Hey there! Today, I'll be going over the Cana DNA 30w box mod, as well as what I believe to be it's soul-mate, the Magma RDA. I'd like to thank Michael and Mikaela over at MTBAKERVAPOR for the opportunity.
The cana 30w board is housed within a very sturdy piece of aluminum - the 510 connector, firing switch, and wattage buttons are all very well drilled, and seated nicely. The box itself is rather small, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand. Within the box, you have your battery sled, chip, and wiring.
The battery sled itself is quite sturdy, however it could do with a ribbon - after about a week of use, mine began to rattle within the housing - I suspect this is because of the force required to remove the battery, as the contacts are not spring loaded, or afford any "give." Worst case scenario, you're looking at soldering the connectors to the sled if you run into this problem. In all honesty, I'd recommend dedicating a single battery to the device, and charging it via USB to eliminate the problem.
The LCD screen is nicely done as well - the readout is very clear, accurate, and well placed. The readout will display your battery life, voltage, wattage, and ohms. This is useful if you're trying to hit a target wattage, or want to know your battery life at a glance.
It can get a bit confusing, but it is nothing you can't wrap your head around - with a basic understanding of ohms law (something I suggest you know like the back of your hand) and electrical knowledge (feel free to study), you will have a better understanding on the concept. For the sake of simplicity, I'll break down the build I have
With a 1.6 ohm coil, I get dense, thick, flavorful vapor at 30 watts - however keep in mind, that just because you're building higher, does not mean you're getting more battery life - higher wattage requires more amperage, which equals a faster draining battery. I can get about a days use on the cana, but no more - you definitely want to invest in a high drain, preferably new battery, if you'd like to utilize it's full power.
The RDA itself is exceptionally well bit. The threads are very clean, the posts are incredibly sturdy - they're welded to the base, so you should not see wobble. For a clone, I was very impressed - a friend of mine had the authentic, and they're near identical, sans the logo - this particular magma is logoless, which I find sleek and appealing. I feel that the magma is one of infinites greatest attempts in the clone market - it is 1:1, and performs just as well as the authentic.
Specifications
Features:
- Compact size ~2.0"L x 1.0"W x 3.4"H
- The separate up and down buttons allow for wattage adjustment in 0.1 watt increments
- Uses a single 18650 Battery
- Flush 510 connector
- Flush dome style Fire Button
- Wattage can be adjusted from:
- 7w-20w on AW IMR and Panasonic CGR batteries
- 7w-20+w on Sony VTC5 batteries
- Atomizer Resistance: 0.3Ω-3.3Ω
- OLED display shows battery level, voltage, watts and ohms
- Micro USB charger & tiny screwdriver included
- Able to fire 30watts at any ohm resistance in the range listed above
With the influx of 50w, 100w, and even 150w+ mods, a lot of us are beginning to forget about the original king of the watt game - the DNA 30 the CANA does not feature an authentic DNA 30). At it's peak, the DNA 30w chip stood tall atop the mountain, reigning supreme. As time passed, however, we as a community began to want more - more wattage, more volts, more power. Some of you out there may be chuckling at the thought of bringing your Cana 30w back into rotation, yet a vast majority of the community rarely go above 20 watts - so like fine wine, this is a device that is sure to get better with age. Let's get down to the review.
- Build Quality
Well, the build quality is sure to be on everyone's mind, considering it is a clone of the wildly popular Hana Modz DNA30. I have seen the original, and I can tell you, this is of similar build quality - it is not as meticulously put together as it's authentic counterpart, but it is clear that a LOT of work went into manufacturing the device.
The cana 30w board is housed within a very sturdy piece of aluminum - the 510 connector, firing switch, and wattage buttons are all very well drilled, and seated nicely. The box itself is rather small, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand. Within the box, you have your battery sled, chip, and wiring.
One thing I'd like to point out, is the screws securing the back door are a bit wonky - if you use the blue screwdriver included, you will end up with a stripped screw. As long as you use a high quality driver of appropriate size, you shouldn't run into a problem - I have noticed others complain about stripping, but I have yet to have this problem. I'd recommend gently removing and and reinserting, as well as using quality tools.
As you can see, it is a very seamless design. The battery sled is seated comfortably, and the solder job isn't half bad - it is not as well done as other boxes out there, however if you're handy with a soldering iron, it should be a walk in the park to touch up the connections - if necessary. The board itself is housed in an enclosed space - it is hard to make out in a picture, but the wiring does seem to be a bit cramped - I like to assume because it is a very small enclosure. That however, is nitpicky at best - if you know your way around an iron, you will find yourself at home if you run into a problem, such as a weak connection, or loss thereof.
The battery sled itself is quite sturdy, however it could do with a ribbon - after about a week of use, mine began to rattle within the housing - I suspect this is because of the force required to remove the battery, as the contacts are not spring loaded, or afford any "give." Worst case scenario, you're looking at soldering the connectors to the sled if you run into this problem. In all honesty, I'd recommend dedicating a single battery to the device, and charging it via USB to eliminate the problem.
The buttons on the Cana are a pleasure to use, affording a clicky, tactile feel. They're rounded, located on the side of the box - one for power, one to lower wattage, and one to increase wattage. Some complain that they're too small, however I find them to the perfect size - they're firm, easy to press, and seem to be of high quality.
The 510 connector is flush dome style, 22mm, which is great - every atty I have thrown at it have sat flush, and beautifully.
The LCD screen is nicely done as well - the readout is very clear, accurate, and well placed. The readout will display your battery life, voltage, wattage, and ohms. This is useful if you're trying to hit a target wattage, or want to know your battery life at a glance.
I cannot comment on the board itself - I have not opened the casing to examine it, however it has yet to give me a single issue - no random firing, no error in firing, etc. I know people who have had the device for quite a long time, and these boards seem to kick for quite a while.
Outside of the iffy soldering and stiff sled, the inside of the box is very well done - functional, simple, and appealing.
- Performance
Nothing quite like a Ferrari with a blown engine - similarly, this device can be as beautiful as it wants, but how does it perform?
Yup, the Cana 30w performs as well as it looks - if you configure it correctly. You see, in order to take full advantage of the 30w chip, you want to your build to hit a target resistance. The box itself regulates power, converting your wattage to volts, it goes a bit like this...
Wattage set -> Ohm detection -> voltage adjustment.
It can get a bit confusing, but it is nothing you can't wrap your head around - with a basic understanding of ohms law (something I suggest you know like the back of your hand) and electrical knowledge (feel free to study), you will have a better understanding on the concept. For the sake of simplicity, I'll break down the build I have
30g twisted 2mm coil, 11 wraps, hitting a target resistance of 1.6 ohms. At 30 watts, the box converts the output amp limit to 6.9 volts - a bit shy of the 8.3 max output, but still pretty powerful. When using a coil with a high surface area, and a higher resistance, you are able to fully utilize the potential of the box.
SO, with that in mind, it goes without saying - if you're looking to sub ohm on this thing, don't. 30w is a great amount of power, but for builds in the .02 - 0.7 range, it is kind of useless. With the cana, you want to build higher, in order to fully optimize the volt capacity the chip affords, and when you do...it's pretty amazing.
With a 1.6 ohm coil, I get dense, thick, flavorful vapor at 30 watts - however keep in mind, that just because you're building higher, does not mean you're getting more battery life - higher wattage requires more amperage, which equals a faster draining battery. I can get about a days use on the cana, but no more - you definitely want to invest in a high drain, preferably new battery, if you'd like to utilize it's full power.
With all the electrical talk out of the way, at 30 watts, the cana simply rips - it performs very, very well. If you're not yet looking to get into rebuildables, it performs equally well with clearomizers - the nautilus mini with BVC coils is heavenly to use around 18 watts, producing satisfying vapor and amazing flavor. In my opinion, the box shines at full power, but is definitely no slouch to use in the 15 - 25 watt range, offering a very pleasant vaping experience.
In my opinion, the Magma RDA was built for this mod. I'll give a quick run-down on the magma, but it is a staple in plenty arsenals, so if you're reading this, I'm sure you've at least heard of it.
Features
- Available with Stainless Steel or Brass ring, or a full Black Finish.
- Extended Juice Basin.
- 22mm Diameter.
- Two 3mm Wide Posts.
- Dual Direct to Coil Airhole (around 1.5mm away from coils).
- External Airflow Selection (1mm, 2mm, 3mm); Options for Single or Dual Airflow.
- Poles are Welded to the Base for Durability.
- Positive Insulator Hidden in the Base to Avoid Melting
The RDA itself is exceptionally well bit. The threads are very clean, the posts are incredibly sturdy - they're welded to the base, so you should not see wobble. For a clone, I was very impressed - a friend of mine had the authentic, and they're near identical, sans the logo - this particular magma is logoless, which I find sleek and appealing. I feel that the magma is one of infinites greatest attempts in the clone market - it is 1:1, and performs just as well as the authentic.
Thanks to the domed chamber top cap, the magma manages to pull off incredible, out of this world flavor. I've yet to find an RDA that can stack up to it in terms of flavor - sure, 3mm airflow isn't exactly for cloud chasing, but it surely no slouch in the department. With a 1.6 ohm coil, air flow wide open, set to 30 watts, the magma absolutely rips - flavor and vapor that are hard to beat. Nowadays, a lot of rebuildables are opting for quad posts, huge caps, chuff tops, and crazy airflow. While I certainly love those, it's important to not loose sight of the other end of the spectrum - clouds are great fun, but sometimes...you just need some FLAVOR. Look nowhere else, people. I firmly believe the Magma should be packaged right alongside the Cana, or any box mod for that matter.
- Verdict
Let's take a look at the pro's and cons
PROS
- Nice construction
- Responsive buttons
- LCD readout is accurate and easy to navigate
- 30 watt
- Flush 510
- Sleek and compact
CONS
- Soldering can be hit or miss
- Battery sled is stiff
- Device must be put to sleep (click five times) and awoken (click five times) - would be nicer if you could just turn it on and off on a whim
In the current market, I'd definitely recommend a purchase if you can find it sub ~60 dollars. It's a
well made device, but it does have a reputation - some use it as a daily driver, others are addled with woes. I personally have yet to encounter a problem, but remember - these devices are from china (as with the majority of equipment) where quality control isn't exactly protocol. Just because mine performs well, does not guarantee that your's will. Be sure to inspect your devices 510 connection, threads, buttons, and solder points to make sure that it is in good working order. Never throw a questionable build at the device - it does have short circuit protection, but it is a clone board, and electronics can fail.
www.mtbakervapor.com has the CANA in stock for 58.99 - use coupon code VAPOCALYPTIC for 10% off, and the LOGOLESS Infinite Magma for 23.99.
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