Driphacks Guide to Vape Mods

Vape mods are a curious thing, they are the life blood of vaping yet with all the features, bells, whistles, lights and countless options, they can be a little difficult to understand what they actually do.  A lot of new vapers such as yourself perhaps, want something simple and easy, you don’t want to use Bypass, have no interest in temperature control or even know what a DNA chip is.  Sometimes you just want something that has a fire button and makes the vapour come out.  Maybe you are a little bit more experienced in vaping but have no idea where to go from there.  You are looking at that brand new RDA but have no idea what mod you need to use it with for the best results.  That is where we come in, here at Driphacks we want to make choosing a mod as simple as buying our latest hack shot, easy and straight forward.  So what we want to do is explore exactly what is a mod and try and break down the terminology a little bit.  Make it easy and simple, as vaping should be.

What are Vape Mods

Mods as they are commonly known, are the devices that store and supply the power to your vaping tank on top and depending on type, provide functionality. The devices can come in two different forms as explained below.

Regulated Mods

A Regulated mod is one that provides a chip inside which comes with different options, features and most importantly, safety. A Regulated mod is one that is designed to protect you if anything is to go wrong, from battery protection to the coil on top of the device.  A Regulated mod often comes with options on the way to vape inside, from simple power modes all the way to bypass / TC.  The functionality will remain the same and can come with either internal batteries or by use of a external battery(ies) to power the device.  Most will come with a screen with adjustable wattage and are the most common type of device on the market.

Unregulated Mods

Unregulated Mods remove the safety features for a more basic approach to vaping. Using one of these style of devices is only for the experts out there as there is no battery / tank protection and can be dangerous without the appropriate level of knowledge and care.  An unregulated device removes control from your vaping style with the make-up of an unregulated device being more akin to a metal tube rather than a box mod that the regulated template follows.  You can’t use stock coil tanks on top of an unregulated device and you have to build coils that will be compatible with the battery you are using, with high level discharge being extremely dangerous when building wrong. The benefit of using an unregulated device is that you can offer yourself a more powerful direct vape compared to the more subdued regulated style, essentially providing a tailor made vape for yourself.

Types of Mods

Internal battery mods

Internal Battery mods are those that come with an internal battery inside that cannot be removed.  Charging this type of device is done via USB cable and as such, the battery size can vary from device to device.  The Internal battery mods are great for easy vaping, without any batteries required to maintain and can be charged on the go wherever there is a usb port to plug into.  You can determine the internal battery size and longevity through the mAh rating it will give you, the higher the number, the bigger the battery. The device size is also determined by the battery capacity, with bigger batteries requiring a bigger body to fit them in.

External Battery Mods

External battery mods are designed to use batteries that can be removed and charged externally.  External battery devices can come in different shapes and sizes with the need to purchase batteries separately and ideally use an external battery charger to recharge them.  External battery devices are ideal for longer battery life as a dual battery device will give you more mAh than an internal one will do for the most part.  The external battery devices are locked in size to the batteries they use, so they have to house 1/2 batteries as well as the other component inside.

Mechanical Mods

Mechanical mods are a very advanced user style device that allows a vaper to use the power of the battery rather than a set limit to power their tank. A mechanical mod, combined with a rebuildable tank, require a very high understanding of ohms law and battery capacity to be able to utilise safely in vaping. A mechanical mod gets its name from the way in which it is designed, shying away from the added safety features of your regular mod and instead are very simple designed devices. A simple circuit that pushes a connection with the battery as the fire button is pushed, releasing the full power of the battery in one go. As batteries depreciate, the hit of the vape goes down. This style of device is often made out of metal rather than the many styles that a regulated mod adopts. A mechanical mod cannot be used with a stock coil tank and therefore should not be tried at home.

Pod Systems

Pod systems are fairly new to the market and draw inspiration from the closed pod systems that are often found in a local shop.  The pod system is a low battery and size style device that comes compatible with pods to hold the Eliquid.  The Pod is usually designed for sparing vapes over chain vaping which is why the battery capacity is usually lower than other internal battery devices.  Designed for MTL vaping, we are starting to see a move into DL style which is offering bigger batteries than ever before.  They are chargeable via USB so have the same advantages as a internal battery device, with a different tank style system being the biggest difference.

Looking deeper into the devices, you start to find a lot of different options inside that on the surface may not make a whole lot of sense to a new vaper.  Perhaps you have chosen the mod for you but find there is more options inside that you will ever need.  It can be confusing having a multitude of different vaping modes compared to a simple vape system so let’s take a look at the most common options in a mod and what they actually do.

Wattage Mode

This is your straight forward power mode where you pick your wattage and vape at that level.  There is very little customisation in wattage mode, but it adds to the simplicity of the vaping style, especially when you have the recommended wattage written on your coil.  This is the most common mode in a vaping device for this reason.

Pre Heat Mode

This mode is an extension of the Wattage mode that allows you to ramp up your initial time to a given pre set level.  Preheat usually works with the first 1 second of the pull, with the high setting for example upping the power burst before settling back into the desired wattage.  This mode is designed to give a softer or bigger kick when first taking a pull, ideal for vapers who want a sharp quick ramp up in their vape or a slightly cooler inhale before the wattage balances out.

Temperature Control

A mode that is used by hand made coils rather than stock, temperature control works on the basis of temperature rather than wattage.  This mode allows you to select the temperature you want to vape at and the device will power and then balance at that desired temperature whilst firing.  This method gives a cooler vape for the most part but it can be ideal for maintaining cotton in your coils longer.  This is where materials such as Stainless Steel and Nickel are used over the standard kanthal, you can read about that in our article HERE.  Temperature control is a style that is best used when you simply want to maintain a certain temperature and reduce the fear of burning the cotton by overpowering the coil accidentally.

Bypass Mode

This is where newer devices over the past 12 months have attempted to bridge the gap between regulated and unregulated.  Bypass mode is effectively, bypassing the power control to give you a full hit of your battery but with the added safety mechanisms built into the device.  Bypass allows you to customise your vape in a way more akin to a Mechanical mod but keeping yourself safe in the process.  This mode is again not ideal for stock coil tanks as the coil may be over powered and therefore degraded by pushing more power through the coil than intended.  However bypass is great for people who want to vape in this style but not be forced to move to an unregulated device.

TCR

TCR stands for Temperature Coefficient of Resistance and is a more advanced version of the Temperature control previous explained.  What TCR does is allow you to fine tune your vaping experience down to the metal of the coil you are using.  TC mode simply allows you to set temperature but TCR allows you to delve deeper and set the specific metal type that allow for a more accurate vaping experience.  This mode is for the more advanced TC vapers who are looking to program their device effectively, to give them the exact vape they require.

Memory Mode

The final common feature on mod regulated mods on the market is a memory mode, perfect for people who fine tune but change frequently.  The memory mode can vary device to device but the fundamental function remains the same.  Memory mode allows you to set the exact vaping style that you want and be able to save it for future use.  If, for example you like to change tanks, or swap between a rebuildable or stock (or 2 rebuildables) then memory mode is a perfect way to ensure you can do so quickly and easy.  You simply set the variables in your vape and save, meaning you only need to switch between the two when you change the tank.  Some devices are even allowing you to set nic strength and add wording into the modes to truly personalise each mode you save.

Vaping batteries

So you have decided which type of device you want to purchase but are unsure on which batteries you want to use? Fear not, we have you covered there as well.

There are different types of batteries available for vaping on the market today with each one offering a different function and positive from using it. the batteries are made from lithium-ion similar to a phone battery and are designed for high discharge compared to cheaper brands that are designed for low powered devices such as torches. This is why it is always important for safety reasons to purchase batteries from trusted sources as an untested battery can lead to issues such as venting or explosions.

18650

The standard Vaping battery on the market today and utilised by the majority of devices on the market. The 18650 is a high discharge battery that usually has a amp rating between 20-30 amps, and often used parallel to each other in most devices on the market. The 18650 can be found made by respected companies such as Sony, Samsung and LG as examples and provide solid vaping experiences

21700 / 20700

these types of batteries have only really entered the market within the last 12 months and are slowly being adopted by vaping companies to power their devices. The advantages these types of batteries can bring is through a higher discharge rate and capacity which can lead to longer battery life. The only real difference between the two is a slight size in battery and carry a higher price tag than the 18650, with a much lower compatible market currently.

Battery safety is always an up-most priority in vaping and abusing batteries like any other powered device can lead to negative outcomes and potentially danger. It is always advised within the vaping industry to charge batteries through an external battery charger from a leading brand to ensure safe and prolonged battery life.

Two such places that are highly recommended for purchasing batteries that are both tested and trusted Fogstar and 18650.uk which have an extremely high standard within the industry.

So hopefully we have helped you learn a thing or two about the range of different mods on the market today. Always remember that the type of device used requires different levels of care, control and batteries. Always check up before making a purchase to ensure that you are buying the right mod for your needs.