The Magic-Flight Box
- Thread starter magicflight
- Start date
Hi,
In regards to the batteries, as most of you know already, they need to be NiMH rechargeable -- using
*any* other battery chemistry type is definitely not good (vape4health) and can be dangerous. Although this sort of activity does not void the warranty, it is not recommended, and it makes all of the OEM people very unhappy!
We have been shipping Tenergy batteries, but have had to drop that brand and switch to Eneloop. The basic story is that we received several batches from Tenergy were not compliant to specification, and had to be rejected. As with most battery companies, they print a much higher mAh rating on the battery than it can actually deliver. We had been buying Tenergy batteries listed at 2600 direct from the manufacturer, and then stripping the label and reselling them as if they had a 2000 mAh rating, since that is what they actually measured out as (the MAHA charger is good for this). Although we did this at some loss, it at least ensured that the batteries we shipped were what they needed to be to operate the Box. Some companies are far worse -- we have seen batteries listed as 2700 mAh rated, that actually only delivered 500 mAh -- clearly and criminally mislabeled! Without an accurate power metering system, there is no way the public would ever know, and so dishonest battery makers get away with it. Buyer beware!
In any case, Tenergy started playing games also -- they started shipping batteries that were 10 mills smaller (ie, would no longer fit the Box correctly), and which only had 1500 mAh capacity, despite being the same part number, same distribution channel, same label on each battery, same high cost, etc. Considering that we were being billed at 2600 mAh capacity, this was unacceptable, since the batteries were now too small and too weak to operate the Box reliably. We considered legal action, but decided that in any case we would have to switch brands immediately. As such, we will be shipping Eneloop batteries as stock going forward. We can no longer recommend the Tenergy brand.
For many of our buyers, the Eneloop is a good choice. It has the advantage of holding a charge for much longer than most batteries. This is good since it ensures that the batteries can be delivered to the purchaser charged, even if the Box happens to be sitting on a retail store shelf for awhile. Many people seem to use the Box on an occasional or infrequent basis, and for these people, having batteries hold their charge for months is especially advantageous. One downside of the Eneloop batteries is that they should not be charged in fast (15 minute) chargers, as this can decrease the life of the battery.
For people who generally use the Box every day, or multiple times every day, we would recommend the PowerEx batteries and the Energizer 15 minute charger. People who do this will need to be very sure to keep track of which batteries are which -- this is important. Otherwise, get a MAHA charger -- you cannot go wrong with that one (although it is pricey) or alternately, use the charger we ship bundled with the Box (which will also charge any NiMH battery -- at no additional cost).
For those people who simply want to use the Box and not worry about batteries, you will always be able to purchase cells and chargers from BlissSville.com that are sure to work correctly with the Box.
If people have specific questions, I will do my best to answer them.
-- Magic-flight
PS: Please be aware that I am often away from my desk during the day, and am sometimes on the road -- please allow for at least 24 hours for a response.
In regards to the batteries, as most of you know already, they need to be NiMH rechargeable -- using
*any* other battery chemistry type is definitely not good (vape4health) and can be dangerous. Although this sort of activity does not void the warranty, it is not recommended, and it makes all of the OEM people very unhappy!
We have been shipping Tenergy batteries, but have had to drop that brand and switch to Eneloop. The basic story is that we received several batches from Tenergy were not compliant to specification, and had to be rejected. As with most battery companies, they print a much higher mAh rating on the battery than it can actually deliver. We had been buying Tenergy batteries listed at 2600 direct from the manufacturer, and then stripping the label and reselling them as if they had a 2000 mAh rating, since that is what they actually measured out as (the MAHA charger is good for this). Although we did this at some loss, it at least ensured that the batteries we shipped were what they needed to be to operate the Box. Some companies are far worse -- we have seen batteries listed as 2700 mAh rated, that actually only delivered 500 mAh -- clearly and criminally mislabeled! Without an accurate power metering system, there is no way the public would ever know, and so dishonest battery makers get away with it. Buyer beware!
In any case, Tenergy started playing games also -- they started shipping batteries that were 10 mills smaller (ie, would no longer fit the Box correctly), and which only had 1500 mAh capacity, despite being the same part number, same distribution channel, same label on each battery, same high cost, etc. Considering that we were being billed at 2600 mAh capacity, this was unacceptable, since the batteries were now too small and too weak to operate the Box reliably. We considered legal action, but decided that in any case we would have to switch brands immediately. As such, we will be shipping Eneloop batteries as stock going forward. We can no longer recommend the Tenergy brand.
For many of our buyers, the Eneloop is a good choice. It has the advantage of holding a charge for much longer than most batteries. This is good since it ensures that the batteries can be delivered to the purchaser charged, even if the Box happens to be sitting on a retail store shelf for awhile. Many people seem to use the Box on an occasional or infrequent basis, and for these people, having batteries hold their charge for months is especially advantageous. One downside of the Eneloop batteries is that they should not be charged in fast (15 minute) chargers, as this can decrease the life of the battery.
For people who generally use the Box every day, or multiple times every day, we would recommend the PowerEx batteries and the Energizer 15 minute charger. People who do this will need to be very sure to keep track of which batteries are which -- this is important. Otherwise, get a MAHA charger -- you cannot go wrong with that one (although it is pricey) or alternately, use the charger we ship bundled with the Box (which will also charge any NiMH battery -- at no additional cost).
For those people who simply want to use the Box and not worry about batteries, you will always be able to purchase cells and chargers from BlissSville.com that are sure to work correctly with the Box.
If people have specific questions, I will do my best to answer them.
-- Magic-flight
PS: Please be aware that I am often away from my desk during the day, and am sometimes on the road -- please allow for at least 24 hours for a response.
vape4health
Well-Known Member
Sorry , I didnt mean to make anyone unhappy . And if I burn the screen out thats my fault and I will just order another box . Someitmes I destroy stuff on the path of learning .
I wouldn't think your normal user would be doing this kind of thing but people do stuff in a pinch , I figured post what happened so no one else has to try it .
I wouldn't think your normal user would be doing this kind of thing but people do stuff in a pinch , I figured post what happened so no one else has to try it .
Acaseofchaos
Well-Known Member
It sounds like they are just giving u a warning and saying "dont fucking do it again", but they realize that there is nothing they can do to stop you. Be a good boy.
DeepFried
A Legend in my Own Mind
I love my PowerEx 2700's and Maha 9000 combo. The PowerEx's fit nice and tight. Moe your batteries might be old and worn out, also grind your herb for the LB very fine. I ran a quick test where I used the same battery exclusively for 2 months doing about 4-6 trenches a day and fast charging the battery at 1300 ma. It still works well but the battery has lost a bit of its initial punch.
Magic-flight, if you have now switched to eneloops are you going to be drilling the battery hole a bit smaller for them to fit tight?. My fear is the PowerEx batteries will no longer fit as they are very tight now.
Magic-flight, if you have now switched to eneloops are you going to be drilling the battery hole a bit smaller for them to fit tight?. My fear is the PowerEx batteries will no longer fit as they are very tight now.
Thanks for the report on Powerex 2700's - that's what's great about a forum like this. I needed assurance or some indication that it was my particular batteries, not the Powerex 2700 brand.
Probably I have recharged them longer than I thought. I'll try "renewing" them with the Maha and see if that helps. If not, I'll buy some new Powerex batts.
Probably I have recharged them longer than I thought. I'll try "renewing" them with the Maha and see if that helps. If not, I'll buy some new Powerex batts.
Monsoon
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't use a q-tip since it's possible that some cotton fibers could get caught on the mesh screen. I had good results with just dipping my finger in some ISO and then lightly touching the screen to distribute the alcohol. The brush took care of the rest and it looked brand new once I was done. It's so much easier than cleaning out the SSV.aero18 said:Kind of irritating, but a little bit of alcohol on a q-tip and a little scrubbing seems to do the job. Now only to get that taste out of the unit!
Acaseofchaos
Well-Known Member
They cant drill the hole smaller because then other brands wouldnt be able to fit at all. Its better to have the battery be loose than not fit at all.
Hi all
I got my MFLB two days ago, and no matter how hard I draw, it will always burn/blacken the herb that is at the bottom of the 'trench'. It is not vaporizing even at all, the herb at the bottom of the trench will go black, with the herb closer to the top left not vaped/fully vaped. This will happen mostly on the first hit, and always on the second if not the first, of a fresh bowl (I've shaked/taped/open it up and stirred, etc between hits to no avail). I'm also not waiting at all to start drawing, as soon as the battery is making contact and the light goes on I draw.
I've also tried various sized bowls from 'full trench' to just sprinkling enough to cover the flat bottom of the trench screen.
I'm wondering if there is something wrong with mine, I have read some of the previous posts and read about 'breaking it in', but I don't think that will work. The draw is absolutely terrible on mine, with nothing in the bowl and no battery in, I can barely breathe through the draw hole; it is comparable to a very blocked pipe. Is this normal? I draw as hard as it will let me and it still goes black
It feels like the intake air hole(s) are blocked or something. The only place I can see air able to enter is to either side of the metal coil (part that contacts the battery casing) where it touches the plastic slide lid; and its not much room at all! I can see what looks like another hole looking through the bottom of the screen/trench, but I can't see light through it, nor is there a hole on the back of the wood casing (where the writing is) - and I don't know if there should be.
I have other vaporizers and have been enjoying vaporizing over smoking for over 2 years now, so I don't feel I'm doing anything wrong with it. I'm baffled; any ideas, tips, suggestions will be most welcome.
Thanks
I got my MFLB two days ago, and no matter how hard I draw, it will always burn/blacken the herb that is at the bottom of the 'trench'. It is not vaporizing even at all, the herb at the bottom of the trench will go black, with the herb closer to the top left not vaped/fully vaped. This will happen mostly on the first hit, and always on the second if not the first, of a fresh bowl (I've shaked/taped/open it up and stirred, etc between hits to no avail). I'm also not waiting at all to start drawing, as soon as the battery is making contact and the light goes on I draw.
I've also tried various sized bowls from 'full trench' to just sprinkling enough to cover the flat bottom of the trench screen.
I'm wondering if there is something wrong with mine, I have read some of the previous posts and read about 'breaking it in', but I don't think that will work. The draw is absolutely terrible on mine, with nothing in the bowl and no battery in, I can barely breathe through the draw hole; it is comparable to a very blocked pipe. Is this normal? I draw as hard as it will let me and it still goes black
It feels like the intake air hole(s) are blocked or something. The only place I can see air able to enter is to either side of the metal coil (part that contacts the battery casing) where it touches the plastic slide lid; and its not much room at all! I can see what looks like another hole looking through the bottom of the screen/trench, but I can't see light through it, nor is there a hole on the back of the wood casing (where the writing is) - and I don't know if there should be.
I have other vaporizers and have been enjoying vaporizing over smoking for over 2 years now, so I don't feel I'm doing anything wrong with it. I'm baffled; any ideas, tips, suggestions will be most welcome.
Thanks
Acaseofchaos
Well-Known Member
There is a break in period in which the newer launch boxes will be hotter, and once u start to use it a few times the temp will go down and it wont burn anymore. I'm sure if u email magic flight, they will have a more detailed solution and if there is a problem with the launch box itself they can replace it.
Qbit
cannabanana
It's not a big hitter vape - the draw should be more-or-less like toking on a joint. And how long do you make contact with your battery? The thing will cause combustion if you don't pull the battery out when it heats up. And it's a conduction not a convection vape, so the weed on top won't cook like the stuff on the bottom - that's why you have to shake or stir it between hits.pico said:Hi all
I got my MFLB two days ago, and no matter how hard I draw, it will always burn/blacken the herb that is at the bottom of the 'trench'. It is not vaporizing even at all, the herb at the bottom of the trench will go black, with the herb closer to the top left not vaped/fully vaped. This will happen mostly on the first hit, and always on the second if not the first, of a fresh bowl (I've shaked/taped/open it up and stirred, etc between hits to no avail). I'm also not waiting at all to start drawing, as soon as the battery is making contact and the light goes on I draw.
I've also tried various sized bowls from 'full trench' to just sprinkling enough to cover the flat bottom of the trench screen.
I'm wondering if there is something wrong with mine, I have read some of the previous posts and read about 'breaking it in', but I don't think that will work. The draw is absolutely terrible on mine, with nothing in the bowl and no battery in, I can barely breathe through the draw hole; it is comparable to a very blocked pipe. Is this normal? I draw as hard as it will let me and it still goes black
It feels like the intake air hole(s) are blocked or something. The only place I can see air able to enter is to either side of the metal coil (part that contacts the battery casing) where it touches the plastic slide lid; and its not much room at all! I can see what looks like another hole looking through the bottom of the screen/trench, but I can't see light through it, nor is there a hole on the back of the wood casing (where the writing is) - and I don't know if there should be.
I have other vaporizers and have been enjoying vaporizing over smoking for over 2 years now, so I don't feel I'm doing anything wrong with it. I'm baffled; any ideas, tips, suggestions will be most welcome.
Thanks
Haywood
Onward Thru the Fog
The battery part:
Whatever type/brand battery you get, there's one thing that's important to Launch Box users that's not normally a consideration; battery width. In fact, this may be the most important consideration for Launch Box users. Battery diameter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, between different models from the same manufacturer, and even between different runs of the same model from some manufacturers. If the battery you buy is a little on the narrow side, it won't fit perfectly in the LB. It will require a bit of rotating and/or jiggling before it makes proper contact. A too narrow battery really sucks the joy out of using the Launch Box, because you spend all your time wondering if the battery is making good contact, or whether it's dead, or whether the load needs more stirring. Magic-Flight has given us a little pilot light in the current runs of the Launch Box, which helps a LOT with this particular problem, but the real solution is to use a battery that fits properly. There are a few batteries that are a little too wide, but none that don't fit. The problem with the batteries that are a little wide is removing them from the LB. But more on a fix for that later.
Two types of AA NiMH batteries are available; standard and low-self-discharge (LSD). Standard NiMH batteries have the highest capacity, but lose their charge rapidly when sitting idle. They lose between 5% and 10% of their capacity in the first day, and 1%-2% each day after that. LSD cells keep 80%-90% of their charge after a year. In terms of our usage (i.e., the Launch Box), more capacity means you can use the battery longer before needing to recharge it, NOT that it will get the Launch Box hotter. The maximum short term current your battery can deliver is not related to capacity, it's related to something called internal resistance. The standard NiMH batteries currently have a (true) maximum capacity of about 2700mAH. There are some brands that claim 2800mAH and 2900mAH, but they don't deliver what they advertise. In fact, take the manufacturers ratings with a grain of salt until they're verified as accurate, either by you with your MaHa MH-C9000
or with reports from other users here. The LSD NiMH cells all seem to be rated at 2000mAH or 2100mAH.
So which type of battery makes the most sense? I guess it depends on how many batteries you want to carry around, how often you can recharge them, how forgetful you are, and how much you use your LB. The standard batteries do seem to lose their charge pretty fast, and the LSD batteries seem to make the most sense for most people, so that's what I now recommend to all my friends.
Here's how I manage things, but note that I have a zillion batteries and a large work case to carry everything. I don't think my regime is typical. I carry eight batteries in my work case; four are 2700mAH MaHa cells, and four are 2100mAH LSD cells. They travel in two plastic four-pack battery cases in my kit. (They are really in plastic two-pack battery cases, which can connect together and make long thin four-packs, or six-packs, or eight-packs. I connect two of the two-packs together making two long thin four-packs. I do this so that when I want to carry the Launch Box in my pocket, away from my case, I can also carry a single plastic two-pack in my other pocket). I carry this compliment because I mostly use four batteries or less between convenient recharge times, and I use the standard MaHa 2700mAH batteries most of the time. If I don't get a chance to recharge them, the remaining four LSD batteries will all have an essentially full charge, and I can use them until I get around to recharging the standard MaHa batteries. Remember that if you charge a standard NiMH battery and leave it in your kit for a few days, it will have lost 15% of its charge. If it's a more typical 2450mAH battery, that means it will have self discharged down to 2082mAH, which is the same as a LSD battery will have for months. If you want to really mind your batteries, then by all means use some always-fully-charged 2700mAH standard NiMH cells. If I had it to do over again, and I didn't already have a box full of standard 2700mAH batteries that fit the Launch Box perfectly, and had the "almost no crimp ring" construction, I'd only buy LSD 2000mAH batteries.
So what brands does this translate to? I can only tell you about the specific batteries I've used. I don't know if every lot of every battery is the same, so maybe my perfectly fitting MaHa 2700mAH batteries will be different when you get them. There are enough of us here so that if there are lot to lot differences we should hear about it soon enough.
For standard cells, I really like the MaHa 2700mAH batteries. They fit perfectly, which for me is a snug fit. They have almost no crimp ring at the top, so they go in and out of the Launch Box without catching on its circular negative terminal. They really have 2700mAH capacity. They're about $12.50 for a four pack. I'm not a fan of the AA cells that come with the Energizer 15 minute fast charger because they're a loose fit and they have a big crimp; they do appear to have their rated capacity. The Energizer batteries that came with my fast charger were 2000mAH; I don't know if the Energizer 2450 mAH batteries are different.
For LSD cells, I have a story instead of a straight answer. I bought eight Delkin Power 2900mAh AA Batteries to try. First thing I did was run them through the MH-C9000 to check their capacity, and I was very disappointed to find they were actually only about 2100mAH. So I relegated them to be my "backup" batteries and mostly forgot them. A couple of months later I pulled them out (unused) to charge them up. Lo and behold, they only took about 200mA before the charger said they were full. I tested them, and they were indeed full. Seems that the batteries I got were really LSD cells that were mislabeled. So I'm confused, but happy. These cells fit great (also snug), and they have full capacity for a LSD, though they do have a typical large crimp ring. I have no idea if the Delkin LSD cells are the same width, so I don't know how to tell you to order the specific batteries I have. My friends tell me that they like the fit of the Sanyo LSD battery (Enerloop), but I haven't tried them myself, and reports here on the forum indicate they may be a bit small.
If you're strapped for money, and you don't like experimenting, you can always be sure that the batteries that Magic-Flight sells will fit perfectly and work well.
While I'm talking about how I manage things, here are a couple of "tricks" I use to make my battery life better. When you remove the plastic wrap, you wind up with a slippery battery and no way to easily mark it to keep track of which battery it is (Sharpie/MagicMarker rubs off in a day and transfers itself from your fingers to your brand new white sneakers). If you have snug fitting batteries (which you want), then removing the battery with the thumb and finger one hand method becomes difficult or impossible. The solution is 1 inch white cloth tape. I know this as "Camera Tape", as it's used in the movie and television industry, but I'm sure there are other names for it. Simply wrap one layer of it around the circumference of the battery at the bottom. You can then write a number on it (in different colors if you want to keep track of different battery types), and you can easily grip it, even with sweaty hands and a tight fitting battery. It does not interfere with the battery charger at all. Another bonus is you can tell at a glance if your battery is fully inserted into your Launch Box (as opposed to in the partially inserted rest mode), by looking at how close the white tape comes to the LB. Fully inserted there is almost no battery visible, just white tape; partially retracted, there is a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of metal battery visible. That's why you use 1 inch wide cloth tape.
If you use standard plastic battery cases (and everyone should use a battery case of some kind), you'll note that there is a logo embossed into the plastic on one side. If you get in the habit of holding your case with the embossed side up, and the hinge on the left (and hence the snap closure on the right), you can use this to your advantage to tell which batteries in the case are used, and which are fresh. When you charge your batteries, put them all in positive terminal up (the little nipple up). When you use up a battery, put it back in the case positive terminal down.
This final tip is pretty much only for obsessive-compulsive people. When you remove the plastic wrap from a new battery, half the time the little insulator at the top of the battery will fall off. It won't hurt the battery with the insulator gone, and it won't effect the use of the battery in the Launch Box (or the charger), but it does present a smaller target for a tiny bit of metal to short out the battery. You should never carry your batteries loose anyway, but if you want to replace the missing insulator, the little paper reinforcing circles you can get to strengthen paper used in three ring binders work well, have glue on them already, and are the right size. Just note that if you use some other method, there are little vents in the gap between the negative shell and the positive terminal on the top of the battery to allow for gases to vent if you overcharge the cell. If you completely plug them with glue or something, and you badly overcharge the battery, it may blow up. (But probably not, unless you maybe used epoxy).
That's about all I can think of now. Comments and Corrections are welcome.
I love my Launch Box.
Haywood
ps I buy all my batteries and chargers from http://thomasdistributing.com/
[URL='http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/best-of-the-magic-flight-box-thread.13658/']
[/URL]
Whatever type/brand battery you get, there's one thing that's important to Launch Box users that's not normally a consideration; battery width. In fact, this may be the most important consideration for Launch Box users. Battery diameter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, between different models from the same manufacturer, and even between different runs of the same model from some manufacturers. If the battery you buy is a little on the narrow side, it won't fit perfectly in the LB. It will require a bit of rotating and/or jiggling before it makes proper contact. A too narrow battery really sucks the joy out of using the Launch Box, because you spend all your time wondering if the battery is making good contact, or whether it's dead, or whether the load needs more stirring. Magic-Flight has given us a little pilot light in the current runs of the Launch Box, which helps a LOT with this particular problem, but the real solution is to use a battery that fits properly. There are a few batteries that are a little too wide, but none that don't fit. The problem with the batteries that are a little wide is removing them from the LB. But more on a fix for that later.
Two types of AA NiMH batteries are available; standard and low-self-discharge (LSD). Standard NiMH batteries have the highest capacity, but lose their charge rapidly when sitting idle. They lose between 5% and 10% of their capacity in the first day, and 1%-2% each day after that. LSD cells keep 80%-90% of their charge after a year. In terms of our usage (i.e., the Launch Box), more capacity means you can use the battery longer before needing to recharge it, NOT that it will get the Launch Box hotter. The maximum short term current your battery can deliver is not related to capacity, it's related to something called internal resistance. The standard NiMH batteries currently have a (true) maximum capacity of about 2700mAH. There are some brands that claim 2800mAH and 2900mAH, but they don't deliver what they advertise. In fact, take the manufacturers ratings with a grain of salt until they're verified as accurate, either by you with your MaHa MH-C9000
or with reports from other users here. The LSD NiMH cells all seem to be rated at 2000mAH or 2100mAH.So which type of battery makes the most sense? I guess it depends on how many batteries you want to carry around, how often you can recharge them, how forgetful you are, and how much you use your LB. The standard batteries do seem to lose their charge pretty fast, and the LSD batteries seem to make the most sense for most people, so that's what I now recommend to all my friends.
Here's how I manage things, but note that I have a zillion batteries and a large work case to carry everything. I don't think my regime is typical. I carry eight batteries in my work case; four are 2700mAH MaHa cells, and four are 2100mAH LSD cells. They travel in two plastic four-pack battery cases in my kit. (They are really in plastic two-pack battery cases, which can connect together and make long thin four-packs, or six-packs, or eight-packs. I connect two of the two-packs together making two long thin four-packs. I do this so that when I want to carry the Launch Box in my pocket, away from my case, I can also carry a single plastic two-pack in my other pocket). I carry this compliment because I mostly use four batteries or less between convenient recharge times, and I use the standard MaHa 2700mAH batteries most of the time. If I don't get a chance to recharge them, the remaining four LSD batteries will all have an essentially full charge, and I can use them until I get around to recharging the standard MaHa batteries. Remember that if you charge a standard NiMH battery and leave it in your kit for a few days, it will have lost 15% of its charge. If it's a more typical 2450mAH battery, that means it will have self discharged down to 2082mAH, which is the same as a LSD battery will have for months. If you want to really mind your batteries, then by all means use some always-fully-charged 2700mAH standard NiMH cells. If I had it to do over again, and I didn't already have a box full of standard 2700mAH batteries that fit the Launch Box perfectly, and had the "almost no crimp ring" construction, I'd only buy LSD 2000mAH batteries.
So what brands does this translate to? I can only tell you about the specific batteries I've used. I don't know if every lot of every battery is the same, so maybe my perfectly fitting MaHa 2700mAH batteries will be different when you get them. There are enough of us here so that if there are lot to lot differences we should hear about it soon enough.
For standard cells, I really like the MaHa 2700mAH batteries. They fit perfectly, which for me is a snug fit. They have almost no crimp ring at the top, so they go in and out of the Launch Box without catching on its circular negative terminal. They really have 2700mAH capacity. They're about $12.50 for a four pack. I'm not a fan of the AA cells that come with the Energizer 15 minute fast charger because they're a loose fit and they have a big crimp; they do appear to have their rated capacity. The Energizer batteries that came with my fast charger were 2000mAH; I don't know if the Energizer 2450 mAH batteries are different.
For LSD cells, I have a story instead of a straight answer. I bought eight Delkin Power 2900mAh AA Batteries to try. First thing I did was run them through the MH-C9000 to check their capacity, and I was very disappointed to find they were actually only about 2100mAH. So I relegated them to be my "backup" batteries and mostly forgot them. A couple of months later I pulled them out (unused) to charge them up. Lo and behold, they only took about 200mA before the charger said they were full. I tested them, and they were indeed full. Seems that the batteries I got were really LSD cells that were mislabeled. So I'm confused, but happy. These cells fit great (also snug), and they have full capacity for a LSD, though they do have a typical large crimp ring. I have no idea if the Delkin LSD cells are the same width, so I don't know how to tell you to order the specific batteries I have. My friends tell me that they like the fit of the Sanyo LSD battery (Enerloop), but I haven't tried them myself, and reports here on the forum indicate they may be a bit small.
If you're strapped for money, and you don't like experimenting, you can always be sure that the batteries that Magic-Flight sells will fit perfectly and work well.
While I'm talking about how I manage things, here are a couple of "tricks" I use to make my battery life better. When you remove the plastic wrap, you wind up with a slippery battery and no way to easily mark it to keep track of which battery it is (Sharpie/MagicMarker rubs off in a day and transfers itself from your fingers to your brand new white sneakers). If you have snug fitting batteries (which you want), then removing the battery with the thumb and finger one hand method becomes difficult or impossible. The solution is 1 inch white cloth tape. I know this as "Camera Tape", as it's used in the movie and television industry, but I'm sure there are other names for it. Simply wrap one layer of it around the circumference of the battery at the bottom. You can then write a number on it (in different colors if you want to keep track of different battery types), and you can easily grip it, even with sweaty hands and a tight fitting battery. It does not interfere with the battery charger at all. Another bonus is you can tell at a glance if your battery is fully inserted into your Launch Box (as opposed to in the partially inserted rest mode), by looking at how close the white tape comes to the LB. Fully inserted there is almost no battery visible, just white tape; partially retracted, there is a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of metal battery visible. That's why you use 1 inch wide cloth tape.
If you use standard plastic battery cases (and everyone should use a battery case of some kind), you'll note that there is a logo embossed into the plastic on one side. If you get in the habit of holding your case with the embossed side up, and the hinge on the left (and hence the snap closure on the right), you can use this to your advantage to tell which batteries in the case are used, and which are fresh. When you charge your batteries, put them all in positive terminal up (the little nipple up). When you use up a battery, put it back in the case positive terminal down.
This final tip is pretty much only for obsessive-compulsive people. When you remove the plastic wrap from a new battery, half the time the little insulator at the top of the battery will fall off. It won't hurt the battery with the insulator gone, and it won't effect the use of the battery in the Launch Box (or the charger), but it does present a smaller target for a tiny bit of metal to short out the battery. You should never carry your batteries loose anyway, but if you want to replace the missing insulator, the little paper reinforcing circles you can get to strengthen paper used in three ring binders work well, have glue on them already, and are the right size. Just note that if you use some other method, there are little vents in the gap between the negative shell and the positive terminal on the top of the battery to allow for gases to vent if you overcharge the cell. If you completely plug them with glue or something, and you badly overcharge the battery, it may blow up. (But probably not, unless you maybe used epoxy).
That's about all I can think of now. Comments and Corrections are welcome.
I love my Launch Box.
Haywood
ps I buy all my batteries and chargers from http://thomasdistributing.com/
[URL='http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/best-of-the-magic-flight-box-thread.13658/']
[/URL]I wasn't really paying attention to how long i was holding the battery in for previously, was more judging from the temperature of the vapor, which I thought wasn't hot. Guess I'm too used to using lighter/butane vaporizers.Qbit said:
Holding the battery in between 5 - 7 seconds now for each hit and its working a lot better now, still going a bit black; guess I need more practice!
Hopefully it does cool down with more use, it's a great device I'm just not a fan of the black/burnt taste.
Hi Pico,pico said:
It sounds like your unit is defective! Please send us a private email with the number on the back and your postal address and we will send you another one.
-- Magic-flight
PS: Just saw your note about having the battery in before drawing -- if you continue to have trouble, or the draw is too stiff, please let us know and we will get another unit out to you. If you can make your current unit work, then all the better.
reece
Well-Known Member
You can charge AAAs with the MH C9000. Also, folks can purchase C or D size adapters, which are used with AA batteries, so there is no need for a different chargers for those sizes.Haywood said:
http://www.thomasdistributing.com/s...27_281.html?osCsid=3ora1h2ii5k5t2n5o6i6e31bi0
Dear Haywood,Haywood said:
Thank you for the post! We agree with pretty much everything you wrote; it matches true with what we have learned ourselves and what we have heard from our customers. Good advice all around.
Note: For reference, we ship slow chargers bundled with the Box kit. The primary reason for this choice is safety -- anyone can use the charger without having to understand any specifics about the rechargeable batteries. Slow chargers are convenient insofar as they are the simplest option, not because they are fast.Haywood said:
The low self discharge NiMH batteries have a slightly different chemistry and physical constitution -- one that is somewhat more sensitive to loss of life due to overheating than the standard NiMH. We contacted Sanyo directly and asked their technical guys about this, with the same indications. The basic story is that the performance of the battery is defined largely by the quality of the charger. Statistically speaking, fast chargers present too high a risk profile in that detecting charge endpoint conditions is not an exact process. The low self discharge batteries will not tolerate overcharging mistakes as well as standard ones (ie, putting an already charged battery into a fast charger is bad -- as you mentioned).Haywood said:
It is the "most sense for the most people" aspect which is why we are now shipping Eneloop rather than other battery brands/types. We did seriously consider bundling the PowerEx batteries. We decided not to since they would be useful only to those with consistent every day usage patterns, rather than to the occasional on the go user who may not have time to return the batteries to the charger as frequently as needed. The occasional use pattern seems to define more of our general customers than would be apparent to the more dedicated vapor enthusiasts on this forum.Haywood said:
With one caveat -- the Eneloop batteries we now ship are 5 mills narrower than the previous standard. We have made adjustments to the ring tension of all Boxes now shipped to account for this (shipped batteries always match shipped Boxes). The difference is a slight one, however, and probably will not be noticeable in most cases.Haywood said:
Thanks again for the detailed post!
-- Magic-flight
Last edited by a moderator:
One more Powerex battery question :
I have a set of Powerex's and both show a complete charge when I test them in a battery tester.
However, one of those 2 will barely light the light in the LB, while the other one does just fine.
Any ideas as to why this would occur? I can't figure it out. I've moved the non-working battery around, making sure it gets a tight connection, etc, and still it won't light the light well, even though it shows an equal charge on my battery tester, to the one that works fine.
What the hell?
I have a set of Powerex's and both show a complete charge when I test them in a battery tester.
However, one of those 2 will barely light the light in the LB, while the other one does just fine.
Any ideas as to why this would occur? I can't figure it out. I've moved the non-working battery around, making sure it gets a tight connection, etc, and still it won't light the light well, even though it shows an equal charge on my battery tester, to the one that works fine.
What the hell?
Hi,MoeOnTheMoon said:
Battery testers are generally useless for NiMH batteries. They measure open cell voltage, which is not really an indicator of how much power (energy) the battery could delver. A better sense of battery charge can be given by testing the battery under significant load. The light in the Box is effectively doing a voltage test of the battery under heavy load. This gives a good indication of how hot the Box is getting with the given battery -- and represents a much better test of the charge state of the battery than most battery testers.
However, even the Box light is just an indication of the battery current energy delivery, and is not really a true and final indicator of how fully charged the battery is. In other words, a fully charged battery will keep the light brightly lit for several minutes whereas a nearly depleted battery will only show on the light for a short time. The basic purpose of the light is to indicate an effective and useful battery usage, rather than to be a degree of charge indicator. The only real way to determine how much charge is in a battery is to put it on an integrating power meter test load and let the battery run completely out. This usually requires lab gear, although some of the more expensive chargers will also do this. Unfortunately, for most users, this method of testing is useless as it discharges the battery -- telling you only how much charge it HAD previously, requiring you to recharge the battery again in any case. Such testing is useful for determining the robustness of the battery -- an indicator of battery quality and life.
-- Magic-flight
Last edited by a moderator:
Acaseofchaos
Well-Known Member
Is this light on the box bright? Where is it? I know its to indicate that the battery is in contact. Can someone post a pic of the light?
vape4health
Well-Known Member
No its not bright at all , its more like the glow from a cherry in a pipe . Its like under/behind the screen , on the battery side of the trench .Acaseofchaos said:
Sorry for the bad pic , I did it realy fast so the screen didnt get to temp . And the light looks brighter in the pic then in person ( from me moving the cam I think ) with some herb in the trench the light is just about gone .
Seems to me there was a good pic of the light back a number of pages here, but maybe I imagined it... you might want to take a look back 10-15 pages.
The light is clearly visible when you have the LB up to your mouth to draw, and you can also see it from above if you are using a tube attachment. It's really great because you can see how much power you are getting to the heater by how bright the light is. Sometimes you can push the battery one direction or another with your hand while drawing, to get a hotter unit.
The light is clearly visible when you have the LB up to your mouth to draw, and you can also see it from above if you are using a tube attachment. It's really great because you can see how much power you are getting to the heater by how bright the light is. Sometimes you can push the battery one direction or another with your hand while drawing, to get a hotter unit.