Posted by

u/VapeyMcGyver
1 year ago

Geekvape Aegis Legend - battery life on new

1.2 firmware tested!
Intro:
This is a quick test on the updated Geekvape Aegis Legend firmware, focusing on the battery life.
The latest firmware, version 1.2, has just been released by Geekvape. Previous tests are here -
initial test, 1.0 firmware and here - 1.1 firmware update.
In these tests I identified that the main contributors to the apparent poor battery life on this mod were
the excessive standby current draw and the pessimistic battery level meter. The converter efficiency
and low battery cut off were already improved from firmware 1.0 to 1.1, these points are not being
retested on 1.2 as there’s very little room for improvement - they’re about as good as possible. I
would guess that these have probably not changed.
 
Standby draw:
Previously, the Legend kept the board in “active standby” for a full 10 minutes after the last button
press at up to 120mA draw before dropping into a deep sleep mode where it draws negligible power.
I felt this was wasting a substantial amount of battery life for those who take puffs regularly
throughout the day.
The standby draw levels on firmware 1.1 were:
-No coil attached, screen on: 71-120mA
-No coil attached, screen off: 58-106mA
-Coil attached, screen on: 71-77mA
-Coil attached, screen off: 58-64mA
Now in firmware 1.2 they are:
-No coil attached, screen on: 71-102mA
-No coil attached, screen off: 48-96mA
-Coil attached, screen on: 73-87mA
-Coil attached, screen off: 48-65mA
With the new 1.2 firmware, both the standby time and current level have been reduced! The most
significant level of these to take note of is the base level with a coil attached and screen off, as this is
will be for the majority of the standby time. It looks to have dropped from 58mA to 48mA. Even more
important than the actual current draw though is the active standby time - it’s been reduced way
down to 3 minutes from the previous 10. This is great to see! After the mod drops into the deep
sleep mode after 3 minutes, the standby current draw is the same negligible 20-25uA that is was
before.
While I had the board out of the Legend this time, I did a quick check on the current through the
balance / monitor wire in response to u/lestermagneto reporting that his cells looked to have been
draining slightly unevenly. In a series configuration, excessive current draw through the balance tap
is the only possible cause for cells draining unevenly apart from differences in the individual cells
themselves. I measured an extremely small and completely insignificant 1.3uA (microamps) under
all conditions on my device. This is ideal. The Legend looks to not be capable of discharging cells
unevenly when in a proper working condition.
If it can be shown that one cell bay is always draining substantially quicker than the other on your
mod (checked with a multimeter, compared with cells swapped positions) then it may be a faulty unit.
This should not be ignored. It’s normal however for a battery meter to sometimes show a pixel or two
difference between cells due to the board measurement method, this does not necessarily indicate
uneven discharge or even actual uneven cell levels. It’s also normal that cells aren’t the exact same
level after a discharge even if they started off even.
 
Battery level meter:
This has also received a serious tweaking. Previously (on both 1.0 and 1.1), a 3.85V battery level
was showing around 50% on the screen display, it’s now up to just under 75%. Likewise, a 3.65V
level which was showing only 25% before is now giving over 50%. Way down at a 3.25V battery
level, the screen is showing about 1-2 pixels remaining where it would have shown dead empty
already back at 3.38V on the 1.0 and 1.1 firmwares.
While it’s great to to see that the battery level meter is a lot more accurate at showing your actual
battery levels, current owners who are used to the previous firmwares should keep in mind that
when the meter shows near empty it really is time to recharge rather than having a fair amount of life
left. Goes without saying I guess, but don’t get caught out! I’ve found myself seeing the meter at
25% and not bothering to grab a charged pair of cells on the way out the door as I knew I had plenty
of vape time left.
Overall I’m happy to see the meter calibration has been reworked. This bar display issue before
obviously wasn’t affecting the actual time the mod was lasting between charges, but it’s good that
the level now does show what’s really going on.
 
TL;DR: The main culprit (in my opinion) for the lower than expected battery life on the Legend - the
standby current draw - has been improved. All users should see better battery life, especially those who
take a puff or two regularly throughout the day. The battery meter has been recalibrated - it’s far less
pessimistic than before. Keep in mind that empty on the meter really is empty now!
 
Last note:
This was a super quick test to get information out as soon as possible. Always a chance I’ve missed
something and since the new firmware has only been out for a day I do not have usage experience
with it. As before, please share your experiences after the update for the benefit of other owners and
possible future owners. Real world usage information is invaluable. And just on the down-low, I’d be
super thrilled if firstly people see improvement in the Legend, and secondly if these changes have
come about even in part due to these tests and you guys getting on board by commenting with your
experiences with the device and what you expect from it. That’s way cool if we can encourage
manufacturers to make changes for the better.
Kind of off topic but I also really want to give a shoutout to Smoant and Innokin for being patient on
device tests while I’ve been spending my limited available testing time checking the Legend. I have a
Charon Mini full test about three quarters done and the Proton is next in line. Keep an eye out for
those posts. Thank you guys and sorry for taking so long!
Thank you to @sheltonfilms on Instagram for letting me know the new firmware was available.
 
Cheers!
~Vapey
 
IMPORTANT NOTE / DISCLAIMER!! All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy HOWEVER no
claims are made that these numbers, opinions or results are 100% correct. Mistakes may have been
made. USB charge at your own risk. It is always good practice to monitor any charging system and
unplug shortly after full charge. This information refers to the tested operation alone in a properly
working device - it is impossible to give an estimation of ultimate reliability or outcome in the event of a
faulty device. Feel free to hit me up via PM or email anytime if you have questions, suggestions or if it
looks like I’ve stuffed something up.
Email: vapey.mcgyver@gmail.com
Instagram: @vapeymcgyver
Vaffle: VapeyMcGyver