Author: John Muchow

This cell is identical in appearance and performance to the 5-leg top contact iJoy and the Efest, Ampking, and EBAT 3000mAh 20700’s.

This cell is double wrapped. While this provides a lot more protection from damage to the wrap it does increase the diameter of the cell a bit. For the two cells I tested the largest diameter was 20.39mm. It has a plastic top insulator ring which should resist juice leaks.

I am pleased to say that EnerCig has rated this cell very close to what it tested out to. I am rating this cell at 30A and 2900mAh. This does not mean the EnerCig’s ratings are wrong. When the numbers are this close it’s all up to the equipment and the criteria used to set the ratings.

Two cells were donated for the purposes of testing by EnerCig in Germany (www.enercig.com). Thank you!

Cell photos: https://imgur.com/a/QXWEd

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/BiBLa

Test results, discharge graph, photos: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/bench-test-results-enercig-ec-27hc-35a-2950mah-20700…double-wrapped-identical-to-5-leg-ijoy.836009/

All my test results to date: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

This cell is identical in appearance and performance to the terrific Sanyo NCR20700B. It is not a high power cell but it provides a lot of capacity for low power single-cell mods or moderate power for multi-cell mods. I recommend staying below about 40W per cell for decent performance.

This cell is double wrapped. While this provides a lot more protection from damage to the wrap it does increase the diameter of the cell a bit. For the two cells I tested the largest diameter was 20.42mm. It has the same thin paper top insulator ring as the Sanyo NCR20700B so I recommend avoiding juice leakage onto the top of the battery.

I am especially pleased to say the EnerCig has rated this cell conservatively at 15A. It runs slightly cool at that level, as does the Sanyo NCR20700B.

Two cells were donated for the purposes of testing by EnerCig in Germany (www.enercig.com). Thank you!

Cell photos: https://imgur.com/a/gWYz3

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/jWBlW

Test results, discharge graph, photos: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/bench-test-results-enercig-15a-4000mah-20700…double-wrapped-identical-to-sanyo-ncr20700b.835923/

All my test results to date: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

These VTC5A’s have recently been shipped with “Made in China” stickers on them. I have tested them and these appear to be genuine Sony VTC5A batteries manufactured in the Koriyama, Japan plant. The ones I received were manufactured in June 2017.

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/UdBKG

The tooling marks near the top of the can are different than VTC5A’s made earlier though. The ring at the top of the can is wider than earlier cells (see the red arrows in the photos). This is visible through the green wrap of the cell.

Their performance is a touch worse than my “reference” VTC5A’s, running at about 0.05V lower for the entire discharge. The two cells I tested were very consistent though in performance, something I expect from Sony cells (Samsung, LG, and Panasonic/Sanyo too).

These VTC5A’s do run a bit cooler than others I have tested. This could mean that the chemistry was tweaked by Sony. That could explain the slightly lower voltage-under-load too. The lower voltage could also be due to these cells being a slightly lower grade. There’s no way to tell right now.

I don’t know why there are “Made in China” stickers on these cells but they were not put there by Sony. They wouldn’t be an indicator of these being fake cell’s either as no company would purposefully draw that kind of attention to cells they want everyone to think came from Japan.

The stickers might be there to comply with certain country-of-origin labeling regulations, if the distributor is located in China. I’m not concerned about why though as these are genuine VTC5A’s and can be used as such. The performance differences between these cells and ones made earlier, or in another plant, are minor and probably won’t even be noticed when vaping.

This was a retest for this cell. In my previous testing it performed very well. Unfortunately Aspire has changed to a lower performing cell.

This cell’s wrap originally said “40A” but now it has no rating. There is a paper “Aspire Battery Safety Chart” included when you buy one though. It seems to indicate that this cell has a claimed continuous rating of 20A and can be vaped with at up to 30A.

I strongly disagree with Aspire’s decision to have no current rating on the wrap. Once that small piece of paper is misplaced then the only way to determine the cell’s claimed rating is to go to Aspire’s web site. This is an unacceptable burden on the vaper. Why not just have the rating on the wrap? Why should vapers have to work to determine if their use of this cell is safe or not?

The previous version of this cell was strong competition for the Sony VTC5A for mechanical device users and those who needed the hardest hitting cell, i.e., the one with the highest voltage when pulsed.

While this Aspire still hits as hard as the VTC5A for the first couple of draws it quickly drops in voltage as it discharges. The Sony VTC5A is clearly the better performer now, running for at least 40% longer when pulsed at high current levels done to 3.2V (about 3.6V at rest).

I am rating this cell at 25A and 1800mAh.

Two cells were purchased by me for the purposes of testing.

Cell photos: https://imgur.com/a/CwFKg

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/Wiecn

Test results, discharge graph, photos: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/bench-test-results-aspire-unrated-1800mah-18650-now-using-a-different-battery-performs-worse.835021/

All my test results to date: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

This cell is a 20650. It is 20mm in diameter and 65mm long. It does not have the usual LG four “leg” top contact. This cell only has three “legs”.

I can’t find the datasheet for the HG6 but postings I’ve seen so far show it as a 30A cell with a minimum capacity rating of 2900mAh and nominal capacity rating of 3000mAh.

In my testing it easily outperforms the excellent Sony VTC5A and runs cooler than the LG HB6. It is a great performing true 30A cell.

Against the other 20mm diameter cells it also does well. Down to 3.2V the HG6 equals or beats by a little the Sanyo NCR20650A or iJoy 5-leg 20700. The Sanyo NCR20700A still beats all of them, but not by a lot.

While rated at 3000mAh, cells I tested from two sources and having two different batch/date codes only delivered about 2800mAh of capacity at 0.5A down to 2.5V. This is 100mAh lower than its minimum capacity rating. LG uses a cutoff voltage of 2.0V though for their capacity rating for this cell. If I ran them down to that level I think they would meet the 2900mAh minimum rating.

To allow for direct comparisons of any cells I test I set my capacity testing cutoff voltage at 2.5V. Since two HG6’s, from two different batches, tested near 2800mAh when discharged at 0.5A down to 2.5V I am rating this cell at 30A and 2800mAh. It still tests out well, as described above.

Two cells were donated by EcoLux (https://ecoluxshopdirect.co.uk) for the purposes of testing. Thank you! Two other cells were purchased by me.

Cell photos: https://imgur.com/a/XuyYq

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/btfnH

Test results, discharge graph, photos: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/bench-test-results-lg-hg6-30a-3000mah-20650-a-great-true-30a-battery-but-only-2800mah.834503/

All my test results to date: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

This cell has “Max continuous discharge: 38A” on the wrap. While this is a bit of an overrating this is a great performing true 30A cell.

It appears to be a Samsung but it outperforms any Samsung I’ve seen in that capacity range. It might be one of the new generation cells being produced for automotive use.

While this Vapcell has a lower capacity rating than the VTC5A it holds its voltage up better at high current levels. This makes it about equal to the VTC5A in total running time down to 3.2V. The Vapcell hits a touch harder than the VTC5A at the start but the VTC5A runs for a touch longer. I’m not sure you’ll see a difference in actual use though. The Vapcell does run cooler than the VTC5A and this can help extend overall battery life when used at very high current levels.

It runs cooler than the HB6, and for a lot longer, making it a better choice than the HB6 for very high current use. This is a damn good cell!

While rated at 2000mAh, this cell only delivered 1912mAh of capacity at 0.5A down to 2.5V. I consider this the “typical” or “nominal” capacity. The rated capacity must be considered the guaranteed minimum capacity and therefore must be less than this nominal capacity. It is typically 100mAh-200mAh lower than the nominal capacity rating.

I am rating this Vapcell cell at 30A and 1800mAh.

I don’t know where this cell can be be purchased yet but vendors can contact Vapcell (www.vapcelltech.com or https://szfyte.en.alibaba.com/). The two cells that were tested were donated by Vapcell for that purpose. Thank you!

Cell photos: https://imgur.com/a/ozTtz

Ratings Graphic: https://imgur.com/a/Gj0z3

Test results, discharge graph, photos: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/bench-test-results-vapcell-black-38a-2000mah-18650-bit-overrated-but-incredible-performer.834167/

All my test results to date: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

iJoy now has two versions of their “40A 3000mAh” 20700 battery, both in the same wrap. The original one has five “legs” coming down from the top contact and was rated at 30A 3000mAh by me.

This newer version of the “40A 3000mAh” battery has four “legs” coming down from the top contact. Unfortunately it is a hugely overrated, poor performing battery.

The voltage sag for this 4-leg cell version is a lot greater which results in about 30% less vaping time at moderate power levels (versus the 5-leg cell).

While both versions of this cell are on the market now, and using the same wrap, iJoy has stated that they will be using a different wrap soon for the 4-leg version. iJoy has also stated that the 4-leg version will not be sold separately in the future and will only be included in their kits. The 5-leg version will continue to be sold separately.

iJoy has also told me that they are working to lower the internal resistance of this cell. This will bring its performance closer to that of the 5-leg version. Once they release the updated 4-leg cell, with the new wraps, I will retest them.

The white top ring insulator of this cell is card stock, i.e., paper, like the 5-leg version. It is quite thin though. Pay extra attention to the top of these cells if your charger is a tight fit or your mod damages cell wraps.

I am rating this version of this iJoy cell at 20A and 2800mAh.

The diameter of the 4-leg version ranged from 20.42mm – 20.49mm. This includes the distinct bumps at the seams of the wrap. Four cells were measured.

The diameter of the 5-leg version ranged from 20.42mm to 20.48mm with five cells being measured. The 4-leg and 5-leg versions are essentially the same size.

A note…the capacity rating of the 5-leg version will also be lowered by me (probably from 3000mAh to 2800mAh) as additional experience with these cells, and other 2×700’s with their different chemistry, has made me realize this change is needed. This will affect the Efest, EBAT, and Ampking 20700’s too as they also use the 5-leg version of this cell. Their performance has not changed, just the rating I am giving them. More info in another post.

Several 4-leg cells were tested. I want to thank those who arranged to get samples of them to me, especially Evolution Vaping in the U.K. They expressed shipped cells to me here in New York City not once but twice after I realized I needed more cells to test. Thank you all!

Cell photos: https://imgur.com/a/735dC

Ratings Graphic: https://imgur.com/a/hXsxd

Test results, discharge graph, photos: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/bench-test-results-ijoy-40a-3000mah-20700-4-“leg”-version-only-20a-28.833915/

All my test results to date: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

Due to other things I needed to get to I had to stop at 20,000 presses but here are the results. There were 15,000 presses using a 0.17 ohm build and a VTC5A battery, recharged every 200 presses. Then there were 5,000 presses using a 0.09 ohm build with stacked (series) VTC5A’s recharged every 200 presses.

Note: NEVER attempt to vape using a 0.09 build in a series mod! This was done merely for testing the button’s resistance to arcing in extreme setups.

This button does not use a sliding pin type contact method, as it appeared to do in the rendering posted by VandyVape. It uses a steel bar wth swaged-in contacts at either end to bridge the contacts swaged in to each of the two terminals for the external connections. The actuator presses the bar down and the two terminals are connected through the bar. A spring and silicone cone help to push the bar and actuator back up after the button is released.

This button was originally advertised as having a 30A continuous rating, which was ridiculous. VandyVape has removed that claim and it now has no ratings and only states that it is an “intelligent fire button”. I think this is a translation issue as there is nothing other than basic button components inside, no MOSFET or protection of any type. This reference to it being intelligent is probably just a poorly translated way of saying it is a smart or intelligent design.

After 20,000 presses the button never failed to work and didn’t get mushy or gritty or stuck in the on position. Nothing got even warm using the 0.17 ohm build but the terminals (only) get very hot even with momentary button presses with the 0.09 ohm series build. This is quite understandable though as that is a LOT of current.

The arcing damage that accumulated from these 20,000 presses was not bad. Especially considering the huge current flow with the series build. I think the overall life of this button will be good for the average user. However, since the contacts cannot be cleaned or maintained the damage might eventually cause problems for super-subohmers. This is not the target user for this single-battery squonk box though.

While my testing was not comprehensive, I would like to have done 100,000 presses, I don’t see any big problems using this button without a MOSFET in this device for the typical user. However, this is no guarantee that every person who buys this device will have zero problems using this button for years. I do feel better about it now than I did before the testing though and will be getting at least one of these mods for myself.

Disassembly photos: https://imgur.com/a/DVDxB

iJoy has released their statement regarding the new 4-leg top contact version of their 20700 battery. I am posting it as received from iJoy.

I am testing several of their 4-leg 20700’s now and will be posting the results in a day or so.

Their statement: https://imgur.com/a/DqWKA

It appears that iJoy has changed what cell they wrap for their 20700.

I’ve done some preliminary testing and, so far, the news is not good. The newer 20700 performs worse than the original one. See the attached discharge graph.

I’ll be doing more testing but it appears to be a 15A-20A cell with a capacity rating of about 2800mAh with a lot of voltage sag.

My sincere thanks to James Burr of Evolution Vaping (UK) for bringing this to my attention and for express shipping some to me here in NYC! I also want to thank the others who alerted me too.

These new iJoy 20700’s are easily spotted since they have four “legs” coming down from the top contact instead of the five in the original cell iJoy used.

The ones I received were taken from Captain mod kits but others have said they received them in Genie kits and in orders from IMRBatteries. My recent order from IMRBatteries had the five leg versions of them though.

EBAT, Ampking, and Efest used the same better performing 20700 iJoy originally did, with the five leg top contact. I do not know if these companies will be switching to the four leg cell too.

Evolution Vaping (UK) has only five leg iJoy 20700’s in stock for separate purchase. I do not know who else has them in stock. Vendors, feel free to comment below.

Thanks to two members of our community I am receiving more of the new four leg cells next week and will be thoroughly testing them. I should have the results by the end of next week.

My messages to iJoy regarding these cells have gone unanswered but there is a holiday in China this week and I’m not surprised they haven’t responded yet.

I’ll post an update as I get more info.

Discharge graph: https://imgur.com/a/wFbtC