're after.
If you doubled the resistance of that build to 0.4ohms, you'd still be at around
200w, but instead be pushing 8.5v - I'm not highlighting a specific device here
, so those limits are hypothetical and used purely by way of illustration. More
ohms means more wraps, and more wraps means more surface area. Couple that with
a higher voltage, and your puny 0.2ohm build will get it's ass kicked by a far h
igher resistance build, which also has far less ramp up time.
Remember that your base line for safety in a mech is a maximum of 4.2v with a re
liable 30A continuous rated battery. That means that with a 0.14ohm build, you w
ill be hitting your maximum rated continuous current, and 126w. Naturally we all
know that good high drain cells can be pushed far harder than that in pulses, b
ut the above 'recipe' is the bench mark low build for an unregulated single 1865
0 mod. What regulated mods excel at is replicating that mech experience, whilst
doing the following:
1/ Adding various safety limits to ensure you're not over stressing the cell.
2/ Preventing your cell from over discharging.
3/ Regulating your vape so you get the same amount of power from the first puff
to virtually the last.
4/ Allowing the user to tailor their vape in regards to heat and density.
It's that consistency, adjustability, and safety that was once the raison d'etre
of regulated devices, but as their full potential to surpass mech outputs has b
een unleashed by builders, more and more large players in the industry have latc
hed into the market's desire for certain numbers. Like people who appraise cars
by the number of cup holders they have, and a theoretical top speed that few wil
l ever achieve; low ohms and high watts have become the standards against which
such devices have become judged. Whilst many cloudies will certainly test a 200w
+ mod to what they often erroneously imagine are its limits, many vapers will fe
el compelled to continuously upgrade their rig from 20w to 30w, 30w to 50w, 50w
to 100w, and 100w to 200w+ - despite the fact they have never once used any of t
hem over 15w. Even those who do immediately crank the watts up and throw in a du
al parallel build, need to alter their perception of how their mod works if they
really want to take it to the limit.
Currently the mindset is as follows:
"The two important figures are watts and ohms. To get the best from my device, I
simply build as low as I possibly can, and set the dial to the biggest number I
can fit on the screen. Better mods are those with lower ohms, and higher watts"
.
Instead, the thought process should be:
"The two important figures are the maximum voltage the device can supply, and th
e capacity for work (watts). Secondary to that is the ohm rating, because as lon
g as I can set my device to the maximum watts, and introduce a coil into the cir
cuit that allows my mod to push the maximum voltage possible, then being deeply
sub ohm is not as important. Better mods are those with high watts, high voltage
, and which allow the use of a coil capable of reaching the maximum of both".
People often use the analogy of variable voltage and variable wattage being akin
to manual and automatic transmissions respectively - which is far from ideal -
but popular none the less. Well if that's the case, then expert drivers often fa
vour the ability to take full control of their revs and torque curve via the age
ncy of a manual gearbox, rather than what used to so often be a power sucking if
convenient set of preprogrammed ratios and perimeters set by the manufacturer.
Unleash your mod by paying less attention to that tiny little 0.2ohm figure on y
our screen, and instead keep your eye on the far more important 8.5v.
Nymza Vril 2014
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